Annotated Slapstick #3

Compiled by Dave Van Domelen (dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)

Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 15:05:36 GMT
edited by Enjolras (www.enjolrasworld.com) in January 2002 to add additions from Ron Dippold's 1992 UseNet post
 

Okay, this will NOT be complete, since I am not Obscure Trivia Lad.

Title: Sweeny Toddler - reference to Sweeney Todd. Sweeny Todd is a barber who kills his customers so his neighbor can make them into pies.  It's probably being used because Gaiman and McKean are doing a run of it (starting in Taboo #7) and there's been a big fuss about it.

p1: Marvel Monsterpieces time. "Krogarr! He Lives! He Conquers!"

p2: Spragg, Goom, Brutu, Moomba and Zzutak are all Marvel Monsters (the "Spragg" clued me in. He has Godzilla's back condition, climbs the Empire State like Kong, and has the jaw of (I think) Krogarr.

p3: Universal Pictures 1933 is the company and year of King Kong. "Nice goin' Squid" must mean Slapstick is secretly Suicide Squid. }-> That sure looks like Miss Grundy as the teacher.  The "Larry's Lunch" guy is Larry Kubiak from Parker Lewis Can't Lose, the girl behind him is Blossom from the stupid series of the same name.  Can't place the blonde and the tie guy.  Anyone?  The blonde could be Torri Spelling from 90210.

p4: nothing that isn't self evident, really.

p8: The Friday the 13th Jason Takes Manhattan poster is real... Underneath, he's got a picture of the Addams Family.  The stuffed bunny has fangs.

p9: Addams Family house (or at least a similar design). The typeface of "--The Denton Residence" is your standard Horror Title type. The lightning every time the Denton Residence is mentioned is a homage to the Frau Blucher (krak-boom!) from Young Frankenstein.

p10: Yes, we're supposed to think Vinnie at first is the Overkiller, from his outline. There's probably a reference in Vinnie's number, but I don't know it.

p11: Lots of WB cartoon mad scientist stuff, and Acme kits. "No more pencils..." is a common schoolyard ditty, for those who escaped hearing it as a kid. "It's Alive! IT'S ALIVE!" is of course, a Frankenstein ref.

p13: In case we hadn't guessed it, he lives in New York.  Has anything been said about this before?

p16: "Teddy <insertverb>" is another parody of old Hulk dialogue. The speech is straight Kirby villain.  Oliver Denton looks suspiciously like Billy Blaze from Commander Keen.

p17:  He CAN be knocked out...

p18: Odd how a solid seamless block can elongate at the turn of a crank. }->

p19: The burnt Slapstick in panel 1 looks like most burnt WB cartoon characters tend to. Panel 4, Slapstick resembles a Goofy Service Jerk from Beanworld, but this may be accidental. Panel 4 is Peter Bagge "Hate" style. Panel 5, do you really need to be told?

p20: First of several Megaton Man refs in panel 1.

p23: Hero of the Beach refers to a jillion old Charles Atlas ads. The last panel is a homage to the cover of Megaton Man #1, with Barb in Pammy's position, saying "Woo" which is a Megs line. Oliver is wearing the same bunny slippers as the Overkiller!

p25: Those aren't fish in the goldfish bowl...  more Squid?

p28: Panel 2, reference to Slack, a Subgenius concept (yes, I know he meant slack in the cord, but metaphorically he was also out of Slack). Panels 3-6 he literally throws a Monkey Wrench in the works. Panel 8 has to be a reference to something.  Tarzan is obvious, but I'm thinking something more specific.


More references as I find and identify them.
Dave Van Domelen, had an awful hard time properly spelling 'references' in this post