Web animation: a new genre of family entertainment

Summary:

Web animators whose art lands in the intersection of cute and ironic are drawing unbelievable numbers of fans.

Website:

http://www.homestarrunner.com, www.muffinfilms.com, www.joesparks.com, www.big-bunny.com, www.makingfiends.com

Tones:

Amusing, Engaging, Humorous

Language:

English

Description:

Last year I stumbled across a series of animated Web toons that defied the norms of the Internet ? they
weren't disgusting, partisan or crude. Instead they were archly funny, cute, expressively drawn and full of kicking music.

Then I found another - almost the same - and another. These artists support themselves by selling tee-shirts with their characters on them rather than forcing viewers to watch ads. It's a new economic model: The equivalent of letting everyone into movies for free and selling movie-based action figures.

The story features a hipster-animator, a family gathered around the computer and a psychologist who thinks they aren't great for kids. Plus the music and voices that made me fall in love with this stuff in the beginning.

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