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HRWiki:Featured articles archive of weeks 27-53, 2009.

Week 53, 2009

The Battle of Strong Badia was a minor conflict between the Homestarmy and Strong Badia, depicted in the Strong Bad Email "army". Colonel Homestar Runner embarked upon a campaign to invade and capture Strong Badia because he was tired of Strong Bad stealing the show, with recruits Homsar, Strong Sad, the Painting of a Guy with a Big Knife and Third-Style Private Frank Bennedetto, and proceeded to march upon the encampment of the Brothers Strong. Homestar even tried to recruit Strong Bad himself, warning him about the invasion. Strong Bad sends "Firebert" to spy on the meeting, thus enabling him and Strong Mad to prepare for the invasion by wondering how to play badminton, which they said they would rather do than engage in battle against the Homestarmy. The Brothers Strong won the battle, which only lasted a few seconds, before the Homestarmy realized they were "in over [their] heads" and were forced to retreat. (more...)

Week 52, 2009

A Decemberween Pageant, released on Monday, December 23, 2002, is the Decemberween toon of 2002. Herein, the gang puts on a play about the origins of Decemberween. However, no real insight in the toon is actually given to it. The characters all play different roles, such as Homestar Runner as The King of Town, Marzipan as an angel, Strong Bad as Archibald, Bubs as Dr. Christmas and The Cheat as The Popular Vote. The story goes that they must find "the first Decemberween". Scenes include famine having ruined all of the town's gold, the angel and The Popular Vote having a relationship, and a "moon computer" that could help. Eventually, The First Decemberween appears (played by Strong Sad). (more...) watch

Week 51, 2009

In 1950, Charles Schulz created the comic strip Peanuts, focusing on the misadventures of Charlie Brown, his beagle Snoopy, and their friends. A profound depiction of society from children's perspective, the comic continued in circulation until Schulz's death in 2000. Its popularity prompted adaptations into over 40 television cartoons, four movies, and two off-Broadway musicals, among other things. Various aspects of the Peanuts comic strips and television specials have been referenced and parodied by The Brothers Chaps in Homestar Runner cartoons. In particular, the Peanuts' first cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas, is often referenced, especially at Decemberween. (more...)

Week 50, 2009

Silent Rip is a member of the Cheat Commandos. He is a stealth-type person whose main roles seem to be reconnaissance and sniping. In his own words, "[sneaking up on people] is what I do best." He has the Loud Noise Silencer (which appears to be an ordinary pillow). When he first appeared as an action figure, his jacket was brown and buttons gray-green, but have since been reversed. His name is a reference to flatulence. He features fairly prominently in Cheat Commandos Adventures, although his alleged talent for stealth has yet to be displayed. Appropriately, Rip tosses a smoke grenade during Commandos in the Classroom, a device that both encourages stealth and releases a cloud of gaseous material. As mentioned in 2-Part Episode: Part 1, his concern with acronyms led to his being let go from the Commandos by Flashfight, but was reinstated when Gunhaver proved of his importance to the team. (more...)

Week 49, 2009

The Movie Theater is where movies are watched, sometimes by force. Homestar Runner and Pom Pom brought Coach Z here to watch a film about the word "job" in the toon A Jorb Well Done. Along with that, the theater has also shown films such as Women's Penitentiary Bakesale Nightmare, Fists of Knuckles 1 through 24, Axe Gun: Legends of the Brain Outener, and Pom Pom's indie film City (comma) State. As revealed in the Strong Bad Email rated, it is one of the few theaters that show triple R-rated movies. The theater is featured prominently in the email the movies, where it is revealed that Senor Cardgage has a job as the ticket-taker. (more...)

