Blockhead (cartoon)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blockhead is a comic character and the star of a eight part Flash series created by Michael Swain. Most cartoons show Blockhead acting strangely or doing incredibly stupid things. Blockhead's art style combines regular flash with traced JPEG environments, which creates a very colourful world.
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[edit] History
Blockhead was first created in 1992, when Michael Swain was in 5th grade. Blockhead started out as a doodle, but he soon evolved into recognizeable form. Michael says he used the character to mock his friend's lack of art talent. From that day on, Blockhead took shape.
The first comic revolves around Blockhead being attacked by a pack of dogs and falling into pieces, he then tries to recover his limbs. By the usage of saliva, Blockhead gets all his appendages back.
In middle school Spanish class, Blockhead took on the character he is today. Blockhead actually helped Michael Swain through Spanish class, his adventures stretched from prison to school and even to outer space, but his house usually stayed at the center of his idiocy. Michael Swain kept drawing, then put the comic away until he went to high school. He thought it was time to grow up.
Michael Swain didn't do anything with Blockhead for the next three years. But in 1999, Mike brought out Blockhead once again. He proceeded to draw ten comics. By then, Mike had created a unique world that combined an adult sense of humor with drawings to make a bland world with the most obnoxious character ever. Michael then put Blockhead away again.
But in 2005, Mike decided to learn Macromedia Flash. His goal was to create a superhero world with original characters with his friend, Dan Ashe. But Mike needed practice, and that practice was Blockhead. Blockhead has become very popular on Newgrounds and has currently 8 episodes. However, Blockhead hasn't taken a backseat to Swain's superhero comic, which is still in production.
[edit] Characters
The cartoon world of Blockhead is filled with many strange and colorful characters, and each one has its own distinct personality. Mostly, the characters are badgered or annoyed by Blockhead.
[edit] Blockhead
Blockhead is the titular main character. He is presumably afflicted with various mental disorders, such as attention-deficit disorder and pica. he normally wears brown loafers, blue pants, and a red shirt. He also has a bulbous yellow head with two small hairs sticking out the back. Blockhead is highly impressionable and can be told to do almost anything. He seems to have an obsession with tongs and has a dream to be a world famous film maker. Although Blockhead appears to be stupid, he shows signs of intelligence occasionally (it may be suggested that he is intelligent, and he just ignores his intelligence).
[edit] Conscience
Conscience is a fat, middle-aged man with a grey mullet who lives inside Blockhead's head, which appears to be an empty black space with an easy chair under a spotlight. Blockhead talks to Conscience by facing the "camera". He wears a white undershirt with purple pants and slippers. While doing his job, he sits in the chair, surrounded by empty bottles of beer. Conscience does not like Blockhead, and is constantly annoyed by him and insults him, but he still tries to keep his duty as Blockhead's guide. His job is very difficult, however, and his guidance usually dissolves into rage as Blockhead ignores it and does progressively stupider things. Blockhead tends to ignore and make fun of Conscience, but whenever he leaves, Blockhead feels lost, implying that Conscience is a necessary evil.
In the webcomic, we find out how Conscience got into Blockhead's head. He had a choice: either rot in Hell or spend an eternity inside Blockhead's head.
[edit] The Neighbor
The Neighbor is a woman who lives near Blockhead's house, but it is never defined where. She is a member of M.A.D.D. and appears to be annoyed by Blockhead's nonsense. She first appeared in episode 4.
[edit] The German Postal Worker
The German Postal Worker first appeared in episode 2, when he was supposed to bring Blockhead his tongs. He speaks with a German accent.
[edit] The Officer
First appearing in episodes 6 and then appearing in 7, this man tries to quell a conflict when Blockhead starts a fight. However, he mostly says: "I will kill every one of you!". He also appears in episode 8 to arrest Blockhead at the end of his "Ghostmas" carol.
[edit] The Old Lady
Appearing in episodes 2, 4, 5, and 7. This elderly woman seems to be senile, and therefore oblivious to Blockhead's stupidity. In episode 2, she asks for help from Blockhead to cross the street, however, he directs her into traffic instead. In episode 4, he visits her house while trick-or-treating and takes her clothes. In episode 5, he lets her drink his glass of nails, making her mouth bleed.
These are all the major characters, more may be developed as the episodes progress.
[edit] Episodes
This is a list of Blockhead episodes so far, most are a few minutes long. They are shown in the order they appeared.
