Dave the Barbarian

I am not a big fan of Disney. I don't like Lizzie McGuire, I don't like That's So Raven, I HATE the stupid sequels that they come out with every month. This show however is absolutely wonderful. This is the kind of off-the-wall humor that kids and adults can appreciate. This show never fails to put a smile on my face.

For Instance: "Dave creates a homemade megaphone using nothing but a squirrel, and piece of string, and a megaphone!"

That is gold. The plots are hilarious but easy enough for a kid to follow, the characters are well developed and reliable, and the character voices just completely make the show. Faffy and Twinkle the Wonderhorse are my heroes! :D

I've just finished nostalgia watching this and this truly is a hidden gem.

I suppose there is a subtle intelligence in developing the characters that balance each other out and generate conflict but what I remember is the rich sense of place and time in which they weave vibrant pastiches of the ancient legend paradigm and also the delightfully absurd humor.

Few shows even attempt to match the freewheeling and bizarre non-sequitur of Spongebob; they often just settle for being loud and brash but Dave the Barbarian takes surreal and disarming humor and applies it like a virtuouso.

"Using a squirrel, some string and a megaphone Dave is able to fashion a megaphone"

And later: "Hi, I bet you'd all like to know why I tied a squirrel to a megaphone. Well, goodnight".

Dave by himself is a simply concept: You'd think he'd be tough but he's really not. But they do not waste the concept. He is a delightful block of joy and makes sensitivity and an appreciation for handicrafts cool.

He juxtaposes with his vicious but puny sister fang and the main villain is so much fun.

The Dark Lord Chuckles the Silly Piggy!

Repetition is lazy writing but it is funny every time and he is a perfect combination of meaningful threat and goofball.

Oh, and Twinkle the Marvel Horse deserves a shout out.

When I saw the opening of "Dave the Barbarian" for the first time, I thought it was just another badly-drawn, lame cartoon show that's supposed to be funny. But I was too lazy to change the channel, so I kept watching. I was surprised to find out that this show is exactly my cup of tea. I mean, that episode was about evil lederhosen; need I say more? Other gems of this show include an overly cute and overly chronically depressed magic pony and a diabolic villain named Chuckles the Silly Pig. And at the end of the episode, when other Disney cartoons reveal their corny, moral lesson, the characters in "Dave the Barbarian" say things like, "I always thought strength was everything. But in the end, what really counted was reading the washing instructions." So if you have a whacky sense of humour á la Monty Python, and are looking for something to watch with your child that both of you will enjoy, I recommend Dave the Barbarian. This is one show I'd like to have on DVD!

Well, let's offset the childish negativity of the last comment.

Dave the Barbarian has a wonderfully warped sense of humor. Something completely unexpected to come out of Disney Channel. My only problem is they tend to run through the series too quick then rerun it for ages before putting out new episodes. They seem to do this with all their shows, though. :( I can't wait to see more.

If you like the humor of shows such as Animaniacs, chances are you'll love Dave. The so-called "lazy and cheap" drawings are better than a lot of cartoons out there today (Ed, Edd, and Eddie? Rugrats?), and the style just fits with the humor of the show.

Definite recommendation from me.

We chanced upon this cartoon while surfing channels at bedtime, and now the whole family is hooked, from Daddy and me, in our forties, down to our 2-year-old son. All of us giggle madly.

This cartoon is reminiscent of old Bullwinkle cartoons, George of the Jungle, and Animaniacs, with a dash of Ren & Stimpy thrown in for good measure. It's silly manic fun, and you have to love any cartoon that can send a toddler and a preschooler (and their parents) into fits of mad giggling over evil lederhosen. Purely priceless. Watch it once -- either you'll get it and be hooked, or you'll never get it. This is a cartoon the whole family can have fun with because it works on a lot of different levels.