Michael Lyons

Editor

Michael Lyons is a freelance writer, specializing in film, television, and pop culture. He is the author of the book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney’s Animation Renaissance, which chronicles the amazing growth at the Disney animation studio in the 1990s. In addition to Animation Scoop and Cartoon Research, he has contributed to Remind Magazine, Cinefantastique, Animation World Network and Disney Magazine. He also writes a blog, Screen Saver: A Retro Review of TV Shows and Movies of Yesteryear and his interviews with a number of animation legends have been featured in several volumes of the books, Walt’s People. You can visit Michael’s web site Words From Lyons at: Words From Lyons at: www.wordsfromlyons.com

Articles By Michael Lyons

One Night Only: When Christmas Specials Were Special

Several years ago, a friend of mine shared a moment from his childhood that he jokingly referred to as “traumatic.” It was the mid-1970’s and he was grocery shopping with his parents, when he suddenly though to ask what time it was. After his parents told him, he did some quick elementary school math as […]

A “Short” Christmas Greeting: Mickey’s Good Deed

When fans of Mickey Mouse look for the perfect, classic way to celebrate Christmas with the iconic star, they usually turn to the 1952 short, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, or the “From All of Us to All of You” episode of the Disneyland TV Show, or even 1983’s featurette, Mickey’s Christmas Carol. However early in his […]

Thanksgiving “Cat”-astrophe: Tom & Jerry in “The Little Orphan”

Even during this socially distant Thanksgiving we just experienced, the trope of unwelcome guests still surfaced (after all, they could still always arrive via video conference!). This aspect of the holiday even surfaced in a classic Tom & Jerry cartoon from 1948 entitled The Little Orphan, in which the cat and mouse team welcome the […]

A “Special” look at Prehistoric Times: “B.C. The First Thanksgiving”

When A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on CBS fifty-five years ago, it was a huge ratings hit and seen by 45% of those watching television that evening. Soon, other networks started looking for a similar success. They wanted their “blockbuster holiday special.” Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the theory that “if […]

First and Foremost: The Significance of “Steamboat Willie”

Each year, around this time, Disney fans and animation enthusiasts will always be reminded that November 18th is Mickey Mouse’s birthday. And, if the birthday is a milestone (as it was two years ago for his 90th), the inundation of marketing and merchandising really ramps up. So, why the big deal? Plenty of animated characters […]

Michael Lyons

Editor

Articles By Michael Lyons

One Night Only: When Christmas Specials Were Special

A “Short” Christmas Greeting: Mickey’s Good Deed

Thanksgiving “Cat”-astrophe: Tom & Jerry in “The Little Orphan”

A “Special” look at Prehistoric Times: “B.C. The First Thanksgiving”

First and Foremost: The Significance of “Steamboat Willie”

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Michael Lyons

Editor

Articles By Michael Lyons

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An Eye for A Classic: The 60th Anniversary of “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol”