Before YouTube opened the door for countless artists to share their work and views with the world, the internet was already flooded with web cartoons, most of which were brought to life through Flash. Many of them were creative, hilarious, bizarre, pop culture savvy, and arguably ahead of their time. Given all the content currently available online, some of these animations have unfortunately faded into obscurity. Let’s take a trip back to the early 2000s and honor the toons that had us glued to our computer screens.
10. Badgers
To call this Flash cartoon repetitive would be an understatement, but that’s largely why it become an internet phenomenon. With unbelievably simple lyrics and a catchy electric dance beat playing on an endless loop, animator Jonti Picking demonstrated that you can captivate a wide audience with next to nothing. It’s hard to say what inspired this revelation of randomness, but it wouldn’t be surprising if mushrooms were involved.
9. Bob the Ball
On the surface, this storybook themed animation might look innocent enough to be in the children’s section of your local library. You can’t judge a book by its cover, however, as Bob the Ball is packed with violence, profanity, Zombie Nazi Pirates, and Tyrannosaurus with hats. Definitely not for kiddies, but a laugh riot for everyone else.
8. Crab Battle
Animator Chris Boe has been involved in quite a few Flash cartoons and Crab Battle is possibly is magnum opus. A parody of Metal Gear Solid 3, the short finds Snake going up against his most formidable foe yet… a Kenyan Mangrove Crab! Seeing one of the greatest video game heroes of all time getting brutally attacked by a crustacean is nothing sort of priceless.
7. Star Wars Gangsta Rap
The internet has no shortage of Star Wars spoofs, but few can hold a lightsaber to this music video. Even if you haven’t seen the Star Wars Gangsta Rap in years, we all remember Darth Vader rapping his immortal line, “I’m your father!” The video would go on to win multiple accolades and director Thomas Lee later got to work with “Weird Al” Yankovic.
6. Klay World Series
Where most of the cartoons on this list were created through Flash, Klay World stood out thanks to its stop-motion technique. Granted, the characters looked crude, the plot was usually nonexistent, and the dialog wasn’t exactly Shakespearean, but creator Robert “Knox” Benfer knew how to make his audience laugh. His claymation shorts proved so popular that they even inspired a 2005 feature, Klay World: Off the Table.
5. Neurotically Yours
Centering on Foamy the Squirrel and goth chick named Germaine Endez, Neurotically Yours started out as a comic and eventually evolved into a web series. Let’s just say that you haven’t truly seen a rant video until you’ve heard Foaming’s thoughts. Whether he’s spreading wisdom or just spreading insanity, this neurotic squirrel never fails to get a laugh.
4. Perfect Kerby
Kirby meets Perfect Dark… It’s an odd combination, but brothers John and Richie stumbled upon an unlikely formula for comedy gold. This action spy send-up inspired an epic trilogy of toons and several shorts, although we’re still waiting for Perfect Kirby 4.
3. The Decline of Video Gaming
Centering on the misadventures of Dim, Dan, and JT, the Decline series both celebrated video games while also mercifully mocking them. Satirizing everything from the Nintendo DS to the N-Gage, the series remains a cynical love letter to the sixth and seventh generations of consoles. Since then, The Super Flash Bros. has made the transition to SFB Games, an independent game developer.
2. Legendary Frog
Legendary Frog, aka Joseph Blanchette, was one of the most popular Flash animators back in the day, producing parodies of The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy, and The Legend of Zelda. Blanchette also created his own characters, such as Ark and Kerrigan. Today, Blanchette is still creating new content and even collaborated with Brad “Cinema Snob” Jones on a series called Lloyd.
1. Homestar Runner
If you were interested in Flash animation growing up, chances are it all started with this breakout web series. Through Strong Bad Email, Marzipan’s Answering Machine, and Homestar Runner’s surreal escapades, creators Mike and Matt Chapman proved that you don’t need a major studio to reach a wide audience. After a lengthy hiatus, the series has started to make a comeback, despite the fact that “Flash is dead.”
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