Week 48, 2009

Twenty THANXty Six, released on Monday, November 24, 2008, is the Thanksgiving toon of 2008. Stinkoman is building a tractor to "give thanks" to some crops, but 1-Up tells him that that's not how to give thanks. He then proceeds to teach Stinkoman how to give thanks by explaining what he is thankful for, with help from Pan Pan and Cheatball. Stinkoman continuously misinterprets everything that 1-Up is thankful for, saying that giving thanks is "such a formidable challenge". At the end, it is revealed that this toon is part of a TV show called "Stinkoman and the Challenge of the Crystal Shards". (more...) watch

Week 47, 2009

Monosodium Dreams is The Cheat's new computer, a 5^th Generation iMac. It was first introduced in the Strong Bad Email redesign, in which The Cheat designs a new No Loafing Sign. This computer apparently replaced his old one, Tangerine Dreams. It is modeled after the design of Apple's iMac G5 or Intel iMac desktop computer, but with the Tandy logo on it, and a slightly different interface. While Strong Bad wonders why this computer only has half a monitor, the entire computer, as the one it is modeled after, is a single unit, using an LCD display rather than a CRT as older computers did (thus Strong Bad's comment). He also mistakes the wireless mouse for a plastic bar of soap. Mike Chapman jokingly came up with the name during the DVD commentary for "redesign". (more...)

Week 46, 2009

The Arrow'd Guy is a regular tormentor of the Teen Girl Squad, appearing in almost every issue of the series. His many professions include an archer (who shoots arrows from his mouth), owner of a Pan-Asian Cuisine stand, a brain mech pilot, ship captain, a play critic, and a witch doctor. His murderous, but not apparently malicious, agenda consists of appearing from nowhere to commit lethal assault and vanishing again. In each instance, a gruff but disinterested male voice announces the verb by which Arrow'd Guy has attack'd. It is not known whether this announcing voice is that of Arrow'd Guy. Arrow'd Guy has no apparent motivation except, possibly, a loathing of conversational pauses. He is perhaps a brute force of nature in the notebook doodle universe. (more...)

Week 45, 2009

Awexome Cross is a game of speed and skill, first released on February 4, 2003. Playing as The Cheat, you must ride the Tire through an obstacle course in Strong Badia. It is based on the event Awexome Cross '98 that appeared in the Strong Bad Email monster truck. You can collect "much buxx" to score points and power-ups and downs to speed up or slow down your tire. Among the obstacles are cinder blocks, General Tso's Chicken and cardboard boxes covered in syrup and butter. Hitting these obstacles causes you to lose a life. At the end of each level, you launch off the Stop Sign, and then add up your points with Strong Mad. You also get a trophy and an extra life at the end of each level. There are a total of seven levels. (more...) play

Week 44, 2009

The House That Gave Sucky Treats is 2001's Halloween toon, and is done very differently than the previous year's Halloween toon, Homestarloween Party, as an interactive game. Herein, Homestar Runner announces that "this year, [the Homestar characters] are going to do things a little differently": they are all going to come to your house to trick-or-treat! Therefore, you need to answer the door and pick a treat for the characters when they come. Then, the characters all arrive at your house, one or two at a time, trick-or-treating. You are then given the option of giving each character one of three treats as they come. This toon is also interesting in that this is the very first Halloween toon where Homsar can be unlocked and appear in the toon. (more...) watch

Week 43, 2009

In ghosts, the 48th Strong Bad Email, released on Thursday, October 31, 2002, Strong Bad receives an email from "[his] favorite cowboys, Josh, John and Doug" of Nashville, TN, asking if there are any ghosts in Strong Badia. Strong Bad responds that he has never given his kingdom a thorough ghost-check and decides to do so now. After calling The Cheat, they put on Ghostbusters T-shirts and pick up some "ghost-detecting equipment". They then go to Strong Badia to check up on the existence of ghosts there. At first, their search brings no results. But then Strong Bad discovers the ghost of his old computer, the Tandy 400, having returned from the dead. This email introduces the Bad Graphics Ghost, displayed on both computer screens. At the end, if you quickly remove the ghost from the Compy's screen, Strong Sad appears to sing a scary song about the ghost of John. (more...) watch

Week 42, 2009, Day 7

Dangeresque: THREE in 3D is a bonus item on the SBCG4AP Collector's DVD. In this toon, Strong Bad makes good on his promise to do Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective in 3D, having stated he would do so in the Strong Bad Email stunt double. It is a collection of cut scenes in 3D of the fourth episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, summarizing the game. For the 3D effects, the entire toon's footage is in black and white, with magenta and cyan overlays. Dangeresque must pursue Uzi Bazooka to find out what he did with Dangeresque Too. (more...)

