Duke 2000. © Dotcomix. Herschel Hopper New York Rabbit © Rumpus. Science Freaks. © Rumpus. Rick My pick of this week is GWYNETH AND STEVE, airing at Countingdown.com. This toon is yet another of the batch of programming that was to appear on DreamWork's now defunct POP.com project. The story is written and narrated by Steve Martin and is a very humorous tale of how he desires to have a baby with Gwyneth Paltrow, however the difficulty lies in the fact that they have never really met. The voice-over is very subtle and witty. The humor is not a beat-you-over-the-head style, but has a more subversive, dry tone. The Internet gives talent like Martin a chance to experiment and the money-saving Flash software lengthens the boundaries of what can be done. Rick Hotwired Animation Express (http://hotwired.lycos.com/animation/) has premiered a very humorous short from Mark Newgarden entitled CARTOONS AND YOU. The film is set up like a public service announcement, warning people against the over use of animated cartoons. The writing is smart and witty and the direction and timing is dead on. Newgarden really nails the tone of 1950s PSAs and hilariously satires the style. The animation is simple, but really works for this toon, which is easily one of the best so far this year. Rick There is a new site out of France called Animood and their LES ANIMAUX DE LEGENDE is my pick of the week. The first half seems to start out like a bad fart joke, but slowly moves into a humorous little short about the "real" reasons behind mad cow disease. The writing at times is very witty and makes you laugh out loud. In addition, the quality of the animation is quite good and the characters' expressions are funny on their own. Non-French speakers don't fear. It's in English! Rick This week's THUGS ON FILM has rolled out the nominations for the second annual Tosser Awards. The humor of the installment comes from the categories and who and what is actually nominated in those categories. "Best Special Effects in a Leading Role" throws aside acting and nominates visual effects that upstaged the actors. "Best Tackle Tickler" acknowledges films with sexy trailers which didn't provide any satisfaction once the whole film was released. Even a straightforward outstanding villain category gets a funny title like "Biggest Evil Bastard." Finally, showcasing the worst in a year of cinema is the award for "Biggest Piece of Overblown Hollywood Wank." Cecil and Stubby are consistently funny and the best part about the Tossers are that viewers get to vote for the winners. Rick Mishmash Media's PAPU is a wonderful timely satire of the crumbling Internet empire. The short has a nearly bankrupt, "edgy" Internet company called Licebox.com seeking help from a giant blue man named Papu. The show is a dead-on parody of Icebox and its content. The tone of the piece reminds me of an ANIMANIACS cartoon and the Icebox show parodies are very witty. However, the pokes at entertainment sites' business plans are what really make the cartoon smart and funny. Adding to the overall enjoyment of the toon is that it was made by Xeth Feinberg, the man behind Icebox's HARD DRINKIN' LINCOLN and QUEER DUCK. The QUEER DUCK parody is especially good due to its look and timing. I guess this a case when revenge is definitely best served cold. Rick CountingDown.com has rolled out another Webtoon, which was originally supposed to air on the now defunct POP.com. RDA Studio's premiere of TALES OF IRTH has mayhem breaking loose in a marketplace when Mr. Sly M's boss thinks a customer has attacked his employee. The world created is rich with intriguing and strange characters. The character design is original and evokes a feeling of whimsy in the viewer. My personal favorite character is a creature that sits atop his own enormous hand, which does the walking for him. This first Webisode is definitely a set-up for a developing story line, which could travel down many various avenues. I look forward to future installments and hope that this wonderful world continues to grow. Rick AtomFilms and Jib Jab have teamed up for yet another hilarious RAPS! short. BREEDIN' IN EDEN has the famous first couple bustin' some righteous rhymes about God, chillin' and that nasty apple. The animation is simple, but I feel the crude movement adds to the overall humor of the piece. First and foremost is the writing. The lyrics are extremely witty and well performed. This cartoon is just a whole lot of fun. Rick This week at Hotwired Animation Express (hotwired.lycos.com/animation/) they have begun airing a beautiful Webtoon entitled PIAZZOLLA. The toon isn't a narrative, but a lyrical experiment that transports the viewer into a landscape of bright rhythmic drawings. Director Mirek Nisenbaum's use of color and movement really draws the audience into his short. The Net is full of toons that conjure up laughter, but few create any other genuine emotions. However, Nisenbaum's skillful animation creates various feelings in its viewers. For example at one point in the Webtoon the music and a few simple shapes create sadness in the watcher by evoking the idea of sad eyes. Even though it seems to run a smidgen too long, PIAZZOLLA still shows that the Internet can be a wonderful breeding ground for innovative non-narrative animation. Rick Icebox has rolled out three Webisodes of MONKEYBONE as a promotion for the upcoming Fox feature film. All three are very fun and remind me of episodes of ANIMANIACS. It