Week 6 (July 26 – Aug 1) – Generic Cartoon Tapes
“Every day is Saturday Morning at this Jo-Ann Fabric. Every space is liminal in Sylvester’s head (hand-drawn for PS1)” – Scumbalina
This animated adventure takes the timeless Arthurian legend and gives it a wildly unique spin. Merlin isn’t just a wise old sorcerer; he’s an eccentric, mentorly bear guiding a cynical and reluctant young Arthur. Arthur is more interested in dodging responsibility and hanging out with his friends—including Lancelot and Percival—than worrying about his royal destiny.
Things get complicated when Arthur falls for Guinevere, drawing the fierce ire of her father, Leo, and setting off a chain of political friction. Meanwhile, Arthur’s villainous sister, Morgan, is scheming in the shadows with her lackey, Mordred, to usurp power, steal the legendary sword Excalibur and plunge the kingdom into chaos. After a series of magical betrayals, dangerous quests into the catacombs and a brush with the mystical guardians of the Grail—including some giant guardian bees—Arthur has to step up, embrace his true destiny and wield Excalibur to save Guinevere, rescue Merlin from being turned to stone and finally build Camelot.
While most adaptations of the Arthurian legends lean heavily into grim medieval realism or high-fantasy epic storytelling, this 2011 feature stands out for mixing talking animal mentors, bizarre magical lore and a surprisingly whimsical tone into the traditional Camelot mythos.
I mean, everyone dies in those. Not here. Also, it has nothing to do with The Lion King.
You can watch this on YouTube.
