Puns and In-Jokes: Necropolis Park

Guardians Puns and In-Jokes

Necropolis Park

Many of the references actually refer to Egyptian mythology (Sethos, Isis, Osirus, Horus, Imhotep, Djoser, etc.). And one of the Field Marshals or Supreme Leaders has an altered Nazi flag, but I don't know which one unless I find a copy.

4

40,000 Useless Warhammers -- Warhammer 40,000 is a miniatures game. And if you do an eBay search on "Guardians", you will get a lot of "Eldar Guardians" matches.

A

Ancient Tome of Dispansation -- A "dispensation" (note the correct spelling) is an exemption from a rule.

B

Barrow Downs -- Is this where the Barrow Wight lives? Downs are usually treeless, so they should not be considered Woods. Also, "Barrow Downs" is the name of a location in The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring.

D

Dead Cats -- There's an expression about "not enough room to swing a dead cat". Cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt, so as long as the game has a lot of dead Egyptians, it should have a bunch of dead cats. Also, the dog reminds me of one of the Disney cartoon dogs.

Djoser -- Djoser was King during Third Dynasty (c. 2800 BC).

Doogop the Greedy -- Bribable by babes and gold, but visually, he's supplied his own beer. I'm not sure how many (or which) deadly sins he's committing.

Dork Age -- A takeoff of FPG's own Dark Age card game, along with a picture of Alfred E. Neuman of Mad Magazine fame.

Drizzle Bone the Hack -- search engines yield many recipes and "bone-chilling drizzles".

E

Eisnmir -- I call him "Eisner" after the guy who drew the Spirit. No reason, really.

F

Festus -- "Fester": form an ulcer, undergo decay, infect. Don't eat whatever it is that he's cooking.

H

Heliopolos, Temple of Re -- This is an ancient city of northern Egypt in the Nile River delta. It was the center of worship of the sun god Ra (c. 2100 B.C.).

Horus -- Horus was god of the sky, son of Osirus and Isis.

Humahuma -- Well, she's a "human human" who can make a lot of guys drools and say "huma huma huma . . . ".

I

Imhotep, Vizier of Djoser -- Imhotep was an architect as well as the subject of The Mummy series of movies.

Ishtar, Queen of the Heap -- Ishtar was a Babylonian goddess of love and war. Also, a really bad Dustin Hoffman/Warren Beatty film (they get lost in the desert at one point).

Isis Isis is an Egyptian goddess as well as the name of a cheesy Saturday morning show of my youth. She was the wife of Osirus.

J

Judge Dredge -- "Judge Dredd" is not even a Marvel character, let alone a memeber of the X-Men. He doesn't normally carry a plunger but otherwise it's a good likeness. (I'm suprised they weren't sued over that one.)

K

Kurgan, Blademaster of the Exiled -- There can be only one if you want the bonus. A possible reference to the movie Highlander.

L

Lotus Flower Water Garden -- Another veiled reference to the Black Lotus from Magic?

M

Mayor McEvil -- Mayor McCheese of McDonaldland fame.

Mayor McFood -- A pack of french fries with McDonald's arches for eyebrows.

Mayor McGreed -- Mayor McCheese meets Taco Bell.

McHooter's Distraction -- McDonald's meets the Hooters franchise?

Morb's Revenge -- "Morb" is "Brom" backwards. Ironically, this is the only spell in Necropolis Park which was painted by Brom, and thus the only one affected by its ability.

N

Necropolis Park -- Where dinosaurs mingle with dead Egyptians: Burial ground (Necropolis) meets "Jurassic Park".

Nubian Slave Girl -- I don't know about "nubian", but definitely "nubile", which actually means "young".

O

Osirus -- Osirus was the husband and brother of Isis, ruler of the kingdom of the dead, and father of Horus.

S

Saboteur -- Visual: Champs the Wonder dog is tied up.

Sebek, Queen of Magicians -- Egyptian crocodile god, associated with Re and Seth. But in mythology, Sebek was a guy.

Sethos Sethos was the god of thunder, storms and the desert as well as the brother of Isis and Osirus. He murdered Osirus.

Scamp Jones -- Is it just me, or is this Joe Camel in New Orleans?

Silver Server -- Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus. Flies through outer space (which could be considered terrainless). Not a member of the X-Men.

Squibby -- Squib: a small firecracker, one that burns but does not explode; a witty speech or lampoon, or a filler article. Harry Potter fans might know the term "squib" to mean the non-magical offspring of wizards.

T

The Minx -- A minx is a promiscuous woman, or a young woman who's flirtatious or impudent. Why is she considered an animal? Is it a possible pun on "mink" or "manx cat", perhaps?

Puns and In-Jokes: Drifters Nexus

Guardians Puns and In-Jokes

Drifters Nexus

Once again, Drifters Nexus contains lots of creatures with specific names. There is no way to know which of these are in-jokes, except to recognize them or be "in on the joke".

In general, O-Men is a take-off of Marvel Comics Uncanny X-Men, even though not all of the characters parodied are actually X-Men. X and O are the opposite sides in Tic-Tac-Toe. They are also the letters used to represent "kisses" and "hugs", respectively.

Gob refers to the mouth. All of the Gob creatures feature very prominent mouths.

1

10 Gallon Voodoo Hat -- Visual: Eagle-Eye McFinny is wearing the hat.

A

Al' Jabah -- The name sounds like "algebra", and the text deals with multiples.

Annoying Gnats in the Hood -- A "Boyz N the Hood" reference, maybe? The timing may have been right, but I don't think that's it. Gnats are usually refered to as "annoying".

B

Bagpipes of Fear -- Why would anyone fear bagpipes? Well, maybe because of the infernal racket they make.

Black Locust -- Note that the class is "Tragic". It's a reference to Magic: the Gathering's Black Lotus card. It's also a dig at how much money Wizards of the Coast had and the fact that they could outbid any other gaming company (at the time).

Bruno Smashmouth, Union Boss -- Mob influence in the AFL-CIO (or other unions).

C

Caddy -- The group of cards, Caddy/Gopher/Golfer, is just a silly combo. Why a Giant? Caddyshack reference?

Captain South America -- Capt. America (an Avenger, not a member of the X-Men). The text box ability is a reference to Cap's mighty Shield.

Carrag the Black -- "Carrag" means "scabby" or "scabby animal" in Manx (from the Isle of Man). (Internet searches reveal the most wonderful useless information).

D

Delilah Rangoon -- I am amazed at the number of hits for "Delilah Rangoon" on search engines. Most of them have to do with horses, ethnic food, bars & clubs, and movies. Oh, yeah, and card listings. The most infamous "Delilah" cut Samson's hair and made him powerless.

The model for Delilah Rangoon went on to become Playboy's Miss December 1999.

Disgruntled Postal Worker -- Great graphic. It's the very definition of "going postal".

G

"Eats", Cockroach King -- Visual: his tatoo reads: "Born to Kick Bug".

G

Golden Fleecer -- Jason stole the Golden Fleece. A fleecer swindles people (in this case out of their destruction
ability). According to Dave Gentzler, Brom painted Keith Parkinson's portrait (returning the favor for Smilin' Jack).

Golfer -- The group of cards, Caddy/Gopher/Golfer, is just a silly combo. This could be a Caddyshack reference.

Gopher -- The group of cards, Caddy/Gopher/Golfer, is just a silly combo. Why is Gopher dressed like Napolean? Is it because he's conquering a golf course? This could be a Caddyshack reference.

I

Initiate of Entropy -- If you think about it, "initiate" of "entropy" is an oxymoron.

Ix, Overlord of the Waters -- "IX" is the roman numeral for "9". Ix was the Mayan giant that held up the sky (1 of 4).

