STACK #249 July 2025

MOVIE FEATURE

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DOG MAN: THE LONG PAW OF THE LAW Dog Man – the bonkers spin-off of Captain Underpants – has finally arrived on physical media! GENRE: Comedy Action RUN TIME: 1h 34m

T he story of Dog Man begins when a human police officer and a dog are injured on the job. They are saved by groundbreaking technology that combines their anatomies. While this might sound graphic, director Peter Hastings assures us it's handled lightheartedly. Sitting down to chat with STACK , he explains how the movie follows the graphic novel's lead. “The origin story of Dog Man is at the front of every single Dog Man book. So, any kid who has read them knows the story, which is in the trailer, about the officer and the dog, the explosion, the operation, and them coming together. "And that sounds so crazy when you

tell people what that is, but when you see it in the movie, it's all so playful and carries that innocence that the books have as well.” Readers of both Dog Man and Captain Underpants will be familiar with their distinct style of illustration, and they can rest assured that the new movie remains very true to the source material thematically, while using the animation medium to push its look further. “The thing that was really important was keeping the feel of what the books are like. It wasn't about copying the style of the books, but looking at how buildings are done [for example], well, they're outlines and some windows.

Director Peter Hastings

"And we thought, 'Let's

do that, but it will be a whole city. And 'Oh, those lines are crooked, let's do that', because that's part of the charm and innocence as well. “So, that was the main thing, making sure we were true to the feeling and the tone of it, and then expanding upon that. Our character design is pretty simple, but the animation and the performances they do are pretty sophisticated.” Glenn Cochrane

• Dog Man is out July 9

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

Captain Underpants, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, D.C. League of Super Pets

GENRE: Family Comedy RUN TIME: 1h 31m

THE LOONEY VOICE BEHIND THE TUNES! After 95 years of laughter, the Looney Tunes finally have their first fully animated feature film, The Day the Earth Blew Up .

T he popularity of Looney Tunes never seems to wane, a fact we discussed with Eric Bauza, the star and voice behind many of its iconic characters, during a recent catch-up. “Whatever they were

“For me, it’s like every day is the first day of work with these guys,” he says of writer, director and

producer Peter Browngardt and the team behind The Day the Earth Blew Up , who he has worked with for many years. “I’ll never get bored of voicing these

a kid who grew up in the '90s, so all of our animated feature films were hand drawn. And I think there’s

doing back in the '40s, they clearly were having the time of their lives,” he says. “They probably weren’t even thinking that those films would have a life past being in the movie houses where they were shown alongside newsreels.” The Canadian actor has been voicing cartoons professionally since the early 2000s including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Rick and Morty, Teen Titans Go!, Scooby Doo , and numerous Hanna Barbera shows.

Eric Bauza

FUN FACT

nothing that comes close, even with the technology that we have now, to that hand-drawn feel. “I have a nine-year-old son and to see some of the quality of cartoons that he accepts as normal, I’m like, ‘Oh Boy!’” Glenn Cochrane

characters. [Switching to Bugs Bunny voice] If I could say 'What’s Up Doc?'and you’re still smiling, I know I’m doing something right.” Eric shares what he finds most appealing about the new movie. “I mean, you’re talking to

Eric Bauza voices a wide range of iconic characters, including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Sylvester, Woody Woodpecker, and Splinter – just to name a few!

• Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up is out July 9

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Tom & Jerry: The Movie

10 JULY 2025

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