Editing Homestar Runner (section)

{{Short description|American comedy Flash-animated series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Primary sources|date=December 2024|article|reason=Multiple primary source references to homestarrunner.com well beyond the realm of uncontroversial self-descriptions}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image       = Homestar Runner logo.svg
| caption     = ''Homestar Runner'' logo
| genre       = {{unbulleted list|[[Surreal humor]]|[[Satire]]|[[Parody]]}}
| creator     = {{unbulleted list|[[The Brothers Chaps]]|[[Craig Zobel]]}}
| writer      = {{unbulleted list|Matt Chapman|Mike Chapman}}
| voices      = {{unbulleted list|Matt Chapman|Missy Palmer|Mike Chapman}}
| country     = United States
| language    = English
| animator    = {{unbulleted list|Mike Chapman|Matt Chapman}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2000}}
| last_aired  = present
}}
'''''Homestar Runner''''' is an American comedy animated [[web series]] and website created by Mike and Matt Chapman, known collectively as [[The Brothers Chaps]]. The series centers on the adventures of a large and diverse cast of characters, headed by the titular character, Homestar Runner. It uses a blend of [[surreal humor]], self-parody, satire, and references to [[popular culture]], in particular [[video game]]s, classic [[television]], and [[popular music]].

Homestar Runner originated in 1996 as a book written by Mike Chapman and [[Craig Zobel]], intended as a parody of [[children's literature]]. While learning [[Adobe Flash|Macromedia Flash]], Mike and his brother Matt expanded the concept into a website, which was launched on [[New Year's Day]] [[2000]]. While the site originally centered on the title character, the ''Strong Bad Email'' cartoon skits quickly became the site's most popular and prominent feature, with [[Strong Bad]], initially the series' main antagonist, becoming a [[breakout character]]. Since 2000, the site has grown to encompass a variety of cartoons and web games featuring Homestar, Strong Bad, and numerous other characters.

At the peak of its popularity, the site was one of the most-visited sites with collections of Flash cartoons on the [[World Wide Web|web]], spreading via [[word of mouth]].<ref name="Wired">{{Cite news |last=Dean, Kari Lynn |date=June 2003 |title=HomestarRunner Hits a Homer |work=Wired News |url=https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59261,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=June 12, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613134340/http://wired.com/news/culture/0%2C1284%2C59261%2C00.html |archive-date=June 13, 2006}}</ref> The site sustains itself through [[Product (business)|merchandise]] sales and has never featured [[Advertising|advertisements]].<ref name="FAQ">{{Cite web |title=FAQ |url=http://www.homestarrunner.com/faq.html |last1=Chapman, Matt |last2=Chapman, Mike |year=2005 |website=homestarrunner.com |format=SWF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061217051211/http://www.homestarrunner.com/faq.html |archive-date=December 17, 2006 |access-date=December 18, 2006}}</ref> The Brothers Chaps have turned down offers to make a television series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=John Scott Lewinsk |date=June 18, 2007 |title=Homestar Runner Rejects TV to Stay True to Web |work=wired.com |url=https://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2007/06/homestarrunner |access-date=August 26, 2008 |archive-date=August 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810071133/http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2007/06/homestarrunner |url-status=live }}</ref>

After a four-year hiatus beginning in 2010, Homestar Runner returned with a new Holiday [[Cartoon|Toon]] on April 1, 2014, for [[April Fools' Day]]. Afterwards, co-creator Matt Chapman announced plans to give the site semi-regular updates. Since global support for Flash ended on December 31, 2020, homestarrunner.com has maintained a fully functional website through the Flash emulator [[Ruffle (software)|Ruffle]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bonifacic |first1=Igor |title=Flash content like Homestar Runner lives on in the Internet Archive |date=November 19, 2020 |url=https://www.engadget.com/internet-archive-flash-emulator-233338419.html |publisher=Engadget |access-date=5 September 2023}}</ref>  More cartoons have since been released on the website and its [[Youtube channel|YouTube channel]] on an occasional basis, usually to celebrate holidays.