Welcome to another article on Magi-Nation Duel pop culture references! On to the third expansion set! In Dream’s End, we get a few more Monty Python references, as well as the first of many references to “The Princess Bride.” This article will cover the two expansions, Dream's End, and Nightmare's Dawn!
“Sesame Street” features the vampire Count Von Count, whose gimmick is… he really likes to count. In fact, he has a whole song about it. Usually when he counts, he proclaims “One! One thing” followed by laughter and the occasional dramatic effect. So of course, that’s what Korg does for the Shadow Geyser cards, with Zet getting more annoyed each time. It’s a lovely running gag, all things considered.
Yeah, this one is just a play on the saying "a rolling stone gathers no moss." But we’re still counting it, especially because the same saying shows up again in a later sketch.
"Nodj nodj, wink wink, say no more, say--... never mind, I guess you had to be there." -- Tony Jones
Monty Python’s “nudge nudge, wink wink” sketch is a moderately popular one, wherein a man holds a conversation with a lot of mediocre innuendos, made funny by his adding “Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more” to each of them. So of course that one gets a shout-out here, and it seems like Tony Jones is a Monty Python fan. As well he should be.
"He goes around whistling this inane little tune all the time. It drives me crazy." -- Tryn, Daughter of Runes
One of Monty Python’s most well-known sketches is their Lumberjack Song, wherein a lumberjack sings “I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay, I sleep all night and I work all day” between verses that go further and further from the masculine image that lumberjacks are normally associated with. Well, the “inane little tune” that Zajan whistles appears to be that song, because his effects are “work all night” and “sleep all day.”
Pokemon's "Gotta catch 'em all!" tagline is pretty recognizable, especially for those who grew up watching the cartoon on Saturday mornings. It’s in the intro, in the “Poke Rap,” included in the marketing - you get the picture.
Space. The final frontier. You know how the rest goes. Anyways, the opening monologue for “Star Trek” ends with “to boldly go where no one has gone before,” so Flugg’s reference needs no further explanation. On to the next one!
Here we go, the first of many “Princess Bride” references. In the book and movie, Inigo Montoya and Fezzik play a little rhyming game. When Vizzini starts asking them questions, they keep up the game and respond in rhyme, leading Vizzini to shout “No more rhymes now, I mean it!” to which Fezzik replies: “Anybody want a peanut?” (Fun fact: Cary Elwes, who plays Westley in the film, said that “Anybody want a peanut?” is his favorite line from the film.) So even if the context is different on the card, the rhyme is still there.
Nightmare’s Dawn
It’s around here where we start getting a lot more references, and a wider variety, covering everything from literature to commercials, and of course more “Star Wars.” So let’s move on and see what Nightmare’s Dawn had…
Bog Wellisk: “Diff’rent Strokes
"What you talk'n 'bout, Wellisk?"
Gary Coleman’s Arnold of “Diff’rent Strokes” fame had something of a catchphrase: “Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” Well, Wellisk’s name is close enough, so here we are, with a simple but effective reference.
Bolobog: “Scarface”
"Say hello to my little friends."
Do I even have to say it? This is probably the most quoted and referenced line from “Scarface,” so it’s pretty obvious. Of course, in this case the line is referring to dream creatures, not guns, but it works.
Moob: The Troggs, “Wild Thing”
"Wild thing! You Moob me"
“Wild thing. You move me. But I wanna know for sure!” If you’re not already singing along, then I have no idea what radio stations you ever listened to. Anyways, another obvious reference, but an amusing one.
Swamp Hyren: “Star Wars: A New Hope”
"An elegant creature for a more civilized age. For countless generations the Swamp Hyren were the guardians of peace and justice in the great Bograth empire." -- Olabra, The Really Greatest Elder Ever
When Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Luke Anakin’s old lightsaber, he described it as “an elegant weapon from a more civilized age.” He also mentioned how Jedi were peacekeepers in the galaxy. Now, whether or not that statement holds up in light of the prequels is another story, but still, Olabra’s description of the Swamp Hyren matches up with that well enough.
Baa, Wiep, Grahnna, and Ninibom: “Transformers: The Movie”
In this case, the reference isn’t from a single card or flavor text, but rather from the names themselves. In “Transformers: the Movie,” the phrase “Bah weep granah weep nini bong” is a universal greeting, and while we only get the first three in this set, the reference gets completed in Voice of the Storms with Ninibom.
Brog: “Star Trek”
"I am Brog. Resistance is fertile."
“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile.” It’s a chilling phrase for “Star Trek” fans when read with the cold, emotionless tone of the robotic Borg, and one that gets referenced in this card. Brog’s name is close enough to the Borg, and calling resistance “fertile” instead of “futile” makes sense in the context of his ability. So that’s a bit of a clever one.
Eryss: “Aladdin”
"Korg, Korg, he's our man, if he can't do it, great!"
Poor Eryss, caught between two sides of a war; no wonder she’s known as “the insane.” The fact that she’s named after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, certainly serves as a nice mythological nod as well. But we’re here to talk about her flavor text, which references the scene in Disney’s “Aladdin” where the Genie has to serve Jafar, but that still doesn’t stop him from cheering against him.
Golthub: Mel Brooks, “History of the World Part 1”
"It looks good to be the king."
In Mel Brooks’ "History of the World Part 1," he takes on the role of King Louis of France, who proceeds to, well, there’s no gentle way to say this: sexually harass every woman he sees. How can he do this? Because, in his words, “It’s good to be the king.”
(Please note that these scenes were done to show how depraved and unlikable the king was, and his behavior is in no way portrayed in a positive light. But it’s a funny line.)
Trulb Horde: Monty Python
"Heere comes another one!"
Y’know what? I’m just going to let this video speak for itself.
Boomstick: “Army of Darkness”
"This is my BOOMSTICK!"
“Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up. See this? This… is my BOOMSTICK!” So proclaimed Ash of “Army of Darkness,” right before demonstrating its power. I feel like this is another one that needs no elaboration.
Firefly Amulet: Home on the Range
"Oh give me a home, where the Leaf Hyren roam, Where the Pliths and Carillions play, Where always is heard, the Furok's horn bird, And the bugs don't keep burning all day!" -- Poad, Naroom Innkeeper
We saw this reference before in Firefly Swarm, so it seems to be another verse of the song. ‘Nuff said.
Darkbreed's Minion: “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”
"I am the mouth of the Darkbreed Hyren."
The Mouth of Sauron was a pretty minor character in “Return of the King,” who is utterly creepy but doesn’t last particularly long. But as Darkbreed Hyren's flavor text also references Sauron and “Lord of the Rings,” this is a nice follow-up that continues the theme. Good stuff.
Zungg: “Hamlet”
"To sleep, perchance to dream up something THAT WILL EAT THESE THINGS!"
Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, features what is almost certainly the most quoted and referenced soliloquy, “To be or not to be.” One such line goes:
“To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,
For in this sleep of death what dreams may come...”
Well, if you can dream up creatures, then “what dreams may come” takes on a different meaning. Anyways, you get this reference, moving on.
Warrada's Ring: Disney's “Aladdin”
“Itty bitty gemstone.”
This is one where the flavor text and effect combine to make a single reference. They work together to reference the Genie's "phenomenal cosmic power, itty bitty living space" line. Considering we had the reference on Eryss earlier as well, I’m thinking someone watched “Aladdin” right before working on these cards.
Dewstone: Mountain Dew commercials
"Do the dewstone."
Mountain Dew’s commercials used to have the catchphrase “Do the Dew.” With that in mind, the reference speaks for itself.
Cleansing: “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”
"There is good in her, I can sense it."
Before Luke went off to fight Darth Vader for the last time, he told Leia there was still hope. “There is good in him. I can sense it.” That held true in the movie and on the flavor text of this card, although in Ogar’s case, her redemption was a lot less fatal than Vader’s.
Ice Hyren: Queen and Vanilla Ice
"Ice, under pressure. Good stuff."
