The Oblongs: The Complete Series DVD

The Oblongs, like animated Clerks and God, the Devil and Bob, aired too soon to attain the ratings it would undoubtedly get today. Adult Swim folks are smart enough to air The Oblongs, recognizing talented animation, writing and voice work, that fits right in with other irreverant and dark comedies in their block of shows. Though the DVD set should include more extras, there's an entertaining behind-the-scenes featurette.

The Oblongs, like Family Guy and American Dad, take the traditional sitcom style, animates it and then injects something toxic. The show is based on a picture book by Angus Oblong titled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children.

The Oblongs follows the Oblong family who live in the poor part of town where the pollution and radiation, leftovers from the rich lifestyle of folks from the Hills, have disabled and disfigured its inhabitants. Bob, the father, has no arms or legs. Pickles, who used to live on the Hill but moved to be with Bob, is the chain-smoking, alcoholic mother who now has no hair. Chip and Biff are conjoined twins. Milo is affected by mental and social conditions, such as attention deficit disorder. And Beth is the toddler who has some sort of growth on her head.

Just from reading the above synopsis, I'm sure you've guessed the humor is dark. Traditional storylines, like Milo trying to be cool at school in "Bucketheads," is turned on its head (literally) because his cynical mom sends him to school with a bucket on his head and starts a new trend. That's the beauty of the show: normal stories are told by abnormal characters. Even though Bob has no limbs, he has a disposition as sunny as Spongebob Squarepants. Chip and Biff have normal spats like any brothers, but have trained themselves to go into trances if the other wants privacy.

The Oblongs aired on a couple of times on the old WB before it was yanked. But this DVD set includes all thirteen episodes. I highly recommend The Oblongs to any animation or comedy fan looking for something that provides social commentary as well as thought-provoking, messed up laughs.