Good Stuff: Baman Piderman
WARNING: When making Kool-Aid, buy two packets for better flavor. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.
Holy Slamacow, this show is the tops and bottoms
Before Tumblr became my glory hole for art and visual entertainment, I had more complex sites like Newgrounds, Stickgames, and Youtube before it became a sellout. And in Youtube, there was a channel called Mondo Media that felt like a reject Adult Swim sub-channel. And in that, Mondo had stuff like Dick Figures, Gundarr, and Larva that would produce new episodes by the week and I’d check in every time. Not Happy Tree Friends though, that scared me. But I saw a particular series that I then I unfortunately sweeped under the rug like a pak of gummi blobs. Let me tell you, I was a FOOOOLISH child for thinking this was nothing but nonsense scribble dribble! This was/is the best thing to enter my life, and it deserves all the praise and love and cake and ice cream that one might be able to get. Why I skipped out on such a delight back all those years ago is a certain mystery. Then again...
Made by Lindsey and Alex Small-Butera, a couple of artists whose fluid yet jittery outlined animation can be recognizable if you’ve seen an Adventure Time or Ed, Edd, n Eddy. Not saying they were involved in the latter, but this show takes the style from the Eds and pictures from the early days of animation reels. And if you haven’t seen Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy as a child, then I feel sorry for you. This was what got me hooked at first, with simple motions the characters look like something from old Fleischer or Disney shorts, but when it needs to pick up the motion can be as smooth and well flowing as a... Ghibli film? No, that’s more grounded. Steven Universe? No, that’s too floaty. I GOT IT! Have you ever heard of The Snowman, a small film about a boy that flies with a snowman he built himself that is just genuine Christmas? Now have you ever heard of this one commercial that parodies that movie where this child and a snowman were flying through the winter air while the child had a Scottish soft drink in hand and the snowman ditched him since he was too spoiled to share? See below, but Baman Piderman is like that with its direction, except it doesn’t have as detailed an art style as the commercial or the film.
it also doesn’t have a punk who REFUSES to spare a sip!
The second, and personal favorite, element of the series are the characters. Admittedly, BP’s first season didn’t do much for me beyond introducing most of the main cast. It’s silly hijinks for a start, but season two certainly picks things up. My favorite character will go to the ghost girl Wanda, not just for her giddy prankster attitude but because her past is very intriguing; originally a haunter in Piderman’s house it changed somehow but more on that LATER! Though, I’ll say the evolving couple of Pumkin and the very big squib are a well featured dynamic, with Pumkin’s laid back charm in contrast with Squib’s enigmatic attitude. Their episode here perfectly captures their gentle and fun togetherness, as well as the central mood for the show, and I hope their kindling relationship blooms like a cloud in the sky.
It’s also the simplicity of it that gets me
This can be a silent film sometimes and there’s a comforting sense of passion that shows how much the creators care about this and you, esp. when some feels step in. So many feels. I highly recommend this to anyone who would just like a nice time passer or a spirit booster when times get tough. As we speak, a new episode of their third season is almost finished (that’s gonna be spoopy), so that can be something out for as well. But that’s all; just wanted to persuade you into checking this. You may continue with your scrolling.
And I’m off to dream...peace