Week 42, 2009, Day 6

The Limozeen Advantage is a toon found only on the third volume of the Everything Else DVDs. This toon is a new episode of Limozeen: "but they're in space!", in which Limozeen hires an all-girl metal band called Advantage to open their latest concert. But when they discover a galactic space hippo spider in Advantage's place on the stage, Limozeen worries that the girls have been kidnapped, and so they try to find them before the concert. It turns out that Advantage had to leave temporarily since they had to do their makeup and one of them needed hairspray, and the space hippo spider was a prop for their concert. (more...)

Week 42, 2009, Day 5

Accent is a Strong Bad Email, found only on the fifth disc of the strongbad_email.exe DVDs. Strong Bad receives an email (on the Lappy 486) from Joy of Mesa AZ on what happened to his old Mexican accent. When Strong Bad learns that his accent has changed greatly, Strong Sad has him seek help from Coach Z on saving his accent. The process for Strong Bad to regain his accent is at times painful, and the results are rather questionable. This email was first shown at The Brothers Chaps' visit to Georgia Tech on April 26, 2007. (more...)

Week 42, 2009, Day 4

Blue Laserdisc Challenge is a DVD mini-game, found only on the second volume of the Everything Else DVDs. Herein, you take control of Blue Laser Commander as he tries to escape the Cheat Commandos by mashing the left or right buttons on your DVD player's remote control whenever you come upon two different possible paths through the commander's own Summer Temple Getaway. One path will always be right, the other wrong. Get any wrong path, and you will have to start over from the area you've arrived at. Get through all the right ones and you win. (more...)

Week 42, 2009, Day 3

Puppets on the Road is a Puppet Stuff toon, found only on the fourth disc of the strongbad_email.exe DVDs as an Easter Egg. Herein, Puppet Homestar Runner and Mike Chapman interact with each other, while traveling to various locales of the country, from Washington Square Park in New York to Texas. This film starts out with a short film by Homestar called "Staple-Down Life", which Mike claims wasn't very good. This film also marks one of the very first appearances by Shark-Tooth Bubs, where he talks about a chicken man. Finally Mike and Puppet Homestar have some muffins at a rest stop. (more...)

Week 42, 2009, Day 2

Sample of Style is found only on the third disc of the strongbad_email.exe DVDs. In this live action video, Mike and Matt Chapman give a 110% true, behind the scenes look on how Matt does the character voices. They "unlock" the "industry secret" on how this is accomplished. Matt takes out some tubes from a briefcase, each labeled with the name of a different character on it and Matt proceeds to have fun speaking as the respective characters through each tube, which is actually accomplished by overdubbing the character dialogue later. Mike, at one point, tries the voice tubes out, sounding like the Powered by The Cheat versions of the characters. (more...) watch

Week 42, 2009, Day 1

Greeting Cards is a Strong Bad Email, found only on the first disc of the strongbad_email.exe DVDs. Strong Bad receives an email (on the Tandy 400) from FAF FAN #23 on how to explain to his independent filmmaker buddy that his films suck. Strong Bad responds by explaining the use of greeting cards for such occasions, for such people as independent filmmakers, web cartoonists and even stand-up comedians. Strong Bad concludes by saying that "it's not like these people know they suck, sometimes they just need a cute friendly reminder," and it may actually help to end their dreams and go elsewhere. (more...)

Week 41, 2009

The Stick is the place in an otherwise nondescript grassy area where a rather large stick is poking out of the ground. It's referenced as a meeting point, especially by Strong Bad and his cohorts. It is unclear as to whether it is just a stick in the ground, or a prematurely dead tree. Sometimes The Stick participates in festivities, like being a Decemberween Tree, dressed up for Halloween, or placed on a snowman. Strong Bad, Strong Mad and The Cheat have considered it an excellent place to hang out after they drove Homestar Runner and his Bread Sing-Alongs away from the area, as related in origins. It has a hangoutitude of ten, but before Homestar was kicked out it was lower. However, Strong Bad has also shown unusual contempt for it, as seen in Jibblies 2. It also played roles in different SBCG4AP games, such as a country called Sticktenstein in Strong Badia the Free, and a Stickanee Tree in Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. (more...)

