Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Animaniacs Fans on the News

Thanks to Keeper, who cameos in hat, for this history shot. What's quaint is the bemused way the host talks about people meeting "on the computer."

16 comments:

takineko said...

I always feel just a bit jelous when I watch that. I was nine at the time.. I think.
Keeper said Rob wasn't there because his wife was ill.
Hmm, that reminds me, last time Rob posted to our forum his wife was sick again and they didn't know what was wrong. That was like a year ago and his dad was sick too..

takineko said...

The guy talking at :46 seconds would later become the infamous "Tron Guy" known the internet over.

Also, "That guy in the hat is hot."
Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

JP Mac said...

She's had some trouble for awhile.

Hope she's Okay.

takineko said...

Me too, he had lost his mom about that time when he told us that, so I get the feeling he was having a hard time.

JP Mac said...

I met Jay Maynard at a Freakazoid panel in San Diego.

Tell me about "Tron guy."

Keeper said...

Basically, Jay wanted to build a Tron-inspired costume for a combo Linux/Sci-Fi con's masquerade. He'd never built a costume before, so he documented everything in photographs -- particularly because he thought costumers would be interested in how he utilized the new technology of electroluminescent wire.

Well, as Jay is a rather portly fellow, photos of him in the spandex suit spread like wildfire, and within 24 hours of him winning the workmanship category at the con's costume contest, thousands of people were ridiculing him online.

Eventually he developed a thick skin about it, and his "fame" resulted in numerous appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where Jay played along with the make-fun-of-the-dork nature of the things they had him do. Ultimately, a parody of him was put into a South Park episode about "YouTube Stars", and now thousands more young people are baffled as to why a video of Jay talking about Net Neutrality could have made him famous (when in reality his net.fame predates YouTube entirely).

He has a web site, http://www.tronguy.net

Oh yeah, and even as people were ridiculing him for being much too fat to be Tron, Jay has always insisted that in his costume, he isn't Tron; he is an old accounting program that has had bits of code added over the years and now has become a bloated piece of software with a lot of unnecessary code.

Of course, John, you met Jay (and myself, though I ended up chatting with Tom, Jess, Tress, Julie and Richard while you and Paul entertained people on the other side of the studio) that day in the video as well. See this picture -- you're standing right behind him. I know I'm obscuring Julie. I told her to stand in front of me since I was taller, but she insisted on standing behind me.

And Valerie, the line was "Who's that guy in the hat? He's really hot." And thus a running gag was born: it must have been some special power of the hat, 'cause I certainly couldn't have induced such a reaction myself!

takineko said...

Gosh look at how young everyone was! [I have photos of myself with Jess, Tress and Rob around that time, but I was a tyke.]

And Keep, I wasn't direct quoting, though I should have. It was just a comment. ;p
And you're not so bad looking when your hair isn't spiked all crazy. [stares at your icon] ..Just wow..

Anonymous said...

On a sadder note...

A few YouTube links for our friend Sr. Montalban.

http://www.stillplayingwithtoys.com/mblog/blog.php?bid=80

JP Mac said...

Thanks for the stuff on Ricardo, Troy.

Keeper: Great info on Jay. I haven't had time to check out his site, but I shall.

And thanks for the photo. Wow, time gallops on like a great big moving thing.

Keeper said...

You know how much effort it took to get my hair like that, Valerie?

Answer: Just sleeping.

I woke up, saw that in the mirror, and thought, "This must be documented!" so grabbed my camera and made a face.

I used that photo in the cover art of my "Mad Scientist Rag" which I published in 2001. I used it to create the illusion of my head being in a jar in the freaky laboratory.

JP Mac said...

Cool rag.

Could you play ragtime on a Thermin?

Keeper said...

Hmm, I suppose one could. I've seen someone play the Super Mario theme on theremin, and that's a syncopated tango -- practically a rag.

Anyway, the pianist in that recording is my friend Tom Brier. Ain't no way I can play that rag. I can only play one of mine, almost barely kinda sorta.

heh... The "secret word" for this post is "rugging". One can imagine "Rugging" with a capital R becoming a word...

takineko said...

Now I have another reason to be jelous of you. Some of us have to use a bucket of hair gel to get that effect! Darn your natural talents..

Anonymous said...

Speaking of back in the day... why don't you answer your old friend's email?
Tim Oc O'Connor

JP Mac said...

Oakner?

Dragons Great in '68?

When did you send such a thing and to where?

My email address may well have changed.

Try: tiempohablar@yahoo.co.uk

Anonymous said...

I tried the gmail one that is on your blog profile page. The bees must be using it now.
Hope to talk soon!
-Tim Oakner

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