Queen - Under Pressure (Official Video)
Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” is a masterpiece of a song. Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” is arguably less so, but it’s no secret that (in spite of Ice’s initial denial) it uses the same beat. So if you like the tune regardless of who it’s coming from, then you’ll agree: “Ice” and “Under Pressure” are good stuff.
WOOT!: Weird Al, “Albuquerque”
"Just this box of one dozen rabid wasperines." "Okay, I'll take that."
That’s right, once again we have a reference to Weird Al and his song, "Albuquerque." This one continues the donut shop scene, where after being told they’re out of all donuts, cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, and bear claws, all they have left is a box of one dozen starving, crazed weasels.
They really use that one a lot, not that I'm complaining.
Hardshell Weebo: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”
"Yeah! Weebos on the halfshell!" -- Poad, Innkeeper
The theme song for the classic 90’s cartoon “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' featured the line “Heroes on the halfshell - turtle power!” So, when Poad calls the Hardhsll Weebo a “Weebo on the halfshell,” it’s quite clearly a nod to that iconic phrase. ‘Nuff said.
Khisp: “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark”
"Khisps. Very dangerous. You go first."
Indiana Jones hates snakes. That much is well-known thanks to his line “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” (And that line gets referenced too, just a bit later.) But what makes that scene even better is the next line, where Sallah sees the snakes and notes “Asps. Very dangerous,” before adding, “You go first.” Well, a Khisp isn’t a snake, but Korg is clearly just as brave as Sallah.
Tkanzam: Froot Loops
"Of course it follows its nose. It has no choice." -- Iain
This card is a reference to the fruit-flavored breakfast cereal in three ways. Firstly, its name is a play on "Toucan Sam," the cereal’s mascot (a toucan with a brightly-colored nose, just like Tkanzam). Secondly, its ability’s name is “dream loops,” referencing the cereal itself. Finally, the flavor text's mention of "following its nose" is a clear reference to Toucan Sam’s catchphrase of “I’ll follow my nose, wherever it goes.” I have to imagine whoever designed this card was having breakfast when inspiration stuck
Tropical Vinoc: “Lord of the Rings”
"Beware the vines of Boria!" -- Bograth maxim
Hey look, we’ve got another “Lord of the Rings” reference! This one is a play on the phrase “Beware the mines of Moria,” which, all things considered, is pretty good advice.
Liriel: Tom Jones, “What’s New, Pussycat?”
"What's new, pussycat?"
I mean, this one is pretty self explanatory. She’s quoting the song. Moving on.
Liriel's Cape (Snap- ND), Karkik (Crackle), Bubble Xyx (Pop): Rice Krispies
Another cereal reference? That’s right, now it’s Rice Krispies, with its mascots Snap, Crackle, and Pop. This is one reference spread out across three completely unrelated cards, once more lending credence to my theory that someone worked on these while eating breakfast.
Crushing Vines: The Simpsons
"Mmmm... crushing vines."
Homer Simpson is known for many things, including saying “Mmmm… donuts” whenever the sugary pastry appears. And he’s said the same about all other kinds of food, and even some things that shouldn’t be eaten. So sure, why shouldn’t crushing vines also be tasty?
Gate to Ombor: “The Wizard of Oz”
"There's no place like home"
This is another one that pretty much everyone should recognize. At the end of “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy is told that she can return to Kansas by tapping her heels together and repeating the phrase “there’s no place like home.” But you already knew that.
Blade Hyren: “Star Wars: A New Hope”
"If you strike down the blade hyren, something else will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." -- Zaya, Elder
When Obi-Wan Kenobi faced off against Darth Vader for the last time, he warned him “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” And he was right - after Vader killed him, he became one with the Force, and continued to guide Luke even after death. In the case of the Blade Hyren, the end result is slightly different, but the quote is still appropriate.
Phew, that gets us through Nightmare’s Dawn, but there’s not even the longest set yet! Voice of the Storms comes in at around 40 references, so we’ll take a break here, and finish up this list with the remaining sets and promos.
In the meantime, were there any we missed? What references are your favorites? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for part 3!
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