This show actually handled social commentary with such maturity, in the current era of all this "social justice" it makes all of it look contrived. Static Shock was really amazing. And easily one of the best shows in its genre.

Static Shock was one of my favorite superhero cartoons along with the Spectacular Spider-Man, the writing in Static Shock coupled with real world issues being solved made for an amazing show.

Seems like a well grounded character unlike heros that have to save the entire world every movie

So grateful for the creators to make this show. A white kid in a small town in the Midwest had no exposure but what was told to me…until this show. And it was so cool! It felt so current and a fun version of X-men while also being grounded in “young adults just trying dealing with being young adults”. I love the relationship between the two leads and how they did fight and argue or disagree but they always had each other’s back in the end. (Healthy male relationship/friendship) And the actual themes they covered! I remember the gun violence episode and Richie’s father saying things I’d heard family members say but finally “getting it” once seen through our heroes eyes. That’s why shows like these are so important!! ♥️

I'm only about 40 percent black, the rest Latino and white, but black culture has been my closest culture. So static was awesome, I didn't watch it very much because I didn't really watch a ton of TV as a kid much, that's a story in and of itself, but man this video was facts. I never really got to connect with other mixed people or black people until I was in highschool, so this show meant a lot to me

Been rewatching the DCAU and one thing I appreciate about this show is that it seemed grounded in our own world moreso than the other shows of the DCAU. It would frequently make references to real world people and celebrities in its dialogue along with as you mentioned celebrity cameos.

The most heartbreaking episode I still remember to this day was when Static went back in time and tried to save his mother only for her to end up dying anyway, it was just so heart wrenching seeing how desperately he wanted to have his mom back but she still chose to die anyway. And the song 'will it be tomorrow' only added to the emotional weight of the episode 😭 it was just sad to see that no matter how hard he tried it still ended up the same way. There were other emotional episodes as well like the two bullying ones, I related to those ones HEAVY since I was bullied often too and yes, have had some pretty dark thoughts on revenge myself but thankfully never acted on them, but I do know what its like to want to inflict the same fear and pain on the ppl who always did that to you but worse and I feel like Static Shock did a great job at portraying that subject without villifying the bullied person cuz they snapped, but humanized them and showed just how even the nicest of ppl can be turned into something their not because awful ppl keep pushing them to their breaking point. It doesnt justify their actions because yes what their doing is bad, but it doesnt demonize them either.

That holiday episode with the cryopath was excellent. I loved how it made Virgil, and by extension the audience part of the conflict

I love Static, he reminds me of a lot of spiderman, but with struggles I never knew were a problem. Static Shock taught me a lot of stuff I needed to know.

Sons of the Father was an extremely GREAT episode ! Virgil’s dad was one of the BEST father figures in animation period.

Great video, well put together. Sucks that we don’t see much of Virgil/Static anymore. Last time we saw him was in Young Justice. Would be cool to see him get his own show again or maybe a game.

Static was that dude. One of those heroes that didn't matter what color he was. He was just DOPE! love the vid man

Feel like a lot of people don’t remember how mature static could be at times

At least, black people get representation in media. I'm a native American. Half the country thinks we're all dead. There really isn't that much Native american representation in media (that isn't stereotypes), especially in cartoons. That's why I love the show Rez dogs.

I've always loved "Hard As Nails" in season three. As well as the one with Permafrost. The music throughout the series has always stood out to me and I feel it should be more normalized for shows to produce their own soundtracks to match settings. Take for instance "Will it be tomorrow" from the episode where Static travels back to try and save his mother.

I'm biracial and never really could identify with the troped out black characters in main TV nor with usual white characters and Static Shock bridged these two feelings into a show where I felt identified in many regards, not just race, but societal situations and pressures. I wasn't aware at the time, but this show opened me up to seeing more than good/bad and just seeing people in their situations interacting and dealing with the ups-and-downs in life, much of it. Dope show, and hella great video that helped me realize some things about the show itself.

I'm not black, actually Native American, and Static Shock is a giant blast from the past. I got to rewatch it soon.

Man Static Shock changed my life. It was the first time I could relate to a super hero and the show has so many great episodes with great messages and stories. He by far is my favorite cartoon character and this show has a special place in my heart ⚡️

“Bang babies” was a cross between crack babies and gang bangers. Dwayne was a true pioneer. R.I.H good brother

Static was/is dope and this a dope video. I was a closet nerd back in the day, but comics then weren't considered WBS (that's funny). I have been saying for awhile (in a few episodes of The Chris and Andre Show) there should be more character creation rather than changing a character just because - representation or diversification and Static is proves it.

I remember catching a brief glimpse of this show as a kid before my grandparents turned the TV off for me to get ready for school. That one scene stayed at the back of my memories for years after until one day I found the show, binge watched the first two seasons and when I finally got to the scene I had seen as a little kid, it was a real HOLY SHIT I FOUND THE SHOW kinda moment. I've loved the series and the character ever since. Funnily enough, the same thing happened with the 2003 Teen Titans show

I remember watching this series as a kid and loving it. "Jimmy" has stuck with me ever since it first aired I also loved the crossover with Batman Beyond as well. All in all, one of my favorite superheroes alongside Spider-Man, Batman, and Ms Marvel.

I watched a bunch of Static episodes when I was really young, and I remember thinking Virgil was the coolest! I’m not black but I’m still a poc, though I grew up pretty pampered and never really knew about the deeper layers of the show, or the prejudices of those around me. I just thought the show was really cool with great messages

I wish I remember how I found this show, but me and my sister watched it EXCITEDLY for years. This show was by FAR my most favorite

One episode I frequently remember when Static Shock comes up as a topic is that episode where there was a tribute being paid to some local heroes one of which was Virgil's mother and Virgil started acting out some and didn't want to go because the memories of his mother just came flooding back to him along with the knowledge that he will never see her again. I'm not close with my mother, personally I never want to see her again, but that episode for a children's show really just drives home some heavy stuff in a much similar manner to what you've touched upon here. Still got my fingers crossed for a return of Static in some medium.

i need to rewatch the DC animated shows, especially this one

The character arc of rubberband man is something that always stood out to me. He also had a real life background story of his brother being a gang leader and him being pressured to follow that same path only to become instead the Vegeta to statics Goku. This show was so far ahead of it's time.

I loved this series. Being a kid in a rural Canadian community I had very little exposure to people of Color outside of First nations. I hadn't been exposed so many of the concepts this show managed to communicate and made me aware of. It was my first peek at another version of the human experience and to this day holds a special place in my heart. Was it the best of the DCAU? No. But it holds up today better then so much of the superhero medium of the last fifteen years. And its my enteral frustration that Static and the Milestone characters are being passed over in modern adaptations.

Drop your favorite episode in the comments! This topic was picked by a patron. Become a pledge: www.patreon.com/nerdyb4itwascool

Bro u hit the nail right in the coffin 🙌🏽with this review ! I loved this show so much growing up in the early 2000s it really spoke to everyone with its subject matter and never felt corny. It frustrates me in today’s world with all the superhero movies and cartoons pretty much imbedded in pop culture that static⚡️shock doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I remember I used to go on forums and Reddit threads learning lots about the show looking for a dvd 📀 or blu-ray release and WB did nothing about it for years. Finally in 2018 they released the whole show in it’s entirety on dvd and immediately made the purchase. It’s still disappointing tho that not only do we have nothing going on for this character there is also not a lot of merchandise made available unfortunately. I would love a modern day action figure with today’s articulation of both his designs from the show, I would also like to see a movie made of him with a dope soundtrack. Supposedly Michael B Jordan is producing one only time will tell. At least the fans can content with the dvd releases or streaming it on HBO Max. Guys if you’ve never seen this show do me a favor and watch it as soon as possible let Warner Bro’s know we care about this character,let’s make him relevant again !🙏🏼🙌🏽💯⚡️

Loved the episode where Virgil goes back in time and can save his mom, and the one where Talon wanted to get her powers removed.

