Icebox: Today's "New-To-You" Website

Remember when there were awesome new websites popping up everyday? Back in the day, people were so convinced that the internet was a diamond-encrusted goldmine that they were throwing money at big-name talent to produce content for their sites. Sadly, in most cases, the Emperor had no clothes, and most of the flashy (and often flash-animated) websites have folded, or at least stopped producing new content.

One such site is icebox.com. Icebox was a site that offered 4 minute "webisodes" of flash cartoons. And they were kick-ass cartoons. Queer Duck, Mr. Wong, The Elvis and Jack Nicklaus Mysteries. They were all top-notch little time-killers.

And there were big names producing cartoons on Icebox. Peter Bagge with Rock 'n' Roll Dad. Larry David with The Paula Principle. Bill Corbett with Poker Dogs.

But the best thing on Icebox was definately Superhero Roommate. Created by Simpson's writer Matt Selman, Superhero Roommate boasted the vocal talents of Dave Foley and Mr. Show's Brian Posehn. When I was working overnights at the radio station about five or six years ago, Superhero Roommate was what got me through the long, slow stretches inbetween newscasts.

Icebox was one of many websites to attempt to go to a micro-payment model, which must not have been the success they had hoped. New content screeched to a complete stop shortly thereafter, and my interest in the site faded.

The site now seems to have released the existing episodes of all their shows to the wild, so it is definately worth a visit if you haven't seen them in years, or especially if you haven't seen them at all.

Tam's heading to Grand Forks today to buy American consumer goods, so I will have ample opportunity to crack a Coke Zero and revisit those crazy days when dot-com money fell from the sky, and Flash cartoons could still make you believe a man could fly. Even if he wouldn't take out the garbage.

God Bless you, Superhero Roommate!