Monday, December 3, 2007

Not Your Father's Humor

Like a lot of you out there, my funny bone has been a little sad due to the ongoing writer’s strike. Topical TV shows are running theme weeks and compilation episodes, movie theaters are packed with award-seeking serious flicks, and the internet can be a tough sea to navigate. I’ve been forced to troll through YouTube trying to find this SNL sketch or that Daily Show report. The one humor site (other than The Onion) that keeps killing me is Super Deluxe.

I was directed to this haven for humor last spring and have rarely been disappointed by its short yet memorable videos. People like Bob Odenkirk, Norm Macdonald, and the Comedians of Comedy have recurring shows and post clips whenever they feel like it. Clips usually last only a few minutes, but they pack loads of intelligent humor in a variety of ways, unlike the now clichéd randomness of every single Adult Swim show.

Even with a number of semi-stars contributing to the site, it’s the people you’ve never heard of who drive Super Deluxe’s success. Most notably a comic book artist named Brad Neely, whose series The Professor Brothers and I Am Baby Cakes are the site's two most popular mainstays. Both use crudely drawn yet effectively nuanced stills instead of motion animation to tell their stories, and there are plenty of subtle sight gags you’ll have to re-watch to catch.

To give you a taste, I’ve posted an episode of the 30-year-old man-child Baby Cakes for your delight.



We all know the Internet is the way of the present, but with top comedians devoting time to places like Funny or Die and Channel 101, it might just be the most reliable source to get your funny fix.

2 comments:

Todd said...

Neat-o website, Bryan. I got a good chuckle out of a few of the Professor Brothers videos. It's still tough to find a decent substitute for the addictive nature of good television programming, but I'm still looking...

Bryan said...

Yeah, I feel TV will always be the most convenient medium to find humor, but it's nice to have some options. It's interesting how the internet is being used out of necessity nowadays, even by older generations.

If you haven't checked out the Professor Brothers' JFK song, you must.