Well, as noted previously, there will be a comic review up here sometime in the next two days. Meanwhile, if you're looking to get your fix of new funny, the animated webcartoon Homestar Runner has released two new "Homestar Runner Emails" over the past week. That's right--after a long email silence since Strong Bad Email 200, H*R has bounced back with emails answered by its titular armless protagonist. You can check out HRemail 62 (?!) and HREmail 2000 (!?!) over at homestarrunner.com. Are they funny? Perhaps not as funny as SBEmails, in my humble opinion, but they have their moments. Check them out, drop a comment, and let us all know what you think.
Related Post: The TWIW Top Ten Strong Bad Emails
Showing posts with label Homestar Runner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homestar Runner. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Top Ten: Strong Bad Emails #1-199
It's not technically a webcomic, but Homestar Runner often gets mentioned in the same breath, likely owing to its style of humor, the DIY ethic of its creators, and its general presentation. It's also incredibly popular: hundreds of thousands tune in every week for the surreal adventures of a thick-headed, armless athlete...thing, and his equally strange peers. However, the real star of the show is would-be villain Strong Bad, with his more-or-less-weekly feature, Strong Bad Emails, in which he answers real emails from viewers just like you except with worse spelling and grammar.
The two-hundredth SBEmail, "email thunder," was released early this Tuesday, and to commemorate the momentous occasion, This Week in Webcomics will present a Strong Bad Emails retrospective. Two hundred episodes is a lot to sort through, and the casual Homestar Runner viewer will wonder, "Which emails are worth my time?" Thus, we (by which I mean "I") present the following top ten list: comprehensive, definitive, and entirely objective in its selection, and also with absolutely no sarcasm whatsoever. Zero! Seriously.
Before beginning, I would like to credit the Homestar Runner Wiki, a useful knowledge base for all Homestar fans and an invaluable resource in creating this list. And now, rife with spoilers, it's the Ten Best Episodes of Strong Bad Emails #1-200:
10. helium: SBEmail #38
I'll be honest--the main reason this one made the list at all is because I like Strong Bad's song about "the High-Voice Crew." Still, between Strong Mad's funny voice and an inflatable The Cheat, there's enough funny here to round it out.
9. virus: SBEmail #118
Classically, whenever Strong Bad gets a new computer, it's because horrible disaster befell his old one. In this email, Strong Bad finally gets a virus from a questionable email, resulting in bugs all across the Homestar Runner reality. After a surreal descent into madness, Bubs restores order by blasting the computer with a shotgun.
8. flashback: SBEmail #100
There's not really any coherent thread tying together the discrete bits of this email, but they're all so awesome, you won't care. From the wicked sweet email intro song, to the implementation of "widescreen," to the central flashback showing how Strong Bad met Homestar (in animated picture-book format!), there's plenty of humor here. Additionally, viewers patient enough to sit through Strong Bad saying the word "email" a hundred times will be treated to the mother lode of Easter Eggs.
7. personal favorites: SBEmail #69
No run-down of the best Strong Bad emails would be complete without the email in which Strong Bad gives his own run-down of the best Strong Bad emails. However, Strong Bad is notorious for pulling stuff out of his you-know-what, and the emails he lists are no exception. Every single one of Strong Bad's favorites, except for the first two, are actually too awesome to exist; they're just SB makin' stuff up. Add in one of the funniest Easter Eggs ever, and you've got a winner.
6. anything: SBEmail #78
A sure-fire way to keep the Strong Bad Email format fresh: have Homestar Runner host the cartoon. Have him significantly damage Strong Bad's computer in the process. Throw in a Neverending Story reference as an Easter Egg.
5. trevor the vampire: #10
This email is proof that you don't have to create a masterpiece of animation to make a solid cartoon. It's basically just Strong Bad sitting at his computer and responding to Trevor's message, but the writing is tight and the humor cracks me up even on repeat viewings. Also, it's worth noting that this is one of the weirder emails Strong Bad has received.
4. long pants: SBEmail #127
Strong Bad edits an email inquiring about Homestar's lack of pants. Homestar goes insane. Comedic gold.
3. highschool: SBEmail #140
One of my favorite "parody" emails, this one satirizes the conventions of Hanna-Barbera's countless "Scooby-Doo clone" cartoons. It loses a little momentum toward the end, but the way it riffs on "teen mystery" and "all the characters as babies" cartoons is spot-on.
2. dragon: SBEmail #58
It still amazes me that two of the indisputably best Strong Bad emails, "Dragon" and "Japanese Cartoon," came out back-to-back. Each of them spawned countless new material, from the world of 20X6 to Trogdor's theme song and graphic adventure game, and each is a solid cartoon in its own right. I chose to include "Dragon" rather than "Japanese Cartoon" on the list because Trogdor is slightly more iconic than Stinkoman, and also because of Strong Mad carving the word "DAGRON" into a table, but honestly, you can't go wrong with either cartoon.