[edit] Episode 1: Communication
The pilot episode for Blockhead. This introduces us to Blockhead and Conscience. When the episode starts, Blockhead is sitting on a couch looking at his blank TV. Conscience tells him he has lived there for 15 years and hadn't payed for cable service.
Conscience then tells Blockhead to pick up the phone. Blockhead treats it like a phone call. Conscience then tells him to stop, and Blockhead puts the phone down. When he picks it up again, Conscience tells him to dial the phone number on the table. When Blockhead asks which number to dial, Conscience tells him: "All of them, in the order they appear. Not backwards, not upside down, dial the numbers." When Blockhead just sits there, Conscience tells him repeatedly to dial the number. When Blockhead finally does, he hangs the phone up after getting through. When Conscience asks him why he did it, he replied that there was no one home and he got the machine. Conscience tells him that was the automated machine the customers used to activate the service. The doorbell then rings, and Conscience tells Blockhead to get it. Blockhead repeatedly bangs his head on the armrest, and Conscience puts his face in his hands. Blockhead then gets the door, and "The End" enters.
[edit] Episode 2: Home Shopping
Episode 2 starts out with Blockhead walking down a street. He then comes across an old lady who asks him for help to get across the street. Blockhead is eager to help, but he gets distracted by a street sign. He proceeds to lick it, proclaiming that it tastes like dirt. The old lady misinterprets it for a sign of safe passage across the street, they exchange goodbyes. As Blockhead walks away you can see a car heading towards the old lady.
The episode then fades into Blockheads house, where he is watching a television commercial for tongs. Blockhead picks up his phone, dials a number and asks for "one of those things on the picture box". He puts the phone down and sings a few bars from the music in the commercial. The camera cuts to a black space, when the light is turned on over Conscience's chair, and he walks in and sits down. He asks why Blockhead is so happy and can only wonder what he had done all morning. Blockhead says "Playtime!" and that someone left a message for him. When Conscience asks what it is, Blockhead proceeds to blow a raspberry and laugh. Conscience says that no matter how bad he fells about himself, there would always be Blockhead. Blockhead replies, as only he can: "This fat talk is super boring; it's now snack time for my face-mouth!" Blockhead then proceeds to jump into the kitchen and open his refrigerator. There he finds a watermelon, a boot, a cinder block, and a knife. (Which he refers to as: Milk, Fish, Bread, and delicious Jell-O respectively.) He closes the refrigerator and says that that's all hungry food and that he needs champion food. He then looks at the toaster and starts to take a bite, but Conscience asks him if the toaster is really something he should put in his mouth. Blockhead replies "It's toaster time! Toot toot!" and takes a big bite and tap dances back to the couch. As he does, the doorbell rings. He says it's his tongs and rushes to the door, dropping the half-eaten toaster. He answers the door and finds a German postal worker. He asks Blockhead to sign the postage, but Blockhead just grabs the package with his mouth and closes the door. As he opens it up, conscience asks if he got more tongs, but instead, he finds a toy mouse. Conscience is surprised, but Blockhead is intrigued. Conscience says that Blockhead might as well eat the mouse, too. But then, the tongs ad comes on. Blockhead tosses the mouse and presses his face against the TV screen. Conscience shakes his head while Blockhead licks the screen. As he leaves, the TV goes to static and "The End" appears on the screen.
[edit] Episode 3: Distraction
This episode starts with Blockhead pulling up to a drive-thru in a wheelchair. He then presses his face to the window, when someone finally answers, he asks for a Jupiter burger, Space Fries, and a Milky Way shake. When the operator replies that they don't have that food, he asks for just a burger and turns down anything else offered. When the burger comes, he smacks it away, laughing. He then points at an obese woman near the counter, telling the operator to hide the food, and then speeds away yelling "Fizzle!".
The camera then fades in on Blockhead's house and clanging noises are heard. Blockhead is then shown all dirty, sits on the couch and then turns on a soap opera about teeth. Blockhead appears to be intreged by the show, but a chipmunk comes and sits, making noise on the windowsill. Blockhead is annoyed and asks the chipmunk to stop, but the noise continues, and Blockhead declares: "TV is better than chipmunks." He then runs over to the window and shouts at the chipmunk, he then bats it off the window. Exclaiming that he batted it, Conscience cuts in and sarcastically says that Blockhead saved them. He then asks Blockhead why he is so dirty, Blockhead replies by saying he lost his tongs in the chimney. Conscience fails to see Blockhead's logic as he walks back to the couch. Blockhead then says that Conscience is smiling. He's actually frowning, but Blockhead insists that he's smiling. A show about hunting tigers with C4 explosive comes on, but there are more noises outside. He goes to the window to find children playing in his yard. He tells them to get off his lawn, or he would throw a radish at them. Conscience than says that they should make a leash for Blockhead, or a revolver to "end it". Blockhead replies by saying "This will be a deadly year for radish." When Conscience says he dosn't understand, Blockhead says he knows who does, and points to the radish sitting on his head. Conscience is annoyed sharply and choses to run a bath and open his veins, and turns off the light over his head by pulling a rope. Blockhead appears to be lost without Conscience. He then breaks through his front door, throwing a radish at one of the children and then runs out into the street, where he gets hit by a car. The episode ends just as Blockhead is hit.
