The news of Avatar Studios has The Last Airbender fans talking about their dream Avatar shows. From character-specific spinoffs to series set at different points in the world's history, this new studio also has the perfect opportunity to bring back a largely forgotten Avatar projects: Super Deformed Shorts.
Super Deformed Shorts is a collection of three shorts, like the title suggests, animated in a super-stylized way that turns the characters into chibi-style versions of their usual selves, complete with traditional cartoon physics. These three shorts were only available on the Avatar DVD releases. However, the exact DVD they appeared on changed depending on your region. In Region 1, they appeared in the "Book Two: Earth" box set, and in PAL territories, they appeared in the "Book Three: Fire" boxset.
The three shorts are non-canon parodies of the main series. The first short, "Bending Battle," features Katara, Toph and Aang arguing about which element is the best and engaging in a Bending contest, throwing Sokka around in the process. However, when Zuko and Iroh arrive and declare fire the best element, things quickly devolve into chaos.
The second, "Swamp Skiin' Throwdown," features Aang and Sokka going head-to-head in a swamp water skiing contest, forcing Tho and Due to quickly teach Sokka how to ski with predictably hilarious results. The final short, "School Time Shipping," pokes fun at fandom shipping discourse and features all of the main cast in school, taking a class from Uncle Iroh. However, when the Golden Dragon Dance is announced, everyone starts trying to work out who to take. Zuko, Jet, Haru and Aang want to invite Katara, and each one comes up with a plan to woo her. However, all of these attempts fail in traditional cartoon fashion. But, after a pep talk from Iroh, Aang comes up with an idea to bend the clouds to win Katara's affections. However, it doesn't go quite as he was expecting.
The Super Deformed Shorts are hilarious, and it is a shame that only three were made. They were a brilliant way for the writers to have a little fun and mock the show's various quirks and characters. There has been a lot of Avatar since Book 2, including The Legend Of Korra and the various comic arcs, so there's more material to parody now than ever before.
After the announcement of Avatar Studios, it seems like the perfect time to bring back the Super Deformed Shorts. They give the studio an excellent way to poke fun at themselves, and they give writers a chance to experiment with a different style that is quite unlike anything else seen in the franchise. There really isn't a better time to bring this forgotten but brilliant Avatar spin-off out of the shadows and into the limelight.
