The Best Website I Haven't Recommended Yet...

Me with the boys, at the Home Entertainment Expo, Fall 2004

I can't believe that the Liberty Blog's been up for over a month, and I have failed to mention one of my favorite websites: http://www.homestarrunner.com . I mean, I've talked about The Aristocrats (in theatres nationwide on Friday), and was on my way to doing a little writing about Patton Oswalt (one of the best comedians out there) when I realized I'd said nothing about that which has caused me much joy over the last four years. When I pulled out my Trogdor t-shirt last night, I knew I had to.

The creation of two brothers (the Brothers Chaps), it's a series of animated cartoons (and some puppetry), which is smarmy, tongue-in-cheek, and undeniably clever. Most folks get their introduction to the festivities through "Strong Bad E-mails," in which one of their creations answers questions from viewers (this week: two male viewers are looking for tips on "lady-ing"). My favorite has to be the one about Strong Bad's preference should he be forced to get prosthetic hands. That or Strong Bad's take on techno music. Or his challenge to draw a dragon (who he names "Trogdor").

Occasionally, the Brothers Chaps will go off on tangents, and the tangents take on lives of their own. Like the request for Strong Bad to make a comic based on the three friends of this one young lady. "Teen Girl Squad" was the result, and each episode pokes fun at the culture surrounding adolescent womenhood. Or "The Cheat Commandos", which has a special place in my heart because if pokes fun at the GI Joe cartoons of the 1980s (instead of "Yo, Joe!", the Cheat Commandos, "Rock, Rock On!").

The Chapman brothers have managed to create a self-sufficient enterprise that has remained fresh - fresher than most of the garbage that masquerades as animated adult fare on TV. And most of the shorts on Homestarrunner.com are appropriate for kids, too. My eldest little one loves the Mr. Schmallow "filmed advertisment", and will request it incessantly if given a chance.

So go, now.

Oh, and if you want some other funny web stuff, I recommend this (it's old, it's been floating around the net for a while, but it still makes me laugh):

http://www.wolfie.cz/dog/

(turn this down. You don't want everyone in the office to hear it. You have been warned.)