1. death metal: SBEmail #141
As the Homestar Runner universe's resident Bad Guy, Strong Bad is heavily into metal music. This email tackles it head-on, poking not-so-subtle fun at the stereotypes and conventions of the genre. High points include a Teen Girl Squad cameo, Strong Mad's flat head and invisible mystical orbs of power, a creeping rusty meat video on the Half Hour Death Metal Dungeon Hour, and a scene in which Larry Palaroncini from Limozeen illustrates the difference between hair metal and death metal. It's hard to pick a definitive SBEmail, but if I had to pick, I would choose this one. And I would be right.
Determining the top ten Strong Bad emails was by no means an easy task. We (I) employed a rigorous and scientific process to eliminate all but the best and place them in sequential order; as a result, numerous otherwise good emails had to be excluded by virtue of being merely good. If a SBEmail that you have enjoyed didn't make the list, feel free to mention it in the comments, perhaps even providing a link so that others may enjoy it. You may even dispute this list, if you enjoy being wrong! I am never ever facetious and always completely serious. No, really.
The two-hundredth SBEmail, "email thunder," was released early this Tuesday, and to commemorate the momentous occasion, This Week in Webcomics will present a Strong Bad Emails retrospective. Two hundred episodes is a lot to sort through, and the casual Homestar Runner viewer will wonder, "Which emails are worth my time?" Thus, we (by which I mean "I") present the following top ten list: comprehensive, definitive, and entirely objective in its selection, and also with absolutely no sarcasm whatsoever. Zero! Seriously.
Before beginning, I would like to credit the Homestar Runner Wiki, a useful knowledge base for all Homestar fans and an invaluable resource in creating this list. And now, rife with spoilers, it's the Ten Best Episodes of Strong Bad Emails #1-200:
10. helium: SBEmail #38
I'll be honest--the main reason this one made the list at all is because I like Strong Bad's song about "the High-Voice Crew." Still, between Strong Mad's funny voice and an inflatable The Cheat, there's enough funny here to round it out.
9. virus: SBEmail #118
Classically, whenever Strong Bad gets a new computer, it's because horrible disaster befell his old one. In this email, Strong Bad finally gets a virus from a questionable email, resulting in bugs all across the Homestar Runner reality. After a surreal descent into madness, Bubs restores order by blasting the computer with a shotgun.
8. flashback: SBEmail #100
There's not really any coherent thread tying together the discrete bits of this email, but they're all so awesome, you won't care. From the wicked sweet email intro song, to the implementation of "widescreen," to the central flashback showing how Strong Bad met Homestar (in animated picture-book format!), there's plenty of humor here. Additionally, viewers patient enough to sit through Strong Bad saying the word "email" a hundred times will be treated to the mother lode of Easter Eggs.
7. personal favorites: SBEmail #69
No run-down of the best Strong Bad emails would be complete without the email in which Strong Bad gives his own run-down of the best Strong Bad emails. However, Strong Bad is notorious for pulling stuff out of his you-know-what, and the emails he lists are no exception. Every single one of Strong Bad's favorites, except for the first two, are actually too awesome to exist; they're just SB makin' stuff up. Add in one of the funniest Easter Eggs ever, and you've got a winner.
6. anything: SBEmail #78
A sure-fire way to keep the Strong Bad Email format fresh: have Homestar Runner host the cartoon. Have him significantly damage Strong Bad's computer in the process. Throw in a Neverending Story reference as an Easter Egg.
5. trevor the vampire: #10
This email is proof that you don't have to create a masterpiece of animation to make a solid cartoon. It's basically just Strong Bad sitting at his computer and responding to Trevor's message, but the writing is tight and the humor cracks me up even on repeat viewings. Also, it's worth noting that this is one of the weirder emails Strong Bad has received.
4. long pants: SBEmail #127
Strong Bad edits an email inquiring about Homestar's lack of pants. Homestar goes insane. Comedic gold.
3. highschool: SBEmail #140
One of my favorite "parody" emails, this one satirizes the conventions of Hanna-Barbera's countless "Scooby-Doo clone" cartoons. It loses a little momentum toward the end, but the way it riffs on "teen mystery" and "all the characters as babies" cartoons is spot-on.
2. dragon: SBEmail #58
It still amazes me that two of the indisputably best Strong Bad emails, "Dragon" and "Japanese Cartoon," came out back-to-back. Each of them spawned countless new material, from the world of 20X6 to Trogdor's theme song and graphic adventure game, and each is a solid cartoon in its own right. I chose to include "Dragon" rather than "Japanese Cartoon" on the list because Trogdor is slightly more iconic than Stinkoman, and also because of Strong Mad carving the word "DAGRON" into a table, but honestly, you can't go wrong with either cartoon.
