From the Planet Buckwild

From the Planet Buckwild

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Long Live Free Country U.S.A

On the fateful day, of January 1st 2000, a cataclysmic event occurred that would change my life, and everything I know, forever. That was the day that The Brothers Chaps launched HomestarRunner.com

Animators Mike and Matt Chapman created the website and stocked it with there creative flash cartoons, unique sense of humour, and compelling and hilarious characters. As a child, I was captivated by the cartoons and games put up on the site, finding myself spending more time on it than watching cartoons on television, and in so many ways, the cartoons on HomestarRunner were superior to the dumbed down ones that they played on mainstream television.

The characters were unique and unlike any I had seen before. None were "human" but they were not animals either, instead a imaginative designs helped reflect the character inside. For example, a popular character, Strong Bad, was always depicted wearing boxing gloves and wearing a mexican wrestling mask, and was constantly trying to be cool, and outsmart and mess with Homestar Runner himself, a terrific athlete with no arms. The list goes on and on.

And beside the main characters, an even larger depth lay. The 'toons were riddled with side characters and variations of main characters, each one special and different in there own way.

I'm glad that the website was such a big influence on me. There was no cursing, instead they used funny phrases such as "Oh crunch berry" or "Mostly dang". There was no joking about drugs or alcohol, and it was always funny.

It was really an engaging experience, as nearly all the gags and jokes ran throughout and were hidden along in the site.

After years and years of visiting the site, I had managed to watch literally every cartoon, and play every game. I was now able to look forward to the new weekly videos. But sadly, it was short lived. Homestarrunner.com's last post was made in December of 2010, it was a "Decemberween Special" as they called it, not wanting to favor any religion, so they could appeal to all viewers.

For weeks I checked the site, waiting for a new post, but none came. I was devastated.

The website must not have been making enough money, or the creators had other things they needed to do. And so one of the greatest parts of my childhood still lays in hibernation to this day.

But I'm still hoping, still hoping that Homestar, Strong Bad, The Cheat, Marzipan, Bubs, Homsar, the dancin goblin',  the Poopsmith, and all the other colorful characters will someday return.

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