Taranchula Black Metal Detector
From Homestar Runner Wiki
The Taranchula Black Metal Detector was produced by Videlectrix Kidx as a consolation prize on children's game shows. It is officially endorsed by Schenkel McDoo, who suggests that it could be used to "maybe find some coin!" It increasingly flashes a red light and gradually builds up a beat to an elaborate rock piece as it gets closer to metal. Strong Bad tried to use it to find ancient ruins, but he only managed to detect bottle caps and tin foil. Strong Bad also states that when he used it indoors, it microwaved Strong Mad's eyebrows off.
In Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Strong Bad can use the same metal detector to find various metal and non-metal items hidden underground. In Homestar Ruiner, it comes with treasure markers to help Strong Bad remember where to dig after he steals one of The Poopsmith's shovels. In subsequent episodes, the detector comes with a "built-in shovel attachment" to shorten the time gap between finding an object and unearthing it.
There are a few in-game references to the fact that it is used in every episode. In Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective, if the detector is picked up during extended play, Strong Bad says that it was supposed to be a prop for the movie, "...but SOMEBODY never bothered to pick it up!", angrily glancing at the player while doing so. In 8-Bit is Enough, Strong Bad dryly remarks, "Once again, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Taranchula Black Metal Detector and shovel attachment."
In Baddest of the Bands, when Strong Bad announces the King of Town on stage, the King plays on his guitar the same song the metal detector plays when it finds an item.
In 8-Bit is Enough, Homestar Runner breaks the detector after he is unable to use it to find his lucky quarter inside his own stomach. It later disappears, possibly due to the destruction of the boundaries between reality and video games.
The item's name is a reference to black metal, a style of heavy metal music. The song that the Detector plays sounds suspiciously like something from that genre, despite the fact that Taranchula is generally portrayed as a death metal band, an allegedly distinctly different genre.
[edit] Accessories
 Treasure Markers |
 With Shovel Attachment |
