Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Back To Where It All Began

As Christmas approaches, I feel the spirit of giving and sharing. And that includes sharing the origins of South Park.

In 1992, two University of Colorado students named Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who had met in a film class, did a animated short movie entitled Jesus vs. Frosty. It introduced several of the characters that would later make up South Park. In 1995, an executive at FOX network saw the short and asked Parker and Stone to make to make another film that he would use for an animated Christmas card to his friends. It then quickly spread over the internet. I saw it the first time when an old friend's brother showed it to me during a raucous weekend right after my first marriage exploded in my face. I recounted that adventure, where I learned that it's all fun and games until someone gets an eye put out in another post.

In August of 1997, the short was developed into a series, first on Fox and then Comedy Central. It's currently in its 12th season. Here's the original short from the animated Christmas card.

9 comments:

SkylersDad said...

I had forgotten about the original! Thanks for sharing this JY, it's a Christmas miracle!!

Dale said...

Thanks for reminding me too JY, I loved it then, I love it now. Whenever I find myself in a dilemma, I ask myself WWBBD?

Mob said...

I love that the Christmas holidays immediately brings South Park to mind for you.

Merry Christmas to you and the Yen clan!

bubbles said...

I learned something. I thought it was about the ham. :-)

Have a Merry Christmas, JY!

Cheer34 said...

South PArk is 12 years old.....seems like only yesterday my kids were laughing as they watched this show......now I laugh watching the show and sometimes scratch mt head and ponder the moral and or ethical meaning of the episode....

Merry Christmas to you and family

Erik Donald France said...

Happy Holidays, dude, and to more creative sublimations and oblations in '009!

Barbara Bruederlin said...

This is fantastic! They had eyebrows back then! Thanks so much for this.

Danny Tagalog said...

Quite forgot about South Park. Womdering whrether my six year old may 'get it', or whether I should allow him to!

Happy New Year from the land of the Yen!

vikkitikkitavi said...

I remember being at a Xmas party in LA in 95, and some industry dude popped a tape of the Brian Boitano/Jesus first South Park short into the VCR.

The whole room full of people were laughing so hard they were crying. I was holding my stomach because it hurt from laughing. I've never seen so many blase people so jazzed about anthing.