Animation Source Forums

For a long time, my perpetuated balto fanship was a mystery to me. However, recently, while replying to a thread, I realized why. My life had been an still is in nearly perfect parallel to the story. When i first saw Balto, at around six years old, I already loved wolves, huskies, and dog sledding, having already been exposed to them in reading Winter Dance. I was immediatly a fan, but the effect the movie had on me seemed to decrease rapidly. There was a long lapse in my intense fanship. However, suddenly, and more or less inexplicably, my fanship re-emerged stronger then ever when I started Middle School at 12. I assume those parallels were at the root of the re emergance.I expected it to drop off again, but finally, some time late 7th grade, I saw Balto again, resulting in further affirmation of my fanship and a flood of childhood memories. Interestingly, around the very same time my fanship re-emerged, I also became an avid computer programmer.

The only passion I have that predates Balto is aviation. For whatever reason, I was born hardwired to long to fly and in the long run become a pilot. (interestingly in referance with the third movie)


Anyway, that got me thinking. What is it that perpetuates your fanship? Have there been any lapses in it?

Actually, the movies themselves are extraneous to me. What keeps me interested in Balto is the true story behind the first movie. But not just Balto, but all the other historical figures (obscure and not-so-obscure) from those times.

Oh sure, I do occasionally pull out the movies and watch them. Once in a while. And I do enjoy occasionally commenting on something on Balto Source or in one of the Balto Source forum topics. But in the end, I see them as passing fancies...for me. But the love of the true story will endure for me. The website I created, which I have linked in my signature, is ample evidence of that enduring love.

Of course, I cannot deny that it was the first Balto cartoon movie which introduced me to the true story (by way of my wanting to find out more about it through research). And what a journey of discovery it's been! So many Balto cartoon movie fans just have absolutely no idea how dramatic and harrowing the real story is! I tell you, the producers of the Balto cartoon movie could have stuck strictly to the real story, and come away with one equally-dramatic and colorful (without the love interests and comic relief characters like Boris, Muk and Luk).

I was acctually aware of the true story prior to seeing the movie, and being your average galactic super nerd I commented on all it's innaccuracies and impossabilities. I agree, the true story is acctually very facinating, heck, I find all history, preticularly American history facinating. The movie probably would have been just as good accurate, but I still enjoy universal's fictitious movie, though I would have dropped the comic relief, at least the less advanced comic relief, perhaps keeping a bit of Boris's. I would also have given the movie a more Jack London edge, and not tamed it, but that's my personal inclination. Basically, I would have given the movie humor on par with Woody Allen's "Manhatten" and Jack London style suspense and action. Of course that would never j
have flown with the young audiances

I'm actually not sure. =\ I was about six years old the first time I watched it and I think the only reason I did is because my grandma had bought it since it had dogs in it. xD (I was six, remember, so that's ok for me to like it because of dogs. :P)

As I got older I rather liked it because I was able to draw a few parallels. Mostly at being an 'outcast' - being a geek in HS sure doesn't help in that area. (But unlike Balto I was always one to voice my opinion as many here would even know lol). But I also loved the real history and would spend a lot of time looking things up. That really helped keep my interest in Balto. And that all traced back to watching the movie because "Aw, it has cute dogs!" (again, I was six).

All though I don't know if I'd necessarily call myself a big 'fan'. There are many other movies (The Lion King being one of them), that I like better than Balto. But I still have an interest in the movies.

I'm not sure what made Balto stick with me for all these years. I was at least 5 or 6 when I first saw Balto. It just stuck I guess. I always loved Balto from day one.

I swear it was because when I was Really young, I fell in love with Jenna, I know wierd right? But I still like it, mostly because It's my opinion that it's a great story.

Loved it as a kid... still do. I wasn't even into wolves and dogs then. Might've been cause it was a cartoon with a story and characters I liked.
And no songs [didn't like musicals as a kid, and still don't]. And I guess I loved the fact that it was based on a true story.

When I got older, I started to love canines [German Shepards and wolves mostly], and remembered Balto and came back to it. That was around middle school.

One word. Steele. <3 Plus it's a nice animated film about dogs. xD And dogs ftw.

To be honest, I'm not big on Balto anymore. So I don't concider myself a fan. But when I was, I would just like it for the animation, and the story I guess.

I also appriciated the lack of character-musicals. That was the main thing that killed the sequals for me.

^ And how! Why do they always make sequels musicals? I didn't like songs in movies when I was a kid, and don't like them now. They can be tolerable, but still... why?

i guess they think it appeals to young audiances. I can assure you that wasn't the case with me. When I finished watching b2 for the first and last time, I was 7. I remember my mom asked me how I liked it, assuming of course that I would have loved it like I did the first film. She was rather astonished when I answered:
"it really wasn't amazing, the whole movie was a musical." I don't remember the next few lines of our exchange, but I know I mentioned:

I do find Inuit and native American culture facinating, but I would prefer a documentary, not just worked into Balto." I immediatly went and watched Balto 1 again to be reminded of the quality movie that I was and am a fan of. That was eight years ago. Three years later, balto III was released, and my mom offered to buy it for me. I told her not to bother, on account of balto II. I did not see Balto III until four years later, and my suspicions were confirmed. I barely madde it through, even liberally applying the fast forward button. I will however give Balto III one thing, it traded the magic in Balto II for my one, intense, lifelong passion. Aviation. Overall, I hold Balto III slightly higher then Balto II, but it's been years since i've seen either. The only one I acctually watch is Balto I, which I last saw q few months back, and will see again soon.

I think, actually, this "musical" thing (which I happen to hate as much as you guys) has only been a phenomenon since the 70s or 80s in cartoon movies (and, apparently, cartoon series on television as well). It's so stupid. And pointless. The great classic cartoon movies of the 30s, 40s, 50s and perhaps even the 60s had no such fluff in them, and they communicated with and reached children just fine. Ugh. Stupid cornball film industry people.

I can't think of the idea behind it. I know I never liked them as a kid, I know I completely hate them now, and I dont know anyone in either time that likes them. Infact, the only musical I ever liked was a comedy by Stan Freeberg: "Stan Freeberg Modestly Presents the United States of America: The Early Years", which was and is absalutly halarious.

(On the note of "musical" cartoon movies):

I don't think they are all that bad, IF done correctly and as long as the songs aren't stupid. For example, I really love Beauty and the Beast even though that's a 'musical'. It was very well done and the songs weren't mindnumbingly stupid. There are a lot of those cartoon movies that can be viewed as a musical that I really enjoy because the songs are good and they really help the story along. And while I don't mind the songs from the Balto II and III, most of the songs are just... eh, not my cup of tea. (I'm not saying they don't sound good, but the movies would have been just fine without them. And seeing as how the first one did not have characters breaking into song I don't think it was really something they should have had in the second and third).