Over the past few years since ItsJustSomeRandomGuy and Gal starting making Marvel/DC parodies, several fans--and some haters--have pondered just how old the man who writes and voices action figures really is. Now, RandomGal has been gracious and open enough to let us know that she is 26 years old, but RandomGuy has been surprisingly tight-lipped. Often, viewers at the Randoms' blogTV shows have tried to pry it out, even slyly asking what his Chinese Zodiac sign is.

At this point, many figure him to be between 23-32 years old (hey, that's the perfect age range to play the lead in the upcoming Captain America movie!). However, no one outside of his personal life actually knows, and RandomGuy himself has never revealed it...until now. And now, without further adieu... That's right, you heard it here first, folks! The man, the myth, the legend himself is but a wee 36-month-old lad. Surprising, huh? And to think, all this time we thought that Mike was old enough to be our older brother. Ha! Shows what we know. =P

Okay, yes, I know that was a cop-out, but hey, you gotta take what you can get. Still, it's definitely important to note that today is the 3rd birthday of the ItsJustSomeRandomGuy channel on YouTube. After all, this whole fan site is dedicated to it. Three years ago, a YouTube video was posted on the Internet, and it has never been the same since. Sure, its format was based on an already popular series of Apple commercials, but in the realm of the comic book movie industry, this was a real game changer. Suddenly, someone out there, someone like the rest of us, wasn't just blogging, vlogging, or forum posting about what was good or bad about past, present and future superhero movies; he was doing it with creativity--with style. The Mac vs. PC format fit so well with the age-old Marvel vs. DC rivalry, that it just worked. Spider-Man and Superman, representing their respective companies and movies, totally in character. Why hadn't anyone done that before?

It has been quite a productive first three years of RandomLife for the channel since this first game changer (whose recent 4 millionth view I blogged about here), with plenty of videos that proved to be game changers as well. The following is a look back on 23 important videos that have changed the rules of the RandomVerse and have shaped what it looks like after three years. With just the second posting, this video marks the first expansion of the RandomVerse, with the introduction of the Hulk. It was no longer just a Spider-Man/Superman world. RandomGuy could voice more than just two characters. Since then, RandomFans have been on their toes, anticipating (and sometimes wrongfully demanding) the appearance of new characters and figures.

This video sees the first location change in the RandomVerse--the first appearance of The Heroes Bar, a place that still holds an utmost importance today, if you believe Darkseid. Not only did this location become the setting for After Hours, the first season of their Marvel/DC series, but it also gave the Randoms an out from the White Sheet location, which, after five segments of the Mac/PC parody format, was in danger of becoming stale. And of course, it marks the first appearance of the RandomVerse's first (and for some time, only) original character: Lance M. Donovan.

If nothing else, this video represents how ItsJustSomeRandomGuy's videos were more than just a popular web series. The fact that this video premiered on G4's Attack of the Show made their status as a pop cultural phenomenon official. Also, this is just a really really funny video. Make sure you watch this one again.

At the time it was posted, Villains Edition was not unlike #7 in that it introduces another Spider-Man/Superman pair of characters, and is just really really funny. But this video goes beyond that because of who this pair of characters is. The Green Goblin has become probably the most beloved character in the RandomVerse, quite possibly because of the liberties the Randoms took in reshaping his personality into a completely new beast of its own. On the flip side, the introduction of Lex Luthor is a game changer, as he would end up being the main villain in the After Hours saga. Lastly, the instantly classic chemistry between Gobby and Lex set a precedent for future odd couples in the RandomVerse.

This video, while showing The Heroes Bar for the third time, was the first segment to use the full potential of the setting. It added an unprecedented number of seven new characters into the mix, and gave a much broader scope of the RandomVerse population. It also marks the beginning of the first spin-off series from the Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC videos, which would later prove vital to the growth of these videos. At a duration of 3:15, this was the first RandomVid to surpass the 3-minute mark.

Besides including the Bat-Family, this video's importance lies in its revelation of there being a plot afoot within the Marvel/DC world. After twelve segments of what were effectively one-off sketches, this video blew many fans away in anticipation of the developing story. It also technically contains the first appearance of the Villain Hangout.

This video included the first "Previously..." segment, the first appearances of Venom, the Joker, and Dr. Doom (as well as many more villains), and first showed any signs of a Goblin/Harley connection, and most importantly, dove right into the developing the After Hours storyline and got it going. Lastly, this video contained the first original music written by ItsJustSomeRandomGuy.

Released almost a year before Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, this solidifies Gobby's status as the Original Villain-Vlogger. It gave the Randoms the space to really stretch their legs with Gobby's larger-than-life personality, and to this day, the Goblin Bloggin' series remains a fan favorite.

This was the first video that was so long that it had to be cut up into two parts. (On a side note, it is also probably one of the most well written, acted, voiced, executed, and edited YouTube videos ever.)

