Special guest Tim Ingle, creator of the Bearly Biblical animated series on Loor.tv-- and coming soon, the Bearly Biblical trading card game-- returns to Toon My Heart to talk about The Little Troll Prince: A Christmas Parable. This 1987 Christmas television special with a very explicitly Christian message, produced by Hanna-Barbera and backed by the International Lutheran Laymen's League, carries a lot of nostalgia for host Tracy Herold. But despite airing on Cartoon Network for many years in the '90s, many people today have never even heard of The Little Troll Prince-- and Tim was one of them! Without nostalgia goggles, will he still find things to appreciate in this traditionally animated musical holiday special? In this final "Forgotten Christmas Specials" episode for 2025, we discuss the history of Hanna-Barbera, including the role that faith played in some of Joseph Barbera's pet projects; the uniqueness of a Christmas special that doesn't mention Santa once but does mention the Savior; how the themes of love, faith, heart transformation, and God's sovereignty are presented in story of the troll prince Bu; and our pros and cons and how we might choose to tell the story differently.

Please follow @bearlybiblical on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok; follow @intellectric on X and @intellectricanimation on Instagram; and visit BearlyBiblical.com

Mentioned or referenced in this episode:

• The Gospel According to Hanna-Barbera on Yowp
• The Little Troll Prince on archive.org
• Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas/The Little Troll Prince DVD on Amazon

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.

Despite first airing in 1996, "Arnold's Christmas," also known as the "Hey Arnold! Christmas Special," was a new watch this year for Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold, suggested by this episode's special guest, Kevin T. Rodriguez, also known as iCritic. What starts out as a pretty typical Christmas episode for a kids' TV show turns out to be something deeper and much more special by the end. And the story behind it is just as compelling. Find out why this episode almost didn't make it to air on Nickelodeon thanks to story elements dealing with the Vietnam War; what Arnold, Helga, and Gerald all think the "true meaning of Christmas" is; how we think this secular Christmas special still conveys some deeply Christian themes about miracles, love, empathy, and bearing one another's burdens; and why-- whether you grew up watching this Nicktoon or not-- we think "Arnold's Christmas" is worth a watch.

Mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.icritic.net
• https://www.youtube.com/@KevinTRod
• Hey Arnold claymation shorts
• "Hey Arnold! Christmas Special" ad
• Buy Me A Coffee (Donate)
• Toon My Heart TeePublic Store

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.

When you think of Disney and Christmas specials, the first one that comes to mind is likely Mickey's Christmas Carol, and for good reason. But five years before that short came out, Disney released another Christmas special called The Small One, directed by none other than Don Bluth, shortly before he left the company to form his own animation studio. Although it seems to have largely been forgotten by Disney, Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and special guest, artist and animator Monica Theiler both have fond childhood memories of watching this story of a boy seeking a new home for his beloved donkey and finding one more special than he could have ever imagined. And in this episode, we talk about what it shows us about true friendship, how to love like God does, and God's perfect plan and purpose for every "small one."

Visit Monica Theiler and buy her books at artistmonica.com

Find Monica's books on Amazon

Follow Monica on Instagram @artistmonica, and Youtube @artistanimatormonica

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Watch The Small One on Disney+
• The Small One: A Story for Those Who Like Christmas and Small Donkeys by Charles Tazewell
• Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth
• The Small One: A Good Samaritan by Katherine Brown

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.