Halloween Potion-ma-jig
From Homestar Runner Wiki
Toon Category: Holiday Toon |
|
Homestar screws up Marzipan's potion. Choose-your-own-venture action ensues!
Cast (in order of appearance): Homestar Runner, Marzipan, Coach Z, Pom Pom, The King of Town, The Poopsmith, Homsar (Easter egg), The Hornblower (Easter egg), Strong Bad, The Cheat, Strong Mad, Bubs, Strong Sad, The Goblin, Tofu Homestar
See Halloween Potion-ma-jig Costumes for more information on what everyone was wearing.
Places: Homestar Runner's House, Spooky Woods, Creepy Cliff
Page Title: Choose it or Lose it!
Date: Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Running Time: 6:00 (TV Time Toons Menu), 14:33 (Combined) (Actual)
DVD: Everything Else, Volume 2
Contents |
Transcript
{Spooky sounds play against a darkened wall. Homestar Runner's shadow appears from the left, and Homestar himself then appears suddenly.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Wah! You scared me! So, here's the deal: I'm lost inside this haunted mansion, and I need your help to find my costume and get outta here! So, what should we do first?
{The screen displays: 'WHAT SHOULD WE DO?? 1. PET A GOAT 2. MAKE A STEW 3. "I'M SELLING THESE FINE LEATHER JACKETS..."' A "COSTUME LOCATOR" is in the lower left and a "HEALTH & BEAUTY" indicator, showing 100%, is in the lower right. Then, after a moment, the lights suddenly come on and the camera pans back, revealing the interior of Homestar's house, including pictures of Homestar's past costumes framed on the wall. Marzipan walks up with a wig and a pile of clothes. A sheet of paper can be seen in front of Homestar, with doodles all over it and several markers scattered around it.}
MARZIPAN: What up, Homestar? Here's your costume!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {taking the costume} Oh, thanks. You win!
MARZIPAN: {noticing the paper and markers} Homestar Michael Runner, what did you do—
{A closeup of the paper is shown. It reads:}
1. *****-Water
2. Powdered *********
3. Essence of *********
Stir ingredients with a ***********
Say this magic incantation:
*****************************
{Drawings of bugs and ducks obscure all of the important parts, asterisked. Also, Homestar has written "MEAN SEAN", "QUACK TIME", and "COOL DUCK" on various parts of the paper.}
MARZIPAN: —to my Halloween Potion recipe?
{Homestar and Marzipan appear again.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, yeah. {turns away from Marzipan} Marzipaaan! Can I draw ducks and bugs all over the recipe for your Halloween Potion?
MARZIPAN: No way, Jorge. You're gonna figure out what those ingredients were and bring 'em back here before midnight. Now march your skinny white butt into those spooky woods, mister!
{Music starts.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {humbly} Yes, Mom-zipan.
{The screen displays "HALLOWEEN POTION-MA-JIG" and "A MAKE-YOUR-OWN-DECISION-VENTURE", followed by the usual credits (with the notable addition of "Jonathan programs"), over the drawings of bugs and ducks. Then, cut to the spooky woods, where Homestar is now in costume.}
The Water
HOMESTAR RUNNER: All right! These spooky woods gotta be chock full of spooky ingredients. Let's see, the first one is {pulls out the paper} "Something Water." Hmmmmmmmm...
COACH Z: {from a distance} Really?
{cut to Coach Z and Pom Pom}
COACH Z: Then how come they'll be all nice to ya and act like they like ya to your face?
POM POM: {bubbles}
COACH Z: Guess I have a lot to learn about mailmen.
{Homestar walks up}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, what are you guys doin' out here? Did you ruin somebody's magic potion too?
COACH Z: Uh... nope. Unless Coach Z's life is a magic potion.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Cool, cool, depressing, cool. So, um...
{A box shows up reading "CHOICE TIME!!!" and the three choices:}
1. Do either of you have any...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Do either of you have any cash on you? {imitating a shady drifter} I'm trying to get a me a sandwich or somethin'. Uh, my car broke down and I'm out of gas.
COACH Z: Oh, sorry, man. All I gots is this bottle of, uh, ghost water?
HOMESTAR RUNNER: That's perfect! I was planning on blowin' that money on ghost water anyways.
{A "scorecard" comes up with spaces for all the items obtained. The first blank is filled with "Ghost Water". A victory sound plays.}
2. I need something that would be...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I need something that would be good in a Halloween Potion.
POM POM: {bubbles and pulls a severed toe out of his pocket}
COACH Z: Pom Pom can getcha a toe. With nail polish!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Um... do you have anything waterier? Or... more waterish? Or waterian?