was hard to pick which one I liked the best, but I decided to go with "Better Latte Than Ever" as my pick of the week. When a preppie snob holds up the line at a coffee joint, Monkeybone holds up the store in his own way. The confusion that is created by the preppie snob is quite funny because it's so close to the truth. It's an experience that a lot of people have encountered. From personal experience, we know that people can be real jerks when they need their caffeine fix. Monkeybone's response is mischievous and fun. The show is a guilty little pleasure that lets the viewer live out revenge on "those type of people" without getting a sock in the nose. Rick Flicker Lab's THIS MODERN WORLD is my choice for Pick of the Week. This consistent political satire brings a witty and funny approach to politics that is not normally seen in mainstream media. This week's Webisode has a dimwitted newsman uncovering the Agency for Really Secret Stuff's attempt to bury the truth about the dwindling gap between the Republican and Democratic parties. This parody is smart and full of humorous sight gags, making it worth checking out. Rick Director Chris Lanier continues to excel with ROMANOV on Wildbrain.com. This week's adventure has our two-toned pal joining a cult and welcoming the end of the world. This cartoon is a very smart and witty satire of cults and their leaders. The opening song had me laughing throughout the whole Webisode. The visual jokes are funny and the use of title cards instead of dialogue really works well in that it makes a comment on the subject matter without being pretentious or forced. It's great to see a toon that was a highlight of 2000 continue with the same quality in the new year. Rick Romp.com's content is more offensive than anything on the Net. They don't just push buttons they slam them with sledgehammers. However, this week's installment of BILL & TED is quite funny. Previous Webisodes have had some good moments, but this one may be the best so far. This time around, a stoned Bill Clinton searches for his weed before George W. Bush raids the White House. The pokes at the President, Vice President, Ted Kennedy and George W. are ridiculous, but really make you chuckle. The Romp crew skated the edge on this one but didn't cross the line into crudity like usual. I guess everyone can have a moment of clarity. Rick At this time of year, every year, people who get paid to spout their opinions (and often by in-laws who don't) come up with top ten lists. So in the hallowed tradition of those who have come before me, I'm throwing out my two cents for the year's best in Web animation. To start off, highlights of the year that just missed the list came in Webisodes of DotComix/Entertaindom's DUKE 2000, DotComix's SISTER RANDY, Honkworm/Mondo Media's FISH BAR, JibJab's EXIT 109, Jinx/Entertaindom's L'IL GREEN MEN, MongaDillo/AtomFilms' HOLIDAY FORCE, TheThreshold's WHERE ARE THE TOONS NOW? and the CartoonNetwork.com shorts "Let's Have Fun Club" and "Switcheroo" by Tom Snyder Productions and "The Gloop & Gleep Group" by Funny Garbage. Below read my top ten list for 2000. Top Ten List For 2000 10. "Overdue" by Tom Snyder Productions/Cartoon Network Online Many of the Webtoons that air in Cartoon Network Online Shorts section are pilots to something that could be a series. However, "Overdue" stands alone Rick Many Webtoons have taken stabs at Eminem, but it was only time until Undercover Brother was put on the case. The new Webisode of UrbanEntertainment.com's UNDERCOVER BROTHER is the start of the series' second season. Tired of seeing "The Man" eating his own children, Undercover Brother sets out to free the white boy rapper from his imprisonment by the record industry. However, some people just can't be saved. This series has always been witty, but this installment is top notch. The toon is well animated and well timed. If the Internet is a level playing field and gives minorities a chance to speak, "The Man" better watch out for Urban Entertainment because all of its content is solid and UNDERCOVER BROTHER is its best. Rick This time around I'm naming Honkworm's FISH BAR as my pick of the week. As part of the syndication of the series through Mondo Media, Honkworm has combined their defunct series LONDON CALLING under the banner of FISH BAR. This week's installment is just one of those Webisodes. The fishy Queen of England calls Steven Spielberg about making a movie based on her life. The quick, off-the-wall dialogue is hilarious. Plus, the banter between the two characters is timed perfectly to maximize the comic effect. This toon will make you laugh out loud. Find out all the sites where the toon airs on MondoMedia.com. Rick Camp Chaos has started airing Sabarkan's GOODNIGHT MR. SNOOZLEBERG, a Flash interactive toon. Webisode 3 rolled out this week and viewers must help the sleepwalker avoid near death in a rocket warehouse. This toon shows how Flash interactivity can be used in an innovative way that isn't just some silly choose your own adventure trap to keep you on a particular Website. The player must uncover the proper combination of buttons to save poor Snoozleberg. The game is challenging, very addictive and most of all a lot of fun. Rick At MediaTrip.com, the debut of GARY THE RAT is quite humorous. The series chronicles the trials and tribulations of a sleazy lawyer, whose dirty deeds finally transform him into a giant rat. FRAISER's Kelsey Grammer voices Gary and he also