Cars Toons

**Cars Toons** is a television series of American animated short films. The series premiered on October 27, 2008 on both Disney Channel, Toon Disney and ABC Family.

## Plot

### Mater's Tall Tales

All Cars Toons in Mater's Tall Tales follow the same tall tale formula: the episode opens with Mater popping out of his garage and declaring, "If I'm lyin', I'm cryin'!" (or a variation thereof as seen on the home media and television releases).

Mater then proceeds to tell a far-fetched story about something he supposedly did in the past to Lightning McQueen, to which the action shifts to Mater's story. At a midway point, the action briefly shifts back to Mater and McQueen in which Mater proclaims that McQueen was also involved, tellig him, "Don't you remember? You was there, too!" (or also some other variation thereof). The flashback then resumes with McQueen's sudden (and usually unwilling) participation. Once Mater finishes his tall tale, (with the exception of Tokyo Mater) McQueen insinuates or argues to him that Mater's story wasn't true at all. Mater than says, "Well, suit yourself!". Then, coincidentally, one or more characters or elements involved in the story appear, paradoxically suggesting the story might have been authentic. McQueen then breaks the fourth wall by looking at the camera with shock, for he believed that Mater's tall tale was real.

The episode ends with Mater and McQueen posing in their corresponding story's costumes (excluding Tokyo Mater). All episodes feature Mia and Tia and various pit crew forklifts in supporting roles (except for Time Travel Mater).

### Tales from Radiator Springs

All Cars Toons in Tales from Radiator Springs simply follow the comedic antics and adventures of McQueen, Mater and their friends in their hometown Radiator Springs, following the events of Cars 2.

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Larry the Cable Guy as Mater
* Keith Ferguson (2008-2013) / Owen Wilson (2014) as Lightning McQueen
* George Carlin (2009) / Lloyd Sherr (2013-2014) as Fillmore
* Tony Shalhoub as Luigi
* Guido Quaroni as Guido
* Michael Wallis as Sheriff
* Katherine Helmond as Lizzie
* Lindsey Collins and Elissa Knight as Mia and Tia
* Jerome Ranft as Red

### Guest Stars

* Mickie McGowan as Ambulance
* Laraine Newman as Nurse GTO
* Peter Sohn as Padre
* Robert Ito as Ito-San
* Mach Tony Kobayashi as Kabuto
* Steve Purcell as I-Screamer / Sandy Dunes
* Jack Angel as Captain Collision
* Jan Rabson as Dr. Feel Bad / Paddy O'Concrete
* Paul Eiding as Dex Dinoco / Red Hawk
* Teddy Newton as Impala XIII
* Josh Cooley as Roger
* Carol Bach-y-Rita as Carmen
* Torbin Xan Bullock as Big D
* Danny Mann as Clyde / Sparky / Shifty Sidewinder
* Jess Harnell as Claude / Blue Grit
* John Cygan as Stinky / Green Hawk / Idle Threat
* Stacy Keach as Skipper
* Jonathan Adams as Judge Davis
* Lori Alan as Blue Hawk
* Bob Bergen as Black Hawk
* John Michael Higgins as Stanley

## Episodes

### Tales from Radiator Springs

 2
 3
 4
 Radiator Springs celebrates a Founders Day honouring the late Stanley when a gang of Baja racers descend on the town and challenge Lightning McQueen to a race.

## Production

After the success of Cars, production of Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales began in 2006. The first nine shorts were produced by Pixar and Walt Disney Television Animation, while all the following shorts were produced by Pixar's subsidiary, Pixar Canada.

"Tokyo Mater" premiered in theatres in the U.S. with Bolt on December 12, 2008. The short is the first Disney·Pixar production presented in Disney Digital 3-D. However, the DVD release features a different short, Super Rhino. Sulley and Mike from the 2001 film Monsters, Inc. (also made by Pixar) make cameo appearances in "Tokyo Mater" as their car forms from the ending of the first film.

## Release

### Home Media

A DVD and Blu-ray compilation of the first nine shorts, titled Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales, was released on October 31, 2010. The compilation includes "Mater the Greater", "Rescue Squad Mater", "Monster Truck Mater", "Unidentified Flying Mater", "El Materdor", "Moon Mater", "Heavy Metal Mater", "Mater Private Eye" and "Tokyo Mater", with Moon Mater and Mater Private Eye created exclusively for this set. Choosing the "Play All" option from the menu gives each short (except for Mater the Greater which plays first) unique intros.

The remaining two episodes of Mater's Tall Tales, "Air Mater" and "Time Travel Mater" were released on the Pixar Short Film Collection, Volume 2. And the three episodes of Tales from Radiator Springs, "Hiccups", "Bugged" and "Spinning" were released on YouTube. The remaining episode of Tales from Radiator Springs, "The Radiator Springs 500 ½" was released on the Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 3.

**Films:** Cars | Cars 2 | Cars 3
**Short Films:** Mater and the Ghostlight | Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool | Unparalleled Parking | Dancing with the Cars
**Television:** **Cars Toons** | Cars on the Road
**Books:** Disney's Wonderful World of Reading
**Locations:** Radiator Springs