Strong Bad Smiling

"You got SBLOUNSKCHED!"

Especially in the early years of Homestar Runner, Strong Bad's mouth has been most often seen to be in a slight frown, usually in a rectangular (or round, when he makes an "O" sound) shape. His mouth was curved in such a way as to suggest he is often upset. However, there have also been plenty of times when he has smiled, an effect created by slightly distorting the upper part of Strong Bad's rectangular mouth, turning his expression into an unmistakable smile. While some of these smiles were in reaction to or anticipation of his usual misdeeds, he has also found other reasons to smile. As Strong Bad became a more prominent character over the years, the rate at which he would smile noticeably increased. Although crude drawings of Strong Bad may have their own variations of this phenomenon, the real Strong Bad has, and, most likely, always will have the same, bizarre, distorted rectangle of a smile.

Smiling became a more-or-less common and normal part of Strong Bad's character around 2006. Only selected instances of smiling since then are listed.

Selected Appearances

Evil Smiles

• A Jorb Well Done — Strong Bad smiles while trying to get Coach Z to say the word "job", then bursts out laughing as he, Strong Mad and The Cheat ridicule the coach for not being able to say the word.
  • Ironically, although this is the first time Strong Bad smiles, he smiles for the entirety of his appearance in this toon.
• The House That Gave Sucky Treats — If the steak is chosen as Marzipan's treat, Strong Bad appears and grins as he sneaks a few more steaks into her bag.
• Email origins — Lil' Strong Bad smiles after he gets a drill for his birthday (which he presumably uses on Strong Sad, resulting in his belly button).
• Grumblecakes (video) — Strong Bad smiles rather disturbingly at the end of the video.
• Trogdor Con '97 — Strong Bad smiles while calling Strong Sad a butt for claiming that it was 2005, not 1997. He also smiles when he and The Cheat go over to the authorized Godzilla reseller's booth and attack the reseller with pea soup.
• Date Nite — After Strong Bad says "drowning them", he smiles slightly.
• Email environment — Strong Bad smiles when he introduces Marzipan and Strong Sad to his 65 mile-per-gallon hybrid piano.
• Email being mean — Strong Bad smiles during the entire scene while he is knocking over Homestar's really tall ice cream cone.
• Donut Unto Others — Strong Bad smiles, and laughs, after he slaps a note on the side of Homestar's Do-Nots shop, causing it to fall over.
• Email videography — Strong Bad smiles while explaining his other quotation mark professions.
• Email sbemail 206 — Strong Bad smiles as he plays April Fools' Day pranks on most of the main characters.
• Record Store Day — Strong Bad smiles and laughs after he shatters Strong Sad's sloshy record.
• Fan Costumes 2016 — The podcast covers portray Strong Bad smiling. He also smiles after he matches proportions with a fan.

