A show popped into my head the other day, that I haven't seen - or thought about - in years.
Metalocalypse
Adultswim
The show released back in 2006, and I came across it on Adultswim - which was full of tons of different shows, mainly, short-form content consisting of about 10 or so minute episodes.
Some of the shows were really good, but Metalocalypse always resonated with me the most and was one that I actively sought out whenever it was on.
I saw the entire first season, and most of the second season when that released. I think I downloaded a bunch of the episodes. Alongside Metalocalypse, I listened to the band that came out parallel to the show, Dethklok.
A few friends were also into the it and band, and we'd talk about some of the trivia we'd heard. One of the main things I remember hearing was that the band was just two people, Brendon Small - who played Guitar and bass, and Sang, and Gene Hoglan who did Drums.
They increased the band, I think, because they got fairly popular due to the show, and started touring. It would have been funny if life imitated art, and the band got so big that they almost became like the animated version of Dethklok portrayed in the show. But, that never happened.
The Show
The show centres around a Death Metal band who have become the most wildly successful band on the planet, and crowds of people come in droves to their shows, risking their lives and all of their worldly possessions just for a ticket to go and see them.
To enter, they must sign "Pain Weavers" which are essentially contracts that forgo any right to sue the band should they get injured or killed while at the concert.
This is a short segment from the first episode, which kind of explains all of this.
The first episode does a great job of setting the premise of the show-up, showcasing the music, and also the personality of each of the 5 members of the band itself.
They're being monitored by the government, and multiple branches of the state, who are keeping tabs on them due to their popularity and their fervent following which consists of most of the world.
All of this is set up in the first episode, and one thing I didn't realise was the sheer amount of guest stars and cameos in the show. Mark Hamill is a pretty big one and has a large enough role in the show.
It's Pretty Inspiring
Last year I got a digital drawing tablet thing that I can hook up to the computer, it's a Huion, and a pretty decent one at that. I could have got the cheapest option to start with - considering I've never done animation, or art really for that matter - but I decided to go all in and get the mid-high level one.
I don't regret the decision to get it, because I have had some fun learning how to use it while making a few little animations. I've continued to learn, and watch tutorials and practice, and at this point, I get how it's done - for the most part.
I'd love to have the skill level to be able to do something on this show's scale. Not the same story or anything, but something in the same style, maybe centred around the sci-fi stories I write.
The idea of being able to merge music, and animation together to tell a story is really cool, and something I'd love to try out. Writing songs in the context of a show, or story, and doing it from someone else perspective would be interesting.
I Just Started The Third Season
There were some parts of the second season I didn't remember, so new I must not have watched the entire thing. Now that I'm on the third season, it's all new. The show has gone from 11-minute episodes to 22-minute episodes, which is deadly.
It's a really fun show, and well worth watching. Although, if gore or metal aren't your things then maybe give it a miss.
Everything in the show is brutal, done in a really comical way. Like, in one episode they design their own phones, and they're all spikey and demonic looking, which is pretty comical, especially when they try to use them and realise they're not comfortable to hold and hurt their faces.
A nice trip down nostalgia lane is good every now and then, and I'm really enjoying it.