As someone who's read the original Astro Boy manga and knows how messed up his backstory is, I can't even fathom what RoBoy went through in the Venture Bros universe.
@KirbyLinkACW Bro, I believe you can help me try’n to source a memory: the Gai-King cartoon from Japan that was dubbed & broadcast in the USA (could’ve been late 70s, could’ve been early 80s ) had a side-story in it, and in that side-story there existed a character that looked JUST LIKE Rō-Boy, and I was too young to understand everything, but I remember that side story VERY much messed with heart-strings, and had an uncommon sadness in it. (I would LOVE to see all those giant Japanese robot cartoons again… it’d be great if i could see them with the same dubbing that they had when I was in first-grade because part of this quest has to do with ‘scratching an itch’ that is my memory…) But, that wasn’t Rō-Boy embedded in Gai-King, was it ?
You know what I love most about this show? Both Dc and Marvel exist in the venture bros series. Not like as actually heroes but as comic books and etc. it made me wonder if the heroes and villains of this show got inspired by those comic books or it just happened to be coincidence that they happened to have similar designs and powers. Btw I’m not talking about the creators but the in universe characters of the show.
you do realize the heroes in the show are probably so famous that they have comic books and merch made about them? their stories are probably being stolen or sold to dc and marvel not the other way around just like how miles morales is a huge spiderman fan and bought spiderman merch or like that little boy from iron man 2 had a iron man mask and gauntlet
@@achildnamedhotchick1739or more realistically, since arching is basically just man babies with dangerous toys they based themselves off comic books movies and tv shows because they’re all just losers trying to be the characters in the comics
But what about Bowie, Eno, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Stooges, The Buggles, Duran Duran (not named but directly referenced), Björk, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, Prodigy, and The Residents? What about the Groovy gang being famous criminals as well as Scooby Doo? What about the stolen Rembrandt which is an actual stolen Rembrandt? What about the architecture? Architecture, dude! Let's face it, VB is an educational program. We didn't even mention the Star Wars shout-outs practically every episode.
Don't forget The Doors! "Father..." "Yes Hank?" "I want to kill you." "That's nice. Play pirates somewhere else, your father's busy." "Molotov--I want to... COME ON BABYYY WOOO YEAHHH" And oh my god all the Bowie references, especially the scene when the jet crashes. "I've got a message for the Action Man... I'm happy. I hope you're happy too. I've loved all I needed to love." lol
Don't forget about "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" by Damien Hirts. Dr. Dugong needed a shark, but Wide Whale brougth some expensive useless piece of art.
I honestly thought Action Man was a combination of Winter Soldier and U.S. Agent or the Comedian. Also I thought Night Dick was a play on Dick Grayson and Dick Tracey.
There's a bunch of them that take multiple inspirations. This is but one example. Another is Tracter, who has obvious Nick Fury inspiration that wasn't mentioned here.
Frankly, those off-brand super heroes seemed to be combinations of DC and Marvel like the Amalgam universe. Warriana is Wonder Woman and Thor, Stars and Garters is Captain America and maybe either Superman or Green Lantern depending on your view, and Fallen Archer is a cross between Hawkeye and Green Arrow (that one is the most obvious because he looks like Green Arrow in Hawkeye's costume, physically)
Couple missed ones were Laugh Riot being a reference to the Comedian from Watchmen, Stab Girl being a reference to Tank Girl, and Dr. Orpheus also being a reference to Dr. Fate. Those and of course all the celebrities shouted out when 21 was talking to 24s ghost before fighting Brock
Here are some from me, references to the Sovereign himself, David Bowie: + The Action Man is a reference to the David Bowie song Ashes to Ashes. + The part where Major Tom (another Bowie reference, Space Oddity) pilots his spaceship into oblivion with Jonas Venture communicating with him, almost everything said are lyrics from Space Oddity or Ashes to Ashes. + Jonas also says something about the TVC15 in that same scene, 'TVC15' being a song from Station to Station, another Bowie album. + When Bowie morphs back from being in cigarette form and punches Iggy Pop, he says "make way for the homo superior!" This is a lyric from 'Oh You Pretty Things' from Hunky Dory. + 'The Diamond Dogs' are referenced many times throughout the show as Bowie's hunter-soldiers, which references the concept album and song Diamond Dogs. They fill a similar role in the album's story. + Dean exclaims "it's like Dracula versus Yoda in there!" when Bowie is fighting Phantom Limb, which COULD be a reference to the fact that Bowie once played a vampire in 1983's The Hunger. Perhaps the Yoda part is a reference I don't get, or not a reference at all (seems unlikely given that this is Venture Bros). + David is called 'the thin white d*****' as an insult at one point, a reference to his 'Thin White Duke' character. + When Brock says "you're lucky I don't kill you right here after what you pulled in Berlin", he is likely referring to the time Bowie spent in the German capital creating the so-called 'Berlin trilogy', often thought of as Bowie's finest work (Low, Heroes, and