Pixstar Runner/Loading

"Um, is this my cue?"

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Toon Category: Shorts

Homestar and Strong Bad try to figure out why the cartoon isn't loading.

Cast (in order of appearance): Homestar Runner, Strong Bad, The Cheat, Bubs

Places: Blank screen, The Field

Date: Saturday, April 30, 2016

Running Time: 2:07

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Transcript

{The loading screen that is used for almost all of the main pages appears on the screen, and starts endlessly cycling. After a while, Homestar Runner walks on screen from the left.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, Marzipan! I'm hooome! {He realizes that the screen is blank and that no one else is present. He looks left and right.} Um, is this my cue? {Pause} Is anyone here? Marzipan? Strong Bubs? Pom Bad? {Pause} Is this a Saturday again?

{Strong Bad enters from the right.}

STRONG BAD: Hey, what's the holdup here? Come on! Let's get to toonin' and tweenin'!

{Close-up of Homestar.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh Strong Bad, thank goodness you're here! This loading screen won't go away! I'm supposed to be pourin' coffee on Marzipan's couch cushions right now!

{Cut to Strong Bad.}

STRONG BAD: It's still loading? {The Cheat enters from the right as Strong Bad says his next line.} The Cheat and I have been waiting months to pull off our big caper!

THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: Bubs' box of flameproof matches wasn't going to know what h—

{Wide shot. Bubs has walked on screen and is standing near Homestar.}

BUBS: Hey, characters! What are y'all doin' standing around?

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh! Bubs! You're tech support, right?

{Close-up of Homestar and Bubs.}

BUBS: Tech support, moral support, unregistered chiropractor... Whatever I can get away with.

{Wide shot.}

STRONG BAD: You got to help us load this toon! If we don't blow something up soon, The Cheat and I could lose our cartoon cred!

BUBS: Have you tried refreshing your cache? Cleaning your browser? Merging your CPU with your USB and rebooting the pro-axial—

STRONG BAD: Look, even if I did know what that means, there's gotta be a quicker way. Something less waste-three-hours-looking-up-bad-internet-tutorialsy.

{Close-up of Homestar and Bubs.}

BUBS: Well, I could try giving it a twist with my {holds up a wrench} multi-purpose crescent wrench, and hoping nothing breaks or combusts. That's almost worked for me before!

{Wide shot.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Sounds like an affirmative action plan to me! {Bubs starts walking off screen.} We'll be back to cartoon mischief in no time!

{After a second, the background changes to The Field, popping up briefly. Homestar smiles.}

STRONG BAD: {Raising his arms} Oh, sweet green graphics! I thought you'd left me forever!

THE CHEAT: {Jubilant The Cheat noises}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, man, you guys. I'm going to do so many different types of things! {Strong Bad and The Cheat start walking off screen to the right.} This cartoon's gonna be great! I'm going to step forward, move in, take out, and—

{An "end" card appears, styled after the Homestar Runner logo, with a white background again.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Crap.

Easter Eggs

• At the end, click on the "n" in "end" to see a short clip with Homestar.

{Homestar is standing in back of the "end" sign, which is gray. It has been partially painted blue, and a piece of paper has been taped to it that reads "mz's couch". Homestar is holding a blue mug of coffee labeled "COUGH".}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: This is just perfect! Marzipan won't know the difference! {He starts lifting the mug up to the sign.}

Fun Facts

Explanations

• "Tweenin'" refers to motion tweens that are used in Adobe Flash, despite the fact that this cartoon was not actually animated in Flash.
• An affirmative action plan is a policy to favor minority groups in employment.

Trivia

• This cartoon was inspired by an idea that Gfdgsgxgzgdrc had for a Homestar Runner April Fools Day toon.
• The Cheat has gained a new style of speech in this toon; he now bounces and moves his arms without any subtitles appearing on the screen.

Inside References

• The entire toon is a fourth wall break.
• Homestar's coffee mug reads "COUGH".