Okay, for this one, I am doing only structural changes to the bots themselves, not costumes, wigs, etc. There are many more than this. My favorites, in episode order:

• 321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS–Christmas versions of the bots: Tom’s head is a snow globe, Crow’s nose is a festive red. A great touch to a perennial favorite episode.
• 510- THE PAINTED HILLS–ingot Crow: Hilarious bot building.
• 518- THE ATOMIC BRAIN–Weather Servo 9: It’s cooooold in space.
• 609- THE SKY DIVERS–Planetarium Tom: Let’s probe Uranus!
• 610- THE VIOLENT YEARS–Servo’s new head!: My all-time favorite. Riotous.
• 618- HIGH SCHOOL BIG SHOT–huge Tom Servo: Movie bad!
• 806- THE UNDEAD–imp Crow: Tee-hee!
• 814- RIDING WITH DEATH–Tom’s buttless truck driver body: “Hideous”–Mike Nelson.
• 912- THE SCREAMING SKULL–screaming skull Crow: hilarious build for a hilarious segment
• 1007- TRACK OF THE MOON BEAST–Blossomed Tom: looks tasty!
Honorable mention:
• 511- GUNSLINGER–”Kaboom” Tom: Pop him!

First shown: 9/26/93
Opening: Crow is Jay Leno, complete with chin
Invention exchange: Cholester-do all, back-talk
Host segment 1: Crow and Tom debate the messy woman in the short
Host segment 2: Reports on bearded guys include Crow’s paper on Rutherford B. Hayes
Host segment 3: Crow is crushed into an ingot
End: Discussing the Lassie’s culpability, Dr. F. tries to revive Frank
Stinger: Naughty girl goes into the shower

• It was certainly a bold move, picking this movie, and westerns are always fun to riff, even westerns that do it doggie style. But I have to put this in the “good not great” category, something like the previous episode. The movie’s just a little too good (I actually got caught up in the story), while the riffing and segments are hit and miss.
• In the opening bit, I know Joel is just setting up Crow’s last punchline, but you can’t get sued for making fun of Congress. Kinda ruined the joke for me.
• I guess, being old enough to remember Johnny Carson, Jay Leno still sort of seems like “the new guy.” But the opening, which first aired nearly 15 years ago, is a little reminder of how long Jay has had the gig.
• The actual prop Frank is wearing around his neck during the invention exchange is kinda cool. “Ee-kay-gee, does it work great!”
• Then-current reference: short-lived TV show “Delta”
• The short seems to be aimed at college students. Did they really show this sort of thing in COLLEGE? Did college kids in the 1950s really need to be told to shower occasionally?
• That moment in the short where the movie moves backwards and Tom does the backward talking–do you think that’s what sparked the “Back Talk” invention?
• Segment 1 is MST3K at its best, witty, wise and fun. Love the reference to “Scoop Jackson Democrats” and “Jacob Javitz Republicans.”
• Annoying commercial: My recording is from October of 1994, and features a commercial for Harry Shearer’s terrible but thankfully short-lived show “The News Hole.” I like Harry, but not all of his projects are winners.
• Pile-On Pete was an instant sensation in the message boards following this episode. As was the line “Snausages!”
• Daddy-O notes that this movie was a rarity. In most Lassie movies, Lassie is a female character that was generally played by male dogs. But in this case, the character of Shep, a female, is actually played by a female dog. Or as he puts it: “Kinda like Victor-Victoria with fleas!”
• Segment 2 goes on a little long, but there’s some good stuff there. I like how you can hear Tom say “Rutherford B. Hays!” as Cambot is halfway down through the movie sign door.
• Callback: “Smoochers on mah property!” (Eye Creatures)
• Segment 3, well, they’re doin’ stuff to the bots again. Funny puppet, though.
• Crow says “Thank you for extruding me” (like a little kid thanking his grandma for an itchy sweater he’ll never wear) as they enter the theater…
• The ending bit in Deep 13 I love the food popping out of Frank’s mouth as Dr. F gives him CPR.
• A rarity: the stinger is from the short, rather than the movie.
• Fave riff: First thing I’m gonna do is buy me a montage!

The first trailer for the independent film “Triptosane,” which features the voice of Trace Beaulieu, is now out.

Guest riffer: Singer Richard Cheese.

If you woke up this morning in the Los Angeles area, or you plan to be there by this evening, why not take in this month’s installment of “Cartoon Dump”?

Info here.

