Strong Bad Creators Interviewed 202
Bill Hughes writes "The folks over at ResExcellence have posted an interview with the Brothers Chapman, the two guys who create and run the Homestar Runner/Strong Bad web site." If you have not seen homestarrunner, prepare to be baffled and amused. This site has mostly justified Flash to me :)
StrongBad (Score:1)
Should have been from the 20X6 department (Score:1)
Re:StrongBad (Score:1)
The system is down! (Score:3, Funny)
How To Properly Enjoy H*R (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, Strong Bad's emails are the chief draw..only because they're so regularly (weekly, usually) updated--and Strong Bad is such a compelling character. A cross between Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and Butthead, is how I like to think of him....in a Mexican wrestling outfit.
HOWEVER, if you're new, scroll to the bottom and start with the EARLIEST emails. There's a history and culture on this website. There are motifs and inside jokes (e.g. fhqwhgads, tape-leg, etc.) that are too precious and key to enjoying a lot of what follows. It's really worth it. I'd put the "anime" and "dragon" emails right up against "weird dream" or "flag day" any day.
In general, starting with older cartoons gives you a better sense of how things developed. But, the beauty of the website is that you're so richly rewarded for just exploring.
And while it's not that funny, look through the yearbook to learn the cast of characters.
There are MANY funny bits besides the emails. The holiday cartoons..esp. the Halloween ones, are some of my favorites. The characters dressed up in costume..often obscure pop culture figures..is hilarious. Sure, there's some duds...often they're just more strange than funny...but even these can be an enjoyable is surreal distraction.
AS FOR EASTER EGGS: They are there IN SPADES, and often as funny if not more so than the open material. Here's a decent, albeit geocities, website [geocities.com] dedicated to uncovering them. They've found most..but even I've stumbled across some undocumented ones...
I'm really really happy for these guys that they've been slashdotted. I've bought stuff from their store to support their impressive creative talents. Just a few months ago, I made a reference [slashdot.org] to Strong Bad's emails in
Wonderful... (Score:4, Funny)
A day or two ago they were back up to full speed...
And now they are slashdotted...
Just as I was going to check the latest strongbad email...
Oh no.... (Score:5, Informative)
That said, Strong Bad emails have quickly become a weekly tradition in the office. We all gather around every Monday to see the newest installment, and we're rarely disappointed. If the Brothers Chaps don't end up with a TV show before too long, I'll be surprised.
Re:Oh no.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Oh no.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not only do they write slick content, they know how to configure the site. Bravo!
Re:Oh no.... (Score:2)
On a side note, thanks for the great cartoon guys, it's really about the best thing ever :)
WAIT! (Score:1)
The System is Down (Score:2)
Here's a mirror of sbemail43 - "The System is Down"> =) Enjoy! [ucla.edu]
-Berj
The System is Down (almost forgot!) (Score:2)
Hooray for cache =)
-Berj
"Prepare to be baffled and amused... (Score:5, Funny)
Truly I am baffled, but not that amused.
Come on, fhwqwhgads (Score:5, Funny)
I see you jocking me; trying to play like, u no me.
Everybody to the limit, the Cheat is to the limit.
I said, come on, fhwqwhgads!
Re:Come on, fhwqwhgads (Score:1)
Re:Come on, fhwqwhgads (Score:2)
I'm buying you a pizza.
Slashdotted (Score:5, Insightful)
Homestarrunner.net. It's dot com!
Note: You can get to the forums from there, which seem to be up as well despite the main site being down.
Re:Slashdotted (Score:2)
These guys are funny. Good times.
Re:Slashdotted (Score:2)
Homsar is the best character. (Score:5, Funny)
--riney
Re:Homsar is the best character. (Score:2)
That is the best part of "Where's the Cheat?" It's even funnier that Homsar was created out of one of the early Strong Bad e-mails. Someone misspelled Homestar, and (as always), Strong Bad gave them some crap.
Homsar [homestarrunner.com]
Where's the Cheat? [homestarrunner.com]
Would you put that fweakin' sandwich down?!
The question is... (Score:3, Interesting)
I got hooked on Strongbad typing e-mails on his Compy 386 by first getting hooked on www.fark.com by seeing someone reference it in a post here on Slashdot.
Re:The question is... (Score:1)
Now the only problem (Score:1)
TROGDOR!!!! (Score:5, Funny)
The majesty! The burninating!
Re:TROGDOR!!!! (Score:3, Funny)
-Berj
a couple of other interviews (Score:5, Informative)
and here [rundevilrun.com]
Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go there (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go ther (Score:1)
Re:Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go ther (Score:1)
Re:Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go ther (Score:2)
Re:Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go ther (Score:1)
Some of the menus are pretty funny, too... check out menu 13, the Atari games menu (when the site comes back up again).
