Edward Lear’s Nonsense Stories is a series of original animated cartoons produced for YouTube and television. Based on Edward Lear’s A Book of Nonsense (1846), these black and white whiteboard and Flash cartoons expand on Lear’s limericks and add more cartoon action and improvised mockery. The first season will be 33 one- to two-minute shows released at least once a week. The launch date was April 1, 2012 (April Fools Day).

Each show starts with a standard intro, then in the foreground, a caricature of a celebrity or politician appears and starts to recite that episode’s limerick. Celebrity voice impressions are provided by Ron Hayden. In the background there is an actual whiteboard, and on this, speeded up video shows an artist drawing one or more cartoon illustrations. The artist steps aside and their drawing comes to life as black and white Flash animation. The show ends with credits and links to subscribe, other episodes, etc.

Throughout the show, across the bottom of the screen and in front of all the above action are the cartoon silhouettes of a small audience, consisting of caricatures of some of the same people seen in many of the narrations, and others. The faux audience will contribute comments, alternative dialog, funny asides and the like. (Think Mystery Science Theater 3000.) The audience dialog will be improvised by Ron Hayden and a few other voice artists.