COACH Z: Please, Homestar, stop! Just take this bottle of questionable water that I keep on my person at all times for questionable reasons!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I won't question that!
{A "scorecard" comes up with spaces for all the items obtained. The first blank is filled with "Questionable Water". A victory sound plays.}
3. Taco-Man came by...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Taco-Man came by. He gave me some water, he gave me some water. What are you guys gonna do for me?
COACH Z: Pom Pom, give the man some stank water. I will not be upstaged by Taco-Man two years in a row!
{A "scorecard" comes up with spaces for all the items obtained. The first blank is filled with "Stank Water". A victory sound plays.}
The Powder
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Well, I gotta keep searchin'. {starts to walk offscreen to the right} Too bad I probably won't run into anybody else mysteriously hanging out in the woods.
{Cut to The King of Town and The Poopsmith. The King of Town is holding a bucket of fried chicken. Holes are dug all over the place. Homestar walks up.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh! Whaddaya know! How ya diggin'?
THE KING OF TOWN: Oh! We're certainly not trying to unearth the ham sandwich that I buried here when I was nine.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Good. 'Cause I found that thing like two months ago. It wasn't that good. Too much mayo.
THE KING OF TOWN: Too much mayo?! I love too much mayo!
{The choice dialogue comes up again.}
1. Hey! I've got it...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, I've got it! I'll give you a detailed account of the consumption of your ham sammy if you give me a powdered item for this Potion-ma-jig!
THE KING OF TOWN: Sweet deal! {pulls out a small pouch} Take some of this powdered Thanksgiving! Now let's hear it!
{The screen starts to fade out.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Okay, so first I washed all the dirt off with some Windex. That made it blue and soggy...
{It fades back in. The King of Town has his head lowered in emotion. His chicken bucket is empty.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: ...and that last bite nearly made me puke it right back on my plate!
{Homestar walks off and takes the powder as he goes.}
THE KING OF TOWN: Oh, I wish you had. I surely wish you had!
{The scorecard returns. The second blank is filled with "Powdered Thanksgiving".}
2. I say, is that a powdered...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I say, is that a powdered wig you're wearing, your Kentucky Fried-ness? 'Cause I'm in the market for some powdery dealings!
THE KING OF TOWN: {pulls out a pouch} Well, I've got my secret blend of eleven herbs and spices. But, of course, you can't have that.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Aw, that's too bad. I guess I'll just go on home and— {starts popping in and out of the holes, snatching the powder while he hops around} Pyong-pyong-pyong-pyong-pyong! {appears from one of the holes, holding the powder} So long, suckers!
{Homestar drops back into the hole.}
THE KING OF TOWN: Ha! That blend was just a decoy! It only has ten herbs and spices!
{The scorecard appears with "Powdered Herbs & Spices".}
3. Poopsmith, do I dare ask...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Poopsmith, do I dare ask what powdered delights you've unearthed?
{The Poopsmith digs in the dirt and a pouch pops out, which Homestar catches.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Ooh, ground ground. Thanks thanks, guys guys.
{The scorecard appears with "Powdered Ground Ground"}
Homsar
{This scene only happens by clicking on the upper half of The Poopsmith as Homestar walks away (an Easter egg). Homsar is floating on a balloon, as per his costume (Tingle from The Legend of Zelda series). Homestar walks up, and looks at him, annoyed.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, great, the secret guy.
HOMSAR: AaAaA—
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Just gimme my choices!
{Homsar throws confetti, and the bottom of the screen reads:}
HOISIN SAUCE!
2TH: HORSE IT ON IN THERE!
THAT'S A LOT! A LOT! A LOT! A LOT!
> What wouldst thou deau?
{With The Hornblower's head and some circus peanuts over it. The text is crooked and in multiple fonts.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: What I'm supposed to do with that mess? I'm outta here!
{The "ding" sound effect plays backwards as the box of text vanishes. Homestar walks away.}
HOMSAR: Location, location, location!
The Essence
{Strong Bad, Strong Mad, and The Cheat are standing around a cliff, with broken TVs littering the area. Strong Bad's face is obscured by the cabinet doors on his costume. Strong Mad grunts and tosses a broken TV. Homestar walks up.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Whoa. This is a cool new background!
{The TV Strong Mad tossed falls in the background.}
STRONG BAD: {opening his costume's doors} Yeah! We were just burying our problems here in the spooky woods when we found this creepy cliff! It's perfect for the chucking off of busted old TVs.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Essence of busted old TVs? 'Cuz I got a serious jones!
STRONG BAD: Uh, I think these TVs lost their essence in the seventies. What are you doing here, anyways?
{The choice box returns:}
1. I've always felt that...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I've always felt that essence of rose petals is my very most favorite essence.
THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises}
STRONG BAD: Oh, I agree, The Cheat. Essence of doo doo meringue has always been my favorite. In fact... there's a whole bunch of it down at the bottom of this cliff you can have.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {jumping off the cliff} Cannonball!
{The scorecard appears with "Essence of Doo doo meringue"}
2. I'm trying to ruin Marzipan's...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I'm trying to ruin Marzipan's Halloween Potion. Got any leads?
STRONG BAD: That's a worthy cause if ever there was one! How about this essence of putting Strong Mad's hand in warm water while he's asleep?
STRONG MAD: MY SECRET SHAME!
{The Cheat tosses a bottle off the cliff. Homestar jumps after it.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Thanks a lot you guuuuuuuuuys!
{The scorecard returns with "Essence of Putting Strong Mad's hand in warm water while he's asleep".}
3. I'm in the mood for a...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I'm in the mood for a Hovan roll!
STRONG BAD: Yeah, me too. Let's have a race to the food court. Here's the starting line. Ready, go!
{The Cheat draws a line in dirt next to the cliff's edge.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {running over cliff} Eat my duuuuuuuust!
{The scorecard returns with "Essence of Gullibility".}
The stirring utensil
{Cut back to Strong Bad's posse}
STRONG BAD: Meka-leka-hi-meka-The Cheat throw a TV on 'im...
{The Cheat drops a TV over the cliff.}
STRONG BAD: ...ho.
{The doors on Strong Bad's costume close once more. Cut to Bubs, standing by a canister labeled "BUBS' MO'BILE CAN o' STIRRING UTENSILS". ("Bile" is in green.) Homestar bounces once on the ground and then lands on his feet next to Bubs. The TV crashes behind Homestar at the same spot where he had bounced off, narrowly missing him.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, Bubs! Fancy runnin' into you in the middle of the spooky woods sellin' stirring utensils.
BUBS: It's a niche market.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: So, what kind of concoctions might one stir with your wares?
BUBS: Well, a little eye of newt, some toe of frog. Baby, you got a witches' brew goin'.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, that's my line! So, how do I score one of those jobbies?
BUBS: Oh, they're free. But you gotta earn 'em!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Um, that doesn't sound free at all.
BUBS: Well you just gotta earn 'em.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: How should I do that?
{The choice box returns:}
1. Do a dance
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {dances} A little to the left, come on, come on, back to the right, shake it around. {he repeats it over Bubs's next line}
BUBS: Oh, yeah! Stick and move, stick and move! You're pretty good, shorty. {pulls a red spoon with a T-Rex head from his canister} That's worth at least a Jurassic Park III collector's spoon.
{The scorecard returns with "Stirring utensil: JP3 Collector Spoon".}
2. Sing a song
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Okay, here goes. Two and three and four. {singing terribly while off-key music plays in the background, and Bubs covers his ears, agitated} Backyard peaches! Treats come true! Karate Summer, what wouldja do? The world is the egg, and diapers come true...
BUBS: Oh! Heard enough of that one! You... you get a chewed-up pen.
{The scorecard returns with "Stirring utensil: Chewed Up Pen".}
3. Reagan impression
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {leaning over, in a low voice} Well... well... Nancy and I... economics... well... rap music... jellybeans... well... we... probably had a... pet...
BUBS: That's the worst Ronald Reagan impression I've ever heard!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {standing upright} Ronald Reagan?! I was doing my Keanu Reagan!
BUBS: Just take this terlet brush and get outta here!
{The scorecard returns with "Stirring utensil: Terlet Brush".}
The magic words
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {walking off} Thanks, Great American Bubs!
{Cut to a closeup of Homestar}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Now to find Strong Sad. Anything that guy says will make great magic words!
{Cut to Strong Sad, half-buried and asleep. Homestar walks up.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, Strong Sad. Nice fire hydrant costume!
STRONG SAD: Uh. Mineral water... {wakes up and looks at Homestar} What?
{The choice box returns:}
1. I just graduated...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: I just graduated. What should my epitaph say?
STRONG SAD: Homestar, do you even have half a brain?
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hot biscuits! Those are the best magic words I've ever heards!
{The scorecard appears with "Magic Words: Do you even have half a brain".}
2. If you were at a party...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: If you were at a party, what would you rap?
STRONG SAD: Each day, we die a little more, yo! Betta ax somebod-ay!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Ooh! Fresh beats! My favorite!
{The scorecard appears with "Magic Words: Better Ax Somebod-ay".}
3. Taco-Man came by...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Taco-Man came by. We played a little foosball, played a little foosball. So, what are some of your favorite words?
