HELLO! HELLO ALL YOU AWESOME READERS! I'm taking a break from my regularly planned stuff to write a special Two Year Anniversary "Easter Egg" guide for the first segment of "Aliens With Trapper Hats"! (Perhaps I will do the second segment "Brave Little Toaster" and beyond NEXT year. This upcoming surgery I'm having on November 1st has kinda gotten in the way...sorry about that folks...)
That being said...I NEVER in a BILLION years thought that this fic would go on for THIS LONG (nor have ANY readers what-so-ever)! I am just...absolutely overjoyed that you guys have shown overwhelming support again and again for these silly characters and ideas that my brain materializes on a daily basis! At this point in time, I'm working on the FOURTH installment of this story "Final Frontier" which is absolutely nuts!
First released on October 26th 2016- "Aliens With Trapper Hats" has turned into...quite a project! Let's get the ball rolling...shall we?
ALIENS WITH TRAPPER HATS (Part 1 Easter Eggs)- 52 Chapters/ 110,340 Words
Chapter 1- The first chapter of the series was meant to display what the reader was getting themselves into. As you all know, the ending to this chapter already has its own Easter Egg section (less work for me! Whoot!).
THAT being said, there are several extra scenes that many people miss in chapter one:
The "Galactic Council's Courtroom" was inspired by both the courtroom in "Lilo and Stitch", as well as the one in "Star Wars". Platforms with various alien species can disconnect from the wall and hover into the middle of the room if necessary. For some reason, I always imagined the room and platforms being yellow (or beige) instead of blue- not sure why.
Also, the "Grand Council Woman" that always hides behind the curtain is the same leader featured in "Lilo and Stitch" as well.
This line here: ""LET'S SMASH IT!" The servant heard a shout come from an unseen place, which resulted in all species leading to an uproar of din again."- was actually meant to be yelled out by the Omicronian leader: Lrrr, from Futurama.
Also this segment: "A species the Gems had never seen before proposed that the cameras on Earth provided one of their best-rated TV shows, and thus, the planet should be left alone (until the series was cancelled), Yellow Diamond grimaced in boredom."- is a reference to the "Joozian" Aliens from "South Park" Season 7, episode 1: "Cancelled"
Chapter 3-
I didn't realize it until recently, but the name: "Toaster" is actually a reference to a deleted scene from "Lilo and Stitch" where Lilo tells her sister a story about a sad bear named "Toaster". You can actually find the scene quite easily on YouTube!
The short story at the end of this chapter also introduces the audience to Gamma's fellow platoon member: "Lilolo" (once again, the name is a "Lilo and Stitch" reference...shut up! I really like that movie! LOL!)
The family Lilolo meets up with at the "Swap-Meet", is actually the crew from "Cowboy Bebop"! You can tell from the "Woolongs" (a source of space money on the show), as well as the family's description:
"This one had not one owner, but a set of owners. There were two men, a woman, a female tadpole, and a small fluffy thing creating quite a ruckus."
-The conversation that Lilolo has when bargaining for the toaster, is actually between herself and Jet!
Chapter 4-
"In a split second something very odd happened. The Pearl's face began to contort- a polyp formed from her hair. Suddenly her eyes formed into that of a serpent- as did her tongue. The face merged quickly into a familiar creature- A NYORORO!" - A "Nyororo" IS an actual alien from Sgt Frog. They are these MASSIVE, disgusting, things that feast on humidity, and will often hunt Keronians in order to drain them of their water and energy. Big, yellow, slimy, and absolutely terrifying- they kind of resemble a mix between a giant leach and a snake.
Chapter 5-
The song Yellow Pearl Sings in this chapter: "This is my Homeworld", has actually been written in a format that you can listen to! It's kinda buried in the "AskToasterTheRuby" Tumblr blog...but it IS in there! (If you want to hear what it sounds like!)
Chapter 8-
"The creatures resembled massive slugs- slimy, no legs, and each baring a very intimidating round set of carnivorous teeth.
"What…what are they?!" Toaster was horrified that she had been living on the ship with these things and didn't even know they were here.
Pearl observed the creatures briefly, before shivering slightly. "They're Space Leeches."
"Wh-why are they on the ship?!"
"Some invasive species use them for…interrogation purposes." The Pearl shivered again.
"You mean like…TORTURE?!"
"That's EXACTLY what I mean."" -Space Leeches are another species highlighted in the Sgt Frog anime and manga. Acapella describes them...PRETTY accurately here. (Shivers).
The "Flash Spoon" in this chapter is ALSO an actual object found in the Sgt Frog manga/ anime. Anyone who touches the spoon grows to terrifying heights!
The last story in the notes of chapter 8 is a (sort of) prequel to season 1 episode 13- "The Ball" from the animated series: "Wander Over Yonder".
Chapter 9-
"A food cart came into view. It was being run by a large blue creature with a trunk." - This creature is actually an Ortolan from the Star Wars Franchise.
"There were some classics- like "The Hitchhiker's Guide", and some novella from Kilgore Trout. Gamma knew just about every well-read alien had copies of these already though." - These two books are obvious references to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (of course), and the ghost writer Kurt Vonnegut uses in his science fiction novels: Kilgore Trout.
"Gamma jumped at the noise! It had come from a Betelgeusian. He was obviously the owner of the tent." - Betelgeusians are the cat-like species from the Anime: "Space Dandy". This also marks the first appearance of Mrmph-Mow- who appears again at the ending of the first story as well. In the anime, the Betelgeusian that rides on Dandy's ship is named "Mymyamo", but the crew members simply call him "Meow" because they can't seem to pronounce his real name properly.