Also check out the 'techno email'. Our comp sci teacher put "Strong Bad's Techno" on his Winamp playlist... it came up while our class was saying the pledge of allegience.
No way! (Score:3, Interesting)
There's pleny of good stuff there. You just have to dig around for it, and there's a LOT of content to dig through.
Re:Strongbad's e-mail is the only reason I go ther (Score:2)
Though I do not have a Microsoft OS installed, I *do* have Flash installed -- though not Shockwave, which was never ported to Linux -- and have watched StrongBad's emails in the past.
Also, Realplayer isn't all that intrusive if you use it only via the library interface through mplayer, a convenient option available on *Linux*.
I bet (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I bet (Score:2)
"Ah do what Ahm told". --Homsar
Since the site's down (Score:3, Informative)
The Onion.com [theonion.com]
The Best Page in the Universe [xmission.com]
Something Awful [somethingawful.com]
Consumption Junction [consumptionjunction.com]
The Bastard Operator from Hell [http]
Don't forget
*nix.org [starnix.org] either
Strong Bad Email formulas to success (Score:1)
By the way, out of the latest Strong Bad emails, I highly recommend "Dragon". Funny stuff :D
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe if your audience had any kind of a freakin' life they would have something better to do than all rush to the computer to watch me answer my emails. Ya' gotta admit, that is pretty sad. And I live with Strong Sad, so I know pathetic, believe me.
Sincerely,
Strong Bad
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:1, Funny)
Strong Bad
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:1, Funny)
DELETED!
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:2)
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:3, Funny)
I've noticed my website is just TOO FAST, and I'm not paying neraly enough for webhosting. Please help!
Sincerely,
Website.
Re:Dear Strongbad (Score:2)
Thanks, guys... (Score:3, Interesting)
Check out the Strong Bad e-mail (Score:1, Redundant)
LEMKE (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:LEMKE (Score:2)
Just a complete guess.
Pro Wrestling (Score:3, Informative)
I remember a few wasted hours with my friends watching the Ricky Fighters wrestle the Strong Bads.
The move names were the best part:
"N. Hang!"
"Sasori!"
Support SVG! (Score:3, Informative)
it is a W3C recommendation [w3.org].
there is a partially-implemented SVG native plugin for mozilla [mozilla.org].
Adobe has a fully functional SVG plugin [adobe.com].
there is a Call for Participation [svgopen.org] at the SVG Open 2003 [svgopen.org] (in canada this july).
sites like homestarrunner.com could really boost SVG acceptance. if anybody out there is looking at homestarrunner.com as a model by which to base their plans for a similar site, please consider SVG!
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
you are correct.
How well do you think that would go over? Everyone would be crying about how they were locking out open-source browsers.
here, i disagree; initially, there would be a hurdle, yes. but then people would see a need for further development and lend a hand. croczilla [croczilla.com] isn't as far from ready (for alpha/beta, perhaps to integrate into moz1.4a) as people may think.
the main reason I've taken the time to mention SVG here is because it gives the recommendation some visibility amongst those who can help OSS implementations like croczilla out there.
flash started the same way, but it is a propietary standard. i would much rather use a propietary plug-in that implements an open standard than a propietary plug-in that uses its own closed standard.
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
I see it now, this is why I am a failure at getting Linux on my Laptop; a disturbing lack of faith that keeps me going back to Win2K just because I want the darn thing to work.
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
yes, in a way, that is what i am asking. i am encouraging people to try to bring the open standards up to par with the current closed standards. if people never did this kind of thing, mozilla would still be a piece of shit, as would gaim, and almost every OSS project.
I see it now, this is why I am a failure at getting Linux on my Laptop; a disturbing lack of faith that keeps me going back to Win2K just because I want the darn thing to work.
as to linux, it is just different and takes some getting used to. it has fewer faults than windows, but you are used to the windows problems. hang on there, and perhaps try the next version of debian, which will have a more friendly installer among other things.
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
My problem is an interesting one from the non-technical aspect; my laptop is a IBM thinkpad 600e, and so I have genuine Linux support form the manufacturer, excellent web resources for that model (Thomas Hoods superb page), heck Alan Cox owns one of the damn things, but my soundcard just doesn't work. (I should poitn out it works for Thomas, Alan, etc. so it is some vagary with my particular machine) Under Win2K it just does work.