[edit] Episode 4: Guests
This is the first Blockhead Halloween episode, even though it takes place in mid-January according to the Blockhead universe.
The episode starts on a rainy night at a psychiatric office, where a psychiatrist is having a session with a paitent in a scene that is an homage to the film Donnie Darko. The paitent says he has a new imaginary friend, when the psyciatrist asks him his name, he says it's Blockhead, when the psyciatrist wants to know more, the patient sits up and says that Blockhead is in the room. Sure enough, Blockhead enters and asks if the ward is the bathroom. The psychiatrist says it's a private session, but Blockhead says it's a private bathroom, he then looks a the psyciatric degree on the wall, calls it a stupid painting, and repeatedly hits it with his umbrella. He then assaults the psyciatrist with questions and random words, and then says words with the letter F in them, spraying spittle all over the psyciatrist.
When the episode opens onto Blockhead's house, he is spraying paint onto the walls. He has also strung spray paint cans and tinsel onto the ceiling. When Conscience asks him why he has done all this, Blockhead says he is getting ready for Halloween, or as he calls it, "Candy Day" or "Toilet Paper Day". When Conscience says its January, Blockhead asks Conscience to ask him what he is, when he fails, he says he's the #1 Guy. Conscience is baffled, but Blockhead merely says "Zoom!" The Conscience tells Blockhead to shut up. Then the doorbell rings, Blockhead gets excited and runs to the door. It turns out to be an insurance salesman, Blockhead says it is a cute costume and says he is getting so much candy, he then proceeds to throw tongs at the man, he runs on while Blockhead says: "Don't go away, you'll miss it!" Conscience says sarcastically that Blockhead knows how to get into the spirit of things. Blockhead than asks him if the man he's speaking with is his conscience. Conscience says to Blockhead who he thought he was, and Blockhead replies a fat, old man. When he asks why Conscience looks like that, he says because that is what Blockhead chose him to look like and because he looks like the painting hanging over his TV for 20 years. Blockhead says he is a beautiful painting. When he asks what a conscience is, he replies someone who hates Blockhead but can't do anything about it, when the doorbell rings a second time, Blockhead is annoyed. It turns out to be a woman from next door, scolding Blockhead for throwing tongs at the salesman. Blockhead replies by slapping her with his tongue, closing the door, he says that this has been a very sucsessful "Ghostmas". Conscience finally gets fed up and tells Blockhead to go have fun, as long as he has zero part of it.
Blockhead then replies with intelligence by saying: "Freedom is scrumptious I will now explore this new concept with delicious passion." Blockhead then goes door to door, asking for and taking items. When he gets back, Conscience asks if he had a good time, Blockhead said yes. Conscience then stuffs a pistol in his mouth and fires, blowing a hole in Blockhead's skull. Blockhead remarks that that was weird, and the cartoon ends.
[edit] Episode 5: The Mission
The episode starts with Blockhead getting on a bus, after asking the woman driving the bus why she even shaves, he walks to the middle of the bus, he is happy that their are other children on the bus. After sitting down, he realizes that he has homework to do, or else the teacher will kill him, he decides the work is too hard, when it's respectively easy addition. Blockhead decides to cheat for the answers anyway. Seeing a child with completed work, he constantly distracts him to look at his paper, he gets fed up, and spacks the child, getting his paper, he then crumples up both pieces of paper and throws them, calling it a paper attack. He then states the ride is amazing, and sticks his head out the window making crazy sounds. He then runs to the back of the bus, a man is driving behind the bus. Blockhead jumps out the back of the bus, landing on the man's car, Blockhead makes funny poses as the car veers out of control.