1. death metal: SBEmail #141
As the Homestar Runner universe's resident Bad Guy, Strong Bad is heavily into metal music. This email tackles it head-on, poking not-so-subtle fun at the stereotypes and conventions of the genre. High points include a Teen Girl Squad cameo, Strong Mad's flat head and invisible mystical orbs of power, a creeping rusty meat video on the Half Hour Death Metal Dungeon Hour, and a scene in which Larry Palaroncini from Limozeen illustrates the difference between hair metal and death metal. It's hard to pick a definitive SBEmail, but if I had to pick, I would choose this one. And I would be right.
Determining the top ten Strong Bad emails was by no means an easy task. We (I) employed a rigorous and scientific process to eliminate all but the best and place them in sequential order; as a result, numerous otherwise good emails had to be excluded by virtue of being merely good. If a SBEmail that you have enjoyed didn't make the list, feel free to mention it in the comments, perhaps even providing a link so that others may enjoy it. You may even dispute this list, if you enjoy being wrong! I am never ever facetious and always completely serious. No, really.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hello again, from a more wakeful hour! I'm Peter Metzger, and I'll be your guest host for this week's installment of "This Week in Webcomics"
I get the feeling that I'm not quite of the same caliber as Jackson when it comes to webcomic connoisseurship, storyline assessment, or variety of webcomics read. I will, however, give my opinion on the webcomics I do read, and hopefully this is good enough for you.
At this point, I'm putting the post on SPOILER WATCH (which I think should really be a general warning covering the blog as a whole...)
So, enough with random jibber-jabber, let's dive in.
Monday's Penny Arcade comic was a little disappointing for me, being a bit funny in a disturbing kind of way, but not so much satisfying. Wednesday's and Friday's PA comics, however, were compelling and beautifully illustrated. Even though I didn't notice the "opening crawl" until today's comic, I still picked up on the basic idea of the storyline with the help of the regular PA blog post - albeit with some mystery sprinkled on top. For me, though, this only made the new development more exciting and interesting. The backstory provided by the opening crawl definitely sets things up a bit more clearly, but I'm not convinced that's an entirely good thing. I look forward very much to reading the rest of the story - even if the plot and dialogue turns out to be a bust (though I think it will be wonderful), the artwork is sure to be a treat.
Toothpaste For Dinner is a comic my brother turned me on to nearly two years ago, maybe longer, and I usually check up on it every day. It definitely brings its own brand of funny, though lately it seems that the typically mixed results are of atypically lower quality. I did enjoy several of them from this past week, however - particularly "dogosphere" (though mostly for the clever title) and "sat scores." I'm hoping that we'll see a return to the sorts of gems that got me hooked.
Random: I saw that today's xkcd comic was on digg, and given the copious amounts of Discovery Channel programming I've been absorbing in the past month, I particularly enjoyed it. In the event that you don't get it, here is the advertisement the comic is referencing.
Oftentimes, when I find a webcomic I like, I will go back to the very beginning and read every strip, so as to be all caught up. I have done this with Penny Arcade, Real Life Comics, Pungirls, Borderline Boy, and I'm in the process of doing this with Dinosaur Comics. I've already brought you up to date on Penny Arcade, Borderline Boy is taking a Borderline Break, and Pungirls has sadly been shut down for the most part. (Am I allowed to bug Jackson about bringing back Pungirls in his own blog!? ooh....)
Anyway, let's have a look at the week in Real Life Comics. I feel that the quality of Real Life has gone up dramatically since Greg Dean decided to go full time with it, and I particularly enjoyed this week's run of comics. Now, I'm not claiming these to be the best five comics Greg has ever written/illustrated, but as a whole, they're definitely a solid set of work. I appreciated in Tuesday's comic the fact that once again, Greg has managed to make some facet of World of Warcraft not only accessible also humorous to someone such as myself who has never played the game. Wednesday through Friday's comics made me happy for Liz, reported on what's happening in the Dean household, and were funny, all at once! I believe this constitutes the essential Real Life Comics experience. I also enjoyed a good chuckle at Greg's apparent enthusiasm regarding private (i.e. not public) nudity - a position I may or may not share.
END SPOILER WATCH
Enough said there, let's move on to Dinosaur Comics. As I said before, I've been reading through since the first comic. I am up into the early-800s at the moment, so I'm about two-thirds of the way to catching up. I don't typically read the current comics until I catch up to them but given that I had to write about the series here, I took a look at the latest few comics. I must say, I am very impressed at the level of quality Ryan North has been able to maintain throughout the series, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the way through the comics I've not gotten to yet.