I freaking loved this show as a little kid, i rewatched it a few years ago and it definitely held up. The best episode for me was the one where Static went to the future, and met the Batman of my childhood. Great vid

This was a great video! I have never really checked out static shock, I never knew it was so intense!

This is a great video! Static Shock was such a an amazing and influential show. The theme song literally plays in my head all the time.

I grew up with Static Shock and the other DCAU shows. I have been rewatching them including Static Shock on HBO Max. The episodes still hold up today.

Static shock was such a good show growing up. It was one of my all time favorites. This show introduced people to dyslexia. A disorder in a kid's show. How many shows back in the day would talk to people about mental health issues? Or talk about how these disorders affect people?

There was also a Superman crossover episode if I remember. This was a solid show and I like the fact that it existed in the Bruce Timm animated universe. The Batman Beyond episode was one of two times we'd see him and Terry together as Static was on part 2 of the "Once and Future Thing" episode of Justice League Unlimited where we got an older version of Virgil.

This was a well put together retrospective 🔥

Your content is amazing bro, you’re unlocking memories I forgot I had !

The one static episode that sticks out in my memory was a Christmas episode where he had helped a homeless girl. Idk why but that one was just special

This show ended way too early. Wanted to know what happened after the s4 finale. Glad we get to watch all the reruns on max but I wish we could’ve kept following Virgil’s and static’s adventures

I remember the entire bully episode to this day, years later. One of the best shows of all time imo.

I’m a big pro gun guy and I don’t view that episode as gun control propaganda at all, it’s an important message about gun safety!

Not black but Hispanic but I loved this show it stuck with me untill now , im happy ppl are talking about it bcs no one actually did when I was growing up and it was just so good. Edit I also forgot it got that dark(like actual danger and topics 6.6)

I still tear up when I rewatch the permafrost episode

I loved this show as a kid.

This was one of my FAVORITE shows growing up!

I loved Static growing up. I was already a big fan of the DCAU shows in general from Batman and Superman, as well as Spider-Man from the Marvel side of things like the 90's animated series. Static felt like a good balance between the more light hearted quippy Spider-Man stuff with a protagonist who mostly just delt with street level villains instesd of world ending threats aswell as more every day problems (school friends, dating, trying to juggle a regular job etc) with the more mature elements of something like Batman the animated series. Static just oozed with charm. He was funny, he had some very cool and clever uses of his powers and he did feel very relatable as being just a pre-teen/teenager dealing with problems people his age try to deal with that aren't superhero related. Looking back now it is incredible they tackled some of the subject matter they did in the early 2000's that even many shows today won't even touch with a 10ft pole. Another aspect that wasn't touched on in this video was Richie being written as a closeted gay teen. There's a few moments in the show that's context changes quite a big if you pickup on this. Like whenever there's stuff relating to girls Richie always makes the effort to emphasise his interest in them as if trying to convince people he is. Or there was a line at the end of the episode involving his dad where Vergil is curious to see how his Richie's dad reacts to all the girls in costumes at comic con, to which Richie says he's more curious about how he'll react to the men in some of those same costumes, as if trying to gauge how his dad would react to more effeminate looking of acting men. The creators have said they wish they could have done another episode or even a Richie spin off series that could have outright openly brought up Richie's sexuality but they just never got the chance to and were already pushing the limits of what the network would allow at the time.

Ricky was tweaking from that leg shot

Another banger video brother love it, keep killin it

This was my childhood favourite show ❤️❤️

If anyone deserves a good live action film it’s Static Shock Virgil is the Goat

While the seriousness of the episode and the major inclusion of the gun was very unnerving, “Jimmy” was actually one of if not my favorite episode. Not only was the story deep, well-written, and had Static narrating so the tiny elementary schooler me could understand at least a good chunk of what was going on despite my age, but it was also an episode that really showed me that sometimes even when you do the right thing or you are the one with powers, you can still get hurt. People can still make bad decisions. Heroes won’t always be able to make it in time. And it isn’t always the gun of its owner’s fault that someone got shot. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but the blatantly transparent way they handled this episode and the issues it dealt with actually may have influenced on a subconscious level how I strongly I would feel about these topics as well as my own works of fiction. My characters weren’t just characters, the represented aspects and views based on my own understandings. Their stories? They became more carefully crafted to better fit them and their world (or worlds). They started growing from the static old school generally Disney Princess formula and grew closer to being like actual people, just in their own settings. I guess what I am trying to say is though this episode was very serious and gave me a fear of guns for a while (which I am pretty sure playing Ape Escape cured for me thankfully enough that I can stomach being around one), I am grateful for this episode for not only opening my eyes to reality’s problems, but also helping me develop my creativity and to better express it. I don’t know if I can handle many other shows that don’t involve or cameo anime in someway that aren’t rated Everyone 10+ (or Parental Guidance with this era) having a psa episode like this one, but I do know that of all of them, Static Shock’s “Jimmy” episode will be forever one of my favorites. 👤

Ever since it dropped…. Static been my favorite hero…..I just recently rewatched

I'm 45 years old I barely watched this show when it was on mainly because I had a night job although I did catch one of twonepisodss. I'm watching it now 5 episodes in but I'm watching it every Saturday along with other shows on a streaming site because Saturday morning shows on prime time TV isn't a thing anymore. It's a good show and like the uoloader said it's hilarious.

I only ever caught reruns of static as a kid so my experience with the show was pretty limited, but two episodes always stuck with me. One where he met his best friends parents only to learn they werent ok with their son spending time with a black man, and one where statics family took a vacation to Africa and he felt an undescribeable sense of liberation from being around Africans I'm glad the show was made in 2003 because it would have been exhausting to deal with how social media users would have treated it

Ayo I'm glad this vid popped up, need more creators to support

Man so excited to see more videos talking about Static and this show. I got to introduce my friend to this character within the last couple years and they already like him. I’m going to get to watch this show with them for the first time (and rewatch it myself for the first time in over a decade) and I can’t wait!

This is gonna be a hit chief

Dude,your channe; is awesome!!! LOL.Love your content.When Static debutted I saw a few episodes here and there,didn't know till now there were 4 season??? YIKES.Good job on the retro-review also.May end up buying the entire series from Amazon,that'll be fun since I've only seen a few episodes.

This is an excellent video essay!

Duuuude, this was a pretty heartfelt essay! I love Static Shock and lived and breathed it as a kid and as I very much do today! Thank you Sir! I'll be subscribing!

Dude. I must've missed the episode with richies dad, cause, Jesus, I don't remember that....

I have 2 favorite episodes. The one where he goes back and time to try to save his mother and the holiday episode where he tries to help a homeless bang baby with ice powers who also sufferes from mental illness. But the one that hit home for me is the dyslexia episode because I have a form of dyslexia

I need a Blu-ray remaster of this show

A league of their own part 1 and 2 will always be my favorite. The fact that he impressed the league with his skills shows that static is the real og. Hell in the end, John said that he'll be a handful WHEN he joins the justice league. Not if, WHEN! That alone should say something about static

when I was a kid, I loved static shock, now i think of it as a very fond memory. honestly i didn't really care or understand the many messages it was trying to convey; all i knew was that i liked statics powers, and even to this day, my power i would love to have is Electrokanises (sorry cant spell for the life of me). and honestly i like that it came out in the time it did, because it would be a horrible show if it came out today. because it would be politicized to the max

Damn I might need to check this show out😯

Favorite episode for static shock is when the mutants are taken to an island for study and static and a fire using mutant have to work together to free the others.

