Friday, March 11, 2011

Robot Chicken


For those who have never watched Robot Chicken, let me explain what it is before moving on to the video clips:

"The program is a sketch comedy that parodies a number of pop culture conventions using stop motion animation of toys, action figures, and claymation. The show focuses on mocking pop culture, referencing toys, films, television, and popular fads, as well as more obscure references like anime cartoons and older television programs." [from Wikipedia]

Robot Chicken is offensive, dirty and sometimes horrifying, but it's hilarious at the same time. If you are offended by your childhood idols being mocked, degraded or even killed, please skip over this blog entry :)

I'm a fan of Seth Green, who produces and voices the show, because he's a total nostalgia geek just like me. While the clips may not be flattering to our beloved childhood cartoons, at least they're being remembered and living on in some [very strange] way ;)

Rainbow Brite has been featured in Robot Chicken five times. Here's the rundown:

#1 - Episode: Metal Militia, Sketch: Game Over - October 1, 2006
This episode starts out with Murky and Lurky sitting in a bar. They want to steal Rainbow Brite's Star Sprinkles so that they can make the world gray. So they decide to break into the Color Castle while Rainbow is out to accomplish their task. Unfortunately, Rainbow Brite comes home while they're in her room. They hide behind a couch, but before they can escape, Lurky trips over some magazines and they are discovered. Rainbow pulls out a chainsaw and all we see is the villains' blood splattering around her room. Yuck!

(Click the image to watch the video)

#2 - Episode: Rabbits on a Roller Coaster, Sketch: Follow the Light, Rainbow - August 26, 2007
In this episode, the Sphere of Light seeks out Wisp and asks her to come to Rainbow Land to save the Color Kids. She agrees to the mission and runs after the Sphere as he repeats "Follow the Sphere of Light!" Then it cuts to an operating room, where Wisp is lying dead on a table. The doctors  record the time of death and her parents weep. Perhaps going into the light isn't always such a great idea!

(Click the image to watch the video)

#3 - Episode: Moesha Poppins, Sketch: Girl Toys - October 21, 2007
This sketch features more than just Rainbow Brite. We get to see what supposedly happened to Jem, Cabbage Patch Kids, Strawberry Shortcake and more. In Rainbow Brite's "interview" with Michael Moore, she says she continued to seek out all the pretty colors of the world by dating men of every race. *shakes head*

(Click the image to watch the video)

#4 - Episode: No Country for Old Dogs, Sketch: Rainbow Dim - February 27, 2011
In this very short sketch, we meet Rainbow Brite's mentally challenged sister, Rainbow Dim. Rainbow Dim proclaims that 9/11 was an inside job and Rainbow Brite cajoles her by replying "sure it was!"

(Click the image to watch the video)

#5 - Episode: Rebel Appliance, Sketch: Gay Rainbow - May 4, 2014
And finally, in this sketch, Murky admits to Rainbow Brite that he's gay and says that her use of rainbows is "gay."

(Click the image to watch the video)

I would say "can't wait to see what they do to Rainbow next," but perhaps I can :P

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Fan Art

If you've perused Rainbow Brite books at all, I'm sure you've noticed that certain poses were used over and over. It may have a different background, but the characters will be standing in the exact same position as they were in 10 other books/stickers/cards/puzzles. I'm sure that reusing art saved the companies involved a lot of time and money, but the lack of variation saddens me. And as we collectors get closer and closer to owning all known RB books/stickers/cards/puzzles, we must face the fact that eventually we will have seen it all.

This is why I love fan art so much. It may not be "official," but it continues to give new life to our favorite characters. We get to see them in different poses, different clothing, different styles, even different ages! And some of the quality is so high, you wonder why Hallmark hasn't hired these artists to work for them! For example, check out my latest finding:


Lots of wonderful fan art can be viewed online for free on websites such as DeviantArt, and I wade through the thousands of images hosted there quite often. But what I truly love is collecting original pieces of Rainbow Brite fan art. I have sketches, drawings, paintings, and even cross-stitchings! It may not be considered "fine art" by some, but to me, it's the finest :)