Homestar Runner
The title character. A world-class athlete (by his own account) who is rarely sure what is going on.
What is Homestar Runner?
Homestar Runner is a web cartoon made by brothers Mike and Matt Chapman, better known as The Brothers Chaps. It follows a cheerfully clueless athlete and his neighbors in Free Country, USA, and it is best known for Strong Bad Email, where Strong Bad answers fan mail on his trusty computer with maximum sarcasm.
It's a classic of early internet humor: quotable, odd, packed with background jokes and hidden Easter eggs. Every cartoon is free to watch on the official site.
The Gang
Strong Bad
Masked, boxing-gloved, and opinionated. Checks his email, mocks everyone, and is secretly the show's breakout star.
The Cheat
Strong Bad's small, yellow, squeaky accomplice. Communicates entirely in noises, and is usually the one getting it done.
Strong Mad
The biggest of the Strong brothers. Loud, strong, and fond of shouting single words.
Strong Sad
The youngest and gloomiest Strong brother. Artsy, sensitive, and the frequent target of Strong Bad's jokes.
Marzipan
Homestar's guitar-playing, environmentally minded sort-of girlfriend, and often the most sensible person in town.
Coach Z
The local coach, with an unforgettable accent and a pretty loose idea of what coaching involves.
Bubs
Runs Bubs' Concession Stand and will sell you just about anything, at a price that is mostly in his favor.
Pom Pom
Homestar's best friend. Round, quiet, and communicates in bubbly sounds that everyone somehow understands.
The King of Town
The ruler of Free Country, USA, as far as anyone can tell. His main royal duty appears to be eating.
Homsar
Speaks almost entirely in delightful nonsense. Easily the most surreal resident of the neighborhood.
Quotable Free Country
"Everybody! Everybody!"
Trogdor the Burninator
Strong Bad drew him in one of his emails: a dragon with one beefy arm, sworn to burninate the countryside and the peasants and their thatched-roof cottages. He went on to get his own song, a classic arcade game, and even a board game.
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thatched-roof cottages burninated
Where to start
- Strong Bad Email: the heart of the site. Start with any of them; most stand on their own.
- Teen Girl Squad: Strong Bad's very badly drawn comic, in which things go wrong for everyone.
- The main toons: holiday specials, short cartoons and the Homestar Runner adventures themselves.
- Games: including the Trogdor arcade game, which you should absolutely play.