Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist who, as well as creating political cartoons was best known for creating a series of popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. His drawings were so influential that they influenced many people and industries, including Wile E. Coyote in Warner Bros. cartoons, Wallace and Gromit and more recently in the phenomenal OK Go! music video.

Most recently the game Leo's Fortune has used the idea of the Rube Goldberg machine to create a brilliant trailer.... don't take my word for it, have a look yourself!