I want to kick Spike and Mike apart! I'll kick them apart!

It is times like this when i wish that I updated this thing more so you would already know who Brad Neely is and how much I love him. But for one reason or another i don't think i have ever written about him. So here it goes.

Brad Neely is a comic writer and cartoonist from Austin Texas. He has a series of cartoons on an online channel called Super Deluxe. I love this channel (in fact the next post will prove that beyond a shadow of a blah blah blah).

But Brad originally came to my attention for a little independent cartoon he did called "Washington" which was basically a little diddy about our founding father with a few embelishments here and there.

Recently I have been unable to find any copies of the cartoon on line. I couldn't figure out why it dissapeared until i read this interview.

Is there any reason why that hasn’t found its way onto SuperDeluxe.com? Are you holding on to that for some reason?

I don’t own Washington anymore. Spike and Mike’s Twisted Film Festival owns it. I signed a contract that I didn’t understand. And once I realized my error, I had sold the rights to the whole thing, characters and all, for two-hundred fifty dollars.

When I tried to fix the problem they would not talk to me. It’s my fault. I didn’t read what I signed. But God, nice guys, let me tell ya.

Oh Spike and Mike! You dicks! Your festival hasn't been funny since Beavis and Butthead left it. You can't even get Plymptoons any more! Why do you get to own one of the greatest pieces of internet art that I have ever laid my eyes on? For shame.

So I want to get a copy of Washington and host it here. I know I am putting myself at great risk, but lucky for me, no one reads this blog.

I want to talk more about Brad Neely, especially his amazing commentary track for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone called Wizard People, Dear Reader, but it is time to go home and take a nap.

But do watch all of the professor brothers cartoons (especially Bible history #1).

And do watch all of Baby Cakes.

And do read all of Creased Comics.

And do have a nice day.

Comments

[Astrobeej]

"So I want to get a copy of Washington and host it here."

Would you prefer that in .AVI or MP4 format?

[Kirk]

MP4 I believe. I would very much appreciate it.

[joshua ryan]

I agree that it sucks he got got his cartoon rights taken but honestly I think you are being much to hard on spike and mike. They basically changed the way people see animation and without them or thier festival wedprobably be behind on adult animation and we may not even have things like adut swim or super delux. The problem with the situation is that traditionally spike and mike promoted animators and got them jobs based off of their original work and the way spike and mike could afford to bring us such good underground animation was because they give you pennies on the dollar for the rigts and in turn you got exposure. well with the internet it almost made spike and mike obsolete and thier livelyhood as promoters questioned. Its basically a lobor of love for them and to ask them to give the rigts away for such successful shorts back to other people once they are successful is kinda like a slap in the face to them. Spike and mike have been around alot longer than neely and while I agree he is a genius and hilarious and a personal inspiration to me (i am an animator in austin myself) I think he should just bite the bullet, be happy that one of his works was even selected to spike and mike, enjoy being in the company of so many other amazing animators and learn to read contracts better (which I am sure he is better at now). Sorry this is 3 years after the fact and for all the grammar mistakes ( I am typing on my phone and can't read what I am writing).

[The Daily Kirk]

I will admit that I have some pretty awesome Spike and Mike memories. Their festivals were like the youtube of the day. And I get that is how they make their money. But their attempt to withhold a video by a guy who is giving every single other one of his videos for fee just seems wrong. It's like Michael Jackson not wanting to sell Paul McCartney back Beatle song rights.

Neely is a young artist. It's unclear what is going to happen with his career. I want him to have those rights back and I think it's the right thing to do.