The episode fades in on Blockhead's living room, when a bus pulls up, Blockhead then comes through the door, cartwheels to the couch, and turns on the TV. There is a commercial on about tongs when Conscience asks how school went, Blockhead says they learned about science. Conscience is annoyed and says Blockhead dosn't go to school, and only gets on the bus every day to annoy people. Blockhead only replies the everyone needs a shooting star, Conscience says that would be nice, sarcastically, of course. He also wishes for a dark fate to overcome Blockhead, Blockhead misinterprets the sentence as "It's getting dark out," and Conscience says it's not, but apparently, he tries to control his anger for a few minutes. Blockhead says he should do something productive with his time, Conscience says that Blockhead dosn't know what productive means. Blockhead says he has to find the good times, Conscience just goes along with it. But he offers a warning, one Blockhead steps out that door, he can't help him. Blockhead says it's a problem, and Conscience needs to keep Blockhead in line, but Blockhead says Lady Fortune can. Conscience tells him it's good enough and to go away, when suddenly, Blockhead hears a noise outside, he runs out to find an airplane. Blockhead is fascinated by the plane, he then goes inside and grabs some tongs, he then starts pulling nails out of the wall. When Conscience asks what he is doing, Blockhead says he is harvesting nails, and that they are doing well this season. Blockhead then sits back on the couch, Conscience says he thought Blockhead was leaving. When Blockhead dosn't remember, they begin to engage in a shut up match. When Blockhead apologises, Conscience pulls the rope down, shocking Blockhead, Conscience repeats the act, trying to give Blockhead a tumor, this gives Blockhead the thought that it's almost tomorrow. Blockhead says it's the only chance he has left. Blockhead goes outside and walks to a lemonade stand, he then knocks the pitcher off the table, asking the child if she is having fun, when the child says Blockhead ruined her day, Blockhead gets an idea, he then dystroys the whole stand. He then makes a copy of the stand, called "Have a Drink, 25c". Blockhead says he is doing incredible loans and savings. An old lady walks by, asking if there is lemonade on the table, Blockhead says it's a glass of nails, but the old woman misinterprets it as gingerale, gives Blockhead a dollar, and drinks it. She then says her mouth is bleeding. Blockhead says he had a productive day, Conscience agrees, then pulls the rope, causing his head to explode.
[edit] Episode 6: Field Trip
This episode starts in a dentist's office. The dentist is prepping for his next patient, ad he asks the nurse to send him in. Blockhead enters on a toy bicycle. The dentist asks Blockhead to take a seat in the chair. When Blockhead asks what chair, he says the one next to him, and he sits down. He looks at Blockheads mouth with his tools, but before he can see anything, Blockhead eats the tools. The dentist tries again, only this time Blockhead says: "Mmmmph!" the next time he says "Ruffio!" The dentist is puzzled, he tries to ask what they mean, but Blockhead says "Peter Pan!", and the ceiling fan falls down. "Ruffio" is actually the name of one of the character from the movie Hook.
The camera then goes into Blockhead's house. Blockhead is watching the news, he then imagines himself as a filmmaker known as Sir Argigal Womsly Blockhead III, Esquire, M.D. Blockhead is talking about his work. He is starting to laugh too much when Conscience snaps him out of it, the TV is off. He says it will never happen. Blockhead says Conscience has forgotten who is number one. Conscience says he is supposed to help Blockhead any way he can, and in an uncommon gesture of kindless, he says they are going for a field trip. Blockhead is thrilled, he says the words "Field trip!" over and over excitedly, while running around the room. Conscience tells him to shut up. The "field trip" happens to be just a trip to the mall, when Blockhead is walking through. Conscience, who put on an aloha shirt for the occasion, warns Blockhead not to do anything stupid to make him regret the trip. He is then seen trying on a fedora, when Blockhead asks him what he is doing, he defensively says nothing. A soap opera about teeth comes on in the background.
Blockhead is then seen at a lunch counter, where he asks for ground beef, he asks the attendant to use a pair of tongs when the attendant tries to asks why he didn't just ask for tongs, Blockhead says: "They're coming to stores right now!" and then flies off, leaving the attendant with a migrane. He then walks through the mall, singing about tongs radio, he then comes to a performance stage, and proclaims: "This is where destiny meets funtime!" He stands on a block and quotes Shakespeare badly, while spitting. He then spies a woman with a floral hat. Conscience wanrns him not to eat the hat, but he does anyway, the lady asks him to give it back, then an Irish clown, a police officer and a pirate start to gather around Blockhead. Blockhead says stupid things while more people come closer. The people eventually leave, Conscience asks what went on, and the only comfort he has is Blockhead babbling, rolling on the floor and breaking things. Conscience then hits himself on the forehead with a hammer, and the camera blacks out and the episode ends.
