Homestar Runner

[Tailikku]

Dear Strong Bad,

How will you celebrate your 15th anniversary?

Crapfully crapfully, Tailikku.

FW:

Whoa! 15 years already?! I need to do something!!

OK, I got it Tailie. How about a topic about how awesome I am?

Homestar: Stwong Bad, I think he means the site!

Strong Bad: Who invited you, crap-for-brains?

Cheat: (noises)

Strong Bad: Oh alright.

Anybody here know what is their favorite toon, short, game, or sbemail on this site?

[BlazingTales]

It's about time we had a Homestar topic on this forum!

I've been following H*R for about five years or so. It has become my favourite internet flash series, what with it's humour, pop. culture references, and overall hilarious characters. My favourite toons are probably Date Nite, DNA Evidence, and Drive-Thru, and my favourite sbmails and musical toons are... well, a majority of them! ^.^;

Wow, has it really been 15 years since the site's launch? That's quite a while if you think of it. Unfortunately the creators seem to have put the show on a "hiatus" of sorts- they've only updated a couple of times within the past year- but I have serious hopes that they'll release an anniversary toon to celebrate!

[Sapphire]

Everybody! Everybody!

I love Homestar Runner! I've been watching for probably 6 or 7 years ever since my brother found it.

My favorite SBemails? Most definitely "animal", "candy product", and "alternate universe", but I really love them all. Toons, probably "Drive-Thru", "Crystal Fortress", and "Jibblies".

Oh man... 7 years of watching HR... where does the time go?!? Anyway, happy 15th Homestar!

[\Lennox]

My god, I LOVE HR! Wonder what became of Cardboard Marzipan. Would love to see her and Cardboard Homestar together.

The Brothers Chaps really need to update more.

[Mick]

Fifteen freakin' years already?! Oh my goodness, I thought it was 10 or 11 years.

Anyhow, I'm a H*R fan. The first thing I watched on there was an SB email. I thought it was pretty hilarious. Then I found more cartoons and I was hooked. One of the things I love about H*R is the randomness. It is extremely random, that's what makes it so brilliant. There's so many things that come out of nowhere. There are moments where I'm like WTF... However, it's all good.

My favorite characters are The Cheat and Homsar. The Cheat is a really cool and cute character. I've been meaning to get a shirt of The Cheat for quite sometime. Homsar is without a doubt the most random character. "I was raised by a cup of coffee." It does not get any more random than that folks.

[Thirsty Pocket]

M-my god! I forgot about homestar for some time! *goes to catch up on my toons and Sbemails*

[Badnik Zero]

I started watching these in my sophomore year of high school. That was eight years ago! My friend's got a Trogdor sticker on his back corner window.

[agoodusername]

My favorite toon has always been the Sbemail 'Bedtime story' and my favorite character was Homsar, now I have a hard time deciding. I absolutely love the series, I think I started watching it in 2004 or 5. I bought all the toys and even made a glass portrait of the S is for Sucks dragon. I always thought it was funny how all through middle school I wanted a homestar game, but when SBCG4AP came out I never bought it. Unfortunately I haven't watched Homestar for a while because my Lappy broke and they rarely ever update.

[Tailikku]

Unfortunately I haven't watched Homestar for a while because my Lappy broke and they rarely ever update.

Like how Strong Bad killed his Lappy?

[SuperStingray]

I really can't express how much I love Homestar Runner. I've been a long time addict of the site since about 5th grade, which would be... about 8 years for me. From Saturday morning cartoon shows to hair metal bands, it's a perfect blend of subtle satire and slapstick. I love each and every one of the characters and how unique their designs are. But I think my favorite aspect of the series is just Videlectrix. Most cartoons stop at making fun of retro video games, but they actually pull off making real parody games AND they end up extremely solid. Trogdor, Peasant's Quest, Duck Guardian One- all some of the best browser games out there. But should the decide to resume updates anytime soon, I'd like to get my goddamn Stinkoman level 10. Seriously, it's been 5 years since they made level 9 and we haven't even seen the 20X6 version of Coach Z yet.