L

Little Voodoo Hat -- Visual: Eagle-Eye McFinny is wearing the hat.

Lizards on the Toast -- Double pun: Wizards of the Coast has so much money that they probably are "on the toast" of the town. (Whether or not they're lizards is a different debate altogether.)

Longshot Louie -- This one could be a total co-incidence but in the SF novel Ringworld, Louie is the navigator of the ship the Longshot. The visual shows a creature with a sextant (for navigation) and there are stars visable.

M

Maitz Motel -- Painted by Don Maitz, a pun on the Bates Motel of "Psycho" fame.

Medallion of Skyphos -- "Skyphos" is a drinking cup.

Medicine Man -- Although they're "in tune" with spirits, Medicine Men are usually people.

Mighty Tiki God -- A reference to MTV. [DG]

O

Oscar the Wonder Chimp -- Don't know any famous chimps. Takeoff of Rex the Wonder Dog?

P

Phil, Bar Fly -- "Bar flies" are usually people, not bugs. Apparently, artist Phil Foglio is also a barfly, and this card is based on him, and done in his style. (Foglio is not one of the Guardians artists.)

Professor Heisenburg -- Reference to Heisenburg's Uncertainty principle.

R

Rock of Far Rolling -- Rock & Roll will always be, it'll go down in history . . . and Rolling Rock is yet another beer reference.

Rosetta Stone -- The key discovery at "translating" hieroglyphics.

S

Saboteurs -- Champs is pictured.

Shin Chois, Third Disciple -- Looks like Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics. [DG]

Small Mox -- Reference to Magic's "Mox" cards combined with a "smallpox" pun.

Soggybottom Gertz -- Needs to wear Depends?

Sewage Back Up -- Lots of grafitti, including "Ploogak Stinks" and "Tweezle was here" (though it looks like "Tweezle" is misspelled.)

T

Tanniker Smith -- I'd love to track this one down. It sounds like something out of pulp SF, perhaps E. E. Doc Smith. Anyone?
(Note: Obviously, I like the name because I've usurped it and have been using it for over 10 years now. It was even my badge name at Lunacon once.)

The Amazing Cider-Man -- Spider-Man (not a member of the X-Men). Visual: web shooters supply beer (cider).

The Maitz Motel -- Maitz is the card's artist as opposed to Bates Motel from the movie Psycho.

Tiger Baloo -- The most obvious reference is to "Cat Baloo". In Disney's "The Jungle Book" (and possibly Kipling's version as well), Baloo was a bear. Shere Khan was the tiger. This card predates Tiger Woods raise to fame in the golf world (so no bonus for Woods. Or Irons.)

Tree Ogre -- Bears a lot of resemblance to the Ploog's Polar Ice Ogre, doesn't it? The wrong sketch was sent to Shaw. The mistake wasn't discovered until too late. [DG]

U

Uras, Overlord of Mountains -- Accidental pun: whenever you beat it in combat, announce loudly, "Aha! I whupped Uras!"

Urufa, Queen of Goblins -- "Urufa" my goblins, "Irufa" you face. (Okay, I'm reaching for that one.) Visually, she's the only green goblin in the game. Maybe Cider-Man will challenge her.

V

Voodoo Hat -- Visual: Eagle-Eye McFinny is wearing the hat.

W

Wheel of Law -- "Wheels of justice" reference? More likely, the try-your-luck justice as seen in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Or maybe someone just liked watching "Wheel of Fortune" on TV.

Woolverine -- Double pun: Wolverine of the X-Men; also it's literally a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

y

You Can't See Me, I'm a Vampire -- Bradstreet, the artist that did this card, worked on Vampire: the Masquerade. And the kid's looking right at him. Dave Gentzler had an interesting commentary on it regarding LARPS Vampire players at cons. When I find a copy of it, I'll post it here.