The first season finale of the Marvel/DC series, After Hours #7 really pulled out all of the stops. Clocking in at 18:54, only the finale of Happy Hour has surpassed its length. But beyond duration, this finale held a clinic on how to pay off every plot line set up by its previous episodes. The redemption of Superman as a character not only concluded the central emotional theme of the saga, but it was also ItsJustSomeRandomGuy's love letter response to their first few videos, which completely embarrassed the character. Few videos have rivaled this one.

The Randoms threw everyone for a loop with this video. After the epic season finale of After Hours ended with the Joker's laughter, fans were waiting for any word on the potential second season. But it was our surprise! Instead, was a quaint, somewhat more serious, but emotionally powerful video that has been featured on YouTube every holiday season since it was posted. If it wasn't evident before, this proved that the Randoms' range was indeed limitless.

This is the first video off of which ItsJustSomeRandomGuy directly made real money. It was so exciting when they announced that they were hired by the New York Comic Con to make promotional videos. The success of this video and the other two NYCC 2008 promos allowed for Reed Exhibitions to continue their fruitful relationship with the Randoms and hire them for NYCC 2009 and the upcoming C2E2 2010. The first video to be premiered at New York Comic Con 2008...was not this one. However, as the first episode of Season Two, it represents probably the most anticipated night in the history of the RandomVerse. It represents the first ItsJustSomeRandomPanel.

This was the fourth video that the ItsJustSomeRandomGuy channel posted on the same night--the night of the first ItsJustSomeRandomPanel--and it remains a special one. First of all, it was the first time many fans saw and heard either one of the Randoms speak for themselves. It also provided the first in-depth look at the intense behind-the-scenes work behind these videos. It also made the status of RandomGuy and Gal's relationship official: scissors-based.

This video brought the RandomFan community back to the long-lost Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC format, and it's a good thing that the Randoms made the decision to revisit it. This video is the second-most viewed RandomVid ever, proving that this format was not at all stale; it just needed a break once in a while. In a summer full of superhero movies, the arguments between Iron Man, Hulk, Batman, and Hellboy are among the most popular and favorited videos by the Randoms to date. It kicked off the tradition of going back to this format wheenver major comic book movies are relevant.

This video changed everything for the average RandomFan. Finally, there was a way to directly support our favorite YouTubers financially. For many, it was also the first time one could hear Michael Agrusso's normal speaking voice.

Like the previous one, this game changer completely rewrote the rules of the RandomFan side of the RandomVerse. The accessibility between the Randoms and their fans increased tenfold. That first broadcast at blogtv.com brought hundreds of RandomFans together, and the eventual weekly broadcasts that followed have continued to do so every Tuesday night, making it officially the new Friday. And of course, it is thanks to that first broadcast that this very fan site even exists.

If nothing else, the fact that this video features a Watchmen character is huge. After effectively ignoring Punisher: War Zone and The Spirit the previous winter, comic book fans were really interested to see if RandomGuy and Gal would give their take on the spring movie and its characters, apologies to Alan Moore or not. This video, probably more than any other in 2009, defined the whole year for the Randoms. When Deadpool struck, it completely rejuvenated Round Three, as well as brought in a ton of hardcore Deadpool fans into the RandomFandom. This was also the first video with an original song by RandomGuy. And of course, it saw the first meeting between Rorschach and Deadpool. Plus, this video is made of pure win.

The first trailer parody since Marvel/DC Season Two Promo, this video saved the summer for the RandomVerse. Spawning six more blockbuster movie trailer parodies, this video opened whole new worlds for the Randoms to parody. It might take a lot more set-building and props, but that's all fun and games for RandomGal, right?

This video is significant for two reasons: 1) it brought back the holiday special as a valid series of its own, and 2) it was the very first high quality video by ItsJustSomeRandomGuy. It has really made a difference in the subsequent videos.

Just when we thought Round Three was over, RandomGuy and Gal pulled a fast one on us. This video showed that no matter what time of year it is, there could be a video in Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC format, if the situation calls for it. Two videos that have since been made with the same spirit are Marvel/DC: Disney Buys Marvel and Spider-Man Reboot Parody.

As you can see, the Randoms are still changing the game to this day. The last RandomVid of Year Three finally brought together the newest fan-favorite odd couple for a buddy cop parody series of their own. The potential for this new spin-off series has yet to be seen, but if we've learned anything from the past three years, it's that almost anything is possible.


--

I want to thank the two marvels behind the ItsJustSomeRandomGuy channel for three years of hard work, incredible talent and creativity, and for being so mature for a three-year-old. I also want to thank BSfan for helping me compile this list.

Here's to many more years of changing the rules.

spideymouse

Comments

Search RSS

!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved."