Review of Wobbl and Bob

Introduction

`Wobbl and Bob` features the surreal animated adventures of two `weeble-like` eggs. Their weird disconnected conversations are enhanced with on-screen word balloons, which is just as well because Wobbl`s voice is like a cross between Vic Reeve`s club singer and Mr. Bean. In other words, comically incomprehensible.

`Wobbl and Bob` is yet another in a new breed of Flash-based animation which relies on nothing more than simplified flat graphics and very primitive movement. This is nowhere near as ambitious in that respect as other Flash / Shockwave created animations like the really clever `Lenore - the cute little dead girl`, though there`s still much here to enjoy.

Animator Jonti Picking is a one-man cyber-cottage-industry, creating everything on his home computer and actually voicing most the episodes himself as well as producing much of the music. He`s aided and abetted by the curiously named `Skoo` who helps out with ideas for the scripts, and true to cottage industry ethics was a guy picked from the website forums, so there`s hope for us all!

The DVD features 32 episodes from the first year of Weebl & Bob flash animations, 27 of which have been re-mastered. It also includes a special episode, exclusively for this DVD. That`s 33 episodes in all, which is about all the Wobbl and Bob you`re ever going to need.

The concept is a little difficult to describe and is bound to lose something of its humorous magic in the attempt, but here goes.

Wobbl is a giant `egg` who has a passion for pies. His friend Bob is a smaller egg who shares this interest in pies. Other characters, like `Donkey`, `Hairy Lee` (`Kids`ll do anything for Hairy Lee`) and `angry kid` add colour and variation to the surreal goings on in this bizarre world.

I wouldn`t normally add a link to a website, but you can check out an episode here - try http://www.weebl.jolt.co.uk/captain.htm for a sneak preview. This particular episode is a goody and pretty representative of the sort of thing you`re going to get - ad infinitum!

Video

Because this is all created with vector-based graphics (no quality loss with increased scaling), this is of a very high quality, though no higher than the Flash versions you can view on-line. All episodes have been re-framed to use anamorphic widescreen.

Audio

All episodes have re-mastered stereo sound, which generally features these strange voices and home made urban grooves that gently throb throughout. Totally in-keeping with the offer.

Features

There`s a home-movie style documentary narrated by Brian Blessed which, if nothing else, shows the creators to be two likable lads made good. There`s a visit to some serious art-galleries (and the inevitable rejections that were part of that plan in the first place) as well as a visit to a gentrified `pie stall` somewhere in now fashionable East-London.

You also get some black and white stickers, a DVD-Rom game, screensavers and an Easter egg so well hidden that I`m afraid I can`t pass comment.

Conclusion

`Wobbl and Bob` may not give Disney a run for its money with its ultra-primitive 2D Flash generated graphic animation, but it`s certainly plenty of fun. The humour is of the sniggering six-form variety though, to be fair there are some laugh aloud moments amongst this 32 episode strong-collection.

Whilst it`s clearly been heavily influenced by South Park, it does still possess a distinctly surreal British edge that makes it entirely unique.

One gripe though. Some of the speech bubbles have typos and grammaticals that I feel certain weren`t intentional (`Your` instead of `You`re` for example) that smacks of lack of quality control and reminds you just how folksy the production process is here.

For me, these short vignettes became a bit tiresome as a collection though I`m sure worked well in their natural environment - as MTV interludes.

This carries a 15 rating because very occasionally a swear word is used for `shock` comic effect.