Pico is a
Web Animation-slash-
Web Games series started by
Newgrounds creator
Tom Fulp. The series revolves around the characters Pico, Nene and Darnell as they get involved in particularly violent situations. The characters first appeared on the site in 1999 with five short games and movies:
- Pico's School: A mob of goths are tired of the school system and shoot up the place, forcing Pico to grab a gun and teach them a lesson about true non-cornformity.
- Nene's Interactive Suicide: Nene learns that popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be when she wakes up with herpes, and must choose how to end her life.
- Darnell Plays With Fire: Darnell goes overboard when teaching viewers about his favorite thing in the world: fire!
- Pico vs. Bear: Pico has been entrusted to take down Big Brown Bary, a Depraved Kids Show Host with a sordid past and his equally fucked-up co-stars.
- Pico vs. Uberkids: A trio of Uberkids genetically engineered to be superior to all other students in every way challenges Pico, Nene, and Darnell in the game of their choice to prove it. The game: Rock-Paper-Scissors Roulette!
As the series got more popular, it eventually became the work of people all over
Newgrounds, with more flashes such as
Resident Pico, and
Pico Roulette being added by various Newgrounders. Over the years, Pico became the
Series Mascot of
Newgrounds alongside other famous characters such as
Alien Hominid,
Strawberry Clock, and the
Tankmen, and even gained an
Evil Counterpart in the form of
Piconjo, although Tom Fulp doesn't make Pico shorts as often anymore. A sequel called
Pico's School 2 was infamously in
Development Hell for years, with only some level designs appearing to the public. The status of this game has been unknown for years, although it seems that Tom doesn't like answering questions about it.
In 2006, a Newgrounds user suggested an idea for a Pico Day, based off the Clock Days that had started earlier. Every year on April 30th (Tom Fulp's birthday) the Portal is filled with submissions based after the Pico characters, which makes up the majority of Pico works today.
Pico movies and games can be viewed
here
.
This series provides examples of:
- Axes At School: Pico's School was inspired by the Columbine massacre, and begins with a Goth kid named Cassandra shooting up Pico's school.
- Badass: Pico didn't become Newgrounds' Series Mascot for nothing.
- Black Comedy: Oh so much.
- Depending on the Artist: The characters' artistic design varied incredibly over the years.
- Depending on the Writer: While the Troubling Unchildlike Behavior is the norm, everything else tends to vary. Pico and the gang have gone from good friends to hunting each other down for no discernible reason.
- Depraved Kids Show Host: Bary in Pico vs. Bear.
- Driven to Suicide: Nene. Her first appearance has her begging for Pico to kill her, and her second appearance, Nene's Interactive Suicide, speaks for itself. Played for Black Comedy. Pico himself also came close to this in Pico's Return.
- Early-Bird Cameo: In Pico's School, Nene first appears begging for you to end her life. Whether or not you oblige doesn't really matter. Darnell is first seen on a poster that reads: "Darnell for President! I only have five years to live!"
- Evil Counterpart: Piconjo.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: Alucard, one of the bosses in Pico's School, is a psychic who throws dead bodies of classmates at you.
- The Grim Reaper: In Pico vs. Uberkids, if the trigger on the revolver in Rock Paper Scissors Roulette is pulled five times without going off, the next contestant to lose the Rock Paper Scissors match will have the Reaper standing over them, signifying that they are doomed.
- Monochromatic Eyes: Several characters, including the trio themselves, commonly have this trait as a carryover from the original flashes.
- Mascot Fighter: Pico and Nene appeared in Newgrounds Rumble.
- Mooks: Following Pico vs. Uberkids, the Uberkids often appear in Flash movies and games as mooks for Pico to mow down, such as in Pico's Unloaded.
- More Dakka: Pico's specialty.
- Negative Continuity: Most of the Pico games and movies have Pico, Nene and Darnell getting killed, only to get better in the next flash. Directly relates to Depending on the Writer above.
- One-Winged Angel: At the end of Pico's School, Pico battles Cassandra, who turns into a giant hermaphroditic alien monster. Who you then have to deliver the ultimate Groin Attack to.
- Rock-Paper-Scissors/Russian Roulette: The "Rock Paper Scissors Roulette" game that Pico and crew play with the Uberkids in Pico vs. Uberkids.
- Series Mascot: Although the Tankmen adorn the logo, one doesn't have to look to far to find a certain redheaded, gun-toting kid in green.
- Shapeshifter: Convict in Pico vs. Convict. In Newgrounds Rumble, he is a Ditto Fighter in the style of Mortal Kombat's Shang Tsung.
- Three Amigos: Pico, Nene and Darnell... usually.
- Token Trio: Pico, Nene and Darnell play this straight, with Asian female Nene being a Twofer Token Minority.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: And how! Part of what made Pico and the gang so famous is that they are far too young to be doing just about everything they do. It is especially egregious in Nene's case, who is not unwilling to partake in sexual acts.
- Weapon of Choice:
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