Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with animation news from San Diego Comic-Con, Netflix House Philadelphia, and the latest streaming and box-office releases. Drew shares what it was like moderating DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island panel for a packed Ballroom 20 crowd, while Jim explores how animated characters become theme park attractions and merchandise. Then the episode travels back to Disney’s postwar era for the story of character actor Billy Gilbert, whose booming personality and famous comic sneeze helped bring Sneezy and Willie the Giant to life.

NEWS

• Drew Taylor recounts moderating the Forgotten Island panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

• Jim visits Universal Studios Theme Park: The Exhibition and explores how animation is translated into rides, animatronics, costumes, and merchandise.

• Netflix House Philadelphia brings The Mitchells vs. the Machines and other Netflix films to the big screen inside the Tudum Theater.

• Toy Story 5 crosses the billion-dollar mark as Minions & Monsters continues its worldwide theatrical run.

• Dragon Striker earns a second season following its Disney+ debut and Comic-Con promotional push.

FEATURE

• How vaudeville performer and character actor Billy Gilbert became the original voice of Sneezy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

• Why Walt Disney remembered Gilbert when the studio needed a performer who could make Willie the Giant both threatening and childlike.

• The long development journey that transformed The Legend of Happy Valley into the Mickey and the Beanstalk segment of Fun and Fancy Free.

• How Willie the Giant continued appearing in Disney projects and theme park locations long after Gilbert’s final performance.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X: @DrewTailored - Instagram: @drewtailored - drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Planning a trip to Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World? Let the experts at BeOurGuestVacations.com help with your hotel, theme park tickets, and vacation planning.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
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Netflix animation is having another monster year, with Nathan Greno’s body-swap comedy “Swapped” racing up the platform’s all-time rankings behind “KPop Demon Hunters.” Jim Hill and Drew Taylor also examine Disney’s uncertain live-action remake strategy, the return of “Hotel Transylvania” and a new theatrical Looney Tunes short. Plus, Drew shares highlights from his conversation with Greno about the making of Netflix’s latest animated hit.

HIGHLIGHTS

• “The Odyssey” dominates the worldwide box office while Disney’s live-action “Moana” suffers a steep second-weekend decline.

• Disney moves ahead with “Tangled” and a possible continuation of “The Princess and the Frog” despite uneven remake results.

• “Toy Story 5” approaches the billion-dollar mark as “Minions & Monsters” falls short of franchise expectations.

• Sony and Amazon MGM prepare “The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania” for a theatrical release in 2027.

• Disney Junior tests a YouTube-first launch strategy with the new animated preschool series “Ozzy Fox.”

• Director Nathan Greno discusses the creation and unexpected streaming success of “Swapped.”

• “Daffy Season” brings the Looney Tunes back to theaters with a modern spin on the classic rabbit-season-versus-duck-season routine.

• Titmouse joins Meow Wolf’s upcoming Los Angeles exhibition as an animation and creative-design partner.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X/Twitter and Instagram: @DrewTailored - drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Save up to 12% on Disney and Universal theme park tickets with UnlockedMagic.com. Their experienced team can help you find great ticket prices and make planning your next Florida vacation less stressful.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Drew and Jim to discuss the latest news in animation and check in on the box office of a live action adaptation that didn’t do quite as well as Disney may have hoped. They also take a close look at the career of actor Sterling Holloway and how his role as a tree in a Shirley Temple film The Blue Bird led to a call from Walt Disney.

NEWS

• Reflections on Sam Neill and Disney Legend Don Iwerks after their passing

• Disney’s live action Moana underperforms at the box office

• The internet is in an uproar about the upcoming Tangled because of the sets



FEATURE

Jim discusses the career of actor Sterling Holloway who voiced many classic characters including the Cheshire Cat and was also the original voice of Winnie the Pooh! His work on that show led to a surprise call from a very important fan during his recovery from a heart attack, and he was even inducted as a Disney Legend in 1991.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com
• Drew Taylor - X: @DrewTailored | Instagram: @drewtailored | drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - StrongMindedAgency.com

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com, the go-to source for great deals on Disney and Universal theme park tickets. If a 2026 theme park vacation is on your radar, their team can help you save money while making the planning process easier.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Jim Hill Media Sponsorship Information

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take a Fourth of July detour on Fine Tooning for a deep dive into the first 50 years of Disney animation directors. With Ron Clements’ memoir now pushed to October and The Great Mouse Detective celebrating its 40th anniversary, Jim and Drew trace how Disney’s animated features evolved from Walt’s hands-on oversight to the rise of the CalArts generation. Along the way, they revisit Snow White, Dumbo, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, The Rescuers, The Black Cauldron, and the film that helped set the stage for Disney animation’s next era.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ron Clements’ long-awaited memoir, Making Disney Magic, gets another release-date delay.

• The Great Mouse Detective turns 40, giving Jim and Drew the perfect excuse to revisit Disney animation’s directing history.

• Walt Disney’s role in shaping Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi gets a fresh look.

• The wartime package films reveal how Disney kept animation alive during a difficult stretch for the studio.

• The conversation follows the handoff from veteran Disney directors to the CalArts generation that changed feature animation.

FEATURE

• How early Disney animated features used supervising directors, sequence directors, and Walt’s final creative say.

• Why Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty marked a major postwar rebuilding period.

• How Wolfgang Reitherman’s run helped define the studio’s animated output after Walt’s death.

• Why The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective became turning points for the next generation of Disney storytellers.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia, Instagram: @JimHillMedia, Website: jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X/Twitter: @DrewTailored, Instagram: @drewtailored, Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com. If a Disney or Universal trip is on your radar for 2026, Unlocked Magic helps you lock in great ticket prices without the stress, all handled by people who know the parks and how to save you money.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Taylor is back from Annecy, sleep-deprived but fully loaded with animation news, studio reveals, and a few very good Brad Bird breakfast stories. This week, Jim and Drew look at Toy Story 5’s massive second weekend, Supergirl’s box office debut, and the Minions’ return to the big screen before diving into what Drew saw at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. From DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island to new Warner Bros. Animation projects, Disney and Pixar updates, and a tribute to Lilo & Stitch voice actress Daveigh Chase, it is a packed tour through the current state of animation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Toy Story 5 continues its huge theatrical run, pushing Disney past $3 billion at the 2026 worldwide box office.

• Supergirl opens below last summer’s Superman debut, while several genre titles continue to hold spots in the domestic top ten.

• Minions & Monsters heads toward a major Independence Day weekend launch after its Annecy screening.

• Drew shares what it was like covering Annecy while filing stories, hosting press conferences, and juggling interviews throughout the festival.

• Forgotten Island gets the spotlight as one of DreamWorks Animation’s funniest and most heartfelt upcoming projects.

• DreamWorks confirms Donkey, a Shrek spinoff prequel centered on Eddie Murphy’s beloved character.

• Warner Bros. Animation announces a packed slate, including Last Laugh, Krypto, Absolute Batman, Adventure Time, and a Powerpuff Girls feature.

• Disney and Pixar updates include Gatto, Loving Dory, Hexed, and the 2D/CG hybrid Lilo & Scratch.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia, Instagram: @JimHillMedia, Website: jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X/Twitter: @DrewTailored, Instagram: @drewtailored, Website: drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Planning a Disney or Universal trip in 2026? UnlockedMagic.com helps you lock in great ticket prices without the stress, with support from people who know the parks and how to save you money.

If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices