Spamusement!

{{Short description|Webcomic}}

{{Infobox webcomic|

| title = Spamusement!

| image =200px

| caption = A Spamusement! cartoon based on the email spam title, "you were wrong cabinet sanchez"

| author = Steven Frank

| url = http://spamusement.com

| status =

| began = July 15, 2004

| ended =

| genre = Humor

| rating =

}}

Spamusement! was a webcomic originally created by software developer Steven Frank, in which Frank took subject lines from real spam emails and turned them into single-panel comics.{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-177163759.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011093154/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-177163759.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2014 |title=Web Life (Features) |date=March 28, 2008 |work=The Birmingham Post }}{{cite news |title=Strip down and enjoy a good funny page or graphic novel |author=MC Masala (a.k.a. Sumana Harihareswara) |date=December 3, 2006 |work=The Oakland Tribune |publisher=ANG Newspapers}}{{Page needed|date=December 2011}}{{cite book |title=The History of WebComics: The Golden Age: 1993–2005 |volume=1 |last=Campbell |first=T. |publisher=Antarctic Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-9768043-9-5}}{{cite journal |title=For Your Spamusement |page=22 |journal=How |volume=20 |number=1 |publisher=R C Publications |location=New York City |date=April 2005 |quote=Steven Frank used his creativity to retaliate. At Spamusement.com, he took the subject line from one piece of spam each day and interprets the words visually... |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050302041237/http://www.howdesign.com/ |archivedate=March 2, 2005 |accessdate=August 31, 2015 |url=http://www.howdesign.com/}} Some of these were literal interpretations of subject lines, while others put a twist on what illustration the reader may have expected.{{cite journal |url=http://amputd.com/stories/view/12 |title=Webcomics! – Taking the 'paper' out of the funny papers |last=Mckenzie |first=Luke |journal=A Modest Proposal |publisher=University of Texas, Dallas |date=September 2006 |volume=3 |number=1 |page=14}}

Frank described his work as "poorly drawn cartoons inspired by actual spam subject lines."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/technology/online-diary.html |title=Online Diary |last=Napoli |first=Lisa |date=August 26, 2004 |work=The New York Times }}{{cite web |url=http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/141 |title=IT Blogwatch: Email Tyranny, HP's Q2, Outlook Tips, and more... |last=Jennings |first=Richi |date=May 18, 2005 |work=Computer World |accessdate=December 29, 2011}} To draw the comics, Frank used a Wacom graphics tablet to sketch his ideas freehand into his computer, using the application Adobe Photoshop Elements.{{cite journal |journal=How |title=For Your Spamusement |page=22 |volume=20 |number=1 |year=2005 |publisher=RC Communications}}

Frank's cartoons have occasionally featured repeating characters such Cabinet Sanchez, Eggplant Mike and Troy Powell.[http://spamusers.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Cabinet_Sanchez Cabinet Sanchez], [http://spamusers.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Troy_Powell Troy Powell], {{cite web |url=http://www.spamusers.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Eggplant_Mike |title=Eggplant Mike |work=Spamusement! The Spamusement Wiki |publisher=spamusers.com |accessdate=January 3, 2012}} From the email spam line, "you were wrong cabinet sanchez", Frank drew a file cabinet wearing a bandolier, a Mexican sombrero, and sporting a large black mustache. He published it on July 23, 2004. The cartoon proved popular and was made into merchandise such as T-shirts.{{cite web |url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/4074 |title=Spamusement: Poorly-drawn cartoons inspired by actual spam subject lines! |work=Mental Floss: Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix |last=Higgins |first=Chris |date=February 13, 2007 |accessdate=January 3, 2012}} Later in 2004, Worm Quartet began performing an original song called "You Were Wrong Cabinet Sanchez" and in 2008 the artist released it as part of the album Mental Notes. The song has been featured on the Dr. Demento radio show during the final "Funny Five" countdown,{{cite web |url=http://wormquartet.livejournal.com/51288.html |title=Worm Quartet Update and Blatant Plug |work=Worm Quartet Blog |author=Shoebox (wormquartet) |date=February 15, 2006 |accessdate=January 3, 2012}} and was released on Laughter is a Powerful Weapon Volume 2, a compilation of songs from the radio show.{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegoradionews.com/news06/0100061231.htm |title=Best 11 Dementia Albums for 2006 |work=Dave's Radio Blog and Other News Archives |last=Tanny |first=Dave |date=December 31, 2006 |accessdate=January 3, 2012}}

The Spamusement! site also featured forums, one section of which allows readers to create their own spam-inspired comics.{{cite web |url=http://appscout.pcmag.com/e-mail/275315-turning-spam-into-entertainment |title=Turning Spam Into Entertainment |last=Henry |first=Alan |work=Appscout: Stalking the Killer App |publisher=PC Magazine / Ziff Davis Inc. |date=May 9, 2008 |accessdate=December 31, 2011}} Frank did not contribute for three months in early 2006, then posted irregularly from June 2006.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/table_of_malcontents/2006/06/spambased_webco/ |title=Spam-Based Webcomic |author=Wired blogs |magazine=Wired |date=June 29, 2006 |accessdate=December 29, 2011}} Since October 2006, Frank completely turned over the responsibility of comic-making to the forums, although another original comic by Frank appeared on the site in late June 2007.

The website is dead as of 2020.