Z

Zelda, Bag Lady Bug -- She might've been a "Bug Lady" originally, but the pun doesn't work as well.

Puns and In-Jokes: Dagger Isle

Guardians Puns and In-Jokes

Dagger Isle

Dagger Isle contains lots of creatures with specific names. I don't know the source of them, or even if there is a specific source other than the artist or the card designer that named them.

I'm mostly working on names again. I'm only referencing visuals that I recall of the top of my head. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to view the cards and update this list. Suggestions are welcome.

C

Champs, the Wonder Dog -- I believe that there was a movie dog called "Rex the Wonder Dog". Champs is the only Restricted card in Guardians. His image also appears on the Saboteur card.

Cuthbert the Resurrector -- St. Cuthbert (634-687) was known in his time for miracles, but resurrection was not one of them.

D

Druk -- Co-incidentally, Royal Bhutan Airlines is also known as Druk Air. Druk flies. Also, I've been told that "druk" is Dutch for "forceful persuasion", which is appropriate for a Devil.

E

Eagle-Eye McFinny -- Visual: McFinny shows up on all the Voodoo Hats.

Essence of Babeitude -- If nothing else, it's a classic name.

G

Giant Aunts -- As opposed to the "Giant Ants" of THEM fame. Giant Aunts will certainly wreck any house.

Groatie -- It sounds like "grody", which means disgusting or nauseating.

Grunwald the Usurper -- Grunwald is a small village in Poland, near Tannenberg, site of two important historical battles (1410, 1914).

H

Hal, a Toasis Dragon -- Halitosis is a medical condition, which refers to having fetid (really bad) breath. It the illustration, Hal has gassy, green breath.

Heisenburg's Missiles -- A reference to Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle. The illustration is reminiscent of Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & Hardy fame).

O

Old Gumper -- A "gump" is a fool, dolt, dunce, complete nitwit. This definition predates both the book and movie versions of Forest Gump.

Oppressed Slaves -- The fact that these guys are wearing suits and ties wasn't lost on me. I'm surprised that they weren't chained up inside cubicles.

S

Santa's Beer Sled -- I wonder if that's "Old Nick" brand beer. Or Ballantines?

Schneebolt -- Pun on "schneeble" and "bolt" (fast).

Seraphim -- Traditionally, it's the highest rank of angels, which would be far above "Archangel".

Slimwit Man -- 'Slim' Whitman is a singer. This is definitely one of the worst puns in the entire game.

Supermodeloid -- She puts the Super Model to shame, doesn't she?

T

The Black Eye -- I would have made a "Flying Dutchman" comment, except that the Dutchman didn't actually fly.

V

Valley Troll -- Visual: more of a "Valley Girl" Troll.

Vensuni Inferno Swarm -- Mt. Vesuvius comes to mind.

W

Warwick's Aura -- Warwick, aka Richard Neville, was a 15th century English military and political leader. He sided with the Yorks in the War of the Roses.

Work Crew -- Visual: if that guy isn't Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & Hardy fame), he's a near-relative.

Y

Yap Attack -- Yap is "Pay" backwords. A play on "payback", perhaps? Yap is the currency of the MidRealms, according to The Guide to the Mid-Realms

Puns And In-Jokes: Limited/Revised

Guardians Puns and In-Jokes

Limited and Revised Edition

A B C D F G H I K L M N O P R S T V W X Y

A

Angel -- Visual: spear is pointing down; however, he attacks creatures of the "underworld", so why not?

B

Baal-a-gog -- "Baal" is a false god, or another name for the devil. "Agog" means eager, filled with excitement.

Babe Hound -- "Babe hounds" are usually people, not dogs.

Bagpipes of Fear -- Yes, the very sound they make would strike feel in the staunchest of men.

Bealzebub -- Another name for the devil, even though he's a "Demon".

Black Lung -- Usually a condition developed by smokers and coal miners, not giant fish.

Brap Back Goblins -- Visually very similar to Brown Backs, but not a contiguous image.

