Happy Tree Friends

[Nyo]

It's a really weird internet cartoon....

Link to official site (happytreefriends.com)

WARNING: IT HAS BLOOD AND GORE. WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

If any of you guys like this cartoon and you have a Video iPod, then you can buy episodes from iTunes.

[lucyrocks73]

I watched it at a friend's house once when I was in sixth grade.

It scarred me for life.

So... cute... so... much blood!!! So... SAD!!! I cried, being the nieve eleven-year-old I was...

-Marty 8-)

[Mr. Marshmallow]

As funny as I find mass gore and internet dismemebership and all that good stuff I love in movies, I can't bring myself to liking Happy Tree Friends. It kinda goes against everything that I love about cartoons.

It may sound "wussy" on my part, but I feel REALLY bad for seeing those toons going through such gruesome and twisted gags. If they weren't designed to be cute and resemble Disney/Care Bear clones then maybe I'd enjoy it more.

But I think it's because of their image that people love them so much. But me, growing up on things like Darkwing Duck, Care Bears, Rescue Rangers, and now Foster's, it's hard to really enjoy something like this.

[FostersFriend]

I agree, when I first saw this was the episode where they all went to the zoo. It was horrible. I agree beacuse of their image and cuteness thats why people like it. But for me its hard aswell. As I also grew up watching Rescue Rangers & Care Bears. Although I do like the character designs their sooo cute :P

[DoubleLatte]

There's all kinds of things wrong with that cartoon. There's just too much violence for no reason at all, and this is coming from someone who read Jhonny the Homicidal Maniac comics.

[Cassini90125]

There's all kinds of things wrong with that cartoon. There's just too much violence for no reason at all, and this is coming from someone who read Jhonny the Homicidal Maniac comics.

"Jhonny the Homicidal Maniac" ?? You know, I'm probably better off not knowing.

(Activates search engine...)

[Mr. Marshmallow]

I mean it may sound "wussy" of me to feel that way, but from someone who lived off disney and WB and cartoons it's hard to take pleasure in watching them dismember each other. Especially since it's mostly accidental stuff and not really intentional.

I enjoy violence as much as the next gore fan, but I just can't enjoy it the same way as I do in horror movies. That would be like if I pictured this same gruesome stuff in Darkwing Duck, or Tale Spin, or even Foster's.

It's just something that makes me feel crappy inside and I don't know how else to explain it.

[Cassini90125]

"Jhonny the Homicidal Maniac" ?? You know, I'm probably better off not knowing.

(Activates search engine...)

Oh my stars. That was so warped...

[DoubleLatte]

I mean it may sound "wussy" of me to feel that way, but from someone who lived off disney and WB and cartoons it's hard to take pleasure in watching them dismember each other. Especially since it's mostly accidental stuff and not really intentional.

I enjoy violence as much as the next gore fan, but I just can't enjoy it the same way as I do in horror movies. That would be like if I pictured this same gruesome stuff in Darkwing Duck, or Tale Spin, or even Foster's.

It's just something that makes me feel crappy inside and I don't know how else to explain it.

Honestly, I can't bring myself to enjoy it. I just can't. Not in animation or Hollywood films. I don't think your reaction is "wussy" at all. On the contrary, it's completely normal. Blood and gore is something we've come to expect in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and every other mass-produced horror flick, but cartoons? It's even more disturbing to me in this manner.

Oh my stars. That was so warped...

Isn't it?

[scary_dream]

There's all kinds of things wrong with that cartoon. There's just too much violence for no reason at all, and this is coming from someone who read Jhonny the Homicidal Maniac comics.

Huzzah, another JTHM fan!

I've not watched Happy Tree Friends, but I've seen chockloads of merchandise. I don't guess it's really done its job, though, because I've never been sparked to actually view it.

From what I've read here, though, I understand that's probably for the best.

[Nyo]

I hope you guys don't think I'm a sicko for posting this. :(

[Cassini90125]

I hope you guys don't think I'm a sicko for posting this. :(

Nah, no problem. :)

[Nyo]

K, thanks.

[Bloo2daMacs]

the funny thing about this is that I've never actually SEEN it, I've only HEARD about it. I'm not going to watch it either. See, for some reason, when I HEAR about a gruesome caroon, I find it funny, but when I SEE the gruesome caroon... well... it kinda disturbs me. On the Itchy and Scratchy segments of The Simpsons, I often think: "wow, that was mindless violence with absolutely NO PURPOSE... that's.... weird..." Don't get me wrong, I like mindless violence as much as the next guy, but when it comes to caroons... don't ask.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

Actually, in regards to the Itchy and Scratchy thing the major difference lies in two things. One is the amount of violence. Happy Tree Friends makes Itchy and Scratchy like G rated violenced, it barely even compares to HTF.

Secondly, the main reason the show is a hit (and why it makes me feel so sucky inside when I see it) is because unlike Itchy and Scratchy, the Happy Tree Friends are designed to look, act, and sound cute, cute, cute.

They're like the Care Bears and that's kinda where the gag lies in dismembering them. What makes it worse for me anyway is the fact that the HTF don't try to kill each other, it all happens through a series of accidents.

Where as Itchy and Scratchy constantly try to kill each other, mostly due to the fact they're the Simpsons versions of Tom and Jerry.

[Bloo2daMacs]

true, true...

[Cassini90125]

I've never seen HTF, but I must admit that my curiosity is piqued...

[Daredemon]

I remember my friend Nate showed me this cartoon, its hilarious..

[The Huntsman]

Now this is a topic I can resurrect with necromancy, as I know plenty about Happy Tree Friends. I am a moderator on the official Happy Tree Friends forum (http://forum.happytreefriends.com/member.php?u=20927), even though it’s down at the moment. The show may pride itself on its violence and gore, but I assure you that there is quite a lot of depth to the series. I’ve written several comprehensive articles, two of which were over 10,000 words long, and the characters have complex personalities despite not being able to speak in a language that we can understand. Still, I can respect those who find the show to be unappealing, but the show has more going for it than just blood and gore.

[Partymember]

Happy Tree Friends is disturbing but hillarious, as well as Johnny the Homocidal Maniac.

[Nyo]

To Huntsman: You posting those FAQs up anytime soon? I'd love to read them. :)

[The Huntsman]

To Huntsman: You posting those FAQs up anytime soon? I'd love to read them. :)
Are you talking about the comprehensive articles? The Happy Tree Friends Forum is down at the moment, so I can?t provide links, though I?ll be sure to post them once the forum is back up. I would post the articles here, but they?re well over the 12,000 character limit and it would be somewhat difficult to get them posted. In the mean-time, I guess I could link to an explanative review I wrote for the series; it?s not as detailed as my comprehensive articles, since they focus entirely on specific characters, but I think my review was kind of decent.

My Explanative Review (http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-8226/other/reviews/?read_review=333)

[Nyo]

Very good!

When the forum comes back up, you can give me the link to the specific charcter articles. I *love* reading your FAQS/articles; must be the avid dork reader in me acting up. ;)

[The Huntsman]

Very good!

When the forum comes back up, you can give me the link to the specific charcter articles. I *love* reading your FAQS/articles; must be the avid dork reader in me acting up. ;)
This is the one I wrote for Giggles. (http://forum.happytreefriends.com/showthread.php?t=18451)

This is the one I wrote for Flaky. (http://forum.happytreefriends.com/showthread.php?t=20153)

This is the one I wrote for Cuddles. (http://forum.happytreefriends.com/showthread.php?t=18229)

This is the episode guide that I wrote. (http://forum.happytreefriends.com/showthread.php?t=20836)

The article for Giggles is probably my best one; the article for Cuddles is probably my worst, since it was only a basic comprehensive article. The episode guide is my longest work, but it’s incomplete at the moment. Keep in mind that these articles stretch over a various amount of posts.

[vinny]

if you wonder why dont post much here anymore its cus i hang out at a different forum. the forums for happy tree friends, if you like the show, stop by.

http://forum.happytreefriends.com/

chatroom: http://www.happytreefans.net/chatroom_v2.php?mode=login

anyone like the show?

[Nyo]

It's alright I suppose, I'm not a *huge* fan but once in a while is all my stomach can take. :)

(Oh yeah, can we merge this thread with the older one? (http://www.fosters-home.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199))

[Mayor Adam West]

Ah yes, Happy Tree Friends, all the sense killing/dying by cute, fuzzy creatures......gotta love it ^^

[Mr. Marshmallow]

Sorry to disagree but I honest to god HATE this show. I don't really find it funny and in fact i find it appalling. It's not the gore that bothers me, gross humor I find to be very funny and can be funny when used properly. But usually when gore and violent humor is used, its funnier if the person doesn't feel pain.

Monty Python's Holy grail "Black knight" comes to mind. The other main reason is because I grew up on cartoon characters of this nature and to see them being happy and then THAT happen to them, it kind of makes me feel crappy inside. Knowing how close they are to toons I grew up on like Care bears and Chip and Dale etc.

I know it sounds kind of sissy like to feel that way but I just feel this is like a violent venting show and its venting against something I've never felt needed THIS kind of venting. Mockery is one thing but I find this very painful for someone who grew up on toons to watch.

[Partymember]

HTF is alrifght once in a while, but i gotta agree with Mr. M, watching small animals die has never been my thing. Particularly the episode where the little kid gets lost at the beach and his dad is looking for him. That was just sad :(

[koosie]

I had to have a look as I was a little bit curious as to how much there is to say about these tragic incidents that keep befalling these sweet little characters. When I went on there were 60 people in the forum (!) 18 of which were members so there's definately a market for it.

However I'm way too squeamish to watch that show so I think I'll just stay here, thank you. Hell, there are bits of Tom & Jerry I can barely watch.

[Cassini90125]

I've never seen HTF but I must admit that I'm becoming more than a little curious, in a morbid sort of way. :bendy:

However I'm way too squeamish to watch that show so I think I'll just stay here, thank you. Hell, there are bits of Tom & Jerry I can barely watch.

There are bits of Foster's I can barely watch. :frankiemad:

[Mr. Marshmallow]

I've never seen HTF but I must admit that I'm becoming more than a little curious, in a morbid sort of way. :bendy: There are bits of Foster's I can barely watch. :frankiemad:

If there are things in Foster's that you have trouble watching, I assure you, the stuff Happy Tree friends displays is far more harder to swallow. I can't even bare to watch a single minute of the episode without feeling crappy and crummy inside.

I personally don't recommend it for your tastes Cass but that's just me. I don't hate or dislike people who like the show but for me its something I just don't want to think about or see again because it hurts too close to home so to speak.

[Cassini90125]

I know what you're saying. I think my interest is more due to the fact that the premise sounds so ludicrous than anything else; ludicrous like that Geico Caveman show, albeit in a very different way.

[Medikor]

I have to admit that I've become curious about this show but I think I'll avoid it. From the sounds of it, it may be a little too much for me...

[Cassini90125]

Um, I just got back from the site... I'm feeling a little disturbed right now. :o :wiltshock: :eek:

[Mr. Marshmallow]

Um, I just got back from the site... I'm feeling a little disturbed right now. :o :wiltshock: :eek:

Don't want to say I told you so, so.....:-X

[Nyo]

I take it that your experience didn't go too good Cass? :(

(Yeah, my 1st reaction to the site was the same thing.)

[Cassini90125]

I take it that your experience didn't go too good Cass? :(

(Yeah, my 1st reaction to the site was the same thing.)

The episode... eyeballs can't do that... :eek:

[Partymember]

some episodes are funny, though.

Where the crazed army guy has a flashback in a diner and kills everyone because he thinks they're Viet Cong 8D THAT was classic.

[jekylljuice]

Oddly enough, I've actually seen a couple of episodes of this cartoon, even though it was clearly never intended for the likes of me. (Blood? Gore? The visceral disassembly of cute, fluffy little animals? And me being notoriously squeamish? No thank you. :o )

I remember my brother first describing it to me as being "exactly like Itchy and Scatchy" (a rather ineffective selling point, given that I've never cared that much for I & S), but when my morbid curiosity finally got the better of me a few short years later, I discovered to my detriment that he was way off the mark. I mean, at least in I & S the gutting and dismembering is as a result of the deliberate actions of a very sadistic rodent (even if his feline victim is totally undeserving). With Happy Tree Friends, on the other hand, the characters are all just so darling and, well, happy, and are really just out for a good time in which to enjoy one another's company. I have to agree with Mr. M about the crappy, crummy feeling that tends to seep in whilst watching them befall one tragic, bloody accident after another. C'mon, they're so damned adorable. I really don't want to see them die. :(

If HTF is your thing, then you're welcome to it. Same goes for I&S. Me, however, whenever I fancy my fill of seeing two supposedly cute and innocent little creatures inflicting nasty injuries upon one another, I'll stick with Aardman's Pib and Pog. Pib and Pog were a work of bloody genius. Without a drop of blood at all, in fact.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

I mean, at least in I & S the gutting and dismembering is as a result of the deliberate actions of a very sadistic rodent (even if his feline victim is totally undeserving). With Happy Tree Friends, on the other hand, the characters are all just so darling and, well, happy, and are really just out for a good time in which to enjoy one another's company. I have to agree with Mr. M about the crappy, crummy feeling that tends to seep in whilst watching them befall one tragic, bloody accident after another. C'mon, they're so damned adorable. I really don't want to see them die. :(

I think the key thing is what the show is being directed towards. For example, Itchy and Scratchy really isn't anything more then a more violent and bloody version of Tom and Jerry. I don't mind them because they are essentially crazier, cracked up versions of Tom and Jerry and simply the Simpsons version of them.

The gag is seeing them beat the bejesus out of each other, and the fact they are not cute looking or generally seeking "decent" forms of play makes it easier to find it funnier. However to me, Tree friends seems more like someone's form of venting, like a "kill the thing you hate the most" TV show.

This show just seems like someone's visualized fantasy of ripping cute toons into a million bloody pieces because the creators probably find characters like Disney toons, Care bears, and etc nauseating. To me, there will ALWAYS be shows you hate and you wish not to see again, but this, this is just cruel.

Even if I didn't grow up on toon characters similar to the Tree friends in my cartoon days, I still cannot for one minute stomach such a god awful, heart wrenching, and unnecessarily brutal show that not only pushes the gore factor over the edge, but does it to characters who DON'T belong in that element.

Now sometimes its funny, like when South Park did the imagination land 3 part episode, that was funny because some of the toons did adult things and the jokes weren't solely based on ripping the cartoons to shreds because they hated them. Tree friends takes characters who are innocent and essentially harmless and puts them through worse treatments then your average horror movie does.

Now maybe some people find the reversal of cute and cuddly to gory gruesome funny, but not this way. You can make violence funny without going to such extreme measures of visualizing your hatred of cartoon characters some people grew up with and turning it into something like this.

The most important thing I feel that makes violence funny is either stupid violence, or eliminating the pain factor. Monty Python's Black knight felt no pain and had both arms and legs chopped off, and it was funny because he didn't stop, he just kept going and acted like he didn't feel anything at all.

The Tree friends feel everything. They weep, they cry, they run around screaming making it worse, hurting others, and just seeing their faces like that its just....ugh. It may sound hypocritical of someone who watches both R rated movies/TV shows and kids cartoons, but I don't find this mix pleasant or entertaining. To put it bluntly.....it hurts me to watch this show, it really hurts.

It'd be like watching someone pull teeth or having to watch Frankie scrub the floors in "Imposter's" or Mac being put through Hell in "Surprise for you", that's how strongly I feel against Happy Tree Friends, but I mean no offense to fans of the show. It's just how I feel.

[Medikor]

It's all just personal taste I suppose, Mr.M. I for one can't imagine how people can enjoy torture movies like "Hostel", but they do.
It makes me wonder if entertainment will become more and more violent or family friendly in the future. I guess that's up to future generations.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

It's all just personal taste I suppose, Mr.M. I for one can't imagine how people can enjoy torture movies like "Hostel", but they do.
It makes me wonder if entertainment will become more and more violent or family friendly in the future. I guess that's up to future generations.

I actually enjoy Hostel but that is set up in an entirely different setting and environment. Sex is essentially the point of that movie, sex in a foreign place where there isn't a whole lot control of policing going around.

It's an adult plot for an adult movie for adult characters, where as Tree friends is kids characters in adult show but I see what you mean about tastes.

[Medikor]

I actually enjoy Hostel but that is set up in an entirely different setting and environment... It's an adult plot for an adult movie for adult characters, where as Tree friends is kids characters in adult show but I see what you mean about tastes.

Excellent point. I forgot that Hostel was still a story driven movie. As far I can tell, based on what others have said, HTF is just a violent for the sake of violent.
I'm almost half asleep right now so I'll probably get some sleep before I try and process this stuff so I can attempt to make a thoughtful post.;)

[Invader Bloo]

This show sounds stupid IMO. That coming from a guy who has laughed at some of the deaths in Predator. =X

[Diamond Duchess]

Well, after seeing so much fan-stuff inspired by this show, and after viewing what y'all had to say about it, I went on to the show's site and actually watched some of it.

Yeah, it was pretty disturbing. While I can stomach the violence (strangly enough), I'm with jekylljuice and Mr. Marshmallow here. It's not exactly something I'd want to watch regularly, and I just don't like seeing the cute cartoon critters being harmed to that extent. Yeesh. Poor animals. I rather like cute cartoon critters, but c'mon. This is a bit much.

[BabyCharmander]

A while back I watched an ep of this out of morbid curiosity. I then watched the rest of the eps that were out of the time due to it being a total train-wreck. It's horrible, but you can't look away. (Though I actually had to look away at some points. Oddly enough I can handle some cartoon gore, but when it involves bones or eyes or skinning I can't stand it.) I nearly threw up afterwards. Yet for some odd reason I go back to the website to look at a new toon out of, again, morbid curiosity. (And I always regret it.)

I don't like it. I don't find it funny at all. :/

The only merit it has is that it stays away from perverted humor 98% of the time. I consider perverted humor to be below excessively violent humor.

[Partymember]

Oddly enough I can handle some cartoon gore, but when it involves bones or eyes or skinning I can't stand it.)

or a combination thereof 8D

[Cassini90125]

I went back for another look. Not quite so bad the second time around as far as the shock value goes but it rapidly becomes very predictable; if you see a sharp object, you know that someone will eventually be impaled on it, if you see a lit cigar then you know that something or someone will soon either burn or explode, etc. I've seen fanfics that were less predictable. The gore factor gets old very fast; you know it's coming, you just don't know how long you have to wait for it. There's no real plotline as far as I can tell; it's pretty much just an excuse for the writers to indulge in the butchery of small forest creatures in various ways, all of which are painful, both for the animals and the viewers. One wonders who exactly is the target audience for this stuff. On the plus side it's not badly drawn, and there's no real dialogue (which would take too much creative effort to write and would distract from the rupturing organs). For me the highlight of the show was before it began, when I was treated to a short commercial featuring the rockin' Erin Esurance, the only cartoon character I'd ever buy insurance from. ;D

[The Huntsman]

HTF is just a violent for the sake of violent.
That isn’t quite true. I’ve written ten thousand word articles on the characters, so I’m pretty sure it’s not just mindless violence. The characters have depth and there are actually plots. There just isn’t any continuity.

...when I was treated to a short commercial featuring the rockin' Erin Esurance, the only cartoon character I'd ever buy insurance from. ;D
The person who animated those Erin Esurance advertisements actually worked on a few special episodes of Happy Tree Friends.

[koosie]

I?ve written ten thousand word articles on the characters, so I?m pretty sure it?s not just mindless violence.


Really? Ten Thousand words is quite a lot. Surely you were padding it out just a little bit? Please can I read one just so I know what the score really is with Happy Tree Friends. I'd hate to think I've missed something enlightening. :D

[taranchula]

I used to watch these shorts back in 2001, and didn't really think they were anything special, the premise kind of wares thin once the shock value wares off.

[jekylljuice]

Even if I didn't grow up on toon characters similar to the Tree friends in my cartoon days, I still cannot for one minute stomach such a god awful, heart wrenching, and unnecessarily brutal show that not only pushes the gore factor over the edge, but does it to characters who DON'T belong in that element.

Now sometimes its funny, like when South Park did the imagination land 3 part episode, that was funny because some of the toons did adult things and the jokes weren't solely based on ripping the cartoons to shreds because they hated them. Tree friends takes characters who are innocent and essentially harmless and puts them through worse treatments then your average horror movie does.

Now maybe some people find the reversal of cute and cuddly to gory gruesome funny, but not this way.

That's why I prefer Pib and Pog - I think they did a funnier and more appealling job of nailing the whole "extreme cuteness meets sick and twisted-ness" factor, for a couple of reasons (both of which, needless to say, are just a matter of my own personal preferences).

1) The HTF gang are cute and innocent. P&P, on the other hand, are "cute" and "innocent". While the central joke of HTF basically involves the juxtaposition of sweet and harmless little characters with gruesome and horrific situations, the central joke with P&P kinda works on the reverse principle. Pib and Pog themselves are actually quite nasty and hateful little beings who get massive sadistic kicks out of seeing one another suffer, the irony being that the setting and execution of their shorts is done in the style of a show for pre-schoolers. Consequently, most of the humour here springs not from P&P's misconduct itself, but from the kindly-voiced narrator's efforts to put a cheerful spin upon each and every one of their viciously mean-spirited antics. That narrator is a brilliant foil and, I don't know, she makes me laugh.

2) Compared to the violence in HTF, the violence in P&P is, at best, incredibly mild, and for me that's a real plus point. There's no blood or gore, and the worst that really happens to P&P is that their plasticine bodies get temporarily contorted out of shape. A lot of their antics, such as going at each other with machine guns, dunking each other into concertrated sulphuric acid, and impaling one another on beds of nails, are an ounce more extreme than you'd expect from the usual spectrum of cartoon violence (certainly for a show aimed at pre-schoolers), but the fact that they respond in a very traditional cartoon manner somehow makes it a more effective and better balanced mixture of irony for me.

As for Itchy and Scratchy, the Tom and Jerry pretext ran its course very quickly for me. I always thought they worked most effectively whenever they were used as a foil for the Simpsons themselves. Had they been introduced as an independent cartoon on their own, then it's my opinion that they wouldn't have had much to sustain themselves.

[Fluff]

BEST SHOW EVER Disco bear being teh best

[Sparky]

(Oh yeah, can we merge this thread with the older one? (http://www.fosters-home.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199))

Why didn't these ever get merged? :P (I don't read many of the OT threads unless it's something I'm into.) Merging now.

[Fluff]

Why didn't these ever get merged? :P (I don't read many of the OT threads unless it's something I'm into.) Merging now.

are you Stalking me.....

[Sparky]

are you Stalking me.....

YES. 8D

No.

[jekylljuice]

Ooh, awkward...okay, I'm a little hesitant to revive this thread, for I fear that I'm going to make myself immensely unpopular for what I'm about to say, but here goes...

I just wanted to retract those previous reservations I expressed about Happy Tree Friends earlier in this thread, because, strangely enough, I actually do rather like this show now. Don't ask me how it happened. I'm still the same highly squeamish person that I always was, but over the past three or four months, I've watched quite a bit more and found myself becoming more and more attached to the characters, who I think are actually pretty eclectic and interesting (the misconception that they're just cute little bags of blood and organs to be spattered at very turning does not, I fear, do them justice). The earliest internet shorts were certainly fairly crude, but I think that by the time they got round to the TV series (at which point the incongruousness, while always a crucial part of the atmosphere, was no longer the entire joke within itself), both the concept and the characters had been developed surprisingly well. And, while there is still quite a lot of stuff in HTF that makes me cringe, I guess that I've more-or-less learnt to accept it within the context of their world. My favourite character is Disco Bear.

Oh, and I still hate Itchy and Scratchy, but that's possibly because I'm opposed upon principle to the concept of an evil blue mouse repeatedly dismembering an innocent cat.

[Cassini90125]

I just wanted to retract those previous reservations I expressed about Happy Tree Friends earlier in this thread, because, strangely enough, I actually do rather like this show now.

