Batman

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Holy false climbing, Dangeresque!

MIKE: That was a quote from the same Batman episode that there's probably, at this point, 20 or 30 references to on our website.
MATT: {laughs} Including the name of our company.
RYAN: I love that it's just all one episode, too, isn't it?
MATT: Right. We certainly have an appreciation for and are familiar with—
MIKE: Many episodes. But there's one in particular that we know backwards and forwards.

— The Brothers Chaps and Ryan Sterritt on the Halloween Fairstival DVD commentary

The Brothers Chaps have made many references over the years to the famous superhero Batman. Most references are to the campy '60s TV series, especially the episode "The Joker Goes to School". Additionally, the only Twitter account @StrongBadActual follows is Batman 66 Labels.

Appearances

Have you forgotten what got us here? "No Loafing" got us here!

"The Joker Goes to School" references

• No Loafing Sign — The Joker has a "No Loafing" sign in his lair. This was mentioned in the no loafing DVD commentary.
• Harmless Junk, Inc. — Chief O'Hara remarks that the Joker has purchased a company that produces "Gum machines, pin balls, that sort of harmless junk." This reference was confirmed in the DVD commentary for Halloween Fairstival.
• Email flag day — The Cheat's penny has the words "A Bad Penny" imprinted on it, which is how the Joker referred to his henchmen in this episode.
• Halloween Fairstival — Strong Bad dresses as "Cesar Romero as the Joker"; Romero played the Joker in the series and movie.
  • Strong Bad calls The Cheat and Strong Mad his "bad pennies". (see above)
  • Strong Bad's line "Hello, kiddies! A-meet the Joker!" is taken directly from the episode.
• Two More Eggs — Production company Citywide Hoop Champs Inc. takes its name from a banner championing the high school basketball team as "Citywide Hoop Champs 5 years in a row".

Other Batman TV series references

Holy false climbing, Batman!

• Yearbook Character Page — Bubs attends night classes at Disco Tech, he is later seen wearing a Disco Tech sweater in rated. The similarly-named school Disko Tech competes against Dick Grayson's school basketball team.
  • Batman stories were typically told across two episodes; this reference comes from the second half of the "The Joker Goes to School" arc.
• Email i she be — Strong Bad says "Same Strong Bad time, same Strong Bad channel," a reference to the line "Same bat-time, same bat-channel...!" Episodes of Batman were structured into two-part story arcs, this phrase was repeated at the end of each first-part episode to encourage viewers to watch the conclusion.
• Where's The Cheat? — The Brothers Chaps do a version of the series' scene transition, using Homestar Jr. instead of the Batman logo.
• Email ghosts —
  • Strong Bad tells The Cheat to meet him up at "the Strong Bad Cave," a joke on the oft-repeated line, "Quick! To the Batcave!"
  • Another Batman scene change is used, this time with Strong Bad's mask instead of the Batman logo.
• Email fingers — The announcer in the beginning of the email parodies the announcer in the television series. This is mentioned in the commentary.
• Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon — The Cheat's henchman outfit may be a reference to the henchman outfits used in the television show.
• Email dangeresque 3 —
  • The scene where Dangeresque and Dangeresque Too "climb" the skyscraper is a parody of recurring "Bat-Climb" scenes in the show. The scenes were acted horizontally on a set constructed to look like a wall, then filmed at a 90-degree angle to give the appearance of climbing a sheer building face.
  • "The End?" title card in the final shot is a reference to the end of the 1966 movie released as a companion to the series.
• Email long pants — Strong Bad mentions Adam West, the actor who portrayed Batman in the series.
• Email cliffhangers — The Strong Badian Administration of Some Aluminum Foil cliffhanger is similar to the end of a Batman episode.
• Email love poems — Strong Sad owns a Strong Badphone, a device similar in concept to the Bat phone, which Commissioner Gordon used to contact Batman in time of need.
• Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective — After Professor Experimento finishes the serum that Cutesy Buttons requested, Dangeresque exclaims, "To the Dangeresque Cave!" (see Batcave, above)
• Disk 4 of 12 - Vampire's Castle — The Cheat's illustration of the Vampire resembles Romero's portrayal of the Joker, even including a partially-visible mustache under his makeup.
• The Office of the Brothers Chaps has a bust of William Shakespeare, a replica of the one seen in Bruce Wayne's office that concealed the secret entrance to the Batcave. This bust can also be seen in @StrongBadActual's profile picture.

General Batman references

• Main Page 11 — When the cursor is hovered over "E-mail," the H*R logo is projected onto the night sky in a similar manner to the Bat-Signal.
• Email caper — A sleepy Homestar Runner calls The Cheat "Batman".
• Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 10.2 — Homestar calls himself "Batman" during a bad attempt at a prank call.
• Stinkoman 20X6 — The Stinkowing's design closely resembles that of the Batwing, especially as seen in Batman and Batman Forever.
• Email fan club (DVD commentary) — At one point, Strong Bad compares the whites of Twelve-Times-a-Day Man's eyes to "Batm'n's".
• Xeriouxly Forxe and Main Page 26 — S. Bad has a variation of the Batman emblem on his mask.