Kommander Karl is a TikTok creator who aims to teach his followers about animation and games. And some of his TikToks recently went viral, as gamers realized he has a long-running series that’s surprisingly compelling. In “Reloading Things,” Kommander Karl has carefully taken dozens of common household objects, and turned them into sick weapons for an imaginary FPS game.
That doesn’t sound like a huge achievement, but once you see him in action, you realize there’s a certain art to it. And it’s especially impressive given the range of mundane household items he’s “reloaded,” which include a Dyson vacuum, a children’s pop-up toy, a toaster, and a handful of other items that don’t actually need reloading. It’s not a surprise that this originally went viral; if you’re familiar with FPS games, you’re probably marveling at the accuracy of his effort. From the way the weapon bobs, to the timing of the “animation,” it all looks spot on.
Kommander Karl has this down to a science. For instance, this is how he reloads a toilet paper blaster. Frankly, I’m transfixed. I feel like I’m right in the world of Doom, just in a bathroom. Bathdoom, if you will.
Kommander Karl is on Twitter now, and he continues to post to TikTok, where he uploads new entries in the series as well as other content related to gaming and animation. Every time I think I’m tired of the Reloading Things series, I see a new take on the concept and I’m tickled anew. For instance, how do you reload a toaster? I previously had no idea of how to answer this question, but now I can.
This project is a great reminder that even small elements from games, like the humble reload animation from an FPS game, can stick with us. It reminds me of how I will occasionally think of a single line from a StarCraft unit, or a sound effect Mario makes as he jumps, even decades later. Sometimes the strangest things can stick with us, and we celebrate them in interesting ways. In Kommander Karl’s case, he’s able to replicate that with a whole host of household objects, and the end result is great.
