Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: "Sealab 2021," Animation
Likes: [adult swim], surreal comedy
Dislikes: Most of the current line-up on [adult swim]
Hates: That Department of Labor guy

The Show
The title Frisky Dingo has almost no relation to the series' storyline, which is your first clue that this is not a traditional cartoon adventure. The stars of the show are Awesome X, a Batman-like avenger with little common sense and a taste for whores, and Killface, a monstrous villain with an oddly cultured presence (think a grown-up, mutated Stewie Griffin ("Family Guy") and a good deal of bad luck. Though they aren't enemies by nature, Avenger X, otherwise known as billionaire playboy Xander Crews, wants to turn them into foes, in the hopes of creating demand for a line of Awesome X action figures. Killface just wants to destroy the Earth by pushing it out of its orbit and into the sun.

As the series progresses, Xander has to deal with his shady adviser Stan, who has the company board packed with clones of himself; his reporter girlfriend Grace, who has a dark side that's revealed by a dip in nuclear waste; and a gang of robotic former henchmen out to kill him for blowing their paychecks. Needless to say, the show is weird. But despite the unusual aspects of the show, including an extensive sequence with a nude Xander wandering around pixelated and covered in homoerotic body graffiti, the overall plot is relatively straightforward. It's just the odd asides that make it such a off-kilter experience, starting with the first episode, which focuses on Killface forcing a PR team to create a promotional campaign for him. I remember watching this episode when it first aired and wondering, "What the hell am I watching?" There was no explanation, no context, and no way to really figure out what the story was all about. But as this creepy white-skinned creature abuses his team of unwilling consultants, arguing about media buys and demographics, it quickly became obvious that this was something unique.

Anyone looking for an impressive story should look elsewhere though (especially since the season ending is a bit "eh"), as the show is all about weird little moments between the characters, especially later in the season, when it practically becomes a buddy film featuring Killface and Xander. While it doesn't touch the heights of oddness seen in Sealab 2021 (like, say the Bizarros), that it starts from a less grounded plane negates the difference, and puts them on something like even ground. But whereas the oddity that emerged in Sealab 2021 created comedy, it's the very human moments experienced by these heroes and villains that draw big laughs, like Killface trying to change the ringtone on his cell phone. Sure, seeing Stan wearing nothing but an electrical cord and a tall-boy can as Xander flings toys at him has its bizarre appeal, but the show doesn't even have to get that odd to be fun.

With just 13 11-minute episodes, there's not a lot of time to get the story out, so a large portion of each segment has to be devoted to the on-going plot, though sometimes a tangent can be taken, like a side story about one of Xander's earlier attempts to craft a supervillain or Grace's attempts to win a local Peabody away from the acclaimed Team Jaguar. Though it frequently does nothing to advance the plot, there are few moments as enjoyable in the show as hanging out with the Xtacles, Awesome X's former crew of robotic soldiers. Maybe it's the oddity of seeing Russian pervert Ronnie missing his robot pants or seeing these intimidating storm troopers talk about mundane topics like painting pottery, but they are simply down-to-earth guys working an unusual job with a kick-ass uniform. In some ways, it's like a more narrative version of the film "Troops." In fact, that's not a bad way to view the entire series, since it really is sort of like "What if comic book characters were just as average and screwed-up as anyone else?"

The DVD
Packed in a standard keepcase with a simple, yet appropriate cover and a well-executed promotional insert based on part of the series (think "direct marketing"), this DVD is a one-disc release that features a minimalist, static, full-frame menu with options to watch the whole series, select individual episodes or adjust the languages. There are no audio options, while subtitles are available in English SDH. There is no closed captioning.

The Quality
The full-frame transfers on these episodes look terrific, with vibrant color and crisp images that reveal a very high level of detail, which works for the stylish look of the show. The show was likely animated in Flash, so there's no chance of dirt or damage, and there are no noticeable problems with compression. Overall, it looks terrific.

The audio is presented as Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks that recreate the sound of the original broadcast, delivering everything straight down the middle. The frequent music and dialogue enjoy solid separation inthe mix, but you won't find anything dynamic.

The Extras
Say what? An [adult swim] DVD without a great spread of bonus material is like...hell, I don't know what it's like, because there's always been extras. This hurts at a very deep level.

The Bottom Line
"Frisky Dingo" is a hard series to nail down, thanks to a sense of humor that's all over the map, and characters that seem to exist in a reality just a shade separated from our own. Thus you have a show where nothing much happens at times, yet it's extremely funny, while at other times, it's a chaotic mix of surreal actions and oddly human observations. With 13 episodes clocking in at about 11 minutes each, the series doesn't demand a huge personal investment, and you'll know almost immediately if it's not your cup of tea, so you don't have to worry about wasting a lot of time checking it out. The episodes look and sound very nice, but for some odd reason, it has absolutely no extras, unlike the majority of the [adult swim] line. A rental is the suggested route for anyone first checking out the show, and sadly,even for fans I can't recommend it too heartily, thanks to the paucity of content.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.