I'll Explain '' The Big Bang '' Gas In The Future

Maaaaane crazy how God works. This is a great analysis brother. I couldn’t have said this better myself ‼️ Agreed with EVERYTHING you said. Especially about the tropes in the black community

When I saw that I was like Richy !!!!

I'm like and remember Static Shock when I'm was 7 at the time and what funny though is that I'm didn't know this show did touch on some subject matters in season one and two though I'm didn't understand till I'm got older and also lowkey my favorite crossover with Terry Mcginnis aka Teenager Batman (from Batman Beyond) . 💙⚡🦸🏿‍♂️

Love the video, made me want to rewatch this show. Haven’t seen it since I was a little kid

*Batman the animated series and Gargoyles* And like that I'm subscribed.

we need the animated series continued or a movie

Would you say that static is the spiderman of dc comics?

Is it wrong that I don't WB to make live action Static because I'm afraid of how badly they'll interpret the material? Please do Static well, he deserves a great live action portrayal. Lover this show as a black comic book fan when I was younger

Loved this fucking show growing up

I oughta look into static shock and other shows held as pinnacles of representation. I want to do everything I can represent everyone as well as I can

I dont love his portayal in Young Justice. But this was so awesome man!

Oh algorithmic god please bless this

Definitely inspired a rewatch

Men I love static shock bro during my childhood that's what I love watching I don't know what year it came out my favorite one when he first got his pawors

In fat Albert a kid got shot and killed being cought in the crossfire of a gang shootout.

Me and Vergil is the same person grew up nerdy black in the hood not being a product of my community

I'm one-hundred-percent white and while it didn't have as big an impact on me as it would my black counterparts it was still incredible show my favorite show in fact all the different characters all the different superpowers from the various bang babies but most importantly it did something that not a lot of superhero shows did it showed the superhero using his head to get out of situations a lot of the time when you see a character with electric power's you think the only way he can beat the villain is by shocking him or blasting him but nine times out of ten static would always think his way out of a situation it also dealt with some pretty hard core issues that people didn't speak about in those days for example racism and homelessness, school shootings, bullying the list goes on

I do hear from black people that they like it when they can relate to a black character in a show or movie a lot now. They usually say like you did that they really don’t get good characters when there even is one at all and feel down because they can’t relate to anyone who represents them in movies or shows. I do wonder why they feel the need to relate to a character, and also more specifically a black one. This is just me asking because I’m not black so I really don’t understand/know why this seems to be a prevalent thing. Not only did I never think about relating to a character growing up, but I also never felt they needed to look or be like me for me to really like them. Maybe the second part of that is just my mom doing a great job at raising me to be “color blind” so to speak, but it’s also interesting to me because like I said, I grew up loving characters from all races and all kinds of different archetypes. A lot my friends growing up were different races also, and when expressed some of their favorite characters in conversations, they were white a lot of the time, so I never even heard or thought about this until a few years back when I started seeing this talked about on KZfaq.

I miss shows like Static Shock

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Thanks finally black hero outside woke parameters. Even i in east Europe can watch this with joy!

When I first saw the preview to this show I was kinda meh. I was falling outta cartoons as I was getting older. But once I saw it, I was like "this ain't half bad." Then I was all in haha. Really underrated show. Even though it was integrated into the DCAU I really liked how it built its own mythology that was completely different from anything we had seen up to that point. Credit to Dwayne McDuffie (RIP) for bridging the gap between Afro-American culture and superhero culture. As far as I know, nobody has done it as well, and I say that as a big Miles Morales fan. Speaking of Miles, I love in the Anasi episodes when Static says "Anasi, you gonna shoot your spider webs?" 😂

I completely forgot about this series until I saw your video. I don’t think I saw much past the first season though. Wouldn’t it be cool if they made a movie?

Wonderful

Where can this show be watched? What's the name of the comic?

X-Men the animated series showed a dead body

Ok

I’m Batman. And I’m Beyoncé. You know him, he calls himself Beyoncé.

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