The transition from vacation to school is always difficult. All of the sudden, you’re awakened from your zombie-like state and your brain is dragged howling back into the intellectual circus we call college. Forced to jump through flaming mental hoops and contort your atrophied psyche into positions you hadn’t bothered with for the past few weeks, you seek relief. Some find it in the local watering hole, the nearby Banshee. Others, on a tighter budget, may find solace in sleep or b-movies.

I find it in cartoons. Yes, I still watch them. At the age of 21, I love nothing better than sitting around and staying glued to the Cartoon Network for Tom and Jerry, and the never-ending trials of Wile E. Coyote in his futile attempts to nab the Roadrunner. I never cease to enjoy the multitude of ways one can be hit by a creatively placed anvil or hang in space until comprehension and gravity set in, making for a painful impact. The resiliency of these characters makes it easier to face the textbooks that await me knowing that, in moments of despair, I, too, will magically re-inflate like my hero, Mr. Coyote.

Yet, sometimes one needs a change from the X-Men or Batman, which is why I turned to the Internet and the adventures of Homestar Runner and the Brothers Bad. Found on homestarrunner.com, I was introduced to this cartoon by chance and a friend who had also happened to find this website at random.

With 80s-type music and Flash animation, this toon is a step up from most of the flotsam normally found on the Web. Originally a comic book, it progressed from the written world of 1996 to the virtual world of the net. Its creators, Mike and Matt Chapman, do the voices for nearly all the characters with the exception of Marzipan. The site is banner and pop-up free, making for uninterrupted and enjoyable viewing. They’ve managed to support the site via t-shirt sales.

Homestarrunner.com offers much in the way of humor, games, and characters. My personal favorite, Strong Bad, runs around in red boxing gloves and a mask. Marked by his deep bass voice and nonstop sarcasm, he answers actual e-mail from people each week in an animated cartoon. The website now receives about 500 e-mails per day for Strong Bad alone, making the possibility that he will pick yours slim. Strong Bad has two siblings as well, Strong Mad, an inarticulate goon whose knuckles drag on the ground, and Strong Sad, the sensitive, depressive, elephant-footed giant.

Another great little creature is The Cheat. With the coloring of a cheetah and the attitude of the class clown, The Cheat is both cute and devious, carrying out the best-laid plots of the brothers Bad. Marzipan, a feather-duster shaped blond is the sweetest of the bunch besides her boyfriend Homestar Runner. Strong Bad describes her as a “dirty hippie…without the dirt.” Though her wholesome qualities tend to get on the occasional nerve, she is easier to deal with than the halo-wearing Homestar. Beloved by all, Homestar is definitely the victim in most every plot that the brothers Bad may concoct.

Whether it’s a auditioning for Marzipan or putting words in Homestar’s mouth, there are not only a variety of games offered but cartoon clips too, both animated shorts and full-length stories. The website is updated every week so there’s always something new to look forward to.