STRONG SAD: In no particular order: Loquentia... Imbruglia... Precipitous... Saralee...cheesecake... Denouement...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Those are great!
{The scorecard appears with "Magic Words: Loquentia, Imbruglia, Precitpitous, Saraleecheesecake, Denouement".}
The potion
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Thanks for the words, half-man! {walks off}
STRONG SAD: Go forward! Move ahead. Try to detect it! It's not too late.
{Cut to Homestar's house, where Homestar and Marzipan are standing near a bubbling cauldron. The following dialogue changes based on the viewer's past choices.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: All right, so here's what I came up with: a bottle of...
- ghost
- stank
- questionable
HOMESTAR RUNNER: ...water, {he throws the bottle into the cauldron}
- a secret blend of eleven herbs and spices,
- some ground ground,
- some powdered Thanksgiving,
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {throws the powder into the cauldron} and essence of...
- doo doo meringue.
- putting Strong Mad's hand in warm water while he's asleep.
- gullibility, whatever that is.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {throws the essence into the cauldron} And give a little stir with this...
- Jurassic Park III collector's spoon.
- chewed up pen.
- terlet brush.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: And say these magic words. {He hands an index card to Marzipan.}
MARZIPAN:
- "Do you even have half a brain!"
- "Better ax somebod-ay!"
- "Loquentia, imbruglia, precipitous, Saraleecheesecakia, denouement!"
{The cauldron makes a "poof" sound and smoke emerges. Marzipan dips a cup into it.}
MARZIPAN: Here, Homestar. {hands the cup to Homestar and smiles} Have some Melonade!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Don't mind if I do! {He drinks the contents of the cup.}
{See the fun facts section to see how the endings scenes are chosen. These are the different effects on Homestar:}
End 1: Tofu Homestar
{After drinking the potion, Homestar turns into the Tofu version of himself as seen in The Luau.}
MARZIPAN: Yay, Homestar! You're back to your old self again!
{The tofu head slides off into the cauldron and a flame covers Tofu Homestar, who reverts back to his regular self without his Halloween costume}
MARZIPAN: {disappointed} Yay, Homestar. You're back to your old self again...
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {singing and shaking his butt} That costume makes your butt look big.
End 2: Cycloptic Homestar
{Homestar suddenly loses his wig and sprouts one enormous eye on his face.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {yelps} Marzipan! There's only one of you!
MARZIPAN: Don't tell me you forgot how to use your eyes again.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Are you trying to tell me that I haven't been dating twins this whole time?
MARZIPAN: Um, I don't think you're gonna have to worry about dating anyone from now on.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hooray!
End 3: French Homestar
{Homestar takes on the appearance of a suave foreigner.}
MARZIPAN: Ooh, goody goody gumdrops!
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {in a bad accent} I say, Marzipan, let us away to my romantic chateau in the Fantastic mountains!
MARZIPAN: I'll go pack my pashmina. {walks off screen}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {singing, in his regular voice} Oh, gettin' lucky toniiiiiiight...
End 4: Freaky Marzipan
{After drinking the potion, Homestar turns into a normally-dressed Marzipan.}
MARZIPAN: Hooray! I'm not the only girl!
{As Freaky Marzipan speaks, her horrible teeth and wobbly mouth become visible.}
FREAKY MARZIPAN: {very distorted voice} I think we're gonna become fast friends!
{Marzipan shrieks and runs off; Freaky Marzipan makes a silly face.}
End 5: The Goblin
{Homestar transforms into The Goblin.}
MARZIPAN: Ooh, he's so cute! Do it, do it, do it!
{The Goblin dances as his organ chord plays.}
MARZIPAN: ...annd scene!
The finale
{The screen fades to black. After a few seconds, one of Homestar's bug drawings appears in the center of the screen with "THE END". After a few more seconds, the screen fades back to Spooky Woods. All of the characters are standing around. "BACK" and "PLAY AGAIN (SKIP INTRO)" buttons are seen.}
Easter Eggs
- Click on the upper half of The Poopsmith as Homestar is leaving to see a scene with Homsar (transcription above).
- At the end, Homsar is only visible if his Easter egg has previously been activated.
- At the end, click on Pom Pom:
- STRONG BAD: So, what, Pom Pom? You're every guy at a truck stop?
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Uh oh, Strong Bad.
- {Pom Pom produces a gun.}
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: You're entering a world of pain.
- STRONG MAD: DONNY! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT!
- At the end, click on Bubs:
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey, Bubs, I like your Lando Calrissian outfit!
- BUBS: What are you talking about? I'm the master of disaster!
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Uh-oh. Poopsmith, get ready...
- At the end, click on Marzipan:
- MARZIPAN: {Beaker-style meeps}
- STRONG BAD: The Cheat, can you understand her?
- THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises, turns to Marzipan}
- MARZIPAN: {Beaker-style meeps}
- THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises}
- MARZIPAN: {Quicker Beaker-style meeps}
- THE CHEAT: {Angry The Cheat noises, turns away}
- MARZIPAN: {normal} Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that meant something else.
- At the end, click on Strong Bad:
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Strong Bad, Blanche from the Golden Girls? Genius!
- STRONG BAD: I'm not Blanche from the Golden Girls.
- BUBS: No, no, he's Phyllis Diller!
- COACH Z: I thought you were supposed to be my hot mom!
- STRONG BAD: No, I'm Jambi the genie! You know, "Wish? Did somebody say wish?"
- THE KING OF TOWN: I wish you'd dress up as something I could recognize! Pop culture... mumble grumble...
- At the end, click on Homestar:
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hey Strong Bad! {adopts "shady drifter" impression} Let me get a few dollars. I'm trying to catch a train. My wife, she's pregnant. I got thirteen kids. I'm on hard times.
- STRONG BAD: Well, at least your shady drifter impression is better than your Ronald Reagan.
- HOMESTAR RUNNER: Ooh! I can hit you with some more of that too! {adopts Ronald Reagan impression} Well... well... Oliver Cromwell...
- At the end, click on Coach Z:
- STRONG BAD: So Coach, how come you weren't a rapper this year?
- COACH Z: But I am! Theo Huxtable is one of the greatest rappers of our time! {hip-hop dances with his arms and head} Jammin' on the one! Jammin' on the one! J-J-Jammin' on the one! Jammin' on the one!
- At the end, click on The Cheat:
- THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises, which sound very similar in phrasing to Toad's catchphrase from Mario Kart 64, "I'm the best!"}
- {There is a soft explosion, and The Cheat blasts into the air; he does several flips and then lands in place with a POOMP.}
- THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises, which sound very similar to Toad's "wipe out" noise from Mario Kart 64.}
Fun Facts
How the Ending is Chosen
- There are five endings to this toon. Which ending is seen is determined by adding together all the numbers of the choices made, dividing by five, taking the remainder (numbered zero to four), and adding one. Thus, if 2, 1, 3, 3, and 2 are chosen, the equation would come out as 2 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 11 / 5 = 2, remainder 1. Add 1 to that, and the cartoon plays ending 2. (See the talk page for the source code.)
- If the remainder is:
- 0, then ending 1 appears: Tofu Homestar. There are 53 combinations that yield this result.
- When the sum of the choices are 5, 10, or 15 this ending is displayed.
- Picking all of the same number, such as all ones, will get you this ending.
- 1, then ending 2 appears: Cyclops Homestar. There are 50 combinations that yield this result.
- When the sum of the choices are 6 or 11 this ending is displayed.
- 2, then ending 3 appears: French Homestar. There are 45 combinations that yield this result.
- When the sum of the choices are 7 or 12 this ending is displayed.
- 3, then ending 4 appears: Freaky Marzipan. There are 45 combinations that yield this result.
- When the sum of the choices are 8 or 13 this ending is displayed.
- 4, then ending 5 appears: The Goblin. There are 50 combinations that yield this result.
- When the sum of the choices are 9 or 14 this ending is displayed.
Explanations
- Marzipan's line, "No way, Jorge", is a permutation of the more common "No way, José"; possibly a play on the Spanish variant of the name "George", even though "José" translates to "Joseph".
- Putting someone's hand in warm water while they sleep is a common prank believed to make the victim involuntarily urinate.
- Loquentia is a Latin word whose root means "speaking" or "talking".
- Pashmina is the fleece of feral Himalayan goats that is used to make shawls that are referred to by the same name. It is similar to cashmere and was quite popular in the mid 1990s.
- To be precipitous is to bring about especially abruptly, or to be very steep.
- Denouement is the resolution part of a story which comes after its climax.
Trivia
- The ducks and bugs Homestar drew on the potion are:
- The original potion read:
1. Ghost-Water
2. Powdered Pigs' Feet
3. Essence of Nightroot
Stir ingredients with a wooden spoon
Say this magic incantation:
"Sip it down and swish it 'round"
- This toon was released at about 1:30 a.m. on November 1, Atlanta time. All day the previous day, the button on the main page read, "workin' as fast as we can!". When the toon was finally released, the button read: "it's still halloween!" (moving one's pointer over the button revealed: "in certain timezones!"). Later in the day, the button was changed to simply read: "halloween toon!"