[SHAX Hedgefox]

Homestar Runner is awesome. I've only been following it for about 4 years, but it's still a great site. I always love the toons with Limozeen in them especially. I reckon the best sbemails are the ones that focus on videogames, but Techno (The System...Is Down. DO-DA-DOO-DEE-DIDDLE DO-DA-DOO-DEE-DIDDLE DO-DA-DOO-DEE-DIDDLE DO-DA-DOO-DEE-DIDDLE) has to be my all time favourite Sbemail. Also, Homsar was not only raised by a cup of coffee, but he's also the son of a chipwich.

Aaaaaaa' dooooo wut aaaaaah'm told. *Pshoo*

[PSI Wind]

My god, I LOVE HR! Wonder what became of Cardboard Marzipan. Would love to see her and Cardboard Homestar together.

The Brothers Chaps really need to update more.

Well, remember the Chaps Brothers have a family.....and a life.

[eXtaticus]

I will forever remember #153:

First you flip it, then twist it, and turn it all around! Flip it, twist it, and turn it all around!

Then, you gotta make it fast and slick and shiny - like Flo Jo in a tuxedo! Uh! FLO-JO IN A TUXEEEEEEEEEEDO!

And then, just when you think you're done, you gotta dip it in molten plexiglass, to give it that "children under three are sure to choke on it" goodness!

[Tailikku]

Fav Old Toon:

Fav Current Toon: Two-Part Episode

Fav Short: Strong Bad is a Bad Guy!

Fav Puppet Stuff:

Fav PbC:

Fav Sbemail:

Fav Halloween Toon:

tied with

Fav Xberween toon:

Edited February 20, 2011 by Tailikku

[SuperStingray]

Everybody loves the Homestar Runner. He is a terrific athlete.

Since early 2000, homestarrunner.com has hosted one of the most pivotal web cartoons, like, ever. Spreading by word of mouth, it became so popular that eventually the creators, Matt and Mike Chapman, could make a living off merchandise sales alone.

It's a simple cartoon series, revolving around a fixed cast of strange characters. The site stars Homestar Runner- the athletic yet dimwitted and oblivious protagonist, Strong Bad- Homestar's cynical and self-aggrandizing "friend," Marzipan- Homestar's vegan girlfriend, The Cheat- Strong Bad's pet and partner in crime, Strong Mad- Strong Bad's enormous, dimwitted and loud older brother, Strong Sad- Strong Bad's chronically depressed younger brother, Coach Z- Homestar's coach with an exaggerated accent and questionable hygiene, Bubs- a scam artist who runs a concession stand, Pop-Pom- Homestar's rich and rotund best friend who speaks in bubbles, the King of Town- the gluttonous leader with a questionable amount of authority, the Poopsmith- a mute who shovels... what his name implies and Homsar- a short, stubby and incomprehensible doppelganger for Homestar, born from a typo.

I've been following this series religiously since fifth grade. So I guess it's worth asking myself, why is this series so awesome? Thematically, H*R draws from the pop culture of our youth, what life what like growing up between the 70s and 90s, for material. But the beauty of its brand of satire is that it isn't deconstructive or critical, but creative and synthetic. This started as far back as the inception of Homestar's character in 1996 as the star of a children's book known as "The Homestar Runner Enters The Strongest Man In The World Contest." Having a nonsensical premise and filled with bizarre character designs, the story was intended to parody overly saccharine, simplified and colorful children books by essentially being just that. It was a commentary, but one so subtle that it wasn't spiteful of the formula but playful with it.

This philosophy is furthered by the website where the series has parodied everything from shonen anime to creepy mascots. Retro video games to Saturday morning cartoons. More importantly, Homestar Runner doesn't leave ideas alone. There are no one-time gags here; when they come up with an idea, they use it to its full potential. These often start in Strong Bad Emails where Strong Bad answers viewer mail. One email, for instance, asked Strong Bad to draw a dragon. This dragon, "Trogdor the Burninator," became a huge phenomenon on the site, eventually starring in his own parody arcade game and becoming the antagonist of a mock 1980s text adventure. This furthered the growth of their developer, a mock gamedev called Videlectrix who makes fun retro-like games while spoofing early gaming tropes like bad translation and strange premises. While these games parodied their respective genres, they were actually fun; they weren't simply throwaway gags, they were legitimate games. And then there was another email which asked Strong Bad to make a comic about the person who sent it and her friends. It had 15 issues and two spinoffs. And one of the gags in THOSE comics was a parody rapper who's been put in two full spoof music videos. It's insane how far their ideas branch out while creating new ones all simultaneously. The incredible amount of idea branching that takes place all within the series' universe and setting makes it no wonder it has one of the most disturbingly intricate fan wikis of all time.

