Weebl and Bob
Created | Updated Nov 24, 2013
Edited Version at A15926871.
Lo bob! You have pie?
In 2002, Jonti Picking1 created two egg-shaped fellows with moderately foul mouths and a lust for pie. Since then, the duo have appeared in over a hundred short Flash2 cartoons alongside an ever-growing supporting cast, with each new episode receiving at least 200,000 viewings. Weebl and Bob have since appeared under the guise of Wobbl3 and Bob on MTV and in their very own DVD, which includes a documentary narrated by Brian Blessed. Weebl and Bob are probably only suitable for adults, and so many of their favourite sayings can't be covered in this Entry.
Beginnings
The everyday happenings of weebl and sometimes weebl's friend, bob made its first online appearance on 6 June, 2002 with the groundbreaking episode, 'pie'. The episode explored the basis of the two main characters - Weebl wants pie as a matter of urgency, as does his friend Bob. However, the clever timing and delivery of just a few simple lines and a comic ending made this the first of many episodes that will appeal to people with a certain sense of humour, and so Weebl and Bob began to make regular appearances on their very own website. The introduction of Weebl and Bob was quickly followed by episodes which included a range of characters, including Hairy Lee, Angry Paul, Donkey, Derek the Monkey, Chris the Ninja Pirate and Wee Bull, Weebl's arch-nemesis.
The Basics
The cartoon is usually set against a dark pink background4, with Weebl appearing as a white egg with a grey outline, two grey eyes and a gap halfway down where his mouth isn't. The eyes are usually filled in, but can become hollowed out to create a look of shock, or can have various eyebrow shapes added to show other emotions such as bemusement, sadness or anger. Bob Bobertson is similar to but notably smaller than Weebl5, and the two both sway from side to side constantly, moving from place to place by rolling completely over. Many episodes begin with Weebl singing a ditty, this being one of his favourite ways of expressing his love of pie, before he is interrupted by goings-on.
Part of what makes Weebl and Bob brilliant is the way in which their speech is slurred and difficult to understand, with the real communication taking place using speech bubbles, and yet the changes in tone of voice which become clearer through the words being made unimportant adds to the whole setup.
Common staples include the use of various catchphrases, ranging from the innocuous 'how rare' and 'how handy' to a selection of some rather original insults and swear words. Weebl will stop at nothing to lower Bob's self-esteem, either through stealing his thunder, insulting him, ruining his relationships with millionaire supermodel scientists, or selling his house. Despite this, Bob remains Weebl's friend and the two live in the middle of a field where their house would probably be if only they had one.
Characters
Songs and Parodies
As well as inventing many ditties, Weebl has appeared in a handful of very musical episodes, the most infamous of which is 'paper', where Weebl sings his own lyrics to a-ha's 'Take On Me'. Weebl has also sung a version of 'White Christmas' and heads the odd jazz performance.
Weebl and Bob have also appeared in several parodies of various aspects of popular culture, with episodes including an Apple PiePod advert, a trailer for a ninja film, a 1980s-style documentary about the dangers of cheese, an episode in which Bob's car is 'pimped', and an imitation of the worlds of Hello Kitty and Japanese anime. They also appear in their own series of documentaries, 'The History of the World According to Weebl and Bob'. Meanwhile, Weebl and Bob also star alongside Wee Bull in Ultimate Pie Theft, their very own rip-off of Pacman.
Most peculiarly, Weebl and Bob occasionally star as members of Team Laser Explosion, where they appear as their alter-egos Captain Laserous Explosion and Boy Exploserous Laser. Their job consists of saving Mayor Haggar from various squads of evil superheroes, which are always led by Monkey in some cunning disguise.
Incredible Edible
Weebl and Bob were effectively the forerunners of the Anchor Spreadable Cows, which first appeared in a rather egg-shaped form in 2003. Like their doppelgangers, one cow was slightly smaller than the other and they mumbled and slurred their words while rocking from side to side. They were replaced in 2005 by 3D animated cows voiced by Stephen Fry and Tony Robinson. While the original 'cows' were of ambiguous gender, the new pair had udders despite being voiced by men.