- The shirt Coach Z is wearing is from The Cosby Show's first-season episode "A Shirt Story", in which Denise tries to hand-make Theo a designer shirt and butchers it in the process. The fictitious brand of shirt was called a "Gordon Gartrelle", and the original cost Theo $95. The "Jammin' on the one" line is a reference to the episode "Touch Of Wonder", in which guest star Stevie Wonder sampled the voices of the Huxtable family and made them into a song.
- Jammin' on the 1 is also one of the mp3s available on Thorax Corporation's website.
- The kick performed by Homestar while singing appears to be a side thrust kick, a karate kick which involves thrusting the foot out from the side to hit with the heel.
- The total number of possible sequences of potion ingredients is 35, or 243.
- According to the Quote of the Week on November 3, Bubs was originally going to give out an Under Siege 2 collector's spoon instead of the Jurassic Park III collector's spoon.
- The Flash file appears to have been updated 12 hours after the toon was originally released. The update expanded the Tofu Homestar scene, which originally ended immediately after Marzipan's line "You're back to your old self again!", before Tofu Homestar's head fell into the cauldron, but with the animation suggesting it was about to do so. The change was likely made to remove any suggestion that Homestar had "died" by being transformed into an inanimate object. The update also added an extra "THE END" scene and an Easter egg (The Cheat). It is possible that these elements were originally planned for the original release but left out due to time constraints.
- The YouTube description for this toon is "Homestar has to find all of Marzipan's potion ingredients."
Remarks
- The pictures above Homestar's cabinet are changed for the holiday. They ordinarily show his changing appearance over the years. This time, they depict all his past Halloween costumes from 2000 to the present.
- This is the first time Homestar is mentioned as having a middle name ("Michael") in a toon. (In the DVD commentary for time capsule, however, Marzipan offhandedly remarked that Hal was his middle name.)
- Gossamer actually has a redder tint than the bright orange color of Strong Mad's costume.
- All of the spooky trees in the background are the same shape, just in different sizes and orientations. Also, the first two backgrounds for Pom Pom, Coach Z, the Poopsmith, and the King of Town are identical.
- Homestar makes a remark about the latter instance himself, saying that the background has changed when he enters the scene with Strong Bad, Strong Mad and The Cheat.
- Besides stealing Homestar's Witches' Brew "line", as Homestar points out, Bubs also appropriates the "terlet" pronunciation of "toilet" that Coach Z has used in Halloween Fairstival and A Folky Tale. This spelling shows up on the scorecard as well, but Homestar still pronounces it as "toilet" when he hands it over to Marzipan. (Homestar's speech impediment causes a mispronunciation of the mispronunciation, making it correct again.)
- Homestar's costume includes a pair of shoes. When Marzipan gives him his costume, however, the shoes do not appear to be included.
- Strong Bad comments on Homestar's shady drifter and Reagan impressions even if those scenes weren't chosen.
- Also, when Strong Bad comments on his Reagan impression, Homestar agrees that he was impersonating Ronald Reagan and not Keanu Reagan.
- When not wearing a costume, Bubs has no thumbs. Mysteriously though, the thumbs on his white boxing gloves seem to move as he does.
Goofs
- When Strong Bad's cabinet doors are open, they appear to be symmetrical; they shouldn't be able to fit together when closed.
- When he looks directly into the camera, Strong Bad's left eye seems to jut a little into the V-shape on his mask.
- Homestar's Converse All-Star Hi-Tops have stars on both sides of each shoe, when they should have stars only on the inner side.
- When The Cheat pushes the television off of the edge of the cliff, the dent on the top is towards the right. When it lands, however, the dent has switched sides.
- If you choose "I'm in the mood for a..." when getting the Essence, the line disappears when it cuts back to the cliff.
- If Homestar asks for some of Strong Sad's favorite words, "precipitous" is misspelled as "precitpitous" on the recipe.
Glitches
- A "hiccup" in the animation of the pot's bubbling occurs when the cartoon switches to one of the variables in the combination made.
- Part of the Jurassic Park III spoon disappears for a frame when Homestar pulls it out during the potion scene at the end.
- Unlike the other characters, Homsar shows scroll-over information during the finale Easter eggs even while the rest of the characters comment on their costumes. This is because he is a movie clip that overlays the scene.
- When viewing the html file, when The Cheat is clicked on at the end, Strong Bad's head changes size and his mouth closes a bit, and everyone except for the King of Town and Strong Mad moves slightly.
- When clicking on most of the characters that activate Easter eggs at the end, Marzipan's mouth changes expression unexpectedly.
- When Marzipan's angry expression is used, blinking causes her outline to be intruded.
Inside References
- Pom Pom is wearing the same shades that Dangeresque usually sports.
- The King's bucket of "KnF'nC" chicken is from monster truck.