If it makes you feel any better, so do I. Occasionally I come into this thread looking for the link, click it, and watch. I think I watch it mostly for the sheer absurdity of it all, and in truth it's better than a number of shows on CN these days. Academy-award material it ain't, but sometimes I don't want to bother with high art or stirring dialogue, or even a plot; some days I just want to indulge in something mindless. :cheesegrin:

Oh, and I still hate Itchy and Scratchy, but that's possibly because I'm opposed upon principle to the concept of an evil blue mouse repeatedly dismembering an innocent cat.

Same here, but it beats the hell out of shows like Mighty Mouse and Tom & Jerry. Why cats always seen to get the short end of the stick in these and other old cartoon I'll never understand. I like cats and frankly a lot of those shows annoyed the crap out of me. :frankiemad:

[Frankie_4_Prez]

..featuring the rockin' Erin Esurance, the only cartoon character I'd ever buy insurance from. ;D

LOL, you'd buy insurance from Frankie if she were selling it. No, you'd even buy doggie doo-doo on a stick, if Frankie were selling it.

About this show, I don't think I could ever bring myself to enjoy it. Maybe in ten more years, after I'm all jaded and sick of living in this world. Granted, I only saw a few 2-minute shorts, and not the actual TV sequences which most people here seem to agree were much better.

[jekylljuice]

If it makes you feel any better, so do I. Occasionally I come into this thread looking for the link, click it, and watch. I think I watch it mostly for the sheer absurdity of it all, and in truth it's better than a number of shows on CN these days. Academy-award material it ain't, but sometimes I don't want to bother with high art or stirring dialogue, or even a plot; some days I just want to indulge in something mindless. :cheesegrin:

That's good to hear. The other day, my housemates and I were having something of a House marathon, and there are bits of that show which I find to be gruesome and difficult to watch (basically, whenever they have close-up glimpses of the surgical procedures, that's me squirming in my seat). The violence in Happy Tree Friends can be pretty graphic and extreme, but it's still of an instrinsically very cartoonish nature. I suppose that, in its own highly distorted way, it's actually very sweet and innocent after all. :scribble:


Same here, but it beats the hell out of shows like Mighty Mouse and Tom & Jerry. Why cats always seen to get the short end of the stick in these and other old cartoon I'll never understand. I like cats and frankly a lot of those shows annoyed the crap out of me. :frankiemad:

I love cats, and I've never understood that particular trend either. I probably wouldn't mind them always being allocated the villainous roles if such cartoons didn't always protray them as being so mind-numbingly stupid to boot. Oh well, thank god for the likes of Garfield, Heathcliff and Top Cat.

[Cassini90125]

I don't go there; I just watch the cartoon. HTF is great when you're in the right mood. :bendy:

An eyeball can't do that... :eek:



Note - Posts #63 - #68 moved here from Imaginary Party thread.

[jekylljuice]

I don't go there; I just watch the cartoon. HTF is great when you're in the right mood. :bendy:

An eyeball can't do that... :eek:

You wouldn't be talking about Toothy the beaver's little misadventure with a woodpecker and a lollipop, now would you?

[Cassini90125]

Yep. First episode I saw. The memory lingers, much like my post-episode pharmacy bill. :weirded:

[jekylljuice]

My first episode too. Personally I think it's a pretty good place for HTF newbies to start, since it's about as bad as any of their misadventures get. If you can handle that particular eye-popping (quite literally, in this case) grotesquery, you know you can handle any of them.

[Cassini90125]

I must admit to laughing rather loudly at the one where one of them got his tongue stuck in an anthill. 8D

We've got a HTF thread around here somewhere as I recall. ;D

[jekylljuice]

I must admit to laughing rather loudly at the one where one of them got his toungue stuck in an anthill. 8D

We've got a HTF thread around here somewhere as I recall. ;D

That would be Sniffles the anteater - usually the victim of tongue-related accidents. I feel sorry for him, since those ants he sometimes goes after can be really sadistic, and their actions go waaaaay beyond merely defending themselves.

Yeah, it's in Other Entertainment, though most of the people on NF really don't seem to like it. Originally, as I recall, I was amongst the detractors. Then, one day, something just...happened, and I suddenly started liking it. I always knew I had a morbid side, deep down, and I'm glad it found its outlet eventually. Besides, Disco Bear (star of my current avatar) is way too awesome to be ignored. I love that bear so much! :bloosmirk:

[Cassini90125]

Same here. Just kind of grows on you, in some strange manner.

Moved our last 6 posts here from Imaginary Party; may as well have them in their proper location. ;D

[jekylljuice]

Same here. Just kind of grows on you, in some strange manner.

