Homestar Runner To Return Soon

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Homestar Runner To Return Soon

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday July 9, 2014 @11:23AM from the back-soon dept.

An anonymous reader writes with good news for everyone who loves Strong Bad.Back in April, Homestar Runner got its first content update in over four years. It was the tiniest of updates and the site went quiet again shortly thereafter, but the Internet's collective 90s kid heart still jumped for joy...The site's co-creator, Matt Chapman, popped into an episode of The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show to chat about the history of Homestar — but in the last 15 minutes or so, they get to talking about its future. The too-long-didn't-listen version: both of the brothers behind the show really really want to bring it back. The traffic they saw from their itty-bitty April update suggests people want it — but they know that may very well be a fluke. So they're taking it slow.

57 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

...or... by mythosaz · 2014-07-09 11:26 · Score: 1

...or, to a lesser extent, Z'Nuff.
1. Re:...or... by binarylarry · 2014-07-09 12:17 · Score: 0
  
  Great job there, yer pretentious dershbag.
  Good on yer!
  
  --
  Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
Kickstarter by The+Larch · 2014-07-09 11:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

From the interview:

Matt: I’d just love to be making cartoons with these characters again. If it looks like there’s a possibility of doing this full time again, that’s amazing I don’t want to set expectations too high, but needless to say, we’re jonesing to do this again.

If the Brothers Chaps really wanted to do web cartoons for a living, I bet a Homestar Runner Kickstarter would easily bring in a million or two to get them (re)started.
1. Re:Kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-09 12:14 · Score: 0
  
  SERIOUSLY. If they don't raise at least 5 million I'll be shocked.
2. Re:Kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-09 12:33 · Score: 0
  
  kickstarter - whatever - I *need* strongBad
3. Re:Kickstarter by antifoidulus · 2014-07-09 13:18 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Homestarrunner I think works better as a part time project. While the updates over the past few years have been sparse, they have also been very inspired and incredibly hilarious. I can't say the same about the cartoons they were making towards the end when they were doing it every week. They still may kickstart, but I would much rather see sporadic but absolutely hilarious updates to h*runner than lots of bland ones.
  
  --
  Monstar L
4. Re:Kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 02:44 · Score: 0
  
  Go for it, their store is still open.
5. Re:Kickstarter by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 07:33 · Score: 1
  
  SERIOUSLY. If they don't raise at least 5 million I'll be shocked.
  DO YOU HAS THE 5 MIL?
Needs updates really by Hsien-Ko · 2014-07-09 12:19 · Score: 4, Insightful

sbtweets.exe
1. Re:Needs updates really by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 01:24 · Score: 0
  
  sbtweets.exe
  Gay.
It's just a grey box by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-09 12:23 · Score: 0

It says a plugin is needed. Guess it's kind of funny.
Kickstarter by Black+Dragon · 2014-07-09 12:35 · Score: 1

From the interview:

Matt: IÃ(TM)d just love to be making cartoons with these characters again. If it looks like thereÃ(TM)s a possibility of doing this full time again, thatÃ(TM)s amazing I donÃ(TM)t want to set expectations too high, but needless to say, weÃ(TM)re jonesing to do this again.
If the Brothers Chaps really wanted to do web cartoons for a living, I bet a Homestar Runner Kickstarter would easily bring in a million or two to get them (re)started.
I would not hesitate to contribute $100.00 right the fuck now.

--
I'm sorry but... by Nethemas+the+Great · 2014-07-09 13:12 · Score: 1, Troll

what the hell is a Homestar Runner?

--
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
1. Re:I'm sorry but... by Dins · 2014-07-10 03:05 · Score: 1
  
  You could have just looked it up in 3 seconds rather than posting, but Here...
2. Re:I'm sorry but... by Dins · 2014-07-10 03:06 · Score: 2
  
  Sorry, try this instead...
3. Re:I'm sorry but... by Nethemas+the+Great · 2014-07-10 11:31 · Score: 1
  
  There's five minutes I'll never get back...
  
  --
  Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
4. Re:I'm sorry but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-11 00:51 · Score: 0
  
  Yet you don't seem to worry that you are wasting all of our time...
No Flash, though, please. by Bing+Tsher+E · 2014-07-09 13:14 · Score: 5, Informative