Lodger, though yes, I know, Lodger may not have been written there). + Bowie helped Iggy Pop reach a larger audience, helping produce one of his albums and playing drums on his most famous song, 'Lust for Life' (which is also referenced in the show if memory serves). Klaus Nomi was likewise a sort of niche celebrity Bowie worked with and dramatically raised the profile of, peaking with the Saturday Night Live performance that received rave reviews (December 15th, 1979). Iggy and Klaus being Bowie's personal henchman is, I imagine, a reference to how Bowie brought both to their widest audience and most critically lauded performances, which they could not surpass on their own. + When Iggy initially betrays Bowie, he laments "thirty years of playing the idiot". This is a reference to the title of the aforementioned Bowie-produced Iggy Pop album, entitled 'The Idiot'. + At the wedding Brock warns Bowie "don't enter until the second verse", to which Bowie responds "I know when to go out!" This is a reference to the song 'Modern Love' off of the album 'Let's Dance', which opens with Bowie saying 'I know when to go out/I know when to stay in/Get things done' before he begins singing. --------------------------------- I have no doubt there are MANY more Bowie references, these are largely off the top of my head, combined with watching two clips on YT to get specific lines right/make sure I am not misremembering. I also didn't include any where they *directly* referenced something (for example, when one of the henchman tells Bowie he thought 'Hours...' was underrated). Wasn't there a Scooby Doo spoof episode? Maybe I missed that you mentioned that. Also, I think the bow and arrow guy is an amalgamation of Hawkeye, yes, but also Green Arrow (facial hair, hood). I also think Underbite is a composite as well, Dr. Doom as you mentioned but also Apocalypse, the X-Men villain. [Yes, I know how old this video is, but I enjoyed writing this and who knows, maybe someone else will enjoy learning about these references :)]
I responded to your other comment but seriously thank you for posting this, I completely missed a few of these! Like Iggy Pop's album The Idiot, and Bowie saying "I know when to go out." Modern Love is one of my favorite songs and somehow that one flew right past me lol
from what i read, Brick Frog was something they came up in highschool where they had a running joke about "the worst possible super villian ever". A frog that just throws bricks.
How dare you forget Firestarter by The Prodigy reference!! R.I.P. But seriously, great video. So many awesome references and homages in this show. Doc and Chris are a bunch of dang nerds and I love and miss them.
OUTSTANDING!!!! Excellent job considering how long this show has been around and the pop culture ENCYCLOPEDIA of references, sight gags, puns and easter eggs that were a staple in every episode of The Venture Brothers. Its one of the reasons I fell for the show. I am in my 50s, so I watched Johnny Quest every Saturday morning, LOL. As soon as I saw the very first episode of Venture Brothers, I was hooked! The similarities yet the weird, perverted modern interpretation of the earlier show is just masterful- science fiction, action, comedy, super hero comic book style with a hella goofy soap opera slant that keeps you coming back for more. Gotta Love It!!!!!
Night dick is definitely more the spirit mixed with ghost rider. That's part of what makes the show great. It's a love letter to all the good ole' nerdy stuff people grew up on.
There's also reference to Mad Max 3 in the episode with Gargantua 1 destruction. In that episode Hank, sitting on robot's shoulders, asks who runs Bartertown. And in the episode "Venture Libre" Hank says: "When we get there, if he's in a pair of bicycle shorts talking about 'tears in the rain', you run like hell." It's a reference to Bladerunner of 1982
you mentioned the doom factory but you didn't mention that it was a reference to andy warhols, "The Factory" which was a group of artists during that time that just hanged out a lot together and would collaborate. The villains who inhabit the doom factory are parodies of the artists and actors who surrounded warhol along with being parody of the legion of doom. It surprisingly has multiple layers to it lol, but interesting and worthy of acknowledgement! Also how can you forget street life by the crusaders? Great video though, you were able to open my eyes up to references I never noticed or understood. I never realized that the monarchs henchmen were based on early x-man suits or how dr. orpheus was based on dr. strange. Venture Bros. is just so full of cultural references, I dont blame you if you missed a couple!
I love the idea that every form of pop culture really exists in the venture universe, but is twisted or parodied in some fashion. I personally would love to see a Ben 10 spoof in the future.
Ben 10,000 Ben's watch allows him to become any of 10,000 genders. His watch is full of gender fluid that allow him to "Shim / Herm" in a moments notice.
The fallen archer is a mix of hawkeye (color of his costume) and green arrow (hood and mask, blonde beard and moustache) and both of course are archers obviously 😂.
Also in the Monarch’s unauthorized biography are pictures of Dr Girlfriend “skinny dipping with Jim Foetus!!” Jim Foetus is one of the many pseudonyms of J G Thirlwell, the composer of the Venture Brothers. When the Monarch puts on a lifelike mask of Dr Venture, he comments “It’s so smooth, it even feels like skin. Tells me how it feels to be new,” which is a direct quote from The Cure’s “Kyoto Song”.
Definitely a fun video with some deep, DEEP cut references found and displayed...but also, quite a few pretty glaring omissions. But, that's alright, sometimes that sort of thing just slips one's mind. The ones that REALLY got stuck in my mind were O.S.I. being an amalgam of S.H.I.E.L.D., with infantry uniforms' design and the Hover-Quarters being a stand-in for Heli-carriers, and G.I. Joe, with the more themed/personalized character designs; some of those personalized O.S.I. operatives' outfits were a reference to the Village People's famous costumes; and General Treister had some (pre-Samuel L. Jackson) Nick Fury mixed into the Thunderbolt Ross.
The Action Man is more like old-school Captain America, but in later seasons we were introduced to the modern Captain America (in a skirt) and Wonder Woman parodies.
Really nice finds! Night Dick also references Dick Tracy. General Traister also references Teddy Roosevelt (that's clearly a Rough Rider uniform). Sgt. Hatred is also a reference to Sgt. Slaughter from G.I. Joe. Your Total Recall pick is spot on for Tiny Attorney - I thought he was a reference to Master Blaster from Mad Max.
The episode "What Goes Down Must Come Up" from Season 3 is full of music references besides The Prodigy, including Bowie's harlequin outfit from the "Ashes to Ashes" video, The Art of Noise, and Devo's General Boy and Booji Boy. The huge number of references & Easter eggs combined with the tight continuity give this show huge rewatchability and make it one of my all-time favorites!
Great video! You left out a bunch but still super fun to watch. I actually never noticed the Monarch's henchmens costumes look just like the original x-mens. Also the movie you referenced twice is called Clash of the Titans. Not attack
Also big three you missed the alchemist based on dr Druid a marvel comics character from the old suns of midnight comics and shore leave is directly based on shipwreck and lastly the master is basically the ancient one
Catclops was more based on the myriad Nick Fury copies in the comics industry, more than he was Cyclops. I was of the impression he was most closely mocking John Lynch from Wild Storm comics.
at 12:06 in Dermott's room is a Dethklok poster from the show Metalocalypse my favorite show and band if I may say lmao. Great video! I love seeing videos of shows referencing other shows.
Captain Sunshine was also a reference to Saturday morning superhero shows when the narrator explains how the Captain actually becomes more powerful thanks to Monarch's weapon. Also, "Sunshine Superman" was a hit for the singer Donovan back in the '60s. ("Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me....")
This is an almost impossible task. The reference throughout the series is HUGE! I’m thankful for what you put together. But it is missing sooooooo much stuff. And many of your references are incomplete. Like OSI and GO Joe, sure, but one the YMCA reference, the indices OSI members being references to specific GI action figures, and the reference to the torture at Guantanamo Bay, just to name one snippet of the video. It would be cool to actually go through each episode and do them all, but man that would a long video.
I have some suggestions/corrections on the comic book front. King Gorilla-Monsieur Mallah Prest-O Change-O -Impossible Man Night Dick-The Spirit Action Man-Peacemaker Otto Aquarius-Namor Wild Fop-Joker Boggles, The Clue Clown-Riddler Stars & Garters-US Agent Jonas Venture-Doc Savage Steppenwolf-Man-Bat Scorpio-Batroc Ze Leaper Frigid-Captain Cold Wes Warhammer-Lex Luthor Stab Girl-Harley Quinn Laugh Riot-The Comedian Think Tank-MODOK Sgt. Hatred-Nuke Manotaur-Man-Bull
I thought action man was inspired design-wise by man-at-arms (he-man) also, brock's backstory is inspired by the 1930 novel Gladiator, it's the same as the protagonist's reason why he ran away from college (guilt from accidental murder of a fellow football player)
Catclops is far more Nick Fury than Cyclops. And the Action Man is a military action figure from the UK in the 60's what was their take on the original GIJoe 12" action figure.Tosh Tompkins of the Crusaders Action League is named Stars and Garters, which is a deep cut to a phrase Hank McCoy (Beast) from the X-Men used to say "Oh my stars and garters!"
Cool thing I found out recently is that Treister was something of an inspiration for General Ross becoming Red Hulk. So much so that for his final appearance, they made Treister a Red Hulk in homage to Ross
I think Boggles is a combo of Joker and Riddler. And Fallen Archer is a combo of Green Arrow and Hawkeye. And the Venture Bros. themselves are a combo of Johnny Quest and the Harvey Boys.
It always cracks me up the way they remake a character and when they first make an appearance it looking for who it is in the comics... also the way they did Mr. Fantastic is hilariously wrong, Susan asks him “what’s more important than ur family?” And he says “science”. That’s exactly the problem he has in the comics. 🤣
The into scene for Brown Widow is um... Hard to forget. If you ever wondered what a blown out orifice filled with white frosting looks like when it's being cleaned by a giant swab it will more than satisfy your curiosity. I think I need to get my hands on one of those little doodads from Men In Black so I don't have to think about it anymore.
In the intro to the season one episode 'Ghosts of the Sargasso' as the spaceship crashes they use lyrics from David Bowie's _Space Odyssey_ as dialog: "I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much" "She knows!" "Ground Control to Major Tom Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom?"
Very well done, they really tied in a lot of things so impossible to get every permutation but you really covered a lot of material. I definitely missed the Gaëtan Dugas reference. I do think I nailed most every comic book reference though.
Also, I took Boggles the Clue Clown as a double reference to Joker & the Riddler. Also, I'm pretty sure that Laugh Riot is partly based on The Comedian.
Im obsessed with "the unicorn in captivity" because its the last scene of the story and the story is fucking nuts. It's basically a allegory for christs pure "horn" spiritually cleansing and purifying mary magdeline right before he gets killed by hunters, dies at mary magdelines feet, and then is resurrected and put into captivity. Weird as fuck. But awesome.
Fat Chance is likely a reference to Chunk, a Flash character who became obese due to a scientific mishap but now has access to a pocket dimension Loads of bands get namechecked including The Buggles, The Residents, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, and The Stooges. Booji Boy and General Boy of Devo fame show up in Season 3, Episode 7. In the same episode, one of the Rustys is a dead ringer for the singer in the Firestarter music video by Prodigy.
Dr. Z has a flashback where he talks about Scary Nilsson, a parody of the guy who does the Lime in the Coconut song (but a lot of other really good stuff too) rip Harry
And to think when I watched the first season when it first aired, I did not know much about Marvel characters outside of Spider-Man and the X-men to know the references
It’s funny how Brick Frog is actually a reference to a childhood memory from one of the creators (according to the VB artbook) I think one of them dressed as a frog for a play and proclaimed themselves as brick frog That old childhood joke just carried over to the show
![Best of Action Johnny [Venture Bros]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BPsomQr_pEA/mqdefault.jpg)
As someone who's read the original Astro Boy manga and knows how messed up his backstory is, I can't even fathom what RoBoy went through in the Venture Bros universe.
Why is astro boy so messed up?
Answer the question
@@kane357lynch his real dad abandoned him after he created him.
@KirbyLinkACW Bro, I believe you can help me try’n to source a memory: the Gai-King cartoon from Japan that was dubbed & broadcast in the USA (could’ve been late 70s, could’ve been early 80s ) had a side-story in it, and in that side-story there existed a character that looked JUST LIKE Rō-Boy, and I was too young to understand everything, but I remember that side story VERY much messed with heart-strings, and had an uncommon sadness in it. (I would LOVE to see all those giant Japanese robot cartoons again… it’d be great if i could see them with the same dubbing that they had when I was in first-grade because part of this quest has to do with ‘scratching an itch’ that is my memory…) But, that wasn’t Rō-Boy embedded in Gai-King, was it ?
@@kane357lynch tbh Astroboy was made during the time when Japan was recovering from ww2 and the drop of the atom and was partially inspired by it
You know what I love most about this show? Both Dc and Marvel exist in the venture bros series. Not like as actually heroes but as comic books and etc. it made me wonder if the heroes and villains of this show got inspired by those comic books or it just happened to be coincidence that they happened to have similar designs and powers. Btw I’m not talking about the creators but the in universe characters of the show.
you do realize the heroes in the show are probably so famous that they have comic books and merch made about them? their stories are probably being stolen or sold to dc and marvel not the other way around just like how miles morales is a huge spiderman fan and bought spiderman merch or like that little boy from iron man 2 had a iron man mask and gauntlet
@@achildnamedhotchick1739or more realistically, since arching is basically just man babies with dangerous toys they based themselves off comic books movies and tv shows because they’re all just losers trying to be the characters in the comics
Blue whale is an amalgam reference of Kingpin and White whale, a dc supercriminal
You mean Tobias Whale?
@@jameshoward7428 yes but if white whale isn't his super villain name then it should be.
Well kingpin is a marvel villain
What about Tobias Whale from “Beware the Batman”.
It's wide whale, which is also the name of a fabric
But what about Bowie, Eno, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Stooges, The Buggles, Duran Duran (not named but directly referenced), Björk, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, Prodigy, and The Residents? What about the Groovy gang being famous criminals as well as Scooby Doo? What about the stolen Rembrandt which is an actual stolen Rembrandt? What about the architecture? Architecture, dude! Let's face it, VB is an educational program. We didn't even mention the Star Wars shout-outs practically every episode.
Don't forget The Doors! "Father..." "Yes Hank?" "I want to kill you." "That's nice. Play pirates somewhere else, your father's busy." "Molotov--I want to... COME ON BABYYY WOOO YEAHHH"
And oh my god all the Bowie references, especially the scene when the jet crashes. "I've got a message for the Action Man... I'm happy. I hope you're happy too. I've loved all I needed to love." lol
Jesus Christ, I don't even think JoJo has this many references
Don't forget about "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" by Damien Hirts. Dr. Dugong needed a shark, but Wide Whale brougth some expensive useless piece of art.
Seriously this would need to be about the length of the show itself to cover every reference. If not actually longer.
General shores was known as the holy Diver, the dio album
I honestly thought Action Man was a combination of Winter Soldier and U.S. Agent or the Comedian. Also I thought Night Dick was a play on Dick Grayson and Dick Tracey.
Im pretty sure Night dick was referencing one of the many comic book detectives named "Dick", alongside Hellrider of course. Double reference.
Action Man is a character mentioned in 2 Bowie songs
@@Mickymcquaid And don't forgor there was also an actual "Major Tom" XD
There's a bunch of them that take multiple inspirations. This is but one example. Another is Tracter, who has obvious Nick Fury inspiration that wasn't mentioned here.
Frankly, those off-brand super heroes seemed to be combinations of DC and Marvel like the Amalgam universe. Warriana is Wonder Woman and Thor, Stars and Garters is Captain America and maybe either Superman or Green Lantern depending on your view, and Fallen Archer is a cross between Hawkeye and Green Arrow (that one is the most obvious because he looks like Green Arrow in Hawkeye's costume, physically)
I was gonna make the Wariana and Fallen Archer points, but seemingly missed the Garters combinations.
Captain Sunshine is definitely an amalgamation of Batman and Superman, he’s even voiced by Kevin Conroy
Brown spider is litteraly just elseworld spiderman tho. I don't really see any other influences
Agreed. I think they are (in some cases) less specific references and more just identification of archetypes in comics. Like, types we all know.
Night Dick is Ghost Rider and the Question.
No one going to talk about how half of the OSI is the village people
Damn I cant believe I did not notice that
Shoreleave is my favorite, dude is awesome.
@@SammEaterI always saw him as a combination of the village people and Shipwreck from GI Joe.
@@andrewsherwin966 A weird but really cool in execution combination. Lol
Couple missed ones were Laugh Riot being a reference to the Comedian from Watchmen, Stab Girl being a reference to Tank Girl, and Dr. Orpheus also being a reference to Dr. Fate. Those and of course all the celebrities shouted out when 21 was talking to 24s ghost before fighting Brock
And Sgt. Hatred is Sgt. Slaugher from the comics.
I remember the time when dr. Venture and sgt. Hatred played tf2, as pyro and soldier, and then i though that i saw this in a fever dream😂
Here are some from me, references to the Sovereign himself, David Bowie:
+ The Action Man is a reference to the David Bowie song Ashes to Ashes.
+ The part where Major Tom (another Bowie reference, Space Oddity) pilots his spaceship into oblivion with Jonas Venture communicating with him, almost everything said are lyrics from Space Oddity or Ashes to Ashes.
+ Jonas also says something about the TVC15 in that same scene, 'TVC15' being a song from Station to Station, another Bowie album.
+ When Bowie morphs back from being in cigarette form and punches Iggy Pop, he says "make way for the homo superior!" This is a lyric from 'Oh You Pretty Things' from Hunky Dory.
+ 'The Diamond Dogs' are referenced many times throughout the show as Bowie's hunter-soldiers, which references the concept album and song Diamond Dogs. They fill a similar role in the album's story.
+ Dean exclaims "it's like Dracula versus Yoda in there!" when Bowie is fighting Phantom Limb, which COULD be a reference to the fact that Bowie once played a vampire in 1983's The Hunger. Perhaps the Yoda part is a reference I don't get, or not a reference at all (seems unlikely given that this is Venture Bros).
+ David is called 'the thin white d*****' as an insult at one point, a reference to his 'Thin White Duke' character.
+ When Brock says "you're lucky I don't kill you right here after what you pulled in Berlin", he is likely referring to the time Bowie spent in the German capital creating the so-called 'Berlin trilogy', often thought of as Bowie's finest work (Low, Heroes, and Lodger, though yes, I know, Lodger may not have been written there).
+ Bowie helped Iggy Pop reach a larger audience, helping produce one of his albums and playing drums on his most famous song, 'Lust for Life' (which is also referenced in the show if memory serves). Klaus Nomi was likewise a sort of niche celebrity Bowie worked with and dramatically raised the profile of, peaking with the Saturday Night Live performance that received rave reviews (December 15th, 1979). Iggy and Klaus being Bowie's personal henchman is, I imagine, a reference to how Bowie brought both to their widest audience and most critically lauded performances, which they could not surpass on their own.
+ When Iggy initially betrays Bowie, he laments "thirty years of playing the idiot". This is a reference to the title of the aforementioned Bowie-produced Iggy Pop album, entitled 'The Idiot'.
+ At the wedding Brock warns Bowie "don't enter until the second verse", to which Bowie responds "I know when to go out!" This is a reference to the song 'Modern Love' off of the album 'Let's Dance', which opens with Bowie saying 'I know when to go out/I know when to stay in/Get things done' before he begins singing.
---------------------------------
I have no doubt there are MANY more Bowie references, these are largely off the top of my head, combined with watching two clips on YT to get specific lines right/make sure I am not misremembering. I also didn't include any where they *directly* referenced something (for example, when one of the henchman tells Bowie he thought 'Hours...' was underrated).