Moved our last 6 posts here from Imaginary Party; may as well have them in their proper location. ;D

Awesome. I guess they were just a bit too coherent and sophisticated to reside in the Spam section, huh? ;D

[Cassini90125]

Sense happens. 8D

About 20 minutes after my last post here my accountant dropped by to pick up some paperwork. I mentioned that we were discussing HTF online; he'd never heard of the show so I described it as a short web cartoon where small cuddly animals suffer horribly and die in amusing ways. That pretty much summarizes it. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. :bloocross:

Thirty bucks says he goes online tonight to check it out. 8D

[jekylljuice]

Lol. You'll have to keep us posted on his reaction. 8D

Have you ever watched any of the TV episodes, Cass? I personally like them better than the web cartoons, since they had a bit more plot (into which the trademark carnage is neatly incorporated) and were able to expand upon the characters a lot more.

[Cassini90125]

Can't say I have, mostly because until recently I wasn't aware that the show was on TV. I'm assuming it's not on a channel I get, though; I have basic cable but nothing more, as I don't watch enough TV to justify paying for the additional channels.

[jekylljuice]

You could probably find most of the TV episodes if you did a few searches on youtube. That's where I got to see them all, anyway.

[Nyo]

To the best of my knowledge G4 has (or had?) the TV!HTF shorts for viewing...if not, YouTube's your best bet

(My favorite Friend(s) are Lifty and Shifty - Their deaths amuse me more than the others for some reason) :P

[jekylljuice]

Anybody wanna see my Happy Tree Friends stuff? :bloogrin:


My Happy Tree Friends trexi figurines:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4672/snaps106at6.jpg

From left to right: Toothy the Beaver, Petunia the Skunk, Giggles the Chipmunk, Splendid the Flying Squirrel, Mole and Buddhist Monkey. I was really chuffed when I discovered a local shop which sold them for only £4.00, and over time I managed to build up the full set. Sadly, a Disco Bear trexi isn't included (though I do have a t-shirt of him, see below) - it's kind of obvious that they only went for the HTF characters with round ears and more-or-less bare heads, so that they'd only have to mass-produce one basic figurine (Buddhist Monkey looks a bit strange, probably because the ears on the character are a lot lower down). As for the tails, they kind of cheated and just painted them on the back. Oh well, I still think they're awesome. There's a special "bonus feature" too - when you twist the top of each figurine's head, it detaches and reveals the brains within! Erm, could I give you a demonstration on a family-friendly forum? :cheesegrin:

For the record, Buddhist Monkey is supposed to be a SDCC exclusive, whatever that means, but if this local selling point is anything to go by, then he seems to be as readily available as any of the other characters.

Below is my Disco Bear shirt, which I got from Zazzle.com, and also a plush toy of Nutty the Squirrel which I picked up a few months ago on ebay. The plush toys were made by an Australian company, and I have no idea which and how many characters the full range actually included:

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/4705/snaps108uf9.jpg

[Cassini90125]

Love it. ;D

I really want a whatzhisname the moose plushie now. ;D

[fosters home fan]

The moose's name is Lumpy. I like this show, too.

[Cassini90125]

Lumpy! Yes! I knew that! ;D

I'm such a liar. 8D

Lumpy's design reminds me of Bullwinkle but simpler. Makes me wonder if Bullwinkle might have been an influence on the show's creators to some extent. Neither character is all that bright. :cheesegrin:

[jekylljuice]

Thanks!

And yes, Lumpy the moose reminds me quite a lot of Bullwinkle too. I think that I've actually seen a few plushes of him kicking about on ebay. By far the most novel HTF item I think I've seen up to grabs on there was a Cuddles the rabbit plushie with detachable intestines. :eek:

[Lynnie]

Nice collection there, JJ! :) I personally have never seen the show, and don't know if I'll ever want to, but that doesn't mean I can't support fans of it in saying it's always cool to be able to show you're a fan of it. :bloosmirk:

Lumpy is a moose? Funny, not only that he might be similar to Bullwinkle, but I'm also reminded that Scout Master Lumpus on Camp Lazlo is also a moose, and his nickname has been "Lumpy" in some episodes.

[Cassini90125]

Huh, good point, I hadn't realized that. Connection, perhaps?

Some enterprising artist should draw all three of them together. ;D

[Cassini90125]

About 20 minutes after my last post here my accountant dropped by to pick up some paperwork. I mentioned that we were discussing HTF online; he'd never heard of the show so I described it as a short web cartoon where small cuddly animals suffer horribly and die in amusing ways. That pretty much summarizes it. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. :bloocross:

Thirty bucks says he goes online tonight to check it out. 8D

Lol. You'll have to keep us posted on his reaction. 8D

I hate posting back-to-back. :P

Anyway, my accountant stopped by an hour or so ago to say "Happy birthday, sign these forms." Yay, incomprehensible financial documents. All written in Imperial Kreen as far as I'm concerned. After signing I remembered to ask if he'd checked out the show, to which he responded, "I did. Please tell me that this isn't the show you went to San Diego for!" I laughed and assured him that it wasn't. He thinks it's disturbing; so does his wife but apparently she likes disturbing, because after he showed it to her she spent a considerable amount of time watching the online episodes and laughing. 8D They have two children, ages 9 and 7, whom they've decided will not be permitted to watch HTF; they're worried that the younger one will get nightmares and that the older one will get ideas. 8D

[Nyo]

For some reason I feel partially responsible for Cass's accountant's mind breaking, since this thread started it all this cute cuddly madness :bloocross:

[Cassini90125]

Not to worry, it's far from the first "WTF??" moment he's had because of me. Trying to explain Foster's to him back in 2005 was an interesting experience as well. :cheesegrin:

[Nyo]

Oh, ok.