Unfortunately, the site's been largely on hiatus since late 2009 after Matt Chapman had a second kid, but his twitter implies he vehemently wishes to get back in the game. And I would certainly welcome that.

Edited March 16, 2012 by SuperStingray

[Tornado]

While I have no right to complain that they haven't updated in forever (since I still haven't finished the third game), I'm going to still complain that they haven't updated in forever.

[Gregzilla]

Oh man, I've followed this site for years. It was one of the most funny and enjoyable places to be on the web. I say "was" because only recently have I kinda come to terms with the hiatus and stopped going there regularly. But it's given me countless laughs, even if some of the minor references in the sbemails went soaring over my head.

I'd love to see it return, but on the other hand I think the sbemails, which were the main attraction, kinda started going downhill slightly before the 200 mark. I almost would have rather had the 200th email be a sendoff for the site than to just leave it hanging after a few extra cartoons.

All in all, great site, would love to see a comeback, but not holding my breath. Now if you'll excuse me, the Chit-Chat board has been burned down by termites. So looks like I'm gonna have to JUuUuUMP!

[Phos]

Ok, let's ask the question we're all thinking: Sonic the Hedgehog versus The Homestar Runner?

[SuperStingray]

I'd love to see it return, but on the other hand I think the sbemails, which were the main attraction, kinda started going downhill slightly before the 200 mark. I almost would have rather had the 200th email be a sendoff for the site than to just leave it hanging after a few extra cartoons.

Should they start up again, I'm hoping for an even 250 if only so they have another even 125 to make a second Rock Opera with.

But before anything else, STINKOMAN LEVEL 10. Seriously, what happened to that game?

[Mick]

Homestar Runner rules! I've been fan since I was in high school, which was around 2000-2002. I became a Strong Bad fan first though, like many other people who got to know Homestar. I find Homestar Runner to be the best Internet cartoon of all-time. Is it really dead? It hasn't been updated in a long time. I was in the MLP: FiM wiki chat room and some big fan of the show showed me a sneak peak of the next Strong Bad email. I guess there's still some hope for Homestar Runner.

My favorite character is The Cheat. The way The Cheat speaks is so cute and I like his design. He is designed extremely well. His personality is pretty interesting as well. He's pretty much cute for the most part. I also find Homsar to be super ultra hilarious. He's one of the most random characters in the history of characters.

[Mono]

I'm really upset that updates have been rare. I've been a fan since 2004.

[Mick]

I'm really upset that updates have been rare. I've been a fan since 2004.

Good I'm not the only one who feels that way. I wish they would update it more... and if they do update it, it's miniscule. It's really no big deal.

[VO.SUPER]

They're going to start sometime this year or the next. The reasons why updates have been so scarce is because Matt Chapman had a baby in 2009 and he's been on the walls taking care of her. However, he has announced on Twitter that Homestar will be making his come back... Someday when we least expect it.

[mikeblastdude]

Oh man, I used to be obsessed with Homestar Runner way back in the day. From around 2002-2005, I was constantly on the site checking for the newest Strong Bad email or misc. cartoon. I had a Strong Bad t-shirt that I would always wear, and I even bought the "Strong Bad Sings" album from the online store.

I've kind of been out of touch with the series in recent years (I didn't even know it was on hiatus >_>), but seeing this topic kind of makes me want to go and watch a bunch of the cartoons, like old times.

[Mick]

They're going to start sometime this year or the next. The reasons why updates have been so scarce is because Matt Chapman had a baby in 2009 and he's been on the walls taking care of her. However, he has announced on Twitter that Homestar will be making his come back... Someday when we least expect it.