Brown Backs -- Visually very similar to Brap Back Goblins, but not a contiguous image.

Bruce the Goose -- A goose in Scotch plaid with bagpipes? A reference to Robert the Bruce, perhaps?

Bungee Bony Ridged -- Visually similar to Snibs Bony Ridged, but not a contiguous image.

C

Captain Red Nose -- First, takeoff of Blackbeard, Bluebeard, etc. Second, Maitz does the Capt. Morgan Rum bottles and if you drink too much alcohol, you'll get a red nose.

Carreg Amroth Stronghold -- Carreg Cennen Castle in Wales was built by the Normans in 1300. Amroth is a village in West Wales (12th cent).

Cherubs -- Visual: baby angel. FYI: Cherubs actually rank 2nd (under Seraphs) in classic angel mythology, with Archangels ranking 8th and Angels ranking 9th. However, cherubs can also be depicted as lion-like with four heads (or four faces).

Control Destiny -- Visual: the three Fates

Cow -- Cows have bad gas problems.

D

Demon Horde of Kabod -- "Kabod" Hebrew for 'body, mass, substance'; "honour" to a man, "glory" to a heavenly being. (applied to demons??)

Devil Dog -- Drake's cake; usually these mythical animals are "Hell Hounds".

Devil Hedgehog -- Visual: "The Thinker"

Dreaded Doom Dog -- Cerberus, the three-headed dog from mythology.

Dry Heaps -- Sounds like "dry heaves".

F

Female Titan -- Visual: she's flirting with the Male Titan.

Floyd the Flying Pig -- "When pigs fly!", cf. Pink Floyd's "Animals" LP cover. Appparently, your army chows down on a revitalizing pork lunch.

G

Giant Penguin -- Fantasy-game staple or "Monty Python" reference?

Gn'bby Gnomes -- "Knobby" (rounded hill or mountain?)

Gn'legable Gnomes -- "Knowledgeable", i.e., learned.

Gn'Omish Gnomes -- "Amish", i.e., Pennsylvania Dutch

Grand Phooba Schnee -- The leader of the Elks or Moose lodge is the "grand pooba", so this is the head schnee. Yes, schnees are more than a class, they're an organization!

Gorgal Skag -- I can't find the exact slang reference, but the visual makes me wonder about the "fetid cracks" comment.

Grilbus -- Visual: a St. Bernard with a helm and massive fists (not paws).

Gringe Commander -- Guide to the Mid-Realms suggests that the artwork was inspired by Brom. Possible reference to "grunge" icon Kurt Cobain, who bore a slight resemblance.

Groupie -- A person that hangs around celebrites; usually they are mortals.

H

Haba Naba Daba -- Sounds like gibberish; visually very similar to Haba Naba Kaba, but not a contiguous image.

Haba Naba Kaba -- Sounds like gibberish; visually very similar to Haba Naba Daba, but not a contiguous image.

Heels of Speed -- How could anyone run in these?

Horse -- Visual: artwork similar to the usual depiction of a knight in a chess set.

Humungus Fungus -- "Humungous" is misspelled so that both words end in "ungus".

I

Idiot -- He certainly looks like one.

Iron Crag Bagglers -- When I see these guys, I think of "Time to make the donuts."

K

Khnumian Stronghold -- Khnum: a god in the form of a ram who created human beings from clay on a potter's wheel

L

Lawyer -- All lawyers go to Hell, don't they?

M

Major Party Animal -- Most "party animals" are actually people. He likes Beer, but he's drinking wine and toking on a bong.

Male Titan -- Visual: he's showing off for the Female Titan.

Merchant -- Visual: he's selling a velvet Elvis

Minataur -- Usually spelled "minotaur"

N

Na 'Boob -- I'm curious if there's a reason behind this one (and most of the Slags for that matter). Nabob, maybe?

O

Old Nick -- A name for the Devil as well as a British ale.

