Analyzing Disney and Russian cartoons from a Catholic point of view

 By Antonio Rubi

Low Sunday, Dominica in Albis

April 12, 2026

Dedicated to all the parents who resisted the wokeness and immorality of Disney from their children.

As a young boy, growing up in Cebu City, because of the Spanish and American influence here in my country, I grew up with Disney cartoons and the Santo Nino devotion as a toddler. The traditional values of both old Disney and folk Catholic devotion made me inseparable for me, ( remember 500 years in a convent and 50 years in Hollywood) especially Disney was trusted as a safe film company by pre-Vatican II Catholics because it contained no immorality. I really loved Disney hand drawn films ranging from Snow White up to the Renaissance era and of course, the direct to video sequels which we will discuss later. I even prayed to Santo Nino that I will become like Walt Disney when I grew up. Not only that, I grew up with fictional educational stories, historical books and classical music like Mozart and Beethoven. 

However as I grew up, especially when I started to be an elementary student, I started to feel that the modern Walt Disney Company was ''un-traditional'' and ''un-Disney'', such as Disney owning Marvel and Star Wars. I even thought to myself, ''What has a Disney character got to do with superheroes and science fiction?'' and worse was to come when I saw Disney acting very modernist which I felt was not even the Disney of everyone's childhood. The Disney of my childhood was one of the reasons why I later became a traditionalist Catholic, and one of the reasons why I admire the good old days is because Disney classic stories were set in the past rather than in the modern era. At the time, I did not understand this misunderstanding until my teens.

It was only that I became traditionalist Catholic in 2022  that I realized the misunderstanding. I learned that I was not the only one alone. There were many Catholics before Vatican II especially in Spain that resisted modern reforms. While many might see Disney as secular, I see their themes and style through a religious lens, especially because of my upbringing and because of the Catholic culture in the Philippines compared to other countries. Because of Russia's Orthodox spiritual heritage, I even thought to myself what was promoting traditional Christian values, Disney or Russia. As a result, I still remembered the panata (vow) to Santo Nino that I want to be like Disney, but my cartoons will promote traditional Catholic values.

I later realized that Russia especially Soyuzmultfilm cartoons were the real ones promoting true values as opposed to Disney which despite traditional animation, has revolutionary and progressive themes in it. The Russian characters were funded by the government as opposed to Disney which makes money off its cartoons.

When I thought the sequels of the 90s to 2000s promoted values, especially they were mostly hand drawn, do not judge the book by its cover. Disney has promoted anti-values since the late 1980s to early 90s. A bad looking 3D cartoon promoting traditional values is much better than a 2D animated film that promotes modernism. For example, compare the 3D cartoon about Russian general Alexander Suvorov vs Little Mermaid Return to the Sea. Alexander Suvorov was a Russian general from 18th century who was a devout Orthodox Christian and even sung in the choirs. The 3D film about him depicts him as a noble man and servant of God, as opposed to Princess Melody running and disobeying her mother Ariel.

Regarding my own cartoons, like Alejandro and Catalina Santos and a project about the life of St. Anthony of Padua, it mirrors the Russian style compared to the modernist Disney style, not in animation but the values presented. I pray to God that I will be a good cartoonist promoting Traditional Catholic Filipino values to counter the modernism of Disney.