Wasn't there a Scooby Doo spoof episode? Maybe I missed that you mentioned that. Also, I think the bow and arrow guy is an amalgamation of Hawkeye, yes, but also Green Arrow (facial hair, hood). I also think Underbite is a composite as well, Dr. Doom as you mentioned but also Apocalypse, the X-Men villain.
[Yes, I know how old this video is, but I enjoyed writing this and who knows, maybe someone else will enjoy learning about these references :)]
I responded to your other comment but seriously thank you for posting this, I completely missed a few of these! Like Iggy Pop's album The Idiot, and Bowie saying "I know when to go out." Modern Love is one of my favorite songs and somehow that one flew right past me lol
@@evan_dood Excellent, glad someone enjoyed it. : ) I don't know much, but I know my Bowie.
A 15 minute video that is still only just the tip of the iceberg of VB references.
Thinktank is also a reference to Dr Psycho, I realized that when Warriana wanted to fight him
And Modok. The giant head body is what does it.
from what i read, Brick Frog was something they came up in highschool where they had a running joke about "the worst possible super villian ever". A frog that just throws bricks.
How dare you forget Firestarter by The Prodigy reference!! R.I.P.
But seriously, great video. So many awesome references and homages in this show. Doc and Chris are a bunch of dang nerds and I love and miss them.
OUTSTANDING!!!! Excellent job considering how long this show has been around and the pop culture ENCYCLOPEDIA of references, sight gags, puns and easter eggs that were a staple in every episode of The Venture Brothers. Its one of the reasons I fell for the show. I am in my 50s, so I watched Johnny Quest every Saturday morning, LOL. As soon as I saw the very first episode of Venture Brothers, I was hooked! The similarities yet the weird, perverted modern interpretation of the earlier show is just masterful- science fiction, action, comedy, super hero comic book style with a hella goofy soap opera slant that keeps you coming back for more. Gotta Love It!!!!!
2:56 pretty sure that character is a reference to the DC villain Brainiac
Night dick is definitely more the spirit mixed with ghost rider. That's part of what makes the show great. It's a love letter to all the good ole' nerdy stuff people grew up on.
I was also thinking Question.
There's also reference to Mad Max 3 in the episode with Gargantua 1 destruction. In that episode Hank, sitting on robot's shoulders, asks who runs Bartertown. And in the episode "Venture Libre" Hank says: "When we get there, if he's in a pair of bicycle shorts talking about 'tears in the rain', you run like hell." It's a reference to Bladerunner of 1982
you mentioned the doom factory but you didn't mention that it was a reference to andy warhols, "The Factory" which was a group of artists during that time that just hanged out a lot together and would collaborate. The villains who inhabit the doom factory are parodies of the artists and actors who surrounded warhol along with being parody of the legion of doom. It surprisingly has multiple layers to it lol, but interesting and worthy of acknowledgement! Also how can you forget street life by the crusaders? Great video though, you were able to open my eyes up to references I never noticed or understood. I never realized that the monarchs henchmen were based on early x-man suits or how dr. orpheus was based on dr. strange. Venture Bros. is just so full of cultural references, I dont blame you if you missed a couple!
Thank you for this contribution to humanity.
Love this, well done! I am a mega fan of Venture Brothers and a bit shocked at how many I missed. Thank you for putting this together.
HankCo Detective Agency, every film noir ever made.
I love the idea that every form of pop culture really exists in the venture universe, but is twisted or parodied in some fashion. I personally would love to see a Ben 10 spoof in the future.
Ben 10,000
Ben's watch allows him to become any of 10,000 genders. His watch is full of gender fluid that allow him to "Shim / Herm" in a moments notice.
Tbh if that were to happen
Ben would probably look like kevin, it’s the only logical answer
F-ing INCREDIBLE!
The fallen archer is a mix of hawkeye (color of his costume) and green arrow (hood and mask, blonde beard and moustache) and both of course are archers obviously 😂.
Also in the Monarch’s unauthorized biography are pictures of Dr Girlfriend “skinny dipping with Jim Foetus!!” Jim Foetus is one of the many pseudonyms of J G Thirlwell, the composer of the Venture Brothers.
When the Monarch puts on a lifelike mask of Dr Venture, he comments “It’s so smooth, it even feels like skin. Tells me how it feels to be new,” which is a direct quote from The Cure’s “Kyoto Song”.
also The Monarch mentions 'Jim Foetus' aka JG Thirlwell who made the soundtrack for Venture Bros :)
And Lydia Lunch collaborated with Thirlwell.
Considering Boggles has the word "clue" in his name, i imagine he's also a reference to Riddler.
Definitely a fun video with some deep, DEEP cut references found and displayed...but also, quite a few pretty glaring omissions. But, that's alright, sometimes that sort of thing just slips one's mind. The ones that REALLY got stuck in my mind were O.S.I. being an amalgam of S.H.I.E.L.D., with infantry uniforms' design and the Hover-Quarters being a stand-in for Heli-carriers, and G.I. Joe, with the more themed/personalized character designs; some of those personalized O.S.I. operatives' outfits were a reference to the Village People's famous costumes; and General Treister had some (pre-Samuel L. Jackson) Nick Fury mixed into the Thunderbolt Ross.