Week 40, 2009

Where My Hat Is At? is the second Homestar Runner children's book originally written in 1999 and was one of the first items put on the website. The museum archives the story. In the book, The Homestar Runner has lost his hat and can't play in the big game without it! He tries vainly to find his hat in time, looking for it and asking others about it, but to no avail. All the time, he asks the question that gives the story title. Eventually, he does find his hat in an unexpected place. Many years later, as with the first Original Book, this story was remade as an animation. (more...) read

Week 39, 2009

Teen Girl Squad Issue 13 is the thirteenth installment in the Teen Girl Squad series, released on Monday, June 18, 2007. Tompkins and Timkins' mother, Momkins, is heading out to prospect for future ex-husbands and has hired So and So to babysit them in her absence. However, So and So's friends all crash the goings-on and create havoc. Cheerleader tries to call "each and every boy" to invite them over to watch a pay-per-view show (with luckless results), while What's Her Face goes rummaging through the pantry. The Ugly One, meanwhile, is seeking an autograph from Peacey P, which his bodyguard disapproves of by dropping The Ugly One off a hotel balcony. Then the police arrives to watch the pay-per-view show. What's Her Face lets them in, but So and So overreacts to their presence, and takes drastic measures to escape from them. (more...) watch

Week 38, 2009

According to Strong Bad, Homestar Runner seems to have an "unbelievably loose grasp on the world around [him]." As a result, Homestar will frequently become confused and forget who he is. He then interacts with himself as though he is a different and separate person. This includes talking to himself, looking for himself, writing notes to remind himself who he is, insulting himself, and even fighting himself. When he's speaking as Cardboard Marzipan, she seems smarter than Homestar and mentions things that Homestar himself doesn't know. (more...)

Week 37, 2009

Words I Probably Said is an autobiographical spoken word books-on-tape series by Strong Bad that first appeared in the Strong Bad Email autobiography. This series has Strong Bad describing several events in his life, such as playing basketball with "Reg" and "The Deke", being romantic with "a very special lady", and laughing so hard that both milk and cookies shot out of his nose. None of the events have actually happened in real toons and may be imagined. Strong Bad plays us three samples of Tape One during the email on his booOOMbox and suggests that it be listened to on roadtrips and on Walkmans during jogs in the park because he bets it would make people want to run faster and could even double as "one of those weight loss tapes". (more...)

Week 36, 2009

Old-Timey Marzipan is the Old-Timey version of Marzipan. She differs slightly in appearance and personality from the current Marzipan. The Old-Timey Marzipan looks almost identical to the current version, with only a few changes: pigtails instead of a ponytail, shorter face, wider, and shaped less like a baseball bat, and bigger smile, less curved, and more angular. She also has a visible chin, and her skirt has a less realistic design. Also, unlike modern day Marzipan's on-again, off-again relationship with Homestar, Old-Timey Marzipan is an inseparable companion of The Homestar Runner and his friend Fat Dudley. She is significantly less concerned with social causes and more concerned with eating. She has bones in her pigtails and in her dress, as seen in That A Ghost. She also has an unusual fear of pumpkins (but not of graveyards). (more...)

Week 35, 2009

The Classroom is where lectures and training are given. Many characters use the classroom's chalkboard, of different shapes and colors, to illustrate concepts and teach things to each other. The classroom has been used for many AV presentations, including Strong Mad's Sports section for Strong Badia's Action Cool News 5, the SBASAF introduction videos, and Strong Bad's "technology intromercials" in technology. Strong Bad gives free motivational lectures in the classroom every Wednesday, Marzipan holds her L.U.R.N. classes here, and the characters use it as an ad hoc town hall for emergency town meetings (in unnatural). (more...)

Week 34, 2009

General Tso's Chicken (which Strong Bad pronounces "General Tao") was first spotted in the Strong Bad Email ghosts, in which Strong Bad and The Cheat are hunting for ghosts in Strong Badia, but only find a bad carton of Chinese food, discarded by The Cheat. At first, they thought the carton to be haunted, but quickly discover to be just "grody and rotten". Since then, it has been an occasional resident of Strong Badia. It was used as an obstacle in Awexome Cross and as one of the Mount RidesPlace USA Mascots, played by Homsar. It has also been one of Strong Badia's Seven Elemental Spirits. (more...)

