The Oblongs: The Complete Series (DVD, 2005)

If you've never seen the Oblongs, you've missed out. Think 'The Simpsons', mutated and on crack. I watched it on Adult Swim years ago, and was thrilled to finally find it on DVD. The series was canceled after the first season, so please bear that in mind if you order the full series; there were only 13 episodes, so it's only a 2-disc set.

The series revolves around the Oblong family; Bob, Pickles, Chip, Biff, Milo, Beth, Scottie, and an unnamed cat who chain smokes. Peripherally, it revolves around the world they live in. The Oblong family lives in the town of Hill Valley, which emcompasses the Hills and the Valley. Rich people live in the Hills, poor people live in the Valley. Valley folk tend to mutate. Bob has no limbs; Chip and Biff are siamese twins; Beth has a vaguely phallic thing growing out of her head. You get used to it, though.

If you've read Angus Oblong's 'Creepy Susie' stories, you'll be both pleased and vaguely disappointed by this series. The writers very much softened Mr. Oblong's dark, satirical vision and family-friendlied it. Some characters appear (Susie, Helga, Milo) but they've changed quite a bit. Helga in the stories was delusional, vengeful, and homicidal. Helga in the series is delusional, short-tempered, and lacking in personal hygiene. Most (but not all) sexual overtones are gone. This isn't totally a bad thing; I can feel reasonably comfortable watching the series with my kids; but some fans of the stories may feel gypped. All in all, it's a great little series and one I would recommend to fans of 'Invader Zim', 'Happy Tree Friends', or 'Robot Chicken'; also to readers of 'Lenore', 'Squee', or 'Emily the Strange'. Or pretty much anyone with a dark, twisted sense of humour.