Male Restroom Etiquette

Male Restroom Etiquette
Zarathustra Studios

All men of the world can find common ground in these simple rules of male restroom etiquette. Machinima is often looked at as a redheaded stepchild in the animation industry. Using EA's The Sims 2 and SimCity 4, Phil Rice created this humorous instructional video laying out the previously unspoken rules determining male behavior in a public restroom. Male Restroom Etiquette shows that a skilled filmmaker can create compelling performances and stories in machinima.

Note: This film created by Phil Rice (Overman, Zarathustra Studios) using The Sims 2 and SimCity 4 by EA Games. The copyright holder of The Sims 2 and SimCity 4 is Electronic Arts Inc., all rights reserved. This film is not a product of Electronic Arts Inc., nor is this film associated with Electronic Arts Inc. in any way. The filmmaker (Phil Rice) takes full responsibility for the content of this film.

Nuckin' Futs

Nuckin' Futs
JibJab Media

A musical collection of all the highlights of 2006. Any best of the Web list would be inadequate without a nod to JibJab Media. Due to exclusivity issues, the Brothers Spiridellis couldn't provide us with Nuckin' Futs, but then again who hasn't seen it already. As the reigning champs of how a viral Web short can skyrocket one's career, this year-end wrap-up is one of the studio's slickest productions. Over the years, they have perfected their cutout style, but the humor and execution have never lagged from day one. The Tonight Show regulars are the torchbearers when it comes to topical satire on the Net.

Perestroika -- Mushy Room

Perestroika -- Mushy Room
aoike.ca

Sock fungi become too tempting not to eat for hungry Boris, Alexei and Kopek. Perestroika was nominated for the Internet animation sections at the Annecy, Ottawa and Zagreb International Animation Festivals. Using a variety of animation styles and formats, the series' distinct look is like nothing else out on the Web. Created by Ryosuke Aoike, the series has a unique sense of humor that had audiences in Ottawa laughing out loud.

Home Star Runner -- Strong Bad E-mails

Home Star Runner -- Strong Bad E-mails
HomeStarRunner

Strong Bad answers reader e-mails in a collection of hilarious shorts. Though HomeStarRunner creators Matt and Mike Chapman didn't get back to us in time to get something specific in the showcase, we felt a "best of the Web" list would be incomplete if the work of HomeStarRunner was not mentioned. The envy of all independents on the Internet, HomeStarRunner continues to exemplify what a few artists can accomplish on their own using the Web as their delivery tool. Consistently hilarious and always produced at the highest quality, anything the brothers do is worth checking out.