One of their comics reminds me of something. I tried sharing but it didn't work.

What random phrases always make you laugh no matter what? For me it's, "twees it out" and "Sid Hoffman or Sid Frenchman."

Homestar: The Batter(Off), N(Murder Drones)

Strong Bad: Cody Rhodes (WWE), Char Aznable(Gundam), Max Headroom(the series of the same name)

Marzipan: Bjork in either her swan dress or Homogenic look(Singer)

Coach Z: Dr. Dre(Rapper) or any of his fellow fellow N.W.A members(also rappers), Snopp Dogg(rapper and friend of Martha Stewart), Eminem (the Real Slim Shady and a rapper as well)

The Cheat: Gritty(Mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers)

Uhhhhhhhh…..

Cwapface.

and why everybody shut his mouth up?

WARNING: This post contains a lot of words

Alright, I'll confess that I wasn't old enough or even born when Homestar Runner was created or was popular, but I'm pretty sure no matter when someone got into the series, they have an interesting story as to HOW they found it.

For me, I found out about it about 2 years ago when I was 14. I was really into browsing tvtropes.com, and it seemed like every time I click on a trope, Homestar Runner was always the first quote at the top of the screen or the first image on the side of the screen (examples:https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InvisibleAnatomy or https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DropInCharacter). I even found Homestar Runner listed as examples of series using certain tropes. I ended up getting curious, so I decided to see the TV tropes page for Homestar Runner.

Reading about it peaked my interest, so I went to Youtube to find some video to watch. Of course, the first things I saw were the Strong Bad emails, but I didn't watch those videos, assuming that they were a little too niche or specific, because I wanted to find a video that was more simple for a beginner like me (plus in hindsight, there'd probably be many inside references I wouldn't get). The first Homestar Runner video I ever watched was "Donut unto Others" and I found it pretty funny. I started to watch other videos on the Youtube channel (out of order), such as "Diaper Sunrise", "Characters from Yonder Website" and "Flash is dead", and I even got around to watching some Sbemails for the first time. However, there was one Sbemail in particular that contributed a TON in my Homestar journey: Sbemail: Virus.

To know why this video in particular was important, I'll have to add context. After watching a Homestar Runner video, I'd scroll down to the comments to see what others thought. Some stand out comments would be people talking about how they've engrained certain phrases and sentences in the videos into their everyday vocabulary, and how they often forget that they can't "click the easter eggs" on Youtube. The latter of which interested me, as even though I new Homestar Runner was originally a website, I hadn't considered that there would be secrets hidden in the videos on the site. Even still, I didn't really feel like I was missing out on much. Then came "Virus", which itself was impressive compared to everything else I've seen so far. But then I saw one comment in particular that read the following:

To children born in 2009 whose entire existence is YouTube: Imagine if your favorite YouTuber jumped out of the video and started grabbing the words in the comment section. THAT is what this video felt like in 2004—on the original site where it was meant to be viewed.

I HAD to go to that website to see what I was missing out on. It is impossible to describe in a cohesive manner how www.homestarrunner.com affected me, but I'll try. I should clarify that the reason I didn't go to the site earlier was because one of the few things I actually new about it was that it was Flash based, and guess what ended since 2020? Luckily, Ruffle's keeping it alive. The site was different from everything else I've seen so far. Not only was it full of personality and timeless charm, but there was always something to do, it felt like exploring! I actually prefer watching the video on the website as oppose to Youtube, and of course, the Easter Egg were a major contributing factor, as not only was there more content to watch, it also felt like finding something new, like treasure.

