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{{Infobox Website
{{Infobox Website
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| name = That Guy with the Glasses
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| current status = Online
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'''That Guy with the Glasses''' is a website that primarily showcases comedic reviews of [[movies]], [[television shows]], [[popular music]], [[comics]] and [[video games]]. It primarily features the work of Doug Walker, a Chicago-based comedian, writer, and film critic also known as "That Guy with the Glasses". In addition to Walker, the website also features videos from other producers. The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company [[Channel Awesome]]. The site was launched in April 2008 after the original videos were removed from [[YouTube]] following complaints of copyright infringement.
'''''That Guy with the Glasses''''' is a website that primarily showcases satirical reviews of [[movies]], [[television shows]], [[popular music]], [[comics]] and [[video games]]. It primarily features the work of Doug Walker, a Chicago-based comedian, writer, and film critic also known as "That Guy with the Glasses". In addition to Walker, the website also features videos from other producers. The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company [[Channel Awesome]]. The site was launched in April 2008 after the original videos were removed from [[YouTube]] following complaints of copyright infringement.


The website is home to several series, starring Douglas Walker [[List of Channel Awesome shows#Team TGWTG|and others]]. The main Walker series are ''[[Nostalgia Critic]]'' (scene-by-scene reviews of films and television, later including more recent movies as well), ''Ask That Guy with the Glasses'' (a comedy question and answer show), ''Bum Reviews'' (plot summaries of recently released feature films), and ''5 Second Movies'' (hyper-edited feature films). Other videos and written articles are hosted on the site, including some minor series and sketches starring Walker. Videos are now hosted by [[blip.tv]] after problems with earlier provider [[Revver]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=11141|title=Revver Non-Payments Have Video Makers Crying Foul|accessdate=2009-04-14|first=Troy |last=Dreier |publisher=''StreamingMedia''}}</ref>
The website is home to several series, starring Douglas Walker [[List of Channel Awesome shows#Team TGWTG|and others]]. The main Walker series are ''5 Second Movies'' (hyper-edited feature films), ''[[Nostalgia Critic]]'' (scene-by-scene reviews of films and television, later including more recent movies as well), ''Ask That Guy with the Glasses'' (a comedy question and answer show) and ''Bum Reviews'' (humorous plot summaries of recently released feature films). Other videos and written articles are hosted on the site, including some minor series and sketches starring Walker. Videos are now hosted by [[blip.tv]] after problems with earlier provider [[Revver]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=11141|title=Revver Non-Payments Have Video Makers Crying Foul|accessdate=2009-04-14|first=Troy |last=Dreier |publisher=''StreamingMedia''}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
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On June 28, 2012, Channel Awesome content producers Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic), Lindsay Ellis (The Nostalgia Chick), Brad Jones (The Cinema Snob), and Todd Nathanson (Todd in the Shadows) signed exclusivity deals with [[Blip.tv]],<ref name="tribuneblip">{{cite web|title=Blip launches production studio, seeks to expand|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-socialmedia-blip-expansionbre85r1me-20120628%2C0%2C7468528.story|date=June 28, 2012 |work=The Chicago Tribune |accessdate=2012-07-29}}</ref> the video website which has directly hosted most TGWTG and Channel Awesome programming since they left [[Revver]] in 2008.<ref name="revver">{{cite web|url=http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/site-news/general-updates/2483-revver-be-dead |title=Revver be Dead |work=That Guy With The Glasses|date=2008-11-14 |accessdate=2008-11-14}}</ref> The deal will not affect the appearance of the producers' videos on Channel Awesome's That Guy with the Glasses website, and would assist the increase of budget of the four series, as well as provide technical improvements.<ref name="tribuneblip"/> An extension of this deal is a Blip-run YouTube channel called "League of Super Critics" which also uploads the unedited videos of all four producers, with the exception of the Cinema Snob, whose videos are edited down from the original version so that the only way one can see the full video is to go to Blip.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/user/LeagueOfSuperCritics</ref>
On June 28, 2012, Channel Awesome content producers Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic), Lindsay Ellis (The Nostalgia Chick), Brad Jones (The Cinema Snob), and Todd Nathanson (Todd in the Shadows) signed exclusivity deals with [[Blip.tv]],<ref name="tribuneblip">{{cite web|title=Blip launches production studio, seeks to expand|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-socialmedia-blip-expansionbre85r1me-20120628%2C0%2C7468528.story|date=June 28, 2012 |work=The Chicago Tribune |accessdate=2012-07-29}}</ref> the video website which has directly hosted most TGWTG and Channel Awesome programming since they left [[Revver]] in 2008.<ref name="revver">{{cite web|url=http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/site-news/general-updates/2483-revver-be-dead |title=Revver be Dead |work=That Guy With The Glasses|date=2008-11-14 |accessdate=2008-11-14}}</ref> The deal will not affect the appearance of the producers' videos on Channel Awesome's That Guy with the Glasses website, and would assist the increase of budget of the four series, as well as provide technical improvements.<ref name="tribuneblip"/> An extension of this deal is a Blip-run YouTube channel called "League of Super Critics" which also uploads the unedited videos of all four producers, with the exception of the Cinema Snob, whose videos are edited down from the original version so that the only way one can see the full video is to go to Blip.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/user/LeagueOfSuperCritics</ref>

==Events==

===First Anniversary: ''That Guy With The Glasses Team Brawl''===
On May 10, 2009, The Nostalgia Critic and the [[Angry Video Game Nerd]] starred in "TGWTG Team Brawl", which was filmed in Chicago, IL, and celebrated That Guy With the Glasses' first anniversary. Various personalities from both the Critic and Nerd's sites participated in a battle between the "Reviewers", led by the Critic, and "Gamers", led by the Nerd. "The Final Brawl" was created not only as a major cross-over video, but as a meet up for the contributors. One notable crossover video was a joint review with the Nostalgia Critic and Angry Video Game Nerd who reviewed a documentary about the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#Concert tour|Coming Out of their Shells]]" concert.

===TGWTG Charity Donation Drive===
On December 5, 2009, Doug and Rob Walker, Noah Antwiler, Joe Vargas, Ed Glaser, Brian Heinz, Bhargav Dronamraju, Bennett White, and Victoria Turner hosted a live charity drive to raise money for the Ronald McDonald house charity. The drive was hosted on [[UStream]], accepting donations through [[PayPal]] and offering incentives on the site such as premium memberships on the site, along with a phone call from Doug and company for any donations over $300. The drive started at 7:00 CST, and had raised over $20,000 by midnight. The drive ran for over 7 hours and ended with a grand total of $26,400. The second donation drive was held on December 5, 2010, ending with a grand total of $50,025.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/site-news/general-updates/28877-charity-drive-2010-aftermath |title=Charity Drive 2010 Aftermath |work=That Guy with the Glasses |last=Michaud |first=Mike |date=2010-12-06}}</ref>

===Second Anniversary: ''Kickassia''===
A special marking the second anniversary of the site was filmed in the [[Republic of Molossia]] on April 9 through April 11, 2010. In addition to the site contributors, the video also features Molossia's President Kevin Baugh and his family playing parodies of themselves. The plot involves the site members invading Molossia, under the leadership of the Nostalgia Critic, renaming the [[micronation]] ''Kickassia'', before infighting instigated by the previous ruler who had infiltrated the Kickassian government in disguise, leads to the collapse of the new state and restoration of the previous government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Invasion! |date=12 April 2010|url=http://www.molossia.org/article202.html |work=Khamsin Molossia News |publisher=Molossia.org |accessdate=2010-05-15}}</ref> A DVD of the special was released in October 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/specials/28214-kickassia-the-dvd|title=Kickassia the DVD! |work=That Guy with the Glasses |date=2010-10-17}}</ref>

The series was met with mixed to positive reception.

===Third Anniversary: ''Suburban Knights''===
The third anniversary special of the site, entitled ''Suburban Knights'', aired in seven parts from June 27 to July 2 in 2011. The plot involves the reviewers going after "Malachite's Hand",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/specials/31491-suburban-knights-part-1 |title=Suburban Knights Part 1 |publisher=Thatguywiththeglasses.com |date=2011-06-26 |accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref> a magic gauntlet hidden in suburban [[Illinois]] while [[cosplaying]] famous characters from fantasy films and video games. During their quest, they are opposed by a force of guardians that are protecting the gauntlet, and are pursued by Malachite, an ancient sorcerer who seeks the gauntlet to restore his powers and destroy the world of technology forever. Malachite overpowers the reviewers and briefly reclaims the gauntlet—which had been refashioned into a Nintendo [[Power Glove]]—but is defeated by Ma-Ti (a parody of Ma-Ti from ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers|Captain Planet]]'') through the power of heart. Ma-Ti is killed along with Malachite and the reviewers hold his funeral, parodying that of [[Spock]] in ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|Star Trek II]]''.

The film was met with generally positive reception, citing a great storyline as the series' major strength.

===Fourth Anniversary: ''To Boldly Flee''===
On June 27, 2012, a teaser trailer was released for the site's fourth anniversary special ''To Boldly Flee'', an 8-part, three-hour-plus [[science fiction]] parody film. A "final" trailer was released on August 16, 2012. The site's promotion of the special caused fan speculation about the possible end of the Nostalgia Critic series.

Part 1 was released on August 23, 2012 with the other parts being released every three days thereafter. Combining elements of slapstick, black, meta, and referential humor, with in-jokes and callbacks to individual contributors' running sketches and gags (such as a lengthy sub-plot involving Linkara's archenemy clone Mechakara), it is a direct continuation of the ''Suburban Knights'' story, centering around a search across the solar system for the presumed-dead Ma-Ti and a mysterious space anomaly called the 'Plot Hole,' which spews out inconsistencies in time and logic, causing an imbalance.

In the final episode, the Nostalgia Critic enters the real world through the hole and meets the Writer (Doug Walker), learning that he is in fact a fictitious character. After the hole merges with the universe, the Critic, too, merges with the hole to keep it stable, thus supplying an "in-universe" reason for his departure. The remaining TGWTG critics, having survived the merging and accepting the fact that they now reside within a literal mistake, celebrate their victory in That Guy with the Glasses' mansion.

The film parodies and pays homage to numerous works of [[science fiction]], including ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[Judge Dredd (film)|Judge Dredd]]'', ''[[Battlefield Earth (film)|Battlefield Earth]]'', ''[[Robocop]]'', ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', ''[[The Terminator (film)|The Terminator]]'', ''[[Superman II]]'', ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' and ''[[The Matrix]]'', among many others. The film also satirizes the [[Stop Online Piracy Act]], [[internet censorship]] and the [[film industry]] in general. The title ''To Boldly Flee'' is itself a reference to a popular ''Star Trek'' [[Where no man has gone before|phrase]].

===The End and Return of the Nostalgia Critic===
In August and September 2012, Walker began laying the groundwork for a Nostalgia Critic finale. Beginning in the framing device for his video review of ''[[Scooby-Doo (film)|Scooby-Doo]]'' and culminating with the final events in the ''To Boldly Flee'' special, the Nostalgia Critic was given an official send-off. Walker confirmed his intention to end Nostalgia Critic as a series in a video news update on September 14, 2012<ref>{{cite web|title=No More Nostalgia Critic?|url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/video-updates/36516-no-more-nostalgia-critic|website=That Guy With The Glasses|publisher=Channel Awesome}}</ref> and provided further details about the series' end in his commentary for the Scooby-Doo review on September 19.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scooby-Doo Commentary|url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/36580-scooby-doo-commentary|website=That Guy With The Glasses|publisher=Channel Awesome}}</ref>

In January 2013, Walker resumed the Nostalgia Critic series with an episode entitled ''The Review Must Go On''. In the video, Walker (playing himself) has a conversation with the Nostalgia Critic (the character, also played by Walker) in which they explain their reasons for the return of the series.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Review Must Go On|url=http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/38009-the-review-must-go-on|website=That Guy With The Glasses|publisher=Channel Awesome}}</ref> On February 5, 2013, Nostalgia Critic resumed weekly updates with one significant change to its previous format: reviews would no longer be limited to movies produced before the year 2002.

===Fifth Year Anniversary: ''The Uncanny Valley''===
The teaser trailer for the fifth year anniversary special, entitled ''The Uncanny Valley'', was released on July 2, 2013, and the special itself was released in installments between July 23, 2013 and July 28, 2013. Taken as a whole, the special is an anthology film all written by several contributors of the site.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Title
! Plot
! Release date
|-
|''Dragonbored''
|A video game addict named Carl (Karl Custer, Jr.) brings his character (Doug Walker) from the ficitional<br>''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|Skyguard]]'' who slowly begins to take over Carl's life.
|July 23, 2013<ref>http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/specials/40048-the-uncanny-valley-dragonbored</ref>
|-
|''Dragged In''
|Sci-Fi Guy (Leo Thompson) is hired by a government agency and learns that aliens are abducting the<br>most popular internet topic: cats!
|July 24, 2013
|-
|''The Reviewers''
|Andy (Brian Lewis) and Jeff (Jake Norvell) are two rival internet reviewers competing to get famous online.
|July 25, 2013
|-
|''Internet Dating and Me''
|MikeJ (Mike Jeavons) explores the world of online dating in this documentary film.
|July 26, 2013
|-
|''Darkside of the Internet''
|Welshy (Mat Williams) presents a documentary about the dangers of the Internet, featuring a number of Channel Awesome producers.
|July 27, 2013
|-
|''The Pointless Epilogue''
|Diamanda Hagan (Xaria Byron) wraps up The Uncanny Valley by attempting to get her own contribution up, but finds out it is too late and kills The Web Master (Nash Bozard) and Thomas (Rob Walker), before being asked to bring them back to life by Channel Awesome.
|July 28, 2013
|}


==Overview==
==Overview==
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===The Cinema Snob===
===The Cinema Snob===
⚫
''The Cinema Snob'' stars Brad Jones as a pretentious [[art critic]] who watches and comments on late 60's-early 90's obscure [[exploitation film]]s and [[pornography]]. Like many other shows on "That Guy with the Glasses", Jones started his show on [[YouTube]] until he was confronted with a copyright claim from the filmmakers of ''[[Nail Gun Massacre]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bthroughz.com/2011/feb/brad.html|title=BtZ24: An interview with Brad Jones|publisher=Bthroughz.com|date= |accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref> The first episode on the site was "E.T. The Porno" (January 7, 2010).
{{main|The Cinema Snob}}

⚫
''The Cinema Snob'' stars Brad Jones as a pretentious [[film critic]] who watches and comments on late 60's-early 90's obscure [[exploitation film]]s and [[pornography]]. Like many other shows on "That Guy with the Glasses", Jones started his show on [[YouTube]] until he was confronted with a copyright claim from the filmmakers of ''[[Nail Gun Massacre]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bthroughz.com/2011/feb/brad.html|title=BtZ24: An interview with Brad Jones|publisher=Bthroughz.com|date= |accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref> The first episode on the site was "E.T. The Porno" (January 7, 2010).


A film adaptation, ''The Cinema Snob Movie'', directed by Ryan Mitchelle, was released on September 27, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cinema Snob: Bad movies are beautiful to Brad Jones|url=http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-10753-the-cinema-snob.html|publisher=Illinois Times|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FROM OUR BLOGS: The Cinema Snob movie reviewed|url=http://thenewsherald.com/articles/2012/12/29/entertainment/doc50df74b94bc74384378630.txt|publisher=News Herald|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref>
A film adaptation, ''The Cinema Snob Movie'', directed by Ryan Mitchelle, was released on September 27, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cinema Snob: Bad movies are beautiful to Brad Jones|url=http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-10753-the-cinema-snob.html|publisher=Illinois Times|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FROM OUR BLOGS: The Cinema Snob movie reviewed|url=http://thenewsherald.com/articles/2012/12/29/entertainment/doc50df74b94bc74384378630.txt|publisher=News Herald|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref>
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The Nostalgia Critic is the most popular video series created by Walker, in which he plays the titular reviewer. The show is written by him and his brother Rob Walker. The series was initially launched on [[YouTube]] before moving to Blip TV. It is the flagship show for Channel Awesome, which has since built on it with additional content, additional websites and the spin-off show ''Nostalgia Chick''.<ref>http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/channel-awesome-s-new-shows-and-more</ref>
The Nostalgia Critic is the most popular video series created by Walker, in which he plays the titular reviewer. The show is written by him and his brother Rob Walker. The series was initially launched on [[YouTube]] before moving to Blip TV. It is the flagship show for Channel Awesome, which has since built on it with additional content, additional websites and the spin-off show ''Nostalgia Chick''.<ref>http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/channel-awesome-s-new-shows-and-more</ref>

===Atop the Fourth Wall===
<!--Please do not remove this until you can clean it up and perhaps provide references-->

Originally a blog, Atop the Fourth Wall (abbreviated AT4W) features Lewis Lovhaug (stage name Linkara) reviewing bad [[comic books]]. The theme song indicates his distaste for the work of [[Gary Brodsky]] and [[Rob Leifeld]], although Linkara also features a segment called "Miller Time" (named after an ad campaign for [[Miller beer]]), in which he reviews comics from [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]] after his prime. A recurring element is his extreme hatred of the [[Spider-Man]] comic One More Day, which he initially stated he would not review. He eventually reviewed it for his 200th episode. Occasionally, [[public service announcement]] comics will be reviewed in a recurring segment labeled "PSA Hell". Linkara dedicated an entire month to PSA comics, calling it "PSA Hell Month". Every fall, Linkara features an entire month in which he reviews [[golden age of comics|golden age]] or [[silver age of comics|silver age]] comics in a segment he calls Secret Origins Month. This segment focuses either on a superhero's first appearance in comics or the first comic to provide an origin story for the superhero. Another occurring trait is his distaste for depictions of women in scantily clad clothing, with emphasis on their breasts and buttox, especially a recurring physically impossible pose with the back curved in such a bizarre way so as to emphasize both the breasts and buttox at the same time. This is accompanied by his admittance that he is a [[femminism|femminist]]. Linkara has also created a term for mostly artwork from the nineties designed to look "edgier" by drawing them in such a way which makes them appear to lack eyes, which he calls "Youngbloods disease" after a comic which features this especially.

Throughout the series Linkara has developed various plots including fighting evil versions of himself and getting his own spaceship (with the set of the ship becoming increasingly realistic over the years). His ship is controlled by a [[HAL-9000]] like AI known as NIMUE (after the [[Lady of the Lake]]) and a personal robot named Pollo (after the Spanish name for [[chicken (food)|chicken]]). Initially made of a cardboard box and paper cups, Pollo has since become a CGI robot.

Linkara has expressed his enjoyment of [[Power Rangers]] (a side project also on the site in which he narrates the history of each incarnation of the show), [[Pokemon]], [[Dr. Who]], [[Star Trek]], and [[Yugioh]].

The show's slogan is "where bad comics burn". There have been certain episodes in which Linkara has actually burned the comic after reviewing it.

On occasion Linkara will upload episodes filmed at conventions, labeling it "Atop the Fourth Wall Live". These episodes often feature a question and answer segment following the review.

The show has had a couple comic book crew members including ''Mightily Murdered Power Ringers'' writer [[Nat Gertler]]<ref>http://blip.tv/at4w/at4w-mightily-murdered-power-ringers-1-5487439</ref> and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' artist [[Evan Stanley]].<ref>http://blip.tv/at4w/at4w-sonic-super-special-7-7032265</ref>

===The Blockbuster Buster===
<!---Do not delete this until you can either improve it or find sources--->

E-Rod the Blockbuster Buster is a reviewer of bad high-budget films, in contrast to Nostalgia Critic's reviews of any bad film regardless of budget. Throughout his show E-Rod has created several plots, mostly regarding disabling his "powers" (given to him by a [[claw hammer]], a la [[mjolnir]] on [[Thor]]) until he reviews the bad movies presented to him. A recurring element is his distaste for [[Michael Bay]] movies, period pieces placed in modern times, and films which use CGI to give real animals human expressions and a voice. One focus of his is how well theatrical adaptations replicate their source material.

E-Rod has continuously admitted he is a big fan of [[Darkwing Duck]].

In his original intro, he can be seen hammering a VHS copy of [[Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace]]. The [[Don LaFontaine|in a world]] style dialogue at the start of the original intro implies that his purpose is to "avenge the world from remakes and sequels".

===Todd in the Shadows===
Todd in the Shadows is a weekly show that reviews current popular music in "Todd's Pop Song Reviews" and discusses the brief stints in popularity of past songs in the show "One Hit Wonderland." It is hosted by Todd Nathanson.


==Notable former series==
==Notable former series==
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{official website|http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/}}
* [http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/ ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com]


{{Channel Awesome}}
{{Channel Awesome}}

Revision as of 02:55, 23 September 2014

That Guy with the Glasses
Type of site
Web series (entertainment reviews and comedy)
OwnerChannel Awesome
URLthatguywiththeglasses.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional

That Guy with the Glasses is a website that primarily showcases satirical reviews of movies, television shows, popular music, comics and video games. It primarily features the work of Doug Walker, a Chicago-based comedian, writer, and film critic also known as "That Guy with the Glasses". In addition to Walker, the website also features videos from other producers. The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel Awesome. The site was launched in April 2008 after the original videos were removed from YouTube following complaints of copyright infringement.

