Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 1

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 1
Standard cover by Todd Nauck
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Date	September, 2018
Creative team
Created by	Joel Hodgson
Written by	Joel Hodgson Harold Buchholz Matt McGinnis Mary Robinson Seth Robinson Sharyl Volpe
Art by	Todd Nauck ("live action") Mike Manley ("in-comics") Chad Grothkopf (Hoppy) John Tartaglione (Johnny)
Navigation
Preceded by	MST3K: The Comic - Ashcan
Followed by	MST3K: The Comic No. 2
Alternate cover by Steve Vance

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic No. 1 is the first issue in the Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic series, released on September 12, 2018. The comic book featured is issue 2 of Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter, originally published by Dell in 1962.

Stories

Opening

Jonah has just discovered a mysterious attachment on the ceiling of the corridor which looks something like a pasta strainer. Before he can investigate further, Kinga calls to announce her latest breakthrough in Kingachrome technology, the Bubbulat-R. The way it works is that a comic book is inserted and the subject is engulfed by the Kingachrome medium. The subject's interactions within the comic book are assimilated by the Bubblulat-R, which then prints out a hard copy. She demonstrates on Max, using an issue of the whimsical, cutesy-wutesy Funny Animals. It does not go well for Max, as a cartoon giraffe takes umbrage at one of his cracks and curbstomps him. The experience proves to be traumatic, and it is necessary for Max to be sedated. Kinga then announces her intent to do the same to Jonah and the Bots with Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter. The ceiling attachment starts spewing out Kingachrome medium, flooding the SOL. Tom finds himself in the Johnny Jason role.

Tom Servo, Teen Reporter in "The Brat"

Teen movie star Shelley Marks has just left a Green City cinema when a couple of goons slug her escort and snatch her away into a getaway car. However, their caper goes awry when they have a blowout. Deciding to cut their losses, they abandon the car and leave Shelley behind. Her escort is convinced that the whole thing was a tasteless publicity stunt, in spite of her denials.

The next day, Tom Servo, Teen Reporter, is assigned by his editor to interview Shelley, believing she'll be more forthcoming with someone her own age. Traveling to her ranch outside town, he is greeted by Shelley's parents and her agent. They insist that the kidnapping was not a hoax, as they never would have consented to such a scheme. Shelley returns to the ranch house with foreman Chuck Aston in tow. She offers to have Tom try out some horseback riding and he accepts. Little does he know that Chuck has slipped a burr under his saddle. In spite of the wild ride he's sent on, Tom manages to survive unscathed. After all the excitement, he decides to take a rest.

Later in the evening, Tom wakes up to the sound of a wild party downstairs. He goes to investigate and finds that he's stepped into a Moon 13 Ad Trap sponsored by Totino's Pizza Rolls. Adding to the indignity, Kinga and Max mount a bowl of pizza rolls on his head. A party guest takes a dislike to Tom and slugs him. However, Tom is able to quickly restrain the miscreant. The scuffle causes the party to break up early. In spite of this, Shelly appears to have taken a liking to Tom.

Obscure References

• "Look alive, Kukla, Fran, and Ugly."

Kukla, Fran and Ollie is a puppet show broadcast from Chicago which ran 1947-1957.

• "You mean the Infinity Gauntlet?"

The Infinity Gauntlet is a six part limited series comic book published by Marvel Comics, which served as an inspiration for the movie Avengers: Infinity War. The titular gauntlet contained gems that granted the wearer great power control and the ability to control time, space, reality, the mind, and the soul.

• "In this light, you look just like Susan Dey from The Partridge Family."

The Partridge Family is a TV sitcom about a widow and her five children who form a pop band, loosely based on The Cowsills, which ran 1970-1974. Susan Dey portrayed the second oldest Laurie Partridge.

• "After I said that, he stomped me, Hells Angels-style."

The Hells Angels are arguably the most notorious outlaw motorcycle club, and are associated with a wide variety of violent crimes.

• "Kinda looks like an Archie Comic."

Archie Comics is a comic book publisher known for characters such as Archie Andrews and Josie and the Pussycats, among others.

• "Hope it's not Riverdale."

Riverdale is a TV drama based on characters from Archie Comics titles, though with a darker and edgier tone.

• "Can we listen to The Flop House on this thing?"

The Flop House is a podcast about bad movies hosted by Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and MST3K Head Writer Elliott Kalan.

• "Hope these are Scrubbing Bubbles, because I am not cleaning this up."

Scrubbing Bubbles is a bathroom cleaner produced by S.C. Johnson & Son.

• "Watching Koyaanisqatsi never gets old!"

Koyaanisqatsi is a 1982 experimental film which consists of slow motion and time lapse footage of various American cities and natural landscapes.

• "You're getting a terrible Uber rating!"

Uber is a company best known for its peer-to-peer ridesharing services.

• "There's nothin' like a dame. Nothin' in the world..."

"There Is Nothing Like a Dame" is a song from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.

• "Sounds like the work of the Ramones."

The Ramones was a rock band frequently credited with defining the punk rock sound.

• "Come save me, Professor X!"

Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is the founder and leader of The X-Men.

• "And don't forget, Parker. I need those pictures of Spider-Man!"

Spider-Man is a comic book superhero created by Stan Lee with art by Steve Ditko. In his secret identity of Peter Parker, he worked as a photographer at the Daily Bugle newspaper, often providing photos of Spider-Man in action.

• "You forgot your Tourette medicine."

Tourette syndrome is a neural disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. It's also popularly associated with involuntary bouts of swearing.

• "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe..."

The opening lines from the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem Jabberwocky.

• "I could have been part of the DC Universe."

DC Comics is a comic book publisher responsible for some of the oldest and best-known superheroes, including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The recent film adaptations of their properties have gained a stigma of being generally less successful than those from Marvel.

• "If you were one of the kids in Willy Wonka, I'd be afraid for you right now."

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 film adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. During the tour of the factory, the greedy, selfish, or disobedient children are subjected to ironic punishments.

• "And to indulge my bocce ball obsession."

Bocce is an outdoor bowling sport which originated in Italy.

• "Do you even horse, bro?"

A parody of the, "Do you even lift, bro?" meme used to disparage someone's fitness expertise.

• "I've got a 5-hour Energy in the fridge."

5-hour Energy is an energy shot manufactured by Living Essentials.

• "It's time for the Moon 13 Ad Trap, sponsored by Totino's Pizza Rolls."

Totino's is a brand of frozen pizzas and pizza-related appetizers owned by General Mills.

• "Mr. Pibb?"

Mr. PiBB (currently marketed as "Pibb Xtra") is a soft drink marketed by the Coca-Cola Company.

• "Hikeeba!"

The frequently used callback which originated in Women of the Prehistoric Planet.