The Action Man is more like old-school Captain America, but in later seasons we were introduced to the modern Captain America (in a skirt) and Wonder Woman parodies.
4:40
Necronomicon itself originates from Cthulhu mythos, though judging by design it's really a reference to Evil Dead.
I can’t believe Brick Frog is based on something
Really nice finds! Night Dick also references Dick Tracy. General Traister also references Teddy Roosevelt (that's clearly a Rough Rider uniform). Sgt. Hatred is also a reference to Sgt. Slaughter from G.I. Joe. Your Total Recall pick is spot on for Tiny Attorney - I thought he was a reference to Master Blaster from Mad Max.
Man, so many references were so blunt but I still never realized the resemblance the monarchs henchmen’s costumes had to the of X-men uniforms
The episode "What Goes Down Must Come Up" from Season 3 is full of music references besides The Prodigy, including Bowie's harlequin outfit from the "Ashes to Ashes" video, The Art of Noise, and Devo's General Boy and Booji Boy. The huge number of references & Easter eggs combined with the tight continuity give this show huge rewatchability and make it one of my all-time favorites!
Thank you for creating and posting thin informative gem.
BROOOO!!!!!!!! How did I not guess that Hunter Gathers was him?? Lmfao!!
R.I.P Hunter
Great video! You left out a bunch but still super fun to watch. I actually never noticed the Monarch's henchmens costumes look just like the original x-mens. Also the movie you referenced twice is called Clash of the Titans. Not attack
Dr Doom has also two references: the second being that colleague professor who is a badass cyborg.
I feel like brainulo (the guy with the massive head that’s all pink) is a little more like brainiac from DC
SPHINX! [finger snaps]
Also big three you missed the alchemist based on dr Druid a marvel comics character from the old suns of midnight comics and shore leave is directly based on shipwreck and lastly the master is basically the ancient one
I read somewhere that Sgt Hatred having boobs was like poking fun on Rob Liefeld's art lol
The crazy guy in the sewer the "confessed arsonist" is a reference the the band The Prodigy. Specifically their song Firestarter.
Catclops was more based on the myriad Nick Fury copies in the comics industry, more than he was Cyclops. I was of the impression he was most closely mocking John Lynch from Wild Storm comics.
good one i had no clue
Brisby is not just a parody of Walt Disney; he's also Mason Verger from Hannibal
1:45 Brick Frog is the best! The kind of unassuming villain you don't take seriously until you take a brick in the head.
Dont forget Dragoon and Red Mantle are Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper!
The more I learn about Venture Bros the more I want to work up the nerve to just watch it.
at 12:06 in Dermott's room is a Dethklok poster from the show Metalocalypse
my favorite show and band if I may say lmao.
Great video! I love seeing videos of shows referencing other shows.
Captain Sunshine was also a reference to Saturday morning superhero shows when the narrator explains how the Captain actually becomes more powerful thanks to Monarch's weapon. Also, "Sunshine Superman" was a hit
for the singer Donovan back in the '60s. ("Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me....")
1:21 ya know, I kinda feel like the voice actor for Monarch could probably play a really good Green Goblin for a Spider-Man cartoon
Thanks for making this! I love this series.
Did you miss Trainspotting on movie references?!? I loved it!
This is an almost impossible task. The reference throughout the series is HUGE! I’m thankful for what you put together. But it is missing sooooooo much stuff. And many of your references are incomplete. Like OSI and GO Joe, sure, but one the YMCA reference, the indices OSI members being references to specific GI action figures, and the reference to the torture at Guantanamo Bay, just to name one snippet of the video. It would be cool to actually go through each episode and do them all, but man that would a long video.
Killinger is also a Mary Poppins spoof
Alongside being the devil
its amazing that patton oswald is the second actor to look exactly like the character (first being Bowie as Bowie)
I have some suggestions/corrections on the comic book front.
King Gorilla-Monsieur Mallah
Prest-O Change-O -Impossible Man
Night Dick-The Spirit
Action Man-Peacemaker
Otto Aquarius-Namor
Wild Fop-Joker
Boggles, The Clue Clown-Riddler
Stars & Garters-US Agent
Jonas Venture-Doc Savage
Steppenwolf-Man-Bat
Scorpio-Batroc Ze Leaper
Frigid-Captain Cold
Wes Warhammer-Lex Luthor
Stab Girl-Harley Quinn
Laugh Riot-The Comedian
Think Tank-MODOK
Sgt. Hatred-Nuke
Manotaur-Man-Bull
4:05: The bottom members of O.S.I. are also based on The Village People.
I thought action man was inspired design-wise by man-at-arms (he-man)
also, brock's backstory is inspired by the 1930 novel Gladiator, it's the same as the protagonist's reason why he ran away from college (guilt from accidental murder of a fellow football player)
Excellent! I think you may have missed the Whacky Races reference.
Your music is FIRE!!!!!
