Thursday, April 2, 2009

George Washington



This clip is an independent work by comic artist Brad Neely. This work typifies the up-and-coming grassroots style absurdist comedy that has become increasingly popular in America today. The themes of this clip transcend from skewed representations of history to the modern day. The comedic elements of this piece are fairly forward, and it thrives on a lack of subtlety. The schoolyard style meme of over dramatic humor is the driving force behind this clip, appropriately entitled "George Washington". Our favorite founding father and first president is endlessly over touted in mainstream american culture, and this serves to be a satirical exaggeration of the tendencies of hero-worship. This clip takes all of these aggrandized qualities of masculinity and rebelliousness commonly attributed to our nation's founders, and continues to stretch them far beyond the point of realism, leading to comedic tall tales. This trend of mounting fantastic qualities, normally occurring slowly over time as the previous exaggeration becomes routinely accepted, is sped up, manifesting itself in things like Washington's comically increasing height, and growing number of genitalia. This style of themed build is used over and over again, as seen in the statement about Washington holding an opponent's wife's hand... in a jar of acid... at a party. Neely is a comic book artist from Texas who attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His first breakout works were the series Creased Comics, and the cult hit, Wizard People, which a full length voice over of the first Harry Potter film. In the past few years his involvement in the television block "Adult Swim", and the increasing popularity of his internet video comics have brought him closer to the limelight. This particular clip was an early work, which he unwittingly sold the character rights to for $250. 

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