about.
A cartoonesque show since 2018.
The project
What is toonesque.?
Dear curious ones,
To everyone who watches a cartoon and senses there's something behind it.
To the ones who got side-eyed for talking about Bluey, My Little Pony or even Code Lyoko at thirty.
They're not afraid of being judged. They don't care about “it's for kids.” You can find them naive, disagree with them, smirk. About the only thing you can't do is talk them out of it.
Because they've understood that cartoons left their mark on far more than animation. And while some see child's play, we see works. Because the people stubborn enough to think a cartoon can appeal to everyone are the ones who get there.
toonesque. is a media outlet that makes shows about everything cartoonesque… cartoons, animated series, animated films, video games, Japanese animation, pop culture. With care and a light touch. An approach that already existed in seed form back in the summer of 2012, with a first attempt that stayed in the drawer.
It all really starts in 2018, with the surprise success of a pilot episode (opens in a new tab) about Jay-Z's Story of O.J. video. That unexpected signal convinced me to launch the project for real… inspired by formats like CROSSED, 20 Minutes' Le Rewind, or the work of the journalists at Vox.
Diving back into cartoons during a difficult time, I found something essential in these works… and the urge to talk about them. Not to convince you to watch this or that series, but to show what makes an animated work truly respectable and enjoyable: the bridges it builds with music, video games, art, pop culture.
Vincent
highlighting “animation and its cartoonesque influences”.
Our approach
What is cartoonesque, according to us?
It's easier to show than to define: Bluey, FLCL, Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic), PaRappa the Rapper, Over the Garden Wall, Wander Over Yonder, OK K.O.!, Ghost in the Shell. Cartoons, series, films, games, Japanese or web animation.
What they share: momentum, originality, color, a little squishiness. Sincerity over posing. And, around animation, everything it influences: music, video games, art, pop culture.
What we pick
Favorites and themes that speak to us. Sometimes the news, when it crosses paths with what we love. No imposed schedule: an episode comes out when it's ready. TOONFLASH, though, comes back every month.
How we work
A lot of research, and a desire to connect the dots between a work, its creators, its era and what it went on to influence.
When we get it wrong
We say so: the correction appears in a comment and in the description.
Collaborations
Always clearly flagged, and only when they fit what we like to highlight. Write to the editorial team.
History
The three chapters
season one
original toonesque. The most cartoonesque show.
round 2
toonesque. reloaded: the show, where we take on a work and try to tie it to the medium of animation, and/or its influence.
third act
The first to lay the groundwork, the second to confirm the attempt, the third to set the tone.
The formats
toonesque. in all its forms
The YouTube show. Analysis, criticism and explorations of animation in all its forms.
toonflakes is a chance to learn something, catch up, or simply have fun, with a bowl of cereal* nearby! (*optional.)
In front of the camera and live, with a bit less editing and narrative thread, we debrief a topic covered in a video, or else... a current topic.
Three recommended works, with a common thread if possible.
The team
Who makes toonesque.?
Creator and voice of toonesque. since 2018. Convinced that animation deserves better than a condescending look.
In production since 2024 — but already on board in 2018, helping write the first episodes.
Support
A little help?
For a one-off boost, or to buy stickers of the logo.
toonesque. is a production by cabinet26 (opens in a new tab) & toonsquad (opens in a new tab).