My friend C says her favorite is Nutty the Squirrel :) I love that little guy too, but Flippy the Bear comes very close

[Cassini90125]

I just watched Remains To Be Seen. Stars, that was disturbing. :eek: :cheesegrin:

[jekylljuice]

I just watched Remains To Be Seen. Stars, that was disturbing. :eek: :cheesegrin:

Oh, the zombie episode. Eh, I don't find that one to be all that bad myself, but maybe that just illustrates how de-sensitised I've become. At any rate, the exorcist episode (Read 'Em and Weep) is worse. I always find the show to be at its hardest whenever Cub winds up being a victim. He's just so adorable.

[Nyo]

I tend to ignore the Pop/Cub episodes, they can get really heartbreaking, especially the beach episode. (I think Partymember brought it up too.)

The ending was just sad >_<

[jekylljuice]

Well, the Pop and Cub episodes may have a tendency to end in tragedy, and I don't particularly enjoy it when Cub suffers, but Pop himself is still one of the show's funniest characters, IMO. It kind of both amuses and saddens me how he could be such a gruesome and negligent parent and yet still love and care about his son as deeply as he evidently does (which, I suspect, is part of the point). I'd have to say that their saddest episode is "And the Kitchen Sink"...being a TV episode it was longer than "Water Way To Go", so consequently Cub had to endure quite a bit more, and still came up way too short in the end for my liking. Fortunately, there are a small handful of episodes which Cub manages to survive unscathed (though seldom when he's a main character), and I do get quite a little buzz when he does. :oops:

[Cassini90125]

Oh, dear... "Paddle Eye"... Bloo cannot be permitted to watch We're Scrooged. Ever. :eek: :blooevil:

There's a HTF episode called Read 'em and Weep. There's an upcoming Foster's episode by that same title. Just a coincidence. Hopefully... :eek:

By the stars this show is so bloody. 8D

[Cassini90125]

Love it. ;D

I really want a whatzhisname the moose plushie now. ;D

Guess what I found:

https://ssl.allegro.pl/show_item.php?item=529024861

The site is in Poland and I don't understand a word of it, but it's definitely Lumpy. :bloocross:

[jekylljuice]

This store has a couple of Lumpys...and too many Flippys:

http://www.happytreefriends.de/oxid.php/sid/7ee734e8f332cf702be3cc1d53a7e4b9/cl/alist/cnid/8e6418fa01f0d7f99.59994813

I wish they did a Disco Bear plushie.

[Nyo]

I love Flippy and all, but I want some Lifty and Shifty merch

(And no fitted girl's shirts!! I hate them >_< Can't they make normal size?)

[Cassini90125]

There's an episode called Wrath Of Con. Everyone goes to Comic Con and dies horribly. This is going to put a serious damper on my vacation plans. :eek: 8D

[jekylljuice]

There's an episode called Wrath Of Con. Everyone goes to Comic Con and dies horribly. This is going to put a serious damper on my vacation plans. :eek: 8D

Must be a new one. I just took a look at it. Heh, typical Splendid, and Sniffles, you should have fled while you still had the opportunity. It was great seeing Disco Bear again, even if he does die almost the instant he appears...

Truthfully, if you're a Happy Tree Friend, then Comic Con is really no more dangerous than the next pitfall-laden hang-out.

(Actually, it's the first time I noticed they had an "Alan Smithee" credit in their closing titles. Has that always been there? Is it just a joke, or is someone really that cautious to declare their association with this? :cheesegrin: )

[Cassini90125]

There's another one called Out On A Limb wherein Lumpy chops down a tree and gets pinned under it. The only way he can free himself is by cutting off the leg the tree landed on. Naturally, he cuts off the wrong leg. :cheesegrin:

[jekylljuice]

Ah yes, I've always found Lumpy's spirit to be incredibly admirable in that particular short. Upon realising his mistake, he has his brief moment of mourning, then immeditaly moves on with the task at hand (severing off the other leg). You've got to hand it to him.

On a side note, it's quite a novel HTF episode, in that no one actually dies in it. I guess that Lumpy's injuries and situation were considered horror enough.

[Dmitri Karamazov]

Oh God. Happy Tree friends.

I, who love violent war movies AND comedy violence, cannot stomach it. It's just too gory for my liking. If there's one thing I can't stand in a movie/show, it's prolonged agony and pain.

(said the person with the Schindler's List banner. That makes sense, somehow...)

[xxxClaire]

So, I just saw an episode of this show for the first time... Oh God you guys, how do you watch this? I love this kind of thing, but it's disturbing even for me! 8D