116 – The Jungle Book (w/ John Nugent)

After a glorious run of all-out megahits (er, and The Sword In The Stone), the Bangers Era™ comes to an end. Film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers take a leisurely stroll through the jungles of India in 1967’s The Jungle Book – a journey for which they’re joined by Empire Magazine journalist (and Mowgli mega-fan) John Nugent, talking the film’s loveable characters and songs, its thwarted Beatles cameo, the re-use of previous bits of Disney animation, and its place as the final movie of Walt Disney’s lifetime. Get ready, everyone: the Dark Age is coming… Content warning: This episode contains conversations about racist stereotypes and the racial coding of characters between 59:30 and 1:04:00. Next up: The Aristocats (preceded by a Study Group episode) Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney. — Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Raya And The Last Dragon. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.