Notable Other Appearances

• Strong Sad's Secret Styles — Lil' Strong Bad smiles for the camera, as does Li'l Strong Sad.
• Halloween Awards Show — While Strong Bad is behind the podium thanking The Cheat and Bubs, he smiles.
• Email stand-up — Lil' Strong Bad grins nervously while doing stand-up comedy (with disastrous results).
• Email suntan — Strong Bad grins at Marzipan after drawing abs on his stomach.
• Email no loafing — In the picture showing Strong Bad with the No Loafing Sign, Strong Bad is smiling.
• Email for kids — Strong Bad is seen smiling into the camera on his TV show.
• strongbad email.exe Disc One — Strong Bad smiles in response to the "bottom-feeding Paper".
• Email montage — During his date with the Wagon Fulla Pancakes, Strong Bad is smiling.
• Email best thing — Strong Bad smiles and laughs while watching Limozeen: "but they're in space!".
• Email rampage — Strong Bad smiles and laughs with Coach Z when they joke about Strong Sad being a "master of ceremonies".
• Senorial Day — While trying to play football with Senor Cardgage, Strong Bad smiles.
• Teen Girl Squad Issue 9 — Strong Bad smiles while riding with Learner's Permit Girl.
• Email modeling — While posing for magazine photos, Strong Bad smiles.
• Email Family Resemblence — In the Birds Of A Feather postcard, Strong Bad smiles.
• Email record book — In a photograph accompanying Lil' Strong Bad's record for Dirtiest Diapey, he is smiling.
• One sketchbook item pictured an extremely happy and smiling "Dreamaway Johnny" version of Strong Bad.
• Email geddup noise — As he introduces one of the many Geddup Noise knockoffs, "The Git Outcha Seat Sound", Strong Bad smiles.
• Email candy product — During the commercial for SBLOUNSKCHED!, Strong Bad is smiling.
• Email alternate universe — Strong Bad smiles after asking other Strong Bads to do a song. He also smiles after saying hello to Senor Cardgage's tacklebox.
• Email isp — When Strong Bad and Bubs see Strong Mad talking in a high-pitch voice, Strong Bad grins as they all laugh psychotically.
• Email redesign — Strong Bad smiles when he says, "But I does!"
• Email theme song — During the first theme song, Strong Bad is smiling.
• Email 4 branches — Strong Bad is happy to know that there are free bagels at the water cooler.
• Email looking old — Strong Bad smiles after his lace lift until Strong Sad, calling him Great Grandma, starts leading him out.
• Email unnatural — In an Easter egg, Strong Bad smiles when he tries to flush himself down the toilet.
• Email concert — Strong Bad smiles while telling Homestar Runner about sloshy.
• Jibblies 2 — To stay in character as Beetlejuice, Strong Bad smiles throughout most of the toon.
• Behind the Bad Chapter 1: The New Hire — Strong Bad smiles while entering his office.
• Email email thunder — Strong Bad is delighted to see The Paper return.
• Most in the Graveyard — Strong Bad's fake mouth in his costume of the planet from the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has an open smiling grin on it.
• A Death Defying Decemberween — Strong Bad smiles while handing out hot chocolate to the other characters, as a byproduct of his parole.
• Kick-A-Ball — Strong Bad smiles when he hears that Homestar cheated, and lost (almost).
• 79 Seconds Left — Strong Bad smiles when he pours water on his knee.
• Email hremail 3184 — Strong Bad can be seen smiling when Senor Cardgage first shows up in his house.
• Store Other 2-D Stuff — One of the Decemberween cards portrays all three of the Brothers Strong, as well as The Cheat, smiling.
• April Fool 2014 — Strong Bad smiles when Homestar asks him to sing the song.
• Fish Eye Lens — Strong Bad smiles when leaning in to say, "You know what that means!"
• I Killed Pom Pom — Strong Bad smiles as part of his Mac Tonight costume.
• The House That Gave Sucky Tricks — Strong Bad smiles briefly before he introduces his haunted house.
• Email too cool — When Strong Bad says "Tertiary", his mouth is replaced with a realistic smiling mouth.
• Characters from Yonder Website — "Character 1" smiles.
• Mr. Poofers Must Die — Strong Bad smiles widely after making a pun about keeping his mind "strong... bad".
• Disk 4 of 12 - FrienDendum — Strong Bad, as "Captain TopToast" tells an anecdote about lawnmowers and laughs afterwards.
• Front Facing — Strong Bad smiles while demonstrating his own front facing appearance.

Screenshots of Strong Bad Smiling

Happy brothers	"Next time, try to add some more syllables."	"Is this a joke? It's not funny."	"How about this cafeteria food?"	"We did it, little buddy!"
"Oops, forgot the hatching."	"A sign that said 'No Loafing!' was the answer."	"Can you say, 'a-The Cheat'?"	Dating the Wagon Fulla Pancakes	How Strong Sad got his belly button
"Oh-ho-ho! So classic!"	"What part of the streets are you from, exactly?"	"Hit me on the slant!"	"I'll pencil you in."	...Flock together?
Dirtiest Diapey	"It might be for you, but... you're a butt."	"And now, everybody's favorite style..."	Dreamaway Johnny	"You're gonna adopt me?"
Strong Mad's a website!	"But I does!"	"I'm sorry, ma'am, free bagels just happened."	"Try it again. I think I'm starting to mutate!"	"Slosh-ay!"
"That's a keeper."	"And here is your office."	"Oh, wait. Being mean is the best choice there too."	"The Paper! You came back!"	"What's the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything?"
"D'you wanna help me come out of e‑tirement?"	"May your holidays be filled with soft focus and sparkle filters, from our family to yours."	"Oh, it's a good time for large-headed monstrosities!"	"Stephenson, I'll never mulch again!"	"Front-facing, yeah! You get to do it all the time."

Statistics of Strong Bad Smiling

Visualization of the frequency of Strong Bad's smiles, 2000–2009.

Year	Number of Toons in which Strong Bad appeared onscreen	Number of Toons in which Strong Bad smiled	Percentage of Toons in which Strong Bad smiled
2000	9 9	0 0	0%
2001	15 24	2 2	13.3%
2002	56 80	2 4	3.6%
2003	43 123	2 6	4.7%
2004	37 160	4 10	10.8%
2005	38 198	10 20	26.3%
2006	32 230	9 29	28.1%
2007	32 262	8 37	25%
2008	30 292	14 51	46.7%
2009	23 315	9 60	39.1%
2010	3 318	0 60	0%
2011	1 319	0 60	0%
2012	0 319	0 60	0%
2013	1 320	0 60	0%
2014	3 323	3 63	100%
2015	6 329	3 66	50%
2016	4 333	1 67	25%
2017	5 338	1 68	20%
2018	4 342	2 70	50%
2019	1 343	0 70	0%
2020	1 344	0 70	0%
2021	3 347	1 71	33.3%
2022	7 354	2 73	28.6%
2023	3 357	1 74	33.3%
2024	3 360	1 75	33.3%
2025	3 363	1 76	33.3%
Total	363	76	20.9%

See also

• Strong Mad Smiling
• Strong Sad Smiling
• The Cheat Smiling