Originally Published: April 9, 2009, on Collider.com and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

It was March 25th, 2009, a normal Wednesday afternoon by most standards. Being an uber-geek like myself, I was counting down the hours to when I would be allowed to escape work and go the comic store for my weekly fix when I saw a new e-mail from a contact of mine on the west coast. He wanted to know if I was interested in covering a special preview of the new Comedy Central show, Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. I had seen commercials and was intrigued, but not sure if I would be up to it. I explained my hesitation and he explained there would be an open-bar and free food.

Two minutes later, I was on the guest list.

The preview was scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd, at Professor Thom’s at E. 14th St. and 2nd Ave.

Professor Thom’s was an interesting place, with a regular bar on the first floor and a private screening room on the second, which was where the party would be held. Since I was eager for the free food and beer and since my unfamiliarity of the area drew me to leave with ample time to spare; I arrived a half hour before the preview party was to start.

The pretty lady who held the guest list complained that nothing was ready yet and was shocked at my effrontery since most press members tend to arrive closer to the planned time. This not being the first time that a pretty lady had complained that I arrived early; I was unfazed and simply sat at the bar and finished some work I had begun at the office.

When I was allowed up to the second floor, I was a little surprised by the lack of places to sit and the amount of press that was already beginning to show up. This was going to leave for a rather cramped viewing experience. I made sure to claim to my space with my coat and backpack and then proceeded to the open bar. When I asked what was available, the bartender explained only one beer was on tap. I frowned at this, until she said it was Yuengling, my favorite beer.

With a smile on my face and a cold one in my hand, I proceeded back into the viewing area to find that Krod Mandoon preview comics had been littered about the place. I was in geek heaven, free beer and food, free comic books, a projector screen, the fairer sex floating about the place in abundance. Even though I knew I would never mount the courage to talk to any of the pretty ladies, I knew my night was nearing its peak.

After my second free beer, the preview was finally about to start (just like the purpose of this article). Would the ploys to satisfy my geek-dom by Comedy Central, Wiredset, and the Onion (who all sponsored the party) actually work? They wouldn’t have to because I actually enjoyed the show.
The first episode, that will air Thursday, April 9th, at 10PM on Comedy Central, is a special one hour episode to get the series to hit the ground running, with regular half-hour episodes following each Thursday thereafter. I had it in my head before the preview that this would be Robin Hood: Men in Tights: the Sitcom, and I wasn’t that far off from this assumption.

Set in medieval times, Krod Mandoon, is the story of a freedom fighting band of misfits who must liberate their kingdom from the tyrannical fist of the evil Xanusian Empire and its Chancellor Dongalore (Matt Lucas). In the first episode, Mandoon (Sean Maguire) is joined by his pig-faced ogre-ish bodyguard Loquasto (Steve Speirs), a wannabe mage in Zezelryck (Kevin Hart), and the lovely, but rather loose (Read: Nymphomaniac), love interest Aneka (India de Beaufort) as they attempt to free their rebellion’s leader from Dongalore’s prison. (A nymphomaniac homosexual named Bruce, played by Marques Ray, joins the bumbling troupe later on in the one hour premiere.)

Matt Lucas as Chancellor Dongalore steals the show as the villain. Even looking at him you have to stifle a laugh as he looks like some sort of albino woodland creature and his careless killing of extras is a joy to watch. India de Beaufort is absolutely ravishing (India, if you’re ever in the New York City area and want to grab a cup of coffee or something, feel free to drop me a line via the link on the upper-right hand side of my page) and has all eyes drawn to her when she’s on screen, for…several reasons. Kevin Hart, Steve Speirs, and Marques Ray do a great job as the bumbling sidekicks for Krod Mandoon.

The only real disappointment was Krod himself. I thought the character was more whiny and wimpy than swashbuckling, which would have been a better fit for the show. You already have two bumbling sidekicks; the main character should’ve been as far a counter-balance to them as possible to provide a larger array of comedic situations. Having too much of the same thing on one screen is going to exhaust the audience quickly and wear out plot situations to the point that the Flaming Sword of Fire may burn itself out before Season 1 even makes it to DVD.

The most complicated thing about this show is everyone’s names. If you can get past those, you’re going to have some physical comedy and some potty humor mixed in with swords, shields, bows, and arrows. The first episode quickly grew on me as all the characters played well and the show set the stage for the rest of the series. Although I predict the series will begin to run out of plot ideas pretty quickly with a weekly half hour show, I think that at least for a season or two, Krod Mandoon will be a winner.

I really did enjoy this show, and the party was great, but I think Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire will be snuffed out before it can truly gather a fan base to appreciate it. It was a valiant effort for some more original programming in Comedy Central’s solid nightly lineup. After the preview, I gathered my belongings, smiled at all the pretty girls, who were all way out of my league, and headed home, looking forward to the show’s network premiere on Thursday, April 9th, at 10PM, on Comedy Central (so that I could see India in action again).

-Ray Carsillo