Mike & Zach
is an animated web series created by Mike "Piemations" Pitts, a Slice of Life series focused on two As Himself Author Avatars of the titular characters dealing with all sorts of odd situations.
- Season One:
- Skim Milk (Short)note
- Scented Candle
- Stubble Trouble
- Mike's Art Tip of the Week (Short)
- The Landlord
- Skim Milk
- Season Two:
- Printer Problems
- Mike & Zach Beat It
- Something's Off (Short)
- My Valentine (Short)
- Drive Thru (Short)
- Printer Problems
There's also a full Season One release that compiles the episodes.
Mike & Zach provides examples of:
- Affectionate Parody: Stubble Trouble's climax ends up becoming one to Star Wars, particularly homaging Luke's first fight with Darth Vader, with Zach cutting Mike's beard mirroring Luke getting his arm cut off.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: Scented Candle takes place on Zach's birthday... And it's not exactly a fun one when the duo's house ends up getting set on fire.
- Ax-Crazy: The Printer tries to kill Mike and Zach because they didn't have magenta ink.
- Bait-and-Switch: Done several times in Scented Candle, with the candle seemingly set to burn increasingly dangerous objects, only for the cat to knock it away each time... Only for them to immediately knock gasoline over onto it, setting the house aflame.
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: After defeating the Evil Printer in Printer Problems, it explodes, filling the room with the "better black" it talked about earlier.
- The Cameo: Business Guy can be seen in the bus while Mike and Zach are fighting in Stubble Trouble.
- Cloudcuckoolander:
- Mike is a fairly strange person. Often making irrational, reckless decisions and breeding rats for no reason.
- Content Warning: Provided at the start of Printer Problems, specifically for "Strong language, Printers".
- Cranky Landlord: Subverted in The Landlord, as it turns out Robin's actually a really nice guy, and insisted on Mike paying a low rent rate for his and Zach's house.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Zach's response to Mike constantly pestering him about his beard during his date with Gina? Walk off and attempt to shave off Zach's beard, which escalates into a full on fight.
- Does Not Like Spam: Let's just say Mike really doesn't like skim milk...Mike: I'M GONNA STICK MY DICK IN THE SKIM MILK!!!
- Evil Laugh: Mr. Big Office lets loose a prolonged one when Mike and Zach have to purchase a new printer after destroying their previous, hostile printer.
- Exact Words: After a long flurry of retorts involving the phrase "beat it," Zach says he's gonna beat it in frustration, tagging Mike and declaring him "it" before punching him in the face.
- Five Stages of Grief: Parodied in Scented Candle with most of the steps, particularly the two attacking the fire (Anger), Mike trying to offer a check to it (Bargaining), the two breaking down crying as the fire continues to consume their house (Depression), and finally the two waiting in the kitchen to die (Acceptance), at least until Zach gets a plan to stop it.
- Gainax Ending: After an episode about a misunderstanding about the rent, The Landlord seems to end pretty well... Until it turns out Mike bred too many rats that they break through the ceiling, the episode ending with the two and Robin drowning in rats.
- Here We Go Again!: Downplayed, as after a dangerously escalated fight over beards culminated in Mike and Zach reconciling, the two decide to completely shave and play Smash Bros. together after it turns out Gina left while they were fighting... Only to immediately start fighting again over which controllers they use, though Zach decides to pull back and just play with the odd controller.
- Manchild: Mike. Zach is smarter and more level-headed than Mike but he can qualify for this trope as well.
- Nice Guy: Their Landlord is a very sweet guy who allows them to pay low rent.
- Obsessed with Food: Mike has a HUGE one for Bop-Tarts, to the point that his room is completely littered with them in Printer Problems. Though it turns out to be a Chekhov's Gun as Zach uses a Bop-Tart to take down the Evil Printer.
- Precision F-Strike: Zach drops a massive "WHAT THE FUCK?!" as a result of seeing Mike had actually bred rats in the attic, and a ton of them at that, before the two and Robin are left drowning in rats.
- Saw It in a Movie Once: Zach gets an idea to stop the rampant candle based on a zombie film he watched, specifically taking out the "Patient Zero" to take out the rest of the fire. As insane as the plan is, it works... Until it doesn't.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Scented Candle ends on this note with the house once again being set on fire after the duo's efforts to stop it, as it turns out the candle Mike used was a trick candle... And then the fireworks from earlier catch aflame, blowing up the house entirely.
- Shared Universe: With Suction Cup Man, as Business Guy makes a cameo in "Stubble Trouble", as well as Gina appearing in episode 4 of that series.
- Shout-Out: Stubble Trouble has a scene with with Mike and Zach battling like Darth Vader and Luke, and ends with them playing Super Smash Bros..
- Three Laws-Compliant: Discussed by the duo while they're discussing what to do with the Evil Printer in Printer Problems... And unfortunately for them, it's defied when the Evil Printer tells them the laws are fictional and proceeds to attack them.
- Too Dumb to Live: Mike breeds rats in the attic, without any thought as to where the attic is located in regard to the rest of the house.
- Zach has his moments too but not nearly to the level of Mike.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Mike and Zach butt heads a lot and get on each others nerves but they are bros for life.
- Who's on First?: Mike and Zach have a whole episode of this in "Mike & Zach Beat It", with Mike showing Zach Beat It before telling him to beat it so he can go "beat it", with Zach rather confused by what exactly he means, first assuming he means Mike's going to beat his desk, then the tissues, then a game to which Zach offers to help Mike beat it, much to Mike's disgust. Eventually, Mike outright explains he's going to beat his meat. And then Mike is grossed out as Zach says he's gonna beat it, with Zach going to beat it with Mike in irritation.
