Parodying something without belittling it is a clever line to walk. For my money, it's why something like Red Dwarf worked well back in the 80s and 90s, because it took its science fiction concepts quite seriously, even while being a very silly show. Ryan Reynolds mentioned something recently in an interview about Deadpool & Wolverine, in that the film never 'punches down' - it's never cruel or targets anyone (or a genre) who can't defend themselves.
I never saw the Tick, as we didn't have Amazon Prime at the time. I've always liked Serafinowicz's work, so should try to check it out.
I never got into the cartoon. It hit when I was starting middle school, I think, so I probably dismissed it out of hand. Might need to check it out, though.
Thanks for this Daniel. I started watching this show and for whatever reason jumped to something else. I need to go back to it. I used to read the comics!!
"Sincerity is key. That may explain why the Tick has been such an effective superhero parody for all these years (and why 1960s Batman was as well). He’s not there to point and laugh at all the silly genre tropes, even though we might be doing some of that. He is fully devoted to heroism."
Great description of the distinction between what makes a very enjoyable parody instead of a cynical belittling.
I never tried approaching the Tick, but your post explained the idea of the show well...it does sound fun.
Parodying something without belittling it is a clever line to walk. For my money, it's why something like Red Dwarf worked well back in the 80s and 90s, because it took its science fiction concepts quite seriously, even while being a very silly show. Ryan Reynolds mentioned something recently in an interview about Deadpool & Wolverine, in that the film never 'punches down' - it's never cruel or targets anyone (or a genre) who can't defend themselves.
I never saw the Tick, as we didn't have Amazon Prime at the time. I've always liked Serafinowicz's work, so should try to check it out.
The animated one is the one for me- the writing was top notch.
I never got into the cartoon. It hit when I was starting middle school, I think, so I probably dismissed it out of hand. Might need to check it out, though.
Thanks for this Daniel. I started watching this show and for whatever reason jumped to something else. I need to go back to it. I used to read the comics!!
That makes sense. It's not an "I must watch it all right now!" type of show, but it's fun to watch a little bit here and there.
The cartoon is pure gold.
"Sincerity is key. That may explain why the Tick has been such an effective superhero parody for all these years (and why 1960s Batman was as well). He’s not there to point and laugh at all the silly genre tropes, even though we might be doing some of that. He is fully devoted to heroism."
Great description of the distinction between what makes a very enjoyable parody instead of a cynical belittling.
I never tried approaching the Tick, but your post explained the idea of the show well...it does sound fun.