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Author: John Maher

John Maher is news and digital editor at Publishers Weekly and editor in chief at The Dot and Line, which he co-founded. His work has been published by New York magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and Esquire, among others.
coco
Movies

Here’s Why You Should Watch ‘Coco,’ Which Is Finally on Netflix

June 5, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on Here’s Why You Should Watch ‘Coco,’ Which Is Finally on Netflix

The Pixar tearjerker—now on Netflix—should do more than make you cry with its reminders of what tethers us to family. Now go call your grandma.

TV

A Pre–Memorial Day Appreciation of Alex Louis Armstrong’s Beach Bod

May 25, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on A Pre–Memorial Day Appreciation of Alex Louis Armstrong’s Beach Bod

“These abs have been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations!”

shinichiro watanabe cowboy bebop
TV

A Final ‘Bebop’ Question on Shinichirō Watanabe’s Legacy

May 4, 2018March 1, 2020 John MaherComments Off on A Final ‘Bebop’ Question on Shinichirō Watanabe’s Legacy

‘Cowboy Bebop’ busted the anime curve. But what is its director’s legacy? And is his greatest work really his, anyway?

cowboy bebop yoko kanno
TV

Yoko Kanno Took Two Melodies and Made Four Perfect Songs

May 1, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on Yoko Kanno Took Two Melodies and Made Four Perfect Songs

“Memory” and “Adieu,” “Goodnight Julia” and “Space Lion,” each flip sides of the same coin, make you wish Chet Baker and Bill Evans had been alive to play them—or that Pharaoh Sanders would.

sokka avatar the last airbender
TV

‘Cowboy Bebop’ Isn’t the Only Show with a “Mushroom Samba”

April 23, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Isn’t the Only Show with a “Mushroom Samba”

Rounding up some of the silliest, spookiest, and all-around best trip episodes and sequences from your favorite cartoons.

jupiter jazz cowboy bebop
TV

The Hidden Parallels in ‘Cowboy Bebop’—and Its Links to Cormac McCarthy

April 18, 2018April 18, 2020 John MaherComments Off on The Hidden Parallels in ‘Cowboy Bebop’—and Its Links to Cormac McCarthy

Spike is Gren? Spike is Vicious? Spike is Odin, the wanderer god whose ravens represent thought and memory? Spike is Cormac McCarthy’s nameless Kid from ‘Blood Meridian’? Good questions.

sympathy for the devil cowboy bebop
TV

At Least This ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Baddie Could Wail on the Harmonica

April 9, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on At Least This ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Baddie Could Wail on the Harmonica

Is this the show’s second most annoying villain? Yes. But the philosophy, the world-building, and the blues are worth it.

Movies

Isao Takahata Has Died. Animation Will Never Be the Same.

April 5, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on Isao Takahata Has Died. Animation Will Never Be the Same.

The Ghibli co-founder was, beyond any shadow of a doubt, Hayao Miyazaki’s equal in brilliance, if not in output or recognition.

gravity falls pig waddles mabel
Interviews TV

We Asked Neil deGrasse Tyson Why He Voiced a Pig on ‘Gravity Falls’

March 5, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on We Asked Neil deGrasse Tyson Why He Voiced a Pig on ‘Gravity Falls’

And other things you don’t know about the popular scientist and his cartoon career.

TV

Watch ‘Varmints’ and Let Jóhann Jóhannson Make You Sob

February 12, 2018December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on Watch ‘Varmints’ and Let Jóhann Jóhannson Make You Sob

People and climate change and industry are evil, but the late Icelandic composer is a melancholy blessing forever. May he rest in peace.

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EDITORS PICKS

remy ratatouille

15 Cartoon Rats and Mice, Ranked from Worst to Best

By The Dot and Line

Whether they’re fleeing feline persecution or chopping vegetables, these rodents know how to party.

“One For All” Is Unquestionably My Hero Academia’s Best Episode Yet

By Sarra Sedghi

It’s the end of an era.

Schoolhouse Rock Is Still the Best Explainer Video for Election 2016

By John Maher

This ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ clip — first aired 14 years ago — will tell you exactly how the United States works.

patrick mchale over the garden wall

Patrick McHale on the Haunting Magic of ‘Over the Garden Wall’: Exclusive

By John Maher

The creator of ‘Over the Garden Wall’ talks Halloween, the lessons he learned from ‘Adventure Time,’ and more.

bojack horseman lobotomy scene

We Need to Talk About BoJack Horseman Season 4’s Most Shocking Scene

By Sammy Nickalls

Here’s why this scene echoes in the background through Season 4.

The Oily Animation of ‘Loving Vincent’

By The Dot and Line

How do you make paintings into cartoons? Lots of elbow grease and lots of love. John Maher and Amelia Kidd discuss.*

adventure time islands

A Close Reading of the Art of “Adventure Time: Islands”

By Evan Fleischer

Now that ‘Adventure Time’ has ended, let’s look back on one of its best collections of episodes.

The Pencil Power of Richard Williams

By Eric Vilas-Boas

Cancer claimed the life of the legendary animator behind the vibrant cartooning in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and more masterworks.

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GREATEST HITS

so much for so little

This 70-Year-Old Cartoon Made the Strongest Healthcare Argument Ever

By John Maher

Chuck Jones's award-winning short "So Much for So Little" broke down the issue of public healthcare in the Truman era. We still haven’t learned.

The Top 10 Authors in Animation

By Deirdre Coyle

Pixelated scribes have blessed us with their wisdom across form and genre, from academia to political activism to erotica. Here are ten favorites, ranked.

2017 editorial | Editorial by MysteryThemes.