serves as the show's executive producer, with creators Mark and Robb Cullen. The first Webisode's writing shows good potential for what could have been a clich Rick In light of the U.S.' presidential debacle I thank God for Tom Tomorrow's THIS MODERN WORLD. The newest two part series "Political Machine" is one of the wittiest and smartest Webtoons I have ever seen. Washington, D.C. scientists create the ultimate political machine, the Gorebot 2000, and with the Nader Effect causing election mayhem, the presidential candidate runs amuck in the city. The best part of this toon is that the jokes aren't forced; they flow from the material. This factor is what makes the toon so funny and intelligent. Rick Tim Burton Rick This week I'm pointing out Chris Lanier's ROMANOV. An earlier Webisode won the Internet prize at the Ottawa Animation Festival and this week's edition is keeping up the quality tradition of past endeavors. The new edition has our black and white faced hero chasing an elusive epiphany. The show has no dialogue, but uses an occasional title card to tell its story. This simple toon is nothing but fun and evokes the carefree attitude of early cartoons. There's a bit of witty philosophy thrown into each edition that makes you think and quite often smile. Rick To celebrate Halloween, I decided to pick a holiday themed Webtoon for this week's Rick's Pick. This year Oxygen.com ran a Ghost Writing contest and the winner had the story turned into an episode of OUR STORIES. The weekly series animates real-life women's inspiring tales using personal photos in Flash. The new installment tells the story of Barbara, who as a child often stayed with her grandmother who lived above a funeral parlor. The story is eerie and just the perfect kind of tale for the holidays. OUR STORIES is a very simply animated series that really uses inventive imagery to weave its plots. It has been said that each person on the globe, no matter who they are, has an interesting life full of stories to tell and thanks to Oxygen some have the opportunity to tell them to the world. Rick BitMagic provides quick one-joke animations that often put a smile on my face. This week I highlight Shift.nl's CELEBRATING THE 100TH SHUTTLE LAUNCH. It's a 30-second look at the true status of the U.S. space program. It's cute and simple, but quite humorous. The Web is all about instant gratification and this funny toon is the kind of thing you send a friend in an e-mail to brighten up his or her day. Rick's Picks - Friday, October 13, 2000 This week I Rick's Picks - Friday, October 6, 2000 For more than ten years Tom Tomorrow has been writing the weekly award-winning comic strip THIS MODERN WORLD. It first hit the Web in a Pulse version at DotComix, but now it has a brand new Flash version being produced by Flicker Lab and syndicated by Mondo Media. The new Flash WORLD is free to take the series in a much bolder direction, which the Pulse format didn Rick's Picks For Friday, September 29, 2000! Cartoon Network Online is committed to bringing 100 new shorts to the Web over the next two years and the first batch has rolled out. Tom Snyder Productions Rick's Picks For Friday, September 22, 2000! This week I Rick's Picks For Friday, September 15, 2000 TheTheshold.com Rick's Pick For Friday, September 8, 2000! Airing on iFilm Lee Lanier Rick's Pick For Friday, September 1, 2000! Wildbrain Rick's Pick For Friday, August 25, 2000! This week Rick's Pick For Friday, August 18, 2000! Dotcomix Rick's Pick For Friday, August 11, 2000! After a painfully long two week hiatus, the newest Webisode of ELMO AARDVARK: OUTER SPACE DETECTIVE has picked up the pace once again as one of the best toons on the Web. RenegadeCartoon.com and Will Ryan Productions have created a witty throwback to classic toons of the past. The retro style is unlike anything on the Net and the voice cast and timing is dead on. If you check out some of the archived installments you can even hear the legendary June Foray who lends her voice as Salamagrundy. Rick's Pick For Friday, August 4, 2000! This week AtomFilms spotlighted two brilliant films from Adam Benjamin Elliot entitled BROTHER and COUSIN. These bittersweet clay-animated films chronicle the lives of the director Rick's Picks For Monday, July 31, 2000! Over at Wildbrain.com, the new JOE PARADISE is simply great. The slick and interesting design creates a visually impressive piece of toonage. Created by Roque Ballesteros, this action/comedy is one of the smartest, coolest and most innovative series on the Net. Watch for the subtle visual metaphors. There Rick's Picks For Tuesday, July 25, 2000! Episode 2 of EXIT 109 on Jibjab.com is hilarious. The Webisode finds the Hassidic pup, Moishe, ascending into heaven after being locked in a hot car. The humor is just right, edgy but smart. Something other sites, should take note of!				Destino Seems Destined for Oscar Nomination After Taking Melbourne Prize Electronic Arts’ LA Studio to Rival Major Effects Houses Miami to Honor Fleischer Studios Academy President Reups and Roth Will Produce Oscars Anime Network MIPCOM Bound to Shop [More] [More] At CartoonNetwork.com on Funny Garbage's PLANET OF THE MAGILLAS, this parody of PLANET OF THE APES sends a JETSON-age space traveler to a world inhabited by a cast of... [More] As a celebration of the Oscars ceremony this coming weekend, I thought I'd take a look back 20 plus years and point out that Ferenc Rofusz's THE FLY – the... [More]