P

Paladin -- A knight driven by honor, chivalry and profound faith, making him incorruptible (and unbribable).

Party Animal -- Most "party animals" are actually people.

Pauly, Official Parrot -- I'm sure there's something, though I'm not sure what. "Polly, want a cracker?" perhaps?

Pesky Varmits -- Possibly a slang way of saying "varmint" (i.e., rodent, vermin)

Pink Flamingos -- Harmless, but durable, plastic ones are found on lawns everywhere.

Ploogak, the Conqueror -- Painted by Parkinson, not Ploog.

Ploogak, the Couqueror -- A misprinted name. There's a "u" where the "n" should be.

Power Lunch -- Usually something that Wall St. types do.

R

Reverend Smilin' Jack -- Guide to the Mid-Realms suggests that the artwork was inspired by Brom.

Rouge Specter -- "Rogue" is a dishonest person; "rouge" is red makeup. The misspelling was accidental. It was supposed to be "Rogue" even though it is wearing a red cape. I had correspondence with Dave Gentzler who told me that it was actually named by a playtester who had won a tournament. Unfortunately, the guy misspelled it, and no one caught it.

S

Schneeble -- "Schnee" is german for "snow", but I don't see any connection there, other than it sounded nice

Seer -- Visual: maybe this is unintentional, but the copyright information is inside the crystal ball, which has the effect of making it look like a Magic 8-Ball. Either that, or the seer is trying to find out the numbers for the lottery. (Either 950 or 056.)

Snibs Bony Ridged -- Visually similar to Bungee Bony Ridged, but not a contiguous image.

Snogwart -- Predates "Hogwarts" (of Harry Potter fame) by several years.

Sphinx -- The one in Egypt has the face of a man. This one is all lion.

St. Ballantine's Evocation -- I can't find much on the web about "Ballantine". He's not a saint, though there's a priest associated with *music*. Ballantine's is (or was?) a brand name of beer.

Super Model -- Visual: Man, what a visual. Every army should have one, don't you think? Cut-out fashions for the Super Model appear on the back of the Necropolis Park box. (They don't actually fit.)

T

Thackle -- "Tackle"? "Hackle"? "Spackle"? Maybe it's just a cool-sounding name for a Slag Beast, but I'm willing to bet that there is a reason for the name.

Trumpeter -- Gabriel blowing his horn?

V

Vampire Hunters -- Visual: the reflection of the bat in the mirror looks like the "bat symbol" on Batman's chest.

Varmit Archer -- Possibly a slang way of saying "varmint" (i.e., rodent, vermin)

W

Water Spout -- There are two dictionary definitions: a tornado over water that produces a column of air and water; or a drainage pipe. No mention of the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Whispering Spirits -- Visual: looks like a buttrfly, but those "wings" are giant ears.

Y

Yandrax -- I'm curious if there's something to this. Sounds like "anthrax", which is both a disease and the name of a rock band. (Pink Floyd is well-represented in this game.)

Puns and In-Jokes: Introduction

Many years back, I developed a concordance of in-jokes, bad puns and other references in FPG's Guardians CCG. And some time later, I posted it on usenet and later on my old webpage.

It isn't totally complete, obviously, because I wasn't on the team that put them there in the first place. However, I found a lot of them and I've been contaced by Dave Gentzler about a couple of them.

Most entries are based on the names of the cards and their abilities, but there are some visual references. One of these days when I have time to sit down and look at each individual card, I may be able to add more of these visual gags. Artists were given much latitude in their illustrations, so there probably are more that I missed.

Suggestions and additions are welcome.

I've divided them into four categories: one for the main set and one for each of the supplements:

* Limited/Revised Edition
* Dagger Isle
* Drifters Nexus
* Necropolis Park

Each of these will be handled in its own entry over the next four days.

Add any corrections or additions onto any of these threads and I'll update the entire list at a later date.