In 1996, two University of Missouri students met by chance, sparking the beginnings of a unique creative partnership. Ric de Barros, a student at the Kansas City campus, received an email from Chris Gough, a student on the Columbia campus, about collaborating on content for the You Can’t Do That On Television fan website that Ric had launched the year prior. While working together on the site, they discovered a shared passion for writing and film/television production, leading them to form Bargo Productions, a combination of their last names. Their mission: to create passion projects aimed at niche audiences.
In 1999, Bargo Productions began pre-production on their groundbreaking project, How’d This Get Online?. When it premiered on March 21, 2000, it became the internet’s first-ever original animated web series to run the length of a standard half-hour show. The series garnered attention, being twice featured on Animation Magazine’s website. From 2000 to 2009, Bargo Productions produced a variety of animations, podcasts, and live-action projects. This era, dubbed “Wave 1,” was before the rise of YouTube, meaning many of these projects found their audience through film festivals or developed small cult followings online.
In 2003, Ric de Barros took over Bargo Productions as the sole owner, steering the company through its next phases of creative evolution. After a 13-year hiatus, Bargo Productions entered “Wave 2” with three new projects in pre-production. Leading the charge was the podcast Lucidus Somnia, which became an instant success. In 2024, Lucidus Somnia won the prestigious Best Ensemble Award at the Indie Series Awards, cementing Bargo Productions’ reputation as a visionary in the podcasting world.
How'd This Get Online?
How'd This Get Online? was the first animated web series that ran the standard length of a half-hour TV show when it debuted on March 21, 2000.
The Girl Show
The podcast before podcasts, The Girl Show served as a satire of everything society expected teenaged girls to like from makeovers to NSYNC.
Injustice Woman
Injustice Woman was a satire of the superhero movie genre rising in popularity in the early 2000s. It featured the first Black female superhero to have her own animated series. Injustice Woman also featured an original soundtrack performed by the series' star.
D.I.V.A. Teens
Released in 2003, D.I.V.A. Teens was a satire of music industry drama combined with the magical girl genre of anime. Think Destiny's Child meets Sailor Moon. Incidentally, D.I.V.A. Teens stars both Cristina Vee and Laura Post, voice actors for Sailor Mars and Queen Nehellenia respectively, in the current incarnation of Sailor Moon.
You Still Can't!
Created as original content for the You Can't Do That On Television website in 2006, You Still Can't! served as an hour-long animated homage to the original series. It was packaged with the complete series of How'd This Get Online? for fans to order for free for a limited time on DVD.
Optimal Delusions
Optimal Delusions was a sitcom that tells the tale of a former child star turned author, who plots her own comeback with a self-funded reality show about said comeback.
Lucidus Somnia
Government experiments on unassuming persons have fanned the flames of conspiracy theories since the 19th century, but Kendra and Michael make it their mission to unveil the truth. Lucidus Somnia is a sci-fi podcast set in the year 1991 that tells the story of how two teenagers changed the world.
Thank Goodness It's Family
Set in 1991, Thank Goodness It’s Family is a heartwarming and hilarious audio fiction podcast about a same-sex married couple raising a blended family while navigating the ups and downs of work, life, and love. With all the charm of classic 90s sitcoms, this nostalgic audio fiction brings laughter, warmth, and relatable family chaos to your ears.
