History Webcomic / KidRadd

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Radd gives a nicely succinct description of the trope when referring to [[spoiler:G.I. Guy]]:

While at first the comic was a lighthearted parody focusing on Radd's attempts to fit into a more complicated society, the plot eventually [[CerebusSyndrome expanded into a far-reaching, well-plotted, epic examination of video game character mentality]]. [[SubvertedTrope And it stayed funny]].

%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1297461227072440200&page=1
%%Please do not change or replace without starting a new thread. Also, per the thread, do ''not'' replace with the old animated GIF.

-->'''GI GUY''': ''Because that's what video game characters do.''

While at first the comic was a lighthearted parody focusing on Radd's attempts to fit into a more complicated society, the plot eventually [[CerebusSyndrome expanded into a far-reaching, well-plotted, epic examination of video game character mentality]]. And it stayed funny.

** When Sheena starts taking up too much screen time, Radd takes her to [[PaintingTheFourthWall stand in front of the title page]] of the comic and points out that this is his comic because it's HIS name on there.

* {{Wishplosion}}: anyone who consults the Seer becomes destined to die within a few weeks, so Crystal asks him how to become immortal.

* ArtEvolution: Early action sequences, while good, resembled old fighting and action games ([[{{Retraux}} which makes sense within the story]]). Later action sequences used bullet time, cameras that moved around the characters, [[TheMatrix Matrix]]-style, and resembled ''DragonBallZ'' more than anything.

* DolledUpInstallment: Parodied with ''Kid Radd 2'', which poked fun at ''SuperMarioBros 2''. There's also [[http://kidradd.muddasheep.com/kidradd_guillaume/comic423.htm#title Bogey Pinball]]...

* FusionDance: Features a Mixed Form version mid way through the comic. Also features a Composite character very late on, with an actual dance that looks (in minimal pixels) very similar to the ''DragonballZ'' TropeNamer version.

* NoFairCheating: In ''Mofo'', the {{Earthbound}}-ersatz. [[spoiler:They have to deplete the boss' HP in a single round, since they don't have the character necessary to kill him]].

** Kid Radd 2 is ''SuperMarioBros 2'', and Mofo is clearly ''{{Earthbound}}''.

** A ''{{Castlevania}}'' shout-out: "What is a sprite? A miserable pile of pixels!"

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: In ''Mofo'', Radd enjoys charging his attack to the maximum, regardless of how much is needed to defeat the enemy. [[hottip:*:It's a turn-based RPG, so he can get away with this. And for the record, it's a 12-bit system.]]

Though the original site is dead and gone from the face of the internet due to AT&T discontinuing their Worldnet service, the site was previously packaged into an archive which is still [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes circulating]]. One copy can be found [[http://tangent128.name/depot/kid_radd.zip here]]. A link with a browser to view it in (unless you're using [=IE5=], you probably want this one) is [[http://kidradd.niftihalostudios.com/ here]]. A fan has uploaded the comic onto his own site [[http://www.bgreco.net/kidradd/index.htm here]]. Another fan has re-coded the comic to work in modern browsers and uploaded it [[http://kidradd.muddasheep.com/kidradd_guillaume/ here]].

A game based on the comic can be found [[http://kidradd.wikispaces.com/fan%2Cprogramming%2CJason+the+Echidna%2CKRIME here]].

* CharacterDevelopment: Again, done well. Hell, the CharacterDevelopment is practically a plot point: characters diverging from their pre-programmed actions is a major part of the plot; the heroes succeed because they have grown beyond what they were written to be, the villains fail because they have chosen to remain [[StaticCharacter static]]

There are spoilers below. Be warned.

* CastFromHP:
** Some of G.I. Guy's attacks.

* TheGoomba: Bogey's role in the ''KidRadd'' games.

* [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him?]]: Justified and Averted. In the final battle, Radd puts up with the villain's monologue to get time to charge his attack. He fires as soon as he finds out how much HP the villain has, and realizes that he has charged sufficiently to instantly kill [[spoiler: The Seer. It doesn't work.]].

* CaptainErsatz: Radd's design was actually inspired by a video game character named Jake, from an old Jaleco game called TotallyRad, as explained [[http://kidradd.muddasheep.com/kidradd_guillaume/credits.htm here.]]
** Radd's name also comes from said game.

** Lampshaded at some other point: Amp says that he "could come up with some StarTrek-style technobabble now, but has never been good at such things."

-->[[ReadOrDie "Evil superclones of historical figures wanna destroy the world by having Beethoven play music in a rocket, and the only one who can stop them is a substitute teacher who telekinetically controls paper."]]

** '''Sheena''': Besides, if you'd died, how could I [[spoiler:arrest you]]?

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of video games, video game tropes, and probably some sprite comics as well.

* [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him?]]: Justified and Averted. In the final battle, Radd puts up with the villains monologue to get time to charge his attack. He fires as soon as he finds out how much HP the villain has, and realizes that he has charged sufficiently to instantly kill [[spoiler: The Seer. It doesn't work.]].

* TransformationSequence

-->'''Kobayashi''': Um, [[IGotBetter he got better]].

* ShootTheMessanger: Crystal. (She settles for "infliction of gratuitous pain" - almost as much fun as killing him, but less wasteful and less cliché.)