In case you’ve never used YouTube, we’ll explain.  An anime music video (AMV) is a fan-made (unofficial) music video, created by chopping and pasting clips from Japanese animes (and some video games) so that the animated action matches the audio track.  

The style began in Japan (obviously), but has since become a worldwide phenomenon, to the point that a website — Animemusicvideos.org – has been founded to provide a unique home for the clips.  They even have annual awards, top ten lists and discussion boards where users can share tips on editing techniques and such.

Of course, the RIAA is outraged over the AMVs, and has been fighting to have them removed from circulation, but what’s new?  It’s worth noting that next to none of the animation studios who produced the sampled cartoons have complained. 

Below, find two our recent AMV favorites.  The first is a Pokemon battle set to a seriously tough battle riddim by Tempa T (AMV by Tenchuassassin).

The second, by a team called IdiotWork, isn’t quite so traditional an AMV… ’cause it’s not actually a music video, see?  Instead, it uses clips from  He-Man, set to dialogue from what might still be the Coen Brothers’ best flick, The Big Lebowski.  Sheer genius. 

(Thanks, Danny Boy)

The best thing about MAD Magazine has always been the Al Jaffee fold-in joke, featured on the back cover of each issue.

The NY Times recently ran an amazing feature article highlighting Jaffee’s 40+ year career with MAD, accompanied by a collection of his fold-ins, which you can — and should – play around with here.

The guy’s incredible.  He’s 87 years old, and still drawing these fold-in things — which always revolve around current events and popular culture.  His fold-in last month was a gag about human growth hormone that folded a picture of Roger Clemens into the image of a pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears.  Our hats are off, Al.

Akon calls T-Pain up to grab some grub.  Hilarity ensues.

Butternut reduction…. yes.

Just in time for Frank151 Chapter 32: Jet Set, with guest curator Jason Lee… 

Jim Jones trying to do the American Gangster thing with Alvin??  Is this really happening?

Apparently, JIM sez:

“It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story…” 

“Like Nutty Squirrels or any one of those groups, you take the good out of it, and you can see it as an inspiring act.” 

Either this is an elaboate gag, or Jim Jones really needs to lay off that uptown haze.

The IRS just sent out their “your stimulus check’s in the mail” letter, letting us all know that long as we’re honest, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, we’ll get some bank back from the government in a couple months.  Of course, the whole thing’s pretty much a crap shoot.  It’s even worse than a short-term fix for long-term issues — and the problem isn’t just those community programs we cut to make the stimulus price tag.

The trouble is much bigger.  We’re getting this bonus bankroll just as consumer saving hits an all-time low, and none of the money we’re spending stays in the US economy. Everything we buy is made in China.  That’s the same China our government borrows all its money from.  Sounds real healthy, don’t it?

Basically, America is in some serious debt, and the stimulus package is like giving a drink to a drunk.  It’ll keep us quiet for awhile, but in the end we’re all gonna get screwed up.

Don’t mistake — free loot is awesome; we’ll be out there spending that check just like everyone else. But this little economic indulgence is going to cost us more and more as time goes on…

Besides being mentor and high school teacher to Frank Miller (Sin City), Jeff Danziger is arguably the best editorial cartoonist operating today.  Thoughtful, nuanced comics, totally brutal to both right & left… Check out his archives; he tosses new stuff up there constantly.