What really made this long-running web series click with me was just how different it was to anything else at the time, as far as web animations are concerned. Back then, and even now, it kind of felt as if a web series had to have some sort of mature element or dark premise or humor. Some do it better than others, but I never found any of that stuff very interesting. I guess it was mostly for it being all over the place, I'm the kind of person that would brush something currently popular as "overrated" and not really get into it. But Homestar Runner was different. It was a lot more approachable to me. It's fairly lighthearted compared to most other works, even when taking into account the minor swears (sucks, freakin', crap), and the subtle hints at an inappropriate joke. Homestar Runner is really funny, engaging, and endearing. I love the characters, Strong Bad, Marzipan, Coach Z, Bubs, and especially the namesake of the site himself. I even love how everything looks. On the surface, the art style is pretty simple, and the animation isn't very professional, but I feel that it contributes to just how fun and unique the series is. It's just a really funny show and doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's something I love. It doesn't feel like the Brothers Chaps are trying to cater to anyone in particular. They just make what they like, and I like it too. It's simple, and it's extremely effective. And remember when I said that there were a lot of inside references I wouldn't get? That wasn't a problem anymore. Let's say I watched Sbemail: The Next April Fool's Day first. It's pretty funny by itself, and I probably would've seen the Peasent's coat and Beefy-Armed Backpack as a throwaway joke, but going back and watching Sbemail: Dragon makes everything make sense; it's like I've discovered the birthplace of the joke and it's significance, and it is so satisfying. On the opposite side is working my way to the top. The road to 20X6 is one of my favorite examples to use. In Sbemail: island, Homestar calls Strong Bad "Stinkoman", which I found pretty silly, and not much else. But later in Japanese Cartoon, Strong Bad makes an anime japanimated version of himself NAMED Stinkoman, which seems to have exceeded more than just a reference. And near the end of the cartoon, it introduced more elements, like 1-up and the setting, all of which would be expanded in the 20X6 game. It was not only cool to see concepts grow through time, it also felt like I was being rewarded for sticking around (even if I were almost two decades too late)

Homestar Runner increased my fascination in early 2000's culture as well, such as it's music, art, style, and entertainment. It being made around the late 90's and gaining popularity during the 2000's when the site was launched probably being a reason why. Now more than every, I seem to have an interest in certain things that were popular at the time that many would currently consider obsolete as of now, like listening to and burning CDs, 6th generation video game consoles, online message boards as oppose to social media, and the amount of creativity and personality that was far more prevalent at the time (I assume). Homestar Runner isn't the sole reason, but I'd say it's a large contributing factor.

And Homestar Runner is my biggest source of inspiration. I'm developing an animated web series of my own, and there are many aspects of it that were inspired by Homestar Runner. For example, I want my web series to be hosted on it's own website instead of a streaming service of TV network, as not only wont there be any rules or policies I have to abide to, but it also gives me the chance to show more personality and creativity then any current streaming service; it's my own thing. Of course, it should be noted that the reason the Brother's Chaps have there own website in the first place was probably due to there not being anyplace else to put their work at the time, but I'm glad they kept supporting it. I'd even say Homestar Runner is the main inspiration FOR making my own web series. (Of course, I can't make it now, what with the lack of money, lack of people, and my stupid age).

I'm so glad that I found the Homestar Runner fandom. It seems that today, fandoms for a current cartoon series always feel as if they think the creator owes them just for making something they enjoy, or that they become excessively attached to the work, to the point they feel that no one else should enjoy it but them. But this fandom is awesome. YOU'RE ALL AWESOME! I have never heard any negativity in the H*R fandom, it's just inside jokes, funny phrases passed around, great artwork, and discussions about the franchise. And might I add that Homestar Runner may have one of, if not THE BEST wikis any fictional piece of media has ever had? It seems like there's a page for ANYTHING that happens in the series, and everything from the franchises inception has been documented and preserved the best they can, while NOT using the "fandom" wiki at all! I don't care if it's a little slow, it's worth seeing all that hard work by fans. And Mike and Matt Chapman are also AWESOME! Sure, they may not update as much as they used to, but 20 years later, even as everything advances, they're still up on their game, which is impressive for an already timeless cartoon.

Homestar Runner is different than a lot of things. Rather than being something mature, gritty, and thought provoking, it's surreal, funny, and endearing. Rather than relying on what's popular and what's current, it makes it's own culture and expands upon that in ingenious ways. Rather than having a shady fandom or any controversy, it's full of incredible, loyal fans and created by two (three if you count Craig Zobel) great brothers, who do all of this out of fun and care first rather than profit. Sometimes I wish I were born much earlier to experience not only Homestar Runner in an authentic manner, but experience past culture, making me nostalgic for a time I never lived in to begin with. It's a scary time I currently live in; I love to create, but I'm always reminded of corporate greed, the rise of AI, and the dissuasion of creativity. But when I feel all hope is lost for someone like me to get anywhere due to my hobbies and interests, I like to go to Homestarrunner.com to not only put my mind at ease, but to remind myself that it's not too late.

Everybody loves the Homestar Runner, including me. Homestar Runner is awesome. The Brothers Chaps are awesome. You guys are awesome. EVERYBODY, AND I MEAN EVERYBODY IS AWESOME.

Thank you for reading this.

I'm looking for the one where Cardgage says "apprapriate".

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I’ve always wondered if the sbemails used for the cartoons actually get a response sent back to their inbox. Like, yeah you got your whole cartoon dedicated to your email, but does Strong Bad actually send the response in writing to you as well?