Week 33, 2009

The Double Deuce is a style of flipping someone off with both hands. First demonstrated by Strong Bad in the bird, it was later introduced as the name of Stinkoman's primary attack technique. In order to perform a Double Deuce, Stinkoman strikes a dramatic pose and shouts "DOOOUUUBBLE DEEEUUUUCCE!!", which causes his gloves to glow and creates an energy disturbance around him. Strong Bad's Exciting Action Man action figure (as seen in the action figure email) comes equipped with "Severe Double Deuce Action", activated when the figure's head is pressed down. There is also a single-handed variant called the Single Deuce. The Double Deuce and its variants can be used to rid oneself of the office dullard or those seeking a challenge or perhaps some fighting. (more...)

Week 32, 2009

First Time Here?, released on March 28, 2002, is an uncategorized cartoon, accessible only from a special button on the main page. In this toon, Homestar Runner gives a welcome speech for first-time viewers of the website. However, Homestar keeps forgetting his lines one take after another, much to the exasperation of the director, Cherry Greg. Eventually, Strong Bad decides that he has had enough and takes over in place of Homestar. At the end, there are links to Strong Bad Emails, A Jorb Well Done (representing a sample toon) and Homestar Talker (a sample game). (more...) watch

Week 31, 2009

Strong Bad's Website is a website (found on homestarrunner.com) about The Cheat. It was first seen in the email website as an example of website design and content fundamentals. It sports a long and elaborate Flash intro and lots of animated GIFs. This is a parody of many very poorly executed and ultimately pointless websites that are common on free webservers like Tripod and Geocities. It features pictures actually taken from the Pulse interview of August 1, 2003. It originated in the Strong Bad Email website and also spun off Strong Sad's Lament. (more...) visit

Week 30, 2009

The 50th Strong Bad Email, the aptly-titled 50 emails, released on Monday, November 11, 2002, was one of the very first milestone emails on the Homestar Runner website. In honor of this, his 50th email, Strong Bad opts to literally answer 50 emails, answering them with his usual mix of making fun of the senders and sometimes deletion. But he doesn't get far before he is interrupted by a phone call, during which Homestar Runner, who is just returning Strong Bad's fondue pot, sees Strong Bad's computer running and tries to answer some of the emails himself. However, his failed attempts at deleting an email result in technical failures, prompting Homestar to leave a special surprise for Strong Bad upon his return. (more...) watch

Week 29, 2009

Over the course of the Homestar Runner body of work, Strong Bad has committed several crimes and misdemeanors. He often operates alone in his criminal acts, but is also frequently aided by either The Cheat, Strong Mad, or sometimes both. Oftentimes, he also gets help from Bubs, albeit more subtly. He has been punished or caught while committing several crimes, and as a result has spent some time in jail. Strong Bad's criminal repertoire is long and diverse, running the gamut of different crimes, from petty misdemeanors, such as prank calls, cheating and theft to major crimes, including kidnapping, extortion, assault and battery and attempted murder. (more...)

Week 28, 2009

In A Folky Tale, released on Monday, August 22, 2005, Strong Sad relates to Coach Z the folky tale of Saddy Dumpington, a legendary folk hero he made up, as an excuse to avoid climbing a rope that Coach Z wants him to climb. Saddy, according to Strong Sad, travels the land and spreads "good cheer and smiles to all who would listen". However, his methods only leave those who do listen in sadness and misery, as his methods involve depressing information with a smile on his face at others' expense. At random points, Coach Z tries to insert into the story The Dancing Brothers, much to Strong Sad's annoyance. Saddy later tries to make amends for his acts by trying to actually be miserable and depressing, but it has the opposite effect: laughter. This big toon is unique in that while it does feature members of the core cast of characters, it is the first one not to feature either Homestar Runner or Strong Bad. (more...) watch

Week 27, 2009

Fireworks easily amaze the citizens of Free Country, USA, where pyrotechnics are usually used for celebrations. Occasions deemed worthy of a fireworks show have ranged from something as grand as the hundredth Strong Bad Email and the end of the Strong Badathlon to something as simple as no loafing or finding an egg. They have been used so many times, Homestar Runner has grown to treat "fireworks" as an official name for the Fourth of July. Fireworks, both real and virtual, have appeared. Sometimes, when real fireworks cannot be used, characters still try to implicate their presence through animation and/or sound effects. Fthoom-bang rockets are a common brand of fireworks, which are also used to assist Strong Bad's crimes. (more...)