It’s that time of year again. And while, yes, we can all agree 2016 sucked, it was also the year The Dot and Line went live on the Internet. This means some serious back-slapping and revelry is in order. We’ve had the pleasure to edit some of our favorite writers’ and illustrators’ coverage of animation this year, and we need to shout some out. Gather round, kids.
Anatomy of an Animated Badass
Our first piece, the goofy and very serious, definitive take, by John Maher.
Dr. Girlfriend, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying about the Female Villain
This banger by Kelsey Amentt on Dr. Girlfriend of Venture Bros.
Exclusive Interview: Hal Lublin Breaks Down ‘The Venture Bros.’ and Playing Up His Asthma
One of our funniest Q&As: John Maher + Hal Lublin of Venture Bros.
Chuck Jones’s Final Masterpiece Is an Early ’00s Flash Animation Artifact
Did you know Chuck Jones did FLASH animation in the early ’00s? Because we didn’t.
Cartoon Moms, Ranked
A dumb (read: very important) ranking of cartoon moms.
Cartoon Dads, Ranked
An idea so ingenious we followed it up with a dumb (read: equally important) ranking of cartoon dads.
Exclusive Interview: Inside the Passion of ‘Batman: The Animated Podcast’
Eric Vilas-Boas wrote this profile of Justin Michael of Batman: The Animated Podcast, who is a nerd god and a really nice guy.
Exclusive Interview: Natalie Palamides on Buttercup and ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Season 2
An interview with Natalie Palamides (aka Buttercup) who is super talented and has the coolest voice in TV.
35 Haiku Written for the Cartoon Heroines of Our Time
The haiku stylings of Julia Carpenter, Taylor Trudon, Jillian Anthony, Neeti Upadhye, Leanne Butkovic, Alanna Bennett, Krystie Yandoli, and many more.
Ten Years Later: Is ‘Cars’ Good?
Andy Potoczak and Kyle Kuchta duking it out over Cars.
At the End of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ All I Could Think About Was My Dead Mom
John Maher’s heartrending take on his mother and Cowboy Bebop.
The Quiet Potential of ‘The Loud House’
Our Nicktoons Month was a crackpot idea that turned out stories like this one by Ruth Morrison on The Loud House. And a lot more:
Macie and Me, and the Little Seal Girl Makes Three
Corinne Segal on queerness in As Told by Ginger. And…
How ‘Invader Zim’ Navigated the World of Human Disguise
Dan Powell on Invader Zim. Plus…
Which ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ Character Would Survive the Oil Spill?
Katie van Brunt with brilliant execution on a dark, funny idea. And…
How ‘Rugrats’ Taught a Shiksha Like Me to Love Passover
Kate Drozynski on religion and how cartoons help us understand cultural differences at a young age. Plus…
Poem: Nobody Cares About Skeeter Valentine
Joanna C. Valente wrote this tremendous poem about Doug and so much more. And…
Exclusive Interview: Fred Seibert on How Creativity Flourished at Nickelodeon
And John Maher’s interview with cartoon legend Fred Seibert —, who’s worked on pretty much everything you love. (Whew! That’s enough Nicktoons.)
A Final Note on Heartbreak and ‘Steven Universe’: “It’s Over, Isn’t It?”
We also did a full week on Steven Universe, with pieces like Lorna’s personal take on “It’s Over, Isn’t It?”
At the Start of 2016, Rebecca Sugar Gave Garnet Something Entirely New
And stories like Maya Gittelman’s on Rebecca Sugar expressed a real hope that often eluded us in 2016.
Why We’ll Never See a Show Like ‘The Critic’ Again
Meanwhile, Siena Teresa Koncsol’s piece on The Critic raised serious questions our culture has yet to figure out.
Finally, We Know Why the Grinch Stole Christmas
And we ran pieces by the funny and smart Rob Ryan who, thank god, may be as warped as we are.
Exclusive Interview: Andrea Romano on Retiring and 30 Years’ Hard Work
Eric Vilas-Boas got to talk to a real hero in Andrea Romano about her future retirement and a lifetime of working hard and energizing those around her to do the same. We also worked with our friend Kevin Conway on that story too, which is always fun.
If the Lorax Puffs Trees in the Forest: An Investigation
Along the way, we filled this site with a lot of absurdist humor, like the piece above. We’ve had more fun than you can imagine.
Thank you to everyone—everyone—who’s offered us tips or guidance this year. Thank you to all you who’ve read and continue to read and critique The Dot and Line’s work, especially in these early stages. Thank you to everyone who sends us tips about what we should cover. Thank you to everyone who’s ever bought us a beer or told us tomorrow will be easier or watched a Miyazaki movie with us until 1 in the morning. You’ve made every minute worth it, and we do this for you most of all, no matter how many after-work hours it takes. Neither of us had covered animation in any capacity before doing this, and it’s a real pleasure and privilege to do it with other people who love the art form as much as we do. Art, like love, is labor, just as it is power—and there’s no better reward than a good day’s work. Plus, we have so much more fun and exciting shit on our calendar for next year. Thanks one last time to all our fellow writers, illustrators, and brainstormers. We’ll see you in 2017.
Thanks for reading The Dot and Line, where we talk about animation of all kinds. Don’t forget to ❤ this article and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
