Strong Bad
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| This article is about a character in the Homestar Runner series. |
Principal characters
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Strong Bad is a primary character in the fictional world of Flash animation cartoon series Homestar Runner. He is best known for his "Strong Bad Emails", or "Sbemails", in which he is shown typing answers to questions written by visitors to the site on his personal computer. Modelled after a Mexican wrestler character featured in Nintendo's "Tag Team Wrestling", he is shirtless with boxing gloves for hands (though a running gag on the website claims that he originally had oven mitts) and a luchador's wrestling mask for a face (in the email "the chair", he rips it off and puts it back on, though the large chair obstructed the view, not allowing the audience to see his face). Though originally presented as a villain, Strong Bad has been favorably embraced by pop culture for his quick-witted sarcasm and infectiously abrasive voice. He is usually seen as the most popular character, although some fans object to the frequency with which he appears in comparison to other characters. His voice has changed over time from a distinctly Mexican accent to a more American one, while still retaining its "rough" quality. His eyes have also become steadily smaller.
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[edit] Origin
The "Strong Bad Emails" were originally a small feature introduced in 2001, in which Strong Bad would mock the spelling and grammar of those who wrote to him, usually using an outdated computer. Although the animations were initially brief, the responses gradually grew to establish numerous catchphrases and running gags, as well as spin-offs like Trogdor the Burninator, Teen Girl Squad, and even characters, like Homsar and Señor Cardgage. A typical Strong Bad email will also include numerous Easter eggs and other hidden material. An example of a Strong Bad Email reply is his take on techno, where he creates the techno song "The System Is Down."
Along with his physically intimidating but mentally limited big brother Strong Mad and his lackey animal-of-questionable-species The Cheat, Strong Bad represents the self-proclaimed criminal element in the series. Many shorts concern the various practical jokes and scams that they perpetrate. Although these "crimes" are usually only slightly malevolent, Strong Bad still acts as if he is a villainous mastermind, and is highly prone to exaggerating his alluring qualities — especially with regards to women. He enjoys "cold ones" (which are apparently the equivalent of beer in Free Country, USA, the land in which the Homestar Runner series takes place). In one email, it was revealed he had the ability to remove caps by making the jewel in his mask glow with intense concentration. He demonstrated this ability by removing the cap from a cold one, and by repeatedly removing Homestar's cap.
Strong Bad debuted in an early children's book project called "The Homestar Runner Enters the Strongest Man In the World Contest". This story (which is viewable at the website "museum section"[2]) introduces the totally safe and child-friendly world created by the Chapman Brothers. The somewhat subversive nature of the humour of Strong Bad, and the world of Homestar seems to always lean towards the provocative without endangering the worldview of children. Apart from making it a "safe" place for kids, it also appeals to the adults who enjoy a less-than-threatening expression of the personality types around us. Strong Bad is the bad guy in a not-very bad world. (See the "Strong Bad Is A Bad Guy" toon)
[edit] Alternate versions
![Many of the alternate versions of Strong Bad, from his 150th Email. A full list can be found here [1]](../../../upload/thumb/9/97/Strong_Bad_Versions.PNG/225px-Strong_Bad_Versions.PNG)
[edit] 1936
The 1936 form of Strong Bad is sometimes referred to as Sir Strong Bad. He appears in black and white and has hair and a handlebar moustache. His mask is less detailed and he has no visible mouth but his moustache moves when he talks. He is widely thought to have an English accent, and he is accompanied by The Cheat's 1936 form, known as The Sneak and resembling a rodent or rat-like animal.
[edit] 20X6 - Stinkoman
Stinkoman, a futuristic anime-style Strong Bad, has no thumbs, big robot boots, a mouth that is tiny when closed, but "ridiculously huge" when open, blue hair, and big green eyes. The "real" Strong Bad designed this character in the e-mail "Japanese Cartoon", when someone asked what he would look like as a Japanese cartoon. The name "Stinkoman" comes from an earlier email (number 52, "Island"), where Strong Bad was called that name by Homestar Runner. His primary interests are "Challenge and fighting and fighting that challenge." He has his own game. This version of Strong Bad was clearly modeled after Mega Man (aka Rockman in Japan) and Astroboy.
