Check out Black20

Have you checked out Black20 yet? Screens’ Virginia Heffernan gave the site a boost earlier this week with a review that made us curious enough to look it over. It may seem like another comedy site with original content and viral section–and, don’t get me wrong, it is–but this one isn’t helmed by Will Ferrell or underwritten by a major corporation. In fact, Black20 began when a few disgruntled digital shorts editors at NBC Universal pulled their unused petty cash together, threw it onto a roulette, and broke the bank by winning with a black 20.

The resulting cash flow made it possible for site developers J. Crowley, Neil Punsalan, Mike O’Gorman, and Michael Torpey to leave their corporate careers and enter the online comedy fray with enough money to get their feet off the ground.

And so far, they’ve been faring remarkably well. Shows like Black20 News

(part of the ever-popular fake news genre) and and net_work (an office parody, another favorite online genre) get daily updates and their written content is uploaded with new articles all the time, from film reviews to essays on the Food Network. They also have a viral video section, but, then again, who doesn’t?

It’s a pretty great site for a boring day at work. It’s not time to punch out yet–check it out before the day is over. If you’re a fan of funny viral videos, I guarantee you’ll enjoy this violent moment between a sudden mob, a boom mic, and a man in a carmine sweater pullover. Peruse some of the other videos on Black20.