- The circus peanuts that appear in the Homsar Easter egg were also used when Homestar comes to the door in The House That Gave Sucky Treats.
- This toon is also done in the style of a decision-making game, just like The House That Gave Sucky Treats.
- "What wouldst thou deau?" is a reference to video games and Thy Dungeonman.
- The broken TV sets look exactly the same as the TV from Pile of Electronics State after The Cheat smashed it in mascot.
- Bubs's collection of stirring utensils includes the orange spoon.
- Strong Sad's line, "Each day we die a little more," and Marzipan's line, "I'm not the only girl," are references to their respective lines from the Who Said What Now?.
- Cyclops Homestar's eye resembles the fake eye he wore in Malloween Commercial.
- Tofu Homestar first appeared in The Luau.
- French Homestar singing "Getting lucky tonight" is a reference to Cool Things, where Strong Sad sings the same phrase.
- The gun Pom Pom draws at the end is from In Search of the Yello Dello.
- When Strong Bad mentions that Coach Z didn't dress as a rapper this year (despite the Coach's comment about Theo Huxtable), he is referring to all of Coach Z's previous costumes.
- The exchange between several of the characters about Strong Bad's costume refers to previous Halloween Toons in which he had to explain his costume to the rest of the cast.
- Marzipan's Halloween potion is another example of a concoction.
- Coach Z talks about a questionable service.
- Homestar has similar spots on his face to when Strong Bad pokes him in pom pom.
- This toon has several fourth wall breaks.
Real-World References
- The phrase "I'm selling these fine leather jackets" is a reference to multiple PC games created by LucasArts which featured the line as a running gag. The line originated in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure and was repeated in Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, the Monkey Island series, Sam & Max Hit the Road and Full Throttle. The opening scene with Homestar is also a reference to FMV adventure games like Phantasmagoria which had recorded actors playing characters, who directly address the player.
- The Cutters (on Homestar's T-shirt) is the name of the town group that was featured in the 1979 movie Breaking Away, a movie about a group of bicyclists at Indiana University that race in the annual "Little 500" every spring. Homestar's character, Moocher, was a member of the group.
- "Taco-Man" is the signature character of the website Ebolaworld, which has used Homestar in cameos on more than one occasion. Perhaps the Brothers Chaps have decided to repay the favor. (As a side note, the Halloween special that Ebolaworld had planned for the same year was also a choose-your-own adventure cartoon.)
- The secret blend of eleven herbs and spices is a reference to KFC's claim that Colonel Sanders' recipe had eleven secret herbs and spices, although it curiously does not claim that this is the recipe in current use.
- Windex is a trademark for a liquid glass and surface cleaning product made by S. C. Johnson & Son.
- Homsar throwing the confetti is a reference to his costume (Tingle), who also throws confetti when he says the magic words ("Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-limpah!").
- Hoisin Sauce, a fermented soy bean paste, is used as a condiment and also as a glaze for roasted meats, most commonly with Peking Duck. It is often referred to as "Chinese barbecue sauce."
- "THAT'S A LOT! A LOT! A LOT! A LOT!" is a reference to the bank teller in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for the Nintendo 64, who would respond "That's a lot! A lot! A lot!!!" if Link deposited more than fifty rupees at once.
- Appropriately, Majora's Mask was the first game Tingle appeared in.
- Homsar's line ("location, location, location") refers to the three most important things in real estate. His costume character, Tingle, serves to help Link navigate by selling him maps in The Legend of Zelda series.
- Rose petal essence was an ingredient for the spell to turn into an eagle or fly in Sierra's King's Quest III. Especially given this allusion, the whole premise of the cartoon is likely based on the formulaic combination of ingredients, stirring, and magic words required to perform the spells in King's Quest III.
- Hovan is a restaurant chain in Florida and Georgia, located in mall food courts, that sell gyro-style wraps.
- Strong Bad mixes up the quote of his costume character, Jambi the Genie (from Pee-wee's Playhouse). The original quote is "Meka Leka Hi, Meka Hiney Ho!"
- Bubs's recommendation of "eye of newt" and "toe of frog" originated as magical ingredients in Act IV, Scene 1, line 16 of Shakespeare's Macbeth, one of the most famous and influential depictions of witches in Western culture.
- Bubs's quote "Baby, you've got a witches' brew goin'" is a reference to the television show Arrested Development, where Carl Weathers (the actor who played Apollo Creed) portrays a fictionalized version of himself as an extreme cheapskate, explaining if leftovers from a party are combined in the right way that "Baby, you've got a stew goin'."
- Bubs's comment about "Stick and move! Stick and move!" is a reference to the advice Duke gave Apollo Creed in the original Rocky movie. [1]
- Jurassic Park III is a movie in the Jurassic Park series.