The use of the year 20X6 (pronounced "twenty extee six") is also a reference to the Mega Man games that were often set in the year 20XX or Metroid which took place in 20X5, and maybe also to the cartoon series Thunderbirds 2086. The Stinkoman K theme music is a MIDI theme borrowed from the Nintendo Entertainment System video game "Rad Racer."
[edit] Senor Cardgage
Senor Cardgage is what Strong Bad said he would look like if he was an ugly, dumpy old guy with a beer belly and a comb-over, instead of the stylish, buff, handsome man in a wrestling mask he is. He is fat, wears gold rimmed glasses, and he wanders around mumbling things, standing too close to people in line, and trying to sell things of no real value. He also tends to refer to people with female names, regardless of their gender. Strong Sad, however, claims that this is the exact description of their former childhood neighbor Senor Cardgage (which is how the character gets his name). Strong Bad idolises him, saying he is "so cool, you don't even know he's cool." Senor Cardgage became an individual character rather than an alter-ego after his debut appearance.
[edit] Strong Badia
Strong Badia is an independent "kingdom" that Strong Bad claims to rule over. It consists of a barren field, a fence, a tire, and a stop sign reading "Pop: Tire" (Pop meaning population) leaning against a cinder block. Strong Bad said he bought the property from Bubs in one email, although he originally said he ruled it since "diaper school". It was once haunted by the ghost of the "Tandy 400", Strong Bad's former computer.
[edit] Computers
Strong Bad has owned several computers and while each is superior to the last, they remain horribly dated in contrast to current technology. His first computer, the "Tandy 400", featured the classic "green-and-black" monochrome monitor and displayed little to no graphics. It eventually exploded in Strong Bad's face, at which point he "borrowed" $900 from Strong Sad to fix it, even though he could get a better one for $15 at a garage sale (according to Strong Sad). He managed to duct tape the computer back together, but after it malfunctioned and deleted an e-mail from a girl who seemed to be genuinely interested in him, the Tandy was unceremoniously dumped a few weeks later. It was bought by The King of Town, who complained that this was the last time he would buy a used computer from Bubs. The ghost of this computer at one point came back to haunt him.
His next computer, "Compy 386", boasted improved graphics and sound but remained behind the times. The Compy later proved to be overloaded with computer viruses - indeed when Strong Bad runs his virus scan (after it informs him "Last scan was NEVER ago"), it turns out to be infected with 423,827 viruses, which leaked from the computer and began altering The Sites's Flash-animated reality. Bubs managed to restore a semblance of normalcy to the Homestar Runner Universe by shooting the Compy with a shotgun, much to the distress of Strong Bad, who had apparently grown quite attached to the Compy. In an older version of the Strong Bad Email menu, Bubs sells the "LIKE USED", "SLIGHTLY SHOTGUNNED" computer to Homestar Runner, though he appears to think it is a low cost automobile.
Strong Bad eventually moved on, and picked up another new computer, this one a bulky, old-fashioned laptop called the "Lappy 486". Trumping both previous computers in processing power, the Lappy still ran without the aid of a graphical user interface, weighed 42 lbs., and had only a 'half of ten' minute battery life and a mere two Megabyte hard drive.
In September 2006, the Lappy was "Lappy-napped," in a story arc of sorts. It was later revealed that The Tandy and Compy stole it and would only return it if they each got to check one last e-mail each. Strong Bad complied, but destroyed his old computers in the process.
However, in two emails, Strong Bad uses other computers. One of them was The Cheat's computer. Strong Bad complains that it "has too much computer in it and not enough typewriter", because the computer forces him to click, instead of typing, to open his e-mail client. In the other, Strong Bad asks Pom Pom if he can use his Pom Pilot (a pun on Palm Pilot) to check an e-mail while they are at the stick.
In another email, The Cheat has a 5th generation iMac (possibly replacing his old one) , which Strong Bad claims is worthless because the back is chopped off (flat-screen monitor) and the mouse is nothing but a "plastic bar of soap" (wireless, one-button mouse).