The website is home to several series, starring Douglas Walker and others. The main Walker series are 5 Second Movies (hyper-edited feature films), Nostalgia Critic (scene-by-scene reviews of films and television, later including more recent movies as well), Ask That Guy with the Glasses (a comedy question and answer show) and Bum Reviews (humorous plot summaries of recently released feature films). Other videos and written articles are hosted on the site, including some minor series and sketches starring Walker. Videos are now hosted by blip.tv after problems with earlier provider Revver.[1]

History

Doug Walker's first appearance on the web was on the video website YouTube, in which he created satirical video reviews of films and other media entertainment of the past and present. Initially, Walker viewed making the videos as a side hobby, rarely interacting with his fans and did not even reveal his real name until a video responding to the Northern Illinois University shooting. The series drew complaints from major studios like 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate over alleged copyright infringement.[2] This led to his video content being taken off the website. Walker attempted to re-upload his content by assigning each video a new, separate channel so that if one were deleted, the others would be left intact. However, due to continuing issues with YouTube, Walker decided to leave the website altogether and create the website That Guy with the Glasses with webmaster Mike Michaud. Michaud had created the sites' parent company, Channel Awesome, after he and two others were laid off from Circuit City in 2007. Michaud has stated, "If we didn't lose our jobs, [the business] wouldn't have happened anytime soon."[3][4][5]

The site was re-launched in April 2008, and all of Walker's future videos would only be posted there. In the following months, the site rapidly added new contributors and series. In December 2008, Walker appeared in a commercial for the PBS documentary Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, performing a series of brief imitations of famous comedians, from Charlie Chaplin to Stephen Colbert.[6] In 2009, Doug and Rob Walker and Brian Heinz produced an iRiff of The Lion King for RiffTrax. In March 2009, the iRiff was chosen as the winner of the website's RiffTrax Presents contest. The performers received $1,000 and, with instruction from Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, recorded a commentary for the film Batman Forever.[7]

The Nostalgia Critic shows average 100,000 to 300,000 viewers per week, and the site as a whole receives 1 million page views per month.[3][4][8] This is expected to increase following content-provider Blip.tv's deal with YouTube in July 2009.[9] As of July 2009, the site earns more than $10,000 per month in advertising revenue and has received more than $11,000 in online donations, with the company expecting to earn $150,000 by the end of the year. In the third quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year, Walker's shows earned $53,000, including $32,000 from the Nostalgia Critic alone. This revenue was generated by run of network from Puma and Starburst.[3][4][5][9] The success of his shows has allowed Walker to make a living performing and to quit his previous job as an illustrator, as well as pay the salary of co-founder/COO Mike Ellis.[3]

Channel Awesome has plans to build on the success of That Guy with the Glasses with a network of new websites including Bar Fiesta (covering Chicago entertainment and nightlife), Blistered Thumbs (a spin off incorporating the current site's video game content) and InkedReality (anime, manga, and comic books). Michaud told the Chicago Sun-Times that he has 300 new show ideas in the works, intends to discover more performers like Walker, and has plans to increase revenue through sponsorships and merchandising.[3][5][10]

On June 28, 2012, Channel Awesome content producers Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic), Lindsay Ellis (The Nostalgia Chick), Brad Jones (The Cinema Snob), and Todd Nathanson (Todd in the Shadows) signed exclusivity deals with Blip.tv,[11] the video website which has directly hosted most TGWTG and Channel Awesome programming since they left Revver in 2008.[12] The deal will not affect the appearance of the producers' videos on Channel Awesome's That Guy with the Glasses website, and would assist the increase of budget of the four series, as well as provide technical improvements.[11] An extension of this deal is a Blip-run YouTube channel called "League of Super Critics" which also uploads the unedited videos of all four producers, with the exception of the Cinema Snob, whose videos are edited down from the original version so that the only way one can see the full video is to go to Blip.[13]

Overview

The website features content from about 50 other producers aside from Doug Walker. The majority of the content is humorous reviews of various media and popular culture items, though some content does not consist of reviews or is not primarily humorous.