I'm not quite sure if Homestar Runner counts as a webcomic or if it's more of a web-based cartoon, but I would like to mention that I've been disappointed lately with the lack of 1) updates, and 2) funny. I realize they're working on a game, but it's the dry times like these that make me stop checking up on the site so often. If other people are like me in this regard, it can't be all too healthy for their site. Just saying...
Alright, I guess that about does it for this post in "This Week in Webcomics," I hope you enjoyed your stay and please come back next week when I believe Jackson Ferrell will be back with us to deliver his insights into the world of webcomics.
Please exit quickly and carefully to the right side of the train, collect any and all personal items from bin number two and bin number two only, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Jackson's Point, the internet's comic coast.
I get the feeling that I'm not quite of the same caliber as Jackson when it comes to webcomic connoisseurship, storyline assessment, or variety of webcomics read. I will, however, give my opinion on the webcomics I do read, and hopefully this is good enough for you.
At this point, I'm putting the post on SPOILER WATCH (which I think should really be a general warning covering the blog as a whole...)
So, enough with random jibber-jabber, let's dive in.
Monday's Penny Arcade comic was a little disappointing for me, being a bit funny in a disturbing kind of way, but not so much satisfying. Wednesday's and Friday's PA comics, however, were compelling and beautifully illustrated. Even though I didn't notice the "opening crawl" until today's comic, I still picked up on the basic idea of the storyline with the help of the regular PA blog post - albeit with some mystery sprinkled on top. For me, though, this only made the new development more exciting and interesting. The backstory provided by the opening crawl definitely sets things up a bit more clearly, but I'm not convinced that's an entirely good thing. I look forward very much to reading the rest of the story - even if the plot and dialogue turns out to be a bust (though I think it will be wonderful), the artwork is sure to be a treat.
Toothpaste For Dinner is a comic my brother turned me on to nearly two years ago, maybe longer, and I usually check up on it every day. It definitely brings its own brand of funny, though lately it seems that the typically mixed results are of atypically lower quality. I did enjoy several of them from this past week, however - particularly "dogosphere" (though mostly for the clever title) and "sat scores." I'm hoping that we'll see a return to the sorts of gems that got me hooked.
Random: I saw that today's xkcd comic was on digg, and given the copious amounts of Discovery Channel programming I've been absorbing in the past month, I particularly enjoyed it. In the event that you don't get it, here is the advertisement the comic is referencing.
Oftentimes, when I find a webcomic I like, I will go back to the very beginning and read every strip, so as to be all caught up. I have done this with Penny Arcade, Real Life Comics, Pungirls, Borderline Boy, and I'm in the process of doing this with Dinosaur Comics. I've already brought you up to date on Penny Arcade, Borderline Boy is taking a Borderline Break, and Pungirls has sadly been shut down for the most part. (Am I allowed to bug Jackson about bringing back Pungirls in his own blog!? ooh....)
Anyway, let's have a look at the week in Real Life Comics. I feel that the quality of Real Life has gone up dramatically since Greg Dean decided to go full time with it, and I particularly enjoyed this week's run of comics. Now, I'm not claiming these to be the best five comics Greg has ever written/illustrated, but as a whole, they're definitely a solid set of work. I appreciated in Tuesday's comic the fact that once again, Greg has managed to make some facet of World of Warcraft not only accessible also humorous to someone such as myself who has never played the game. Wednesday through Friday's comics made me happy for Liz, reported on what's happening in the Dean household, and were funny, all at once! I believe this constitutes the essential Real Life Comics experience. I also enjoyed a good chuckle at Greg's apparent enthusiasm regarding private (i.e. not public) nudity - a position I may or may not share.
END SPOILER WATCH
Enough said there, let's move on to Dinosaur Comics. As I said before, I've been reading through since the first comic. I am up into the early-800s at the moment, so I'm about two-thirds of the way to catching up. I don't typically read the current comics until I catch up to them but given that I had to write about the series here, I took a look at the latest few comics. I must say, I am very impressed at the level of quality Ryan North has been able to maintain throughout the series, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the way through the comics I've not gotten to yet.
I'm not quite sure if Homestar Runner counts as a webcomic or if it's more of a web-based cartoon, but I would like to mention that I've been disappointed lately with the lack of 1) updates, and 2) funny. I realize they're working on a game, but it's the dry times like these that make me stop checking up on the site so often. If other people are like me in this regard, it can't be all too healthy for their site. Just saying...
Alright, I guess that about does it for this post in "This Week in Webcomics," I hope you enjoyed your stay and please come back next week when I believe Jackson Ferrell will be back with us to deliver his insights into the world of webcomics.
Please exit quickly and carefully to the right side of the train, collect any and all personal items from bin number two and bin number two only, and enjoy the rest of your day here at Jackson's Point, the internet's comic coast.
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