Ask The Ninja is deadly funny
If you’ve read my profile (in the right-column), you know I’m developing an Internet TV show. I hesitate to call this project a video blog, because I’m planning it as a fully conceived and hosted comedy show.
But since I’m not a major studio, it’s not a “Hollywood” TV show either. It’s something in the middle. I call it an Internet TV show. Sounds kinda bland, but until someone comes up with a better label, it’ll have to do.
One of the goals of this site profile these Internet TV shows.
There are a few content providers who are producing these kinds of shows. The previously mentioned Rocketboom is probably the most famous. And while I’m a big fan of the 6-episode TallGuy, ShortGuy, it hasn’t yet caught the mainstream attention.
Today’s featured show is Ask A Ninja. Launched in Nov 2005, this weekly show features a ninja (either live action or animated) who answers viewer’s questions with hilariously over-the-top Ninja responses.
In the popular Santa Claus episode, Ninja informs us that Santa is actually a ninja who kills little children who awake too early on Christmas Day. If they see Santa before he has time to leave, he has to kill them because of the ninja code. That’s why his coat is red – it’s actually covered in the blood of unfortunate kiddies. Not your usual network sitcom, to be sure, but enormously popular on the Net.
The show is professionally done, it’s funny and it has regularly-scheduled episodes posted on the site. While all that is commendable, what really impresses me is their approach to the financial model. They have a store, they sell ringtones, and they’re soliciting ads on their site. As their interview with Business Week makes clear, they have a clear plan to market themselves and develop multiple income streams.
Since they’re based in LA, I hope to interview them in the near future and get more details. Stay tuned.
But since I’m not a major studio, it’s not a “Hollywood” TV show either. It’s something in the middle. I call it an Internet TV show. Sounds kinda bland, but until someone comes up with a better label, it’ll have to do.
One of the goals of this site profile these Internet TV shows.
There are a few content providers who are producing these kinds of shows. The previously mentioned Rocketboom is probably the most famous. And while I’m a big fan of the 6-episode TallGuy, ShortGuy, it hasn’t yet caught the mainstream attention.
Today’s featured show is Ask A Ninja. Launched in Nov 2005, this weekly show features a ninja (either live action or animated) who answers viewer’s questions with hilariously over-the-top Ninja responses.
In the popular Santa Claus episode, Ninja informs us that Santa is actually a ninja who kills little children who awake too early on Christmas Day. If they see Santa before he has time to leave, he has to kill them because of the ninja code. That’s why his coat is red – it’s actually covered in the blood of unfortunate kiddies. Not your usual network sitcom, to be sure, but enormously popular on the Net.
The show is professionally done, it’s funny and it has regularly-scheduled episodes posted on the site. While all that is commendable, what really impresses me is their approach to the financial model. They have a store, they sell ringtones, and they’re soliciting ads on their site. As their interview with Business Week makes clear, they have a clear plan to market themselves and develop multiple income streams.
Since they’re based in LA, I hope to interview them in the near future and get more details. Stay tuned.
posted by Mark at 4:04 PM
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