GREAT DJ!!!
“Here come the warm jets”. Yells one of the LOCI guys (Brian Eno’s debut album)
L Ron is also based off of Arnim Zola. Also Manic 8 Ball is based off of 8 Ball from Marvel.
we're gonna ignore how Dean is basically 60's peter parker?
To be honest so many of these characters feel os original i never realized they were references to comic characters
Catclops is far more Nick Fury than Cyclops. And the Action Man is a military action figure from the UK in the 60's what was their take on the original GIJoe 12" action figure.Tosh Tompkins of the Crusaders Action League is named Stars and Garters, which is a deep cut to a phrase Hank McCoy (Beast) from the X-Men used to say "Oh my stars and garters!"
Cool thing I found out recently is that Treister was something of an inspiration for General Ross becoming Red Hulk. So much so that for his final appearance, they made Treister a Red Hulk in homage to Ross
I'm pretty sure Pete and Billy are Pinky and the Brain
With all the music references, I am CONVINCED that at least one of the writers read JoJo's
Not all heroes wear capes. You've done us a great service.
Fallen Archer was a mashup of both Hawkeye and Green Arrow - the costume design of GA with the color scheme of Hawkeye.
I think Boggles is a combo of Joker and Riddler. And Fallen Archer is a combo of Green Arrow and Hawkeye. And the Venture Bros. themselves are a combo of Johnny Quest and the Harvey Boys.
Hardy...
It always cracks me up the way they remake a character and when they first make an appearance it looking for who it is in the comics... also the way they did Mr. Fantastic is hilariously wrong, Susan asks him “what’s more important than ur family?” And he says “science”. That’s exactly the problem he has in the comics. 🤣
9:30: the bar from The Shining
The into scene for Brown Widow is um... Hard to forget. If you ever wondered what a blown out orifice filled with white frosting looks like when it's being cleaned by a giant swab it will more than satisfy your curiosity. I think I need to get my hands on one of those little doodads from Men In Black so I don't have to think about it anymore.
In the intro to the season one episode 'Ghosts of the Sargasso' as the spaceship crashes they use lyrics from David Bowie's _Space Odyssey_ as dialog:
"I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much"
"She knows!"
"Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?"
7:05 ray harryhausen is also the claymation style used for the Clash of the Titans spoof on Spanacopita island during the dream sequence.
1.) I freaking LOVE the music! All of it! 2.) Now I really HAVE to pick up where I left off in The Venture Bros.
Very well done, they really tied in a lot of things so impossible to get every permutation but you really covered a lot of material. I definitely missed the Gaëtan Dugas reference. I do think I nailed most every comic book reference though.
Also, I took Boggles the Clue Clown as a double reference to Joker & the Riddler.
Also, I'm pretty sure that Laugh Riot is partly based on The Comedian.
Im obsessed with "the unicorn in captivity" because its the last scene of the story and the story is fucking nuts. It's basically a allegory for christs pure "horn" spiritually cleansing and purifying mary magdeline right before he gets killed by hunters, dies at mary magdelines feet, and then is resurrected and put into captivity. Weird as fuck. But awesome.
Great vid, lotsa work
Im pretty sure the OSI and Sphinx were both parodies of The Village People.
When you don't know who the reference could be: captain America!
Fat Chance is likely a reference to Chunk, a Flash character who became obese due to a scientific mishap but now has access to a pocket dimension
Loads of bands get namechecked including The Buggles, The Residents, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, and The Stooges.
Booji Boy and General Boy of Devo fame show up in Season 3, Episode 7.
In the same episode, one of the Rustys is a dead ringer for the singer in the Firestarter music video by Prodigy.
Just notice that when you hold a mirror at the end of the name ben the name of the thing, you get ned
Actually brick frog was a character one of the creators made up when they were kids.
Dr. Z has a flashback where he talks about Scary Nilsson, a parody of the guy who does the Lime in the Coconut song (but a lot of other really good stuff too) rip Harry
8:45: Clash of The Titans (1981) . However, Bubo (the metallic replica of the Athena's pet, owl ) did make a brief cameo in the 2010 remake.
Thats a really ncie list. Good job
And to think when I watched the first season when it first aired, I did not know much about Marvel characters outside of Spider-Man and the X-men to know the references
I had no idea Kate McKinnon did all those voices!
I like Red Death a LOT more than red skull. If I had to pick one to be held hostage by. It'd be Red Death.
You forgot Father Guido Sarducci at the boggles funeral. And boggles the clue clown was both joker and riddler
Dear whoever has the power, BRING BACK THE VENTURE BROS!!! I know this is the best place to reach you.
Perhaps we should form some sort of guild with calamitous Intent!what should we call it?
Good job
It’s funny how Brick Frog is actually a reference to a childhood memory from one of the creators (according to the VB artbook) I think one of them dressed as a frog for a play and proclaimed themselves as brick frog
That old childhood joke just carried over to the show
theres something incredibly late 2000s about this video
Blind rage is a perfect parody name for daredevil lmao