Cheney's Got a Gun

Cheney's Got a Gun
Global Wonder Ent.

Dick Cheney's got a gun, and everybody better run! This viral sensation is a prime example of the Internet's ability to ride the wave of topical news stories and do it with humor and skill. The Bob Rivers Show and ToonedIn.com teamed to quickly produce this spoof of Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" soon after vice president Dick Cheney's hunting accident. Combining funny lyrics and simple, yet effective, animation, the short compelled people to drop this toon in all their friends and family's inboxes.

Death, Kitty and the Fat Man

Death, Kitty and the Fat Man
Daimation

While in search of his next soul, Death's plans change when he runs into a cute, curious kitty. After Malaysian animator Daim Dziauddin's final year short made it onto Weebls-stuff.com, it was quickly picked up by many other sites soon after. Its cool design style and simple well-told story provide a nice calling card for the young animator. It's also encouraging to see that despite geographical locale skilled animators can use the Net to help launch their careers. Like many productions in the showcase, Death, Kitty and the Fat Man proves that full animation can be done in Flash.

Family Pants -- Canned Ham

Family Pants -- Canned Ham
Family Pants

During a family outing, Frank's spilled coffee creates a police incident featuring a "canned ham." Dave Redl's Family Pants series is a shiny example of the growing trend with comic strip/editorial cartoonists moving into animation on the Net. Family Pants started as an online comic strip and then moved into animation. Redl brings a great cartoonist's style and feel to the humorous shorts. It goes to show what one person can do out of their home studio in New Jersey.

Fuggy, Fuggy

Fuggy, Fuggy tells the tale of a trainee Ninja and his physical and spiritual enlightenment. The Brothers McLeod really broke out in 2006 with such successes as Fuggy, Fuggy and Spamland. Fuggy, Fuggy garnered Greg and Myles a production deal with MTV. Essentially a string of gags as a young ninja trains, the production brings a rare hand-drawn quality to Flash animation that is refreshing. Using the simple training premise, The Brothers McLeod distinguish each segment with fluid and expressive animation. Fuggy, Fuggy also shows that, like Star Wars, ninjas were a big inspiration in '06.