- Ronald Reagan was a movie actor and the 40th president of the United States. "Nancy" refers to his widow, Nancy Reagan. Jelly beans were famously one of Reagan's favorite foods. Reagan was also known for usually starting his statements with the word "well". He was famous for his economic policies, called "Reaganomics". He also did have pets, among them a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Rex.
- "Keanu Reagan" is a reference to actor Keanu Reeves.
- "Imbruglia" refers to Natalie Imbruglia, an Australian-born singer and actress. However, Strong Sad and Marzipan both mispronounce her last name (the "g" is silent).
- "Sara Lee" is an American consumer-goods company and is also the brand name of a number of frozen and packaged foods, including cheesecake.
- Strong Sad's words as Homestar departs are taken from Devo's 1980 hit "Whip It".
- Lando Calrissian is a character from the Star Wars films, played by Billy Dee Williams. Some people (including, apparently, Homestar) mistakenly think that Lando and Apollo Creed were played by the same actor, but Apollo Creed was played by Carl Weathers. The "Master of Disaster" is one of Apollo Creed's titles from the Rocky movies.
- Walter Sobchak is a character from The Big Lebowski, played by John Goodman. The severed toe with nail polish is a plot device in this movie; Sobchak even says the line, "I can get you a toe, with nail polish," as does Coach Z on Pom Pom's behalf. "You're entering a world of pain" and "DONNY, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT!" (said on behalf of Pom Pom by Homestar and Strong Mad respectively) were also repeated sayings of Sobchak's in the movie. Also, at one point in the movie Walter inappropriately draws a gun.
- Oliver Cromwell was a 17th century English military commander who became Lord Protector after leading the rebellion that resulted in the execution of Charles I.
- The surprisingly high jump The Cheat makes is the effect of getting hit by a shell, invincible character, etc., in the Nintendo 64 game Mario Kart 64, in which the kart landed with a similar "POOMP". Also, the respective noises The Cheat makes sound very close to what Toad says when he wins a race ("I'm the best!") as well as Toad's cries when he has been hit.
- The Golden Girls was a popular sitcom about four elderly women living in Miami that originally aired on NBC. Blanche, played by Rue McClanahan, is one of the main characters of the show. Strong Bad mentioned them in helium.
- Phyllis Diller was an actress and comedienne.
Fast Forward
- Homestar remarks "I'm selling these fine leather jackets" in Halloween Hide & Seek.
DVD & YouTube Version
- The "CHOICE TIME!" sound effect plays after a choice is made.
- The Homsar Easter egg is enabled automatically.
- Homestar doesn't say or show the stuff he gathered, or drop them in the cauldron, nor does Marzipan say the magic words.
- Ironically, Homestar still says "All right, so here's what I came up with."
- Homestar's transformation is now random.
- However, there is an Easter egg on the Halloween menu that plays all of the transformations in order.
- All of the ending Easter eggs play automatically. They are played in this order:
- Bubs
- Coach Z
- Marzipan
- Pom Pom
- Homestar Runner
- Strong Bad
- The Cheat
- The card displaying Homestar's ingredients has been revised so that it does not fully feature all of Homestar's ingredients gained. All it shows is what Homestar has gained in the scene he was in, as well as the object being displayed. The card scene is also a bit longer than usual.
- When played in "Play All" or on YouTube, the ingredient choices are automatically picked, as is Homestar's transformation, which is into Cycloptic Homestar. Also, Homestar and Marzipan's dialogue about the potion ingredients (plus Homestar dropping the ingredients into the cauldron) are intact. The ingredients automatically picked are:
- Water: Ghost Water
- Powder: Powdered Thanksgiving (Goof: Choice #2 is selected, but Choice #1 plays).
- Essence: Essence of Putting Strong Mad's Hand in Warm Water while He's Asleep (Goof: Choice #3 is selected, but Choice #2 plays).
- Stirring Utensil: Terlet Brush
- Magic Words: "Betta Ax Somebod-ay" (Goof: The collection card depicts "Loquentia, Imbruglia, Precitpitous, Saraleecheesecake, Denouement").
- The option of seeing who is dressed up as who at the very end is no longer available.
- Instead of cutting to the group shot after the end title, it fades through black to the shot.
- The YouTube description for this toon is "Homestar has to find all of Marzipan's potion ingredients."
External Links
- watch "Halloween Potion-ma-jig"
- watch "Halloween Potion-ma-jig" on YouTube
- watch "Halloween Potion-ma-jig" on the old Flash site
- view the Flash file for "Halloween Potion-ma-jig"
- forum thread re: "Halloween Potion-ma-jig"