[edit] Episode 7: Imagination
Episode 7 starts in an Orange County courthouse, where a madman is on trial, Blockhead is situated with the jury and is wearing a foam finger. He bothers the prosecutor until the judge calls for a 20 minute recess.
The episode then fades in on Blockhead's house. He is behind the couch stalking a pair of tongs. He starts to creep towards them, when Conscience startles him, he rockets up and sticks on the ceiling. Conscience then ask's Blockhead what he is doing, he only pretends to be a cat. When asked again, Blockhead asks if Conscience means now or earlier to which Consciende responds "Now". Blockhead only says "The thrill of the hunt!" and Conscience notices, with great dismay, that Blockhead has dirtied up the kitchen. The condiments are all out, and there is an entire pizza stuck to the wall. Conscience asks what Blockhead did before, he replies with the word "Park!". Conscience asks Blockhead to sit down and tell his story, Blockhead sits down on the floor and Conscience have to tell him twice before he sits down on the couch.
Story #1: Blockhead goes to the park and watches the birds in the pond, then he sees the vendor from episode 6, or "vendorman", and has a hot dog. He then takes a trip to the bathroom, and goes home after that.
Blockhead appears to be innocent, but Conscience is skeptical, saying Blockhead is incapable of propriety and says Blockhead must have done something. When Blockhead asks who, Conscience is annoyed and asks again what Blockhead did, Blockhead only replies with "bubble" and then picks up the phone piece. Conscience is annoyed, Blockhead says he is cross because he threw taunts at the birds.
Story #2: Blockhead crosses to the pond and shouts at the ducks. He then talks to the vendor about politics, and then causes a backup in the public toilet facilities, calling it a "water carnival", and then goes home (Forever!).
Conscience still doesn't believe it, and says Blockhead is a moron, Blockhead says that a moron doesn't throw rocks at birds. From this statement, Conscience figures out that Blockhead threw rocks at the birds.
Story #3: He says the birds gave him the evil eye, and that they got a stony revenge. He then put scorpions in the vendor's "Hungermobile" and squeezed lemons into his eye-face, and after braving the storm, he had toast with a lavatory goblin, and sinks into a rainbowish state.
Back in reality, Blockhead is then sitting on the couch screaming "red" for some reason, Conscience is extremely annoyed and wants to wring Blockhead's neck. Blockhead says "Next time!" as the end music starts, but Conscience stops the music and asks one more what Blockhead did today.
Story #4: Blockhead chases the ducks, pushed the vendor cart downhill, and signs the head of "Hobo, King of Toilet-Town".
Conscience asks why Blockhead didn't say that in the first place, he says he didn't remember talking. Conscience is very, very annoyed and growls angrily, and Blockhead joins in by yelling. Conscience then turns out the light, then Hobo appears out of the fridge, asking if they are done playing, Blockhead only replies "Get back in the fridge, Hobo!"
[edit] Episode 8: Ghostmas
This episode starts in a grocery store. A grocer has finished packaging another customers bags when Blockhead comes in and starts to run on the conveyor. The attendant turns it off and asks Blockhead if he needs help. Blockhead responds by putting a stick of candy down on the counter. When he is asked if that is all, Blockhead puts down another stick. This time, he is finished. He tells the cashier to ring him up and gives him a persons ID. When the man tells Blockhead the person on the card is not him, he swats away the candy, slaps the clerk with his tounge, and takes a bite out of the counter.
The episode now cuts to Blockhead's house, where
[edit] Quick Shots
The Swain has released only one quick shot so far.
[edit] Quick Shot 1
Blockhead is watching a comedian T.V. show, but he doesn't find it to be funny. Suddenly, a portal opens up in the wall and two characters step out.
[edit] Blockhead: The Game
There is a game in production about Blockhead, screenshots can be seen on the website. The game is close to being done and is currently in testing.
[edit] Other
The only other media is the webcomic and an old Tongs Commercial.
[edit] Trivia
- Blockhead has apppeared in a cameo in TMNT Alpha 5, but only briefly.
- In a Bogswallop Flash, there is a crudely drawn Blockhead.
- There is a webcomic posted on theswain.com by member Rabid and has been overseen by Swain himself.
- Musician Brenin Edmunds of the Mudorcs fame was to do music for Blockhead but didn't end up in production.
[edit] Fan Following
The Flash has developed a cult following on Newgrounds.