If it makes a comeback, please don't use Adobe Flash. I think I barely have it installed anymore in Seamonkey. I get very satisfying little windows on my browser page sometimes scolding me that my 'version is too old' that please me.
1. Re:No Flash, though, please. by jensend · 2014-07-09 17:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Vector animations like Homestar Runner are the original purpose of Flash- the one thing it is actually quite good at, and has been quite good at since Macromedia released Flash 3 in 1998. That's part of how it became ubiquitous- it did one thing and did it well. Even now there isn't really a better alternative- there's nothing that has the capabilities, the cross-environment rendering consistency, the install base, and the tool support Flash vector animations have.
  It's just really unfortunate that after the Adobe acquisition Flash became a way of shoehorning a subpar and insecure "rich content platform" into that ubiquitous install base. For quite a while now streaming raster video has been a dominant use of flash, where it's been inferior to other solutions and only used because of its large install base and its support for DRM.
2. Re:No Flash, though, please. by jensend · 2014-07-09 17:10 · Score: 2
  
  Oh, by the way, one of my pet peeves is seeing vector animations from Homestar Runner, AtomFilms, etc uploaded to raster streaming video sites. The original vector animations had bitrates low enough for dial-up, ran smoothly on a Pentium III, and scaled flawlessly to any resolution. The raster (usu. H264) versions frequently look much much worse despite 20x the bitrate and dedicated processing hardware.
3. Re:No Flash, though, please. by TheRaven64 · 2014-07-09 20:32 · Score: 1
  
  They're good at the animations and the easter eggs, but they lack things like a pause button which is really irritating if the phone or doorbell rings a little way into the video.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
4. Re:No Flash, though, please. by Lightning+McQueen · 2014-07-10 02:28 · Score: 1
  
  Upgrade your Flash then. Flash isn't going away anytime soon.
5. Re: No Flash, though, please. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 03:15 · Score: 0
  
  It'd be pretty cool if they could integrate Shumway into the site for HTML5 support - I've seen a couple of demos where Shumway was used to run Homestar Runner toons and they worked just fine.
6. Re:No Flash, though, please. by rivercityrandom · 2014-07-10 10:44 · Score: 1
  
  A fan on the HR Wiki created a Greasemonkey script that adds a pause button, fast forward/rewind functions, subtitles, and a bunch of other goodies to the Homestar Runner cartoons. It makes watching them so much easier. It also makes it much easier to find the easter eggs. I am not involved with this script in any way, I just think it's cool.
I'm sorry but by zygotic+mitosis · 2014-07-09 13:31 · Score: 1, Interesting

instead of -abandoning- their creation, I never understood why these guys didn't sell the rights a decade ago and let adult swim or w/e run with it. They had offers. It would be alive and surely people would surely enjoy it....though of course there would be purist sourpusses at by whom to be yelled. (? english)
And as someone who has played in horrible bands, I say, screw artistic integrity, it's 'merica. Get paid. These guys had kids, right?
1. Re:I'm sorry but by EuclideanSilence · 2014-07-09 15:58 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  You can't sell creativity and a good sense of humor.
2. Re:I'm sorry but by boarder8925 · 2014-07-09 22:53 · Score: 2
  
  They did get paid. H*R was selling enough merchandise for The Brothers Chaps to quit their dayjobs and work on the site full-time. What it sounds like to me is they saw opportunity to do more (other) things they wanted to do and got sucked into doing those all the time.
  
  --
  Keep your eyes to the sky.
3. Re:I'm sorry but by jheath314 · 2014-07-10 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  Count me among the purist sourpusses by whom they would be yelled at to be :P (englilish)
  Part of the charm of homestarrunner.net was the fact that they didn't sell out. No advertising, no product placement, no pay wall, or other attempts to monetize the web content. When they ran out of steam they just stopped updating, but kept the site intact.
  I'm glad they didn't sell their creation for forty pieces of silver... it's nice to see some artists care about integrity, even if people like you don't.
  
  --
  Procrastination Man strikes again!
4. Re:I'm sorry but by rivercityrandom · 2014-07-10 10:38 · Score: 1
  
  The cartoons were all made by Mike and Matt Chapman by themselves in Flash, and Matt and Mike's wife Missy did all of the voices. If they sold off the IP to anyone else, it would be completely different. I don't think it would be Homestar at all.
It will return? by antdude · 2014-07-09 13:51 · Score: 1

More like maybe!

--
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
This is why I stick with reliable sites by Hydrated+Wombat · 2014-07-09 13:58 · Score: 4, Funny

Ones that always are up to date and maintain the same functionality, like http://zombo.com/
1. Re:This is why I stick with reliable sites by oogoliegoogolie · 2014-07-09 23:43 · Score: 1
  
  You can do anything at zombo.com!
Links and Explanation by perlith · 2014-07-09 14:51 · Score: 3, Informative

OK, for those who have no idea what this is (the internets is a big place):
http://www.homestarrunner.com/

From Wikipedia:
"Homestar Runner is a Flash-animated Internet cartoon series. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, video games, classic television, and popular music. [....] The site is one of the most-visited sites with collections of Flash cartoons on the Internet and is notable for its refusal to sell advertising space (the creators pay for everything through merchandise sales, which includes a line of T-shirts)."