I don't want this to sound like an anti-MS rant, I love many things about Linux - a proper command prompt for a start - I'd love to use it - but not without better driver support.
Re:Support SVG! (Score:2)
The W3C's endorsing something most definitely does not mean that something is a particularly good idea from a technical standpoint...
Best SB Email (Score:2)
If you disagree you are a big fat idiot.
Re:Best SB Email (Score:2)
Re:Best SB Email (Score:3, Funny)
"Jug jugga jug jugga jug jugga jug jugga JAH JAH!"
But Trogdor is a close second.
Steve
The System is down. (Score:2, Funny)
http://www.homestarrunner.com/systemisdown.html [homestarrunner.com]
better interview (Score:2, Informative)
holy crap (Score:1)
"BUBBLE BUBBLE"
ahhhh.... much better.....
Dear Strongbad,
why don't you let the cheat answer any e-mails?
yeah, it rox
Welcome to Slashdot.net!!! (Score:2, Funny)
(People who are fans of homestarrunner will get this.)
Re: (Score:1)
and i'm like.. (Score:1)
okay, seriously though.. I've been a fan of that site for a long time. I remember when he got his new compy 386, for chrissakes. (a pinnacle of graphics and sound)!!
also, has anyone else played the duckpond untill the next level? It's kool.
Re:and i'm like.. (Score:2)
"A spectacle of graphics and sound."
do Do-DOO.
The system is down... (Score:2)
d'oh! (Score:2, Insightful)
Support Strongbad! (Score:5, Informative)
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/homestarrunner/index.
I hate to be such a blatant advertisement, but bandwith can get pretty expensive, and these guys are paying for it with the profits from their online store.
Easter Eggs... (Score:5, Informative)
Can you find them all?
Shameless Plug : The Brothers Chaps like http://www.robotbastard.com [robotbastard.com] - could Rob Schrab and the Chaps work together someday? Who knows...?
Re:Easter Eggs... (Score:2)
Re:Easter Eggs... (Score:2)
oh AWESOME! (Score:2)
"I don't know who it is, but it probably is fhqwhgads."
I LOVE strong bad. He's my favorite.
The storylines are not groundshaking, but the characters are so beautifully animated, with such detailed personalities, that I no longer hate Flash. Go HomeStar!
Try playing the "Homestar Talker" game. It's...surprising.
Great Jorb! (Score:3, Interesting)
Oddly engough I found out about this site as a result of of the Sircam virus. I got an "e-mail" from strongbad to which I replied (before knowing that it sends e-mails from your address book) to get a Virus scanner, to which Strong Bad's auto reply, replied back in the Strong Bad fashion to which I told him to go F himself. I then got a reply from the creator asking for more information about the virus. I now check the site every week. They are the only flash site that has something new every so often. Unlike oh...Joecartoon?
Justifying Flash (Score:2)
IT'S OFFICIAL.... (Score:2)
Slashdot > Fark
Criminy, they post several HR/SB links a week and the site stays up.
Re:Never saw the allure (Score:1)
Re:wtf is homestarrunner? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:wtf is homestarrunner? (Score:1, Flamebait)
Re:wtf is homestarrunner? (Score:1)
Re:there is no justified flash (Score:1)
Re:there is no justified flash (Score:5, Funny)
(seriously! what about AAlib? or maybe just an "external handler" that uses SDL:SVGAlib? They ought to write a Flash engine in Java---sure it's slow, but it's portable.)
Re:there is no justified flash (Score:2)
Write once, debug everywhere? But that's really not true, it's more like "Write Once, Debug on Blessed Platforms Everwhere (Win, Mac, Linux, Solaris)".
Stick with compiled languages.
Re:there is no justified flash (Score:2, Funny)
Re:there is no justified flash (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a flash viewer in java. Use that. Every time I see another niche whiner complain about language_x not being ported to his
Further, this is the world of open source, pal. You want flash on PPC Linux? Get cracking.
Re:Nothing justifies Flash. (Score:2)
Re:Nothing justifies Flash. (Score:1)
If the plug in is not allowed to install, then the ad can't run. Quite simple really. Strong Bad simply CAN'T be worth allowing screaming advertisements. Maybe to others, not to me.
Re:Nothing justifies Flash. (Score:1)
Re:Nothing justifies Flash. (Score:1)
Re:am I the only one? (Score:1)
Re:am I the only one? (Score:2)
Re:am I the only one? (Score:2)
Re:am I the only one? (Score:1)
-Kevin
Re:Oh great.. (Score:2)
Isn't it way past your bedtime?
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Oh great.. (Score:2)
Re:Oh great.. (Score:2)