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With his dead serious face and the famous rubber chicken, Big Marvel continues to bring the world laughter through creative covers (Image via YouTube)

Big Marvel, the Rubber Chicken Maestro, Might Be YouTube’s Next Big Creator

From launchpad to rubber chicken, Big Marvel continues to charm the world with the most unexpected instruments.
March 3, 2018
9 mins read

The minute he appears on screen, he commands the attention of everyone watching. His solemn expression can silence a room in seconds, as everyone wonders what lingers behind those dark, serious eyes.

As the viewers hold their breath, he begins his beautiful symphony with a single sound: a piercing note that comes from none other than a rubber chicken. This otherworldly music has captured thousands of hearts around the world, and it was created by none other than Big Marvel.

In all seriousness, Big Marvel is an up-and-coming YouTuber that has caught people’s attention with his hilarious and unique content. His earliest videos consisted of flute, beatboxing and calculator covers of popular Western and K-pop songs. Though these types of song covers were more serious than funny, they were the foundation of what type of content was to come.

The first comedic-type videos on the Big Marvel channel consisted of “launchpad covers,” in which he would pretend to play songs on a launchpad made of paper; these low-budget spoofs of the YouTube videos using expensive launchpad machines defined the humor that Big Marvel would continue to embrace.

His rubber chicken videos later took off on Facebook and YouTube, with his most popular uploads being covers of Alan Walker’s “Faded,” Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito.” There was just something about playing songs on the rubber chicken that resonated with a lot of people.

And since these funny videos also have significant production value, the humor is only intensified the more seriously Big Marvel treats his content. The most charming aspect, though, is the fact that Big Marvel himself always keeps a straight face during his videos.

Seldom speaking and never smiling, the juxtaposition of such emotions and the ridiculous squeaking chicken is what adds a new level of comedy to the Big Marvel style.

However, something as simple as making a song cover with rubber-chicken noises would normally be a one-off viral video, right? People move on quickly in the age of the internet after all. However, Big Marvel avoided becoming a one-hit wonder, instead turning this viral exposure into an opportunity to grow his channel further.

Sure, he continued to make the chicken song covers, but that’s not all. As his number of subscribers increased, he continuously found new ways to present his brand of musical comedy in a fresh way.

He began to show his face in videos, which he hadn’t done as much previously. And, as mentioned prior, Big Marvel’s deadly serious face is a big part of what makes his videos funny. You just have to see it to understand.

Further down the line, he began combining new musical elements in his covers, including the flute, beatboxing, cat piano and other squeaky toys. Though the rubber chicken is always the main star, this variation in sound proved to be more engaging than the chicken alone.

He also began moving to new locations, occasionally shooting his videos as he performed on the streets. As a result of this strategy, the confused reactions of passersby could be seen on camera, much to viewers’ delight.

Later on, he began incorporating various theatrical elements in some videos. In his “My Heart Will Go On” cover, Big Marvel cradles his beloved chicken as he is “rained” on by his shower. This dramatic parody of the famous “Titanic” scene gives the viewers something new to enjoy while still keeping the thing that everyone already loves: the chicken.

Another instance of such ingenuity occurs in many of Big Marvel’s K-pop covers, which he performs alongside backup dancers. Since K-pop songs are pre-choreographed, dance covers are quite popular among fans of the genre.

Therefore, adding dancers to his K-pop covers increases the appeal of the video overall while drawing attention to just how funny Big Marvel and the chicken are. As he stands expressionless in the middle of the cheerful dancers, you can’t help but be intrigued by the production as a whole.

This obvious progression of content sets Big Marvel apart from many of the creators that define YouTube as a platform today. In an era in which YouTubers get popular from doing trendy tag videos or using clickbait, the appearance of an innovative creator on the platform is always a pleasant surprise.

And from what he has shown so far, Big Marvel has all the ingredients to become the next success story on the site.

All Big Marvel videos have three characteristics in common: comedy, quality and creativity. When it comes to comedy, the crucial point is the conviction with which he squeaks his rubber chicken in otherwise normal surroundings. As iterated prior, this viral video-esque humor is what brought attention to his channel in the first place.

Next is the aspect of quality, which exists on multiple planes. His videos are not only clean in terms of filming and editing style, but the song production is on point as well. Big Marvel’s skill in music recording and post-production is evident, as is his prowess in playing multiple instruments.

Finally, the issue of creativity comes into play; as detailed previously, the Big Marvel channel has greatly evolved its content in the span of mere months. And because of this rare combination of comedy and quality, Big Marvel is able to achieve newfound creativity.

Though the Big Marvel channel is better known, there exists a Lil Marvel channel as well. This other channel was actually created before the Big Marvel channel, despite the younger having more subscribers. With 1.1 million subscribers, the Lil Marvel channel isn’t doing too shabby, though it still trails Big Marvel’s mark of 1.7 million subscribers.

On this channel he uploads the type of content YouTube is traditionally known for, such as vlogs and lifestyle-oriented videos. Though this channel’s being in Korean could trouble foreign viewers, it’s not doing too bad either. His same humor and production is still evident despite the style difference between the channels.

Whether you know him as Big Marvel or Lil Marvel, this creator should definitely be on your radar. If this article hasn’t convinced you, then watching his videos is the only thing that could change your mind. It’s a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else online.

Big Marvel has the spirit of some of the early YouTubers, who made content for the sake of creating and not to get famous. With everything having been said, there’s nothing else to say except to go watch.

Jade Hookham, UC San Diego

Writer Profile

Jade Hookham

UC San Diego
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience

 

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