Well, it’s interesting (and a little intimidating!) to learn that Joel seems to be dropping by this site once in a while…

Last week in the episode guide I again asked about the origin of the “hat party” gag that gets used a number of times on the show. Again, nobody knew for sure. Then an email from Mr. Hodgson arrived:

Noticed you were curious about the term “hat party”

“Hat Party” and especially “We’re staging a Hat Party” was something I read in a Magic Magazine. It was part of a promotion for a Magic Convention, I think, as a way to entice wives and girlfriends to want to go to a magic convention – which they never do. I think the copy also read “the name of the game is HATS”. So it fascinated me, still does – I think I may have read it to everyone in the writing room and I remember Frank really laughing about it. That was it.

So I surmise that the “mine will be the grandest of all” is a Frankism, as he went with the premise in the writing room.

Joel also volunteered this stunner:

Also, by the way, the name “Best Brains” was also a phrase I found in a magic catalog. It was the old “Vick Lawston” magic catalog. The copy read something like: “from some of the Best Brains in the magic business!”

Never knew THAT!

Never one to let a good thing rest, I decided to ask for one more: I had wondered in that episode guide entry if that “beat” poem Joel reads at the top of that episode (210- KING DINOSAUR) was his, so I asked. He replied:

Yes, I think I may have wrote that poem – it has some references that I recognize from other sources – mostly the Suburbs album (a local Minneapolis band) “Stories for Boys” and George Harrison’s “33 and a 3rd” record with the song “Pure Smokey” – also Tom Servo is dropping some lines from the Van Morrison
song “Rave On, John Donne”.

So there’s that! Thanks, Joel!