Try this cartoon to understand a bit of the site's humor:
http://www.homestarrunner.com/...
Good jerb!!! by emaname · 2014-07-09 16:44 · Score: 1

My apologies. It needed to be said.

--
An effective "democracy" creates the illusion the people have a say in their government.
It has to be said: by Guy+From+V · 2014-07-09 17:26 · Score: 5, Insightful

TROGDOOOOOOR!!!!
1. Re:It has to be said: by Dins · 2014-07-10 05:18 · Score: 1
  
  BURNINATE!!!!!!
Awesome, will the new cartoons be shown in by aXis100 · 2014-07-09 19:12 · Score: 1

WIDESCREEEEEEEEEEEEN!
www.homestarrunner.com/sbemailahundred.html
Have another trophy! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-09 19:45 · Score: 0

I really want them to bring back the "kick the Cheat" plushies. I am gutted I missed my chance to get one 8 years ago :-(. On a happier note, Yay more Homestar, "have another trophy"!!!!!!
1. Re:Have another trophy! by boristdog · 2014-07-10 02:19 · Score: 1
  
  I bought a "Kick the Cheat" for my wife when they first came out.
  It was amazing fun to kick while the batteries lasted. The Cheat would yell and curse when you kicked it across the room.
2. Re:Have another trophy! by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 07:28 · Score: 1
  
  AC.... You don't get a ding.
Re:Admit it.. by pslytely+psycho · 2014-07-09 19:57 · Score: 1

"And as someone who has played in horrible bands, I say, screw artistic integrity, it's 'merica."

Admit it. That was some of the best times in your life.
(My horrible bands: Forgiven Sin, Final Justice, FEAR, Revenge Weasel. Certainly you heard of us? :P )

--
Donald Trump, on a crusade to make Nixon look respectable
Re:Admit it.. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-09 23:49 · Score: 1

I take it you played 4 gigs. :D
90's kids?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 02:03 · Score: 1

I know several 80's kids who loved H*R, myself included! Not to mention several Millennials!
1. Re:90's kids?!? by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 07:26 · Score: 1
  
  I know several 80's kids who loved H*R, myself included! Not to mention several Millennials!
  Ya, I feel the same way. I was like what about us?
Re:Admit it.. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 02:30 · Score: 0

SIDE BOOB!
Paging Tychus Findlay by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 03:13 · Score: 0

"Hell, it's about time." ...real nice timing, too. I just picked up Poker Night at the Inventory, and Strong Bad's table banter has been a trigger of much nostalgia.
That's awesome... by rivercityrandom · 2014-07-10 03:17 · Score: 1

Just so long as they don't bring Homestar Runner back as a gritty reboot
Re:Err, why? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 03:19 · Score: 0

Very good, my fellow AC; you've discovered that you've tastes and preferences!
Now, replace every instance of "we" in your post with "I", and understand that the above is true of everyone, and they aren't answerable to you for it.
I hope this is true by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 03:56 · Score: 1

Long Pants Long Pants
The big question nobody has asked... by weeboo0104 · 2014-07-10 04:07 · Score: 4, Interesting

Dear Strong Bad,
How do you tweet with boxing gloves on?
I mean, you must hit that 160 character limit every time you touch your smartphone and smash all the keys at once with those things.
Seriously, your twitter feed must look like:
"#Strongbad -
Adflkjad-0u91Adflkjad-0u915kl134-0udfk;lgkm;ldf-qpoilmar,madfv[pairg;lkqmer,m/. adfv[0adlm ,adlav[fqegl,mqdeg,.madfv;oja;ldknfadf890uarjo1k109afomaqer, q34t[0er"
Sincerly,
Chicago, IL

--
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
1. Re:The big question nobody has asked... by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 07:24 · Score: 1
  
  That sounds like something Sibbie would ask.
  And let us never write a song about him...ever.
The big question nobody has asked... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-10 06:08 · Score: 0

That sounds like something Sibbie would ask.
home star runner go by MossStan · 2014-07-10 07:01 · Score: 1

finally! some tech news worth reading.

--
It is what it is.
Re:Yawn by nightsky30 · 2014-07-10 07:30 · Score: 1

Sorry, but Homestar Runner is lame. Really lame.
Go home Senor Cardgage, you're scaring the children.
Teen Girl Squad by Guy+From+V · 2014-07-10 10:27 · Score: 1

CHEERLEADER! (boy crazy)
SO-AND-SO! (math crazy)
WHAT'S HER FACE! (whatev!)
THE UGLY ONE! (actually crazy)
ITS OVER