Homestar Runner (body of work)
From Homestar Runner Wiki
Homestar Runner (often abbreviated HR, HSR or H*R) is an animated cartoon available primarily through homestarrunner.com. Although originally conceived as a book written for children, the site is perhaps most popular with (and has been gravitating toward) young adults, with its short movies, games, charmingly naïve music, and plentiful opportunities for interaction.
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Cartoons
The cartoons nominally center on Homestar Runner, a somewhat dim but goodhearted athlete. The character Strong Bad, however, is often more popular among fans, mostly through his near-weekly updates of Strong Bad Email, short cartoons in which he answers viewer email. Strong Bad works closely with his sidekick The Cheat and uses his brother Strong Mad as the muscle in his operations. Together, the three prey on Strong Bad's awkward and constantly depressed brother Strong Sad. Many of the site's features—music, games, main pages, etc.—are based on things from the Strong Bad Emails.
Several other characters fill out the world: Homestar's hippie girlfriend Marzipan, his best friend Pom Pom, their coach Coach Z, local concession stand operator and dancer Bubs, The King of Town, and his Poopsmith. Rounding out the cast is Homsar, a gibberish-speaking character created on account of (and in mock of) a poorly written email to Strong Bad.
Another popular feature on the website is Strong Bad's crudely drawn comic series Teen Girl Squad. The comic parodies four archetypal high-school girls and their equally archetypal quest for attractiveness, popularity, and the occasional Pan-Asian Cuisine.
Nearly every Monday, some sort of update (a short, a longer cartoon, a Strong Bad e-mail, a video game, or real-life merchandise like CDs and action figures) is added to the website.
Background
The series is the product of Matt and Mike Chapman, who typically call themselves "The Brothers Chaps." Matt Chapman provides the voices of the male characters, while Missy Palmer (Mike's wife) does that of Marzipan. Mike Chapman provides the stilted voices for The Cheat's amateurish Flash cartoons. Many other contributors help with the series.
Because the Brothers Chaps run their own website, they have a creative freedom that they would not have doing a regular TV show. Though the site sells Homestar merchandise, it has no commercials, and a few of the cartoons parody advertising, with products like Fluffy Puff Marshmallows. The Internet has allowed them to reach a large audience that they wouldn't have access to otherwise. Originally, they developed Homestar Runner as a labor of love, and for their own amusement. It has grown large enough that merchandise sales pay for all of the costs of running the website. An article in the Chicago Tribune on July 24, 2003, reports the retired parents of the Brothers Chaps are spending a lot of time dealing with the business aspects of the website.
The website, built mostly out of Macromedia Flash animations, is filled with hidden Easter eggs: if a certain area on the page is mouse-clicked at the right time, an additional cartoon or screen will appear. For example, in the Strong Bad Email studying, viewers can view a hidden Web page about a book that Strong Bad mentions. Also, at the end of the e-mail vacation, you can click on one of five postcards to hear what Strong Bad thinks of the particular place he has visited.
References
- "Homestar Runner." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 Dec 2004, 03:57 UTC. 16 Dec 2004, 13:00 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Homestar_Runner&oldid=8505608>.
- Content for the above was taken chiefly from the Wikipedia article for Homestar Runner found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestar_Runner. As such, this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