I ran through the list of episodes and found that I had almost no memory of the theme music for most of the movies. I guess, being mostly low-budget affairs, the themes were forgettable, But I did come up with five that jumped out at me. I’m sure you guys will remember others I’ve overlooked.
Here’s my list:
• Episode 111- MOON ZERO TWO: The credits theme is full of insane brass and wild screaming. Great stuff.
• Episode 204- CATALINA CAPER: “Never Steal Anything Wet” sung by Motown great Mary Wells. Though this is not the catchiest tune.
• Episode 321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS: “Hurray for Santy Claus” A song guaranteed to get a theater full of sugared-up kids even more excited.
• Episode 508- OPERATION DOUBLE 007: “The Man for Me” song by an Ennio Morricone regular Khristy. Great additional lyrics by Joel and Bots, but already a bombastic wonder.
• Episode 601- GIRLS TOWN: “Girls Town Blues” sung by Paul and Mamie. Sets the tone for the zaniness to come.
Honorable mention: “Mah, mah, mah, mah, Mitchell” from episode 512- MITCHELL. Oh Hoyt, how could you!

The Newark Star-Ledger writes about Cinematic Titanic. However, the author, who claims to be a fan, either has a bad memory or a bad fact-checker.

Frank was interviewed on the latest version of The Paul Goebel Show.

The animated short “Max the Hero” which was written and voiced by Mike, Kevin and Bill will have two screenings at the upcoming Dragon*Con:

Friday, Aug. 29 at 5:30 PM in the Hyatt Regency Learning Center. (As part of the ”Super Heroes and Evil Organizations” block.)

Sunday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 PM in the Hyatt Regency Baker Room. (As part of the ”Animation” block.)

First shown: 9/18/93
Opening: Bot bellybuttons
Invention exchange: Evil baseball promotions, “Don Martins”
Host segment 1: Song: “What a Pleasant Journey”
Host segment 2: The bots want to reenact the pool hall scene
Host segment 3: Crow Elam
End: Furious about the ending of the movie, the bots devise new endings, letters, Frank devises endings too
Stinger: “Are you waiting for a bus?”

• This is what I used to call a “little” episode. The movie has a very narrow scope. The host segments are fun but nothing spectacular. The riffing is decent but workmanlike. It’s good, not great. But, like practically every episode, it has its moments…
• Once again the writers find themselves doing stuff to the bots in the opening segment. This time it’s belly buttons. I do love the way Joel thinks it over and decides to go for it.
• Annoying commercial: My copy is from October of ’94 and features a commercial for a dead-on-arrival game console called the JVC X’eye. (Anybody buy it?) It played CDs … and Sega Genesis cartridges. Seemed like a good idea at the time, I guess. Also annoying: the Hockey Strike CC bumpers. I may have mentioned them before. Also, the futuristic ATT commercial predicting all sorts of modern marvels that will some come to pass, and I don’t think any of them have, 14 years later.
• The baseball promotion invention exchange is as dark as Frank predicts it will be, at least for any baseball fan. I’m old enough to remember when my dad took me and my two little brothers bat day at Connie Mack Stadium in Philly: every kid got an actual regulation wooden bat, and yet we behaved. There’d be mayhem in the stands if they did that today.
• Why does Joel’s jumpsuit come equipped with ONE kneepad?
• One of the best things about this episode is the songs. The song Tom makes up to go with the movie’s theme during the credit sequence is just marvelous. Joel and Crow add a line or two, but of course it’s dominated by Tom.
• This episode also features the “Camera three get off the tracks!! Arrgghhh!” sequence, which was later used in promos for the show.
• The other great song: “What a pleasant journey.” What can you say? One of the funniest songs of the series. The impression they’re doing, by the way is sort of a vague Woody Guthrie.
• The Mary Jo Pehl influence: Mentions of Appleton and Circle Pines.
• Callbacks: o/` “Leather coat…” o/` (The Beatniks) “To live like the E-lam…” (Robot Monster) “You’re stuck here!” (Fugitive Alien)
• One I don’t get: Her neck looks like Randy Johnson’s? Huh?
• Elam does look like Garrison Keillor, which they point out at least twice.
• There are several references to the “This Side of Paradise” Star Trek episode again.
• Crow notes that Jack Elam was a fine character actor, “and for all I know he still is.” He was indeed still alive when this episode first aired…not so much now, sadly. He passed in 2003.
• I lost count of the “Carrie, you’re so very…” riffs, which did NOT get funnier with each iteration. For those who have no idea what it’s about: Check it out here.
• Yes, the truck driver does look a little like Gene Kelly, if you squint. I counted SIX riffs to that effect.
• I forget who it was that said they were putting together a list of religious references. There’s one in this one: “You’re gonna kill the fatted calf.”
• The bots are so upset about the ending of the movie in the final sketch, and there is also some outrage expressed in the ACEG, but J&TB don’t seem that upset in the theater when Carrie’s brutal and completely undeserved murder actually occurs.
• Fave riff: This is a great date. I always wanted to be nuzzled by a hobo…