Today we launched our first original animated series from Next New Networks, Channel Frederator’s Meth Minute 39, by genius animator Dan Meth. The first episode — Internet People! — is a tribute to everyone who’s entertained all of us on the web the last couple of years. Here’s the whole story behind its birth, but what’s untold (for now) is the amazing support the NNN team gave Dan and company to make this thing internet-ubiquitous in less than 12 hours. We published at noon, and right now the video is already on the front of MySpace, YouTube, DailyMotion, climbing on Digg, and embedded on dozens of sites and blogs… and I feel like it’s just getting started.

Hope you like it, and stay tuned for more episodes of Meth Minute 39, coming soon. Believe me, they actually get better than this one.

http://www.InternetPeople.tv

p.s., If your first thought was, “This is just like We Didn’t Start the Fire,” congratulations, you’re officially old.

FLOATING | Floating barefoot. | via pulphope

I’ve been remiss in not telling the world about this sooner, but the best thing any of you could do to brighten up your day is press play on the little video below. Adventure Time is an original cartoon short from a young animator named Pen Ward (blog), who pitched the series to my partner in Next New Networks, Fred Seibert, for his cartoons business. The short keeps racking up a quarter million views on YouTube, then getting yanked (the rights are owned by Viacom, as part of the Random Cartoons series), but someone’s recently uploaded it again – watch it while you can (or try the Addicting Clips link).

It’s obvious from just a few moments’ viewing that this is a really special cartoon, and a bit miraculous for being one that, as Fred says, both older and younger people can love for entirely different reasons. I love lines like “I’m 28″ and “Rhombus!” and “my hat is awesome!” but a nine year-old might simply love when they yell, “Adventure Time!” And we’re both right. If you think this should become a full series like I do, and revolutionize kid’s cartoons all over again, I don’t know, post this on your blog and tell Nick you want your Adventure Time.

*** special bonus fun-time link: Monster Party!!!