Spongmonkeys: That's what they call the creatures that inhabit rathergood.com. You might have seen them performing a song in a commercial for U.S. fast food chain Quiznos subs. Or you might have just imagined them in the dark place between consciousness and sleep. Either way, one sings and the other plays the guitar. They ride melons and sing about the moon at www.rathergood.com.

But wait: Further research reveals that Quiznos may have actually stolen the Spongmonkeys from their creator, a British TV guy named Joel Veitch. According to a Slate.com news story, someone at the sandwich chain's ad agency saw the flash animation and adopted the idea. No mention of Veitch appears on Quizno's Web site. Foul play? Maybe. Read the story and watch the commercial at http://slate.msn.com/id/2095868/.

Odder still: Ask Yahoo! has identified the spongmonkeys as tarsiers, a small, chinchilla-like South American critter http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20040305.html.

Comments? Michael Citrome