A Star Is Born--On The Web

By Lev Grossman

It's kind of hard to explain why the cartoons at homestarrunner.com are so funny. But here goes. Homestar Runner, above, is the dorky, crudely drawn hero. His pal Strong Bad is a mysterious dude who brags a lot, wears a Mexican wrestler's mask and makes fun of Homestar. They and their friends act out spoofs, skits, adventures, music videos and fake ads, and just generally goof on their own surreal weirdness. It's like a postmodern version of the Peanuts gang. Or it's like a Saturday-morning cartoon by Salvador Dali. Or--look, it's too hard to explain. Just check it out. --By Lev Grossman