The imagination of Charles M. Schulz has spawned decades of animated hits and legions of fans. Every year, one of the key highlights in ToonBarn news reporting is announcing when the Peanuts will be celebrating the Christmas holiday on your TV, or visiting the Great Pumpkin. Now, we’re able to take a few more of these types of animated classics home with us, as the DVD world welcomes the Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials 1970’s Collection, Volume 2 DVD Set. Volume 1 arrived in stores only this past October, and fans gobbled them up. On June 1st, you can get your hands on this two-disc set for about $30, with all 6 specials completely remastered. Read on to see what’s included (more… )

This year was filled with holiday gifts, many in the forms of toon-related awesomeness. One such gift served a double purpose; for us and for ABC. The new Christmas special, Prep & Landing, became one of the season’s top specials and the highest rated primetime kid show. In fact, it was the highest rated show for kids outside of the SuperBowl and the debut of American Idol from a few years ago. Combining the magic of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the spirit of Christmas, ABC had a clear winner on it’s hands – so much so, that it was proud to air it twice! I caught both showings, did you? (more… )

That’s not just a helpful reminder for the holiday season, it’s also a song. That’s how SpongeBob SquarePants rolls. The musical performance, performed by SpongeBob’s Tom Kenny, is available on the SpongeBob Greatest Hits CD we talked about earlier. The CD is produced by Nick Records, and is sure to put you into the seasonal spirit. The track is available on iTunes as well, in case you need a “better-late-than-never” stocking stuffer gift for some of your favorite SpongeBob fans.

According to NORAD, Santa Claus has made his rounds across the globe, hitting all of the locations he needs to hit, delivering all of the presents he needs to deliver. If you made some cookies, then they’re likely eaten by now There are plenty of cartoons to watch, plenty of animation to dream of, but most importantly, in the happiness of the holiday, we here from ToonBarn want to wish you the Merriest Christmas! Maybe you’re visiting with family, maybe you’re traveling for vacation, maybe you’re just hanging out by a fire place. Whatever the case, we just wanted to thank you for sharing your happiness with us through out the year, and to say we want nothing but good for you. How’s THAT for a Christmas present? So, what are your plans?

Cartoon Network has a goal; to Catch Santa. Well, ok, that’s not their goal. Their goal is to air “Gotta Catch Santa Claus”, a CG animated, holiday-themed special starring William Shatner as the voice of Santa. The story, produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment, is about Trevor; a true believer in the holiday spirit. Christmas, Santa, magic… the whole bit. Veronica is his skeptical best friend, who decides she’s going to challenge him to prove Santa is real. To do so, Trevor and his friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime to catch Santa in action and reveal the true magic of Christmas. But they’ve got to find Santa before LeFreeze – a dim-witted monster who’s carrying a serious 100-year-old grudge – and his snowman minions put Christmas on ice forever! Oh great, another evil villain. Can’t these guys leave the holidays alone?!!? Anyway, TOON in this week to Cartoon Network, which will be airing the Lionsgate special at regular intervals. And check out the trailer (more… )

In 1986, nearly 25 years ago, Chris Van Allsburg had a book published that he wrote and illustrated. It was a story he had been working on for years in his mind, called the Polar Express. Fast forward to 2004, and The Polar Express was a Hollywood blockbuster, animated in a style matched by A Christmas Carol, and earning millions from fans worldwide. Five years later, we’re finally at this week, when ABC and ABC Family, amongst several other local affiliates, will be playing the relatively new holiday special on TV. Check out the trailer after the break, and be sure to TOON in when it’s on TV (more… )

Legend has it, this game has powers. Those who play it often, and those who play it successfully, have the ability to control the weather. Not unlike Storm, from the X-Men, but with a much more specific purpose; you can make it snow. Now, of course you have to take such things with a grain of salt. I mean, honestly, can playing a free flash game on the internet really impact nature? Well, I’ll tell you this much: I set a personal best on the game this past weekend. …and then snow pretty much shut down America’s East Coast. So, no promises here, but… if you’re trying to get a day off from school or work, maybe you should get all your friends to play Flurry Fury all day. Collect the white flakes; avoid the yellow. Check it out!

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Every Christmas Eve, Granny Rose helps Santa deliver toys to little girls and boys. Only problem is, this year, Granny Rose gets sick. She’s forced to look for help, asking Mr. Grimm to take her place. Of course, it can’t be that easy, as Mr. Grimm hatches a plan to keep the toys, and sell them to the highest bidder (eBay, anyone?). When the toys overhear this plan, they decide to deliver themselves to kids worldwide! If only Woody and Buzz were there to help… but, no worries, How the Toys Saved Christmas is still filled with lots of amazing toon adventure, and can be found on Cartoon Network all week. Check out (very old look at) the opening sequence (more… )