Current long-running series

The Cinema Snob

The Cinema Snob stars Brad Jones as a pretentious art critic who watches and comments on late 60's-early 90's obscure exploitation films and pornography. Like many other shows on "That Guy with the Glasses", Jones started his show on YouTube until he was confronted with a copyright claim from the filmmakers of Nail Gun Massacre.[14] The first episode on the site was "E.T. The Porno" (January 7, 2010).

A film adaptation, The Cinema Snob Movie, directed by Ryan Mitchelle, was released on September 27, 2012.[15][16]

Nostalgia Chick

The idea of a "Nostalgia Chick" to complement the existing "Nostalgia Critic" (Doug Walker) was announced on the That Guy with the Glasses website in "The Search for the Nostalgia Chick" (August 10, 2008). The idea was for a female host to review female-targeted nostalgic films and television.[17] A contest generated the winner, Lindsay Ellis.[18]

Nostalgia Critic

Main article: Nostalgia Critic

The Nostalgia Critic is the most popular video series created by Walker, in which he plays the titular reviewer. The show is written by him and his brother Rob Walker. The series was initially launched on YouTube before moving to Blip TV. It is the flagship show for Channel Awesome, which has since built on it with additional content, additional websites and the spin-off show Nostalgia Chick.[19]

Notable former series

The Spoony Experiment

Main article: The Spoony Experiment

The Spoony Experiment (TSE) is a series starring by Noah Antwiler (born December 27, 1980)[20] as "The Spoony One" or "Spoony". The series was hosted on both its own site of the same name, and That Guy with the Glasses. The primary format of the series is humorous reviews of video games and movies. From 2010, it has also incorporated some games journalism at trade shows such as the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The mascot of the series is "Burton the Robot", a robot puppet made by Antwiler. On June 21, 2012, following controversial comments made by Antwiler on Twitter, TGWTG.com announced Antwiler's intention to leave the site to pursue his own goals.[21]

Awards

On January 6, 2011, Doug Walker was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in Las Vegas at the 4th Annual Mashable Awards, Mashable Awards 2010.[22]

References

  1. ^ Dreier, Troy. "Revver Non-Payments Have Video Makers Crying Foul". StreamingMedia. Retrieved 2009-04-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Pickard, Anna (November 19, 2007). "The five-second movies and why you should watch them". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-09. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e Spirrison, Brad (July 6, 2009). "Entertainers don't need TV break to hit it big". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  4. ^ a b c Meyer, Ann (July 6, 2009). "Growing breed of accidental entrepreneur has recession to thank for business creation". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  5. ^ a b c Daley, Jason (December 2009). "The Entrepreneur Economy". Entrepreneur. Please note that Mike Ellis and Mike Michaud have been mislabeled in the article.
  6. ^ "Lost in DC: PBS Commercial Documentary". That Guy with the Glasses. February 18, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  7. ^ "We have a Winner!". RiffTrax. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  8. ^ Graham, Jefferson (February 13, 2009). "Blip.tv gives videomakers a chance to be a star". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
  9. ^ a b Learmonth, Mke (July 28, 2009). "Blip.tv Brings Programs to YouTube, Ads to 'Channel Awesome'". Advertising Age. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  10. ^ "Status of the Site 6/5/09". That Guy With The Glasses. June 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  11. ^ a b "Blip launches production studio, seeks to expand". The Chicago Tribune. June 28, 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-29.
  12. ^ "Revver be Dead". That Guy With The Glasses. 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  13. ^ http://www.youtube.com/user/LeagueOfSuperCritics
  14. ^ "BtZ24: An interview with Brad Jones". Bthroughz.com. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  15. ^ "The Cinema Snob: Bad movies are beautiful to Brad Jones". Illinois Times. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  16. ^ "FROM OUR BLOGS: The Cinema Snob movie reviewed". News Herald. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  17. ^ Jenkins, Mike; Bacio, Jose (June 19, 2009). "The Man Hour". Man Hour Goes Nostalgic. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  18. ^ (itunes)
  19. ^ http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/channel-awesome-s-new-shows-and-more
  20. ^ Noah Antwiler on IMDb.com
  21. ^ "A Farewell to Noah Antwiler aka SpoonyOne with CA". 22 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  22. ^ "Mashable". Mashable. January 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-07.

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