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The concert at Venkman's was just that — a concert. Homestar Runner was known for the songs that creators Michael and Mark Chapman wrote for the series, from hair metal ballads under the guise of the band Limozeen to indie anthems under the guise of the band Sloshy. They even released an album at the height of the site's popularity — "Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits" — that was available at the concert's merchandise table. The night largely consisted of the fictional bands and characters from the cartoon performing their songs, interspersed with a few videos and sneak peeks at upcoming content. And though the performances were great, I couldn't help but look around at the people around me as the concert went on. I was surrounded by fans of all ages. There were middle-school-aged girls with DSLR cameras up front geeking out about catching a pick tossed by Limozeen's lead singer, standing right in front of a couple of guys in their early 30s sporting flannel shirts and waxed mustaches. There were dads, moms, and people of all ages and walks of life there.
And maybe that's part of the magic, why it has such staying power and why I am obsessed with convincing people that I have a shaky claim to cult internet fame. When Homestar Runner was introduced online, it offered a perfect middle ground — somewhere between cheesy Saturday morning cartoon shows and "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." Like a Pixar movie, the cartoons are uniquely accessible to fans of all ages, as long as the fans are old enough to hear the word "crap."