"He found a massive cookbook which the cat claimed was a staple in Earth kitchen cuisine. It was written by some woman named "Betty". The frog thought it was strange to name a Pekoponian on something like gambling, but perhaps it was a cultural thing?" - this is NOT a science fiction reference, but worth noting still! It's a Betty Crocker cookbook! (The very first cookbook my parents received as a gift after their wedding!)
...and MY GOD is that book falling apart now! LOL! I've had to disconnect the spine of the thing, and preserve it in plastic...it's over 30 years old! XD
"Yup. Rumor has it some endangered species live on there too… a Time Lord…a Kryptonian…heh, can you imagine? It's like a massive time capsule!"
xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well, he did say something about a Kryptonian and a Time Lord- and he was a Betelgeusian…"- More "Superman" and "Dr. Who" references in this chapter...yup!
Chapter 10-
""Incoming transmission from: Pekopon!"
The screen transitioned to two not-so-nice-looking humans wearing sunglasses and suits. This shocked the trio in different ways.
Toaster had never seen a human before.
Pearl had never seen a human in a SUIT before.
...and Gamma was flabbergasted that a Pekoponian had the necessity to contact an alien ship in the first place.
One of the men spoke: "This is the MIB. You are currently in restricted airspace. We are bringing you into headquarters for questioning. Do not try to resist. Your ship is locked in our system."" - aaaaand...in chapter 10 we finally get our first glance at the MIB! (From the film of the same name...of course!). The MIB Headquarters ends up becoming a prime location throughout the remainder of the fic...which is...weird, right? Perhaps the "MIB" should be included in the crossover description...
Chapter 11-
"A most regal agent- Agent Zed, decided to step forward. "If you come out empty handed, and with your hands away from your gemstones, we won't harm you."" -our first introduction to "Zed", the gruff boss that runs the MIB! (I actually had to look up his name to get it right...)
Chapter 14-
"As the next slide appeared, the three aliens gasped in horror!
The image was awful- structures (if you could even call them that) were sloppily put together with mud and pieces of metallic scrap. Several bug-like humanoids were huddling around a lit trash can for warmth. Everything was really close together too...no plants- only clay, filth, and dusty plains.
"This..." the agent explained "-is District 9." - District 9 is (of course) a location from the movie of the same name. There is dust, poverty, garbage, sand, and a general unpleasantness about the place. Refugee aliens (named "Prongs") live here.
""You can read those later. The last thing we need to do is get a picture for your E.S.S."
"E.S.S.?" Gamma seemed confused.
"Extraterrestrial Social Security card. We were going to call them "Alien Social Security cards"...but most people thought that would be in poor taste."
The Keronian looked up at the human- unamused." - this was a bad joke than, and is STILL a bad joke NOW...
Chapter 15-
The letter in this chapter from the "MIB HOA" is a small nod to the video game "Animal Crossing".
Chapter 16-
Toaster's cut number "OL-56" is a reference to one of the first fanfiction stories I ever wrote. The number "56" was a code name for the main character in the story.
The cut number for the Ruby that replaces Toaster "FT-5"-stands for "Fake Toaster- 5th Ruby".
"The two massive Gems immediately began to tear her home apart! They broke her glass Tribble collection!" - Tribbles are a fuzzy invasive species that represent living wigs. They are from the show "Star Trek".
"Too late. Atmomo's limited edition winning Blernsball had been smashed to oblivion. "Ohhhh...that was signed too..." the husband felt deflated." - Blernsball is a sport similar to baseball (with the exception of the ball being connected by a tether). It was introduced in the show: "Futurama".
Chapter 21-
The souvenir shop in this chapter is heavily inspired by the hokey "Tourist Trap" gift stores scattered around Florida...my current home state.
Chapter 23-
Toaster's book "Firenzie's Light" makes another appearance in this chapter. The quotes from the book are in the actual (real life) story too! (Had to buy it on digital to get the book quotes correct).
Chapter 25 -
The scene where the family is trying to choose a nickname for Acapella originally included a humorous song (being led by Steven and his ukulele of course!) Unfortunately, the song was scrapped...because...well...it's a FANFICTION! The jingle would have been too complicated to write, considering all seven characters in the room were going to sing their own parts. It would have come off as too confusing to the reader, and I had NO CLUE how the melody would have played out as a sample...
Chapter 26-
(speaking of songs...)
When I was writing Acapella's eerie serenade in this chapter:
"Strong is the chain
As weak as its link
we must go forth and prevail.
Thus the weak link,
will soon be extinct
-and we shall become stronger."
...all I could think about was the song "Come Little Children" from the film "Hocus Pocus". So if you ever wondered what it sounded like...YEAH. THAT.
Chapter 27-
"Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Bungalows" is a spoof name based off of: "Bed, Bath, and Beyond".
Chapter 33-
"When the door to the odd spacecraft opened, there stood an alien species completely covered in green armor. His face was obstructed by an odd metallic helmet."
-YUP! This is totally the bounty hunter "Boba Fett" from the Star Wars franchise! The gun mentioned (a "Blaster Rifle") is also a weapon commonly used in the franchise. There is also mention of "Mandalorian armor" - the exact name for the green armor used by Fett in the movies.
Chapter 41-
As mentioned in the author's notes, the name "Uncle Stinky" came from one of the studios that helped create the post-apocalyptic show : "The Last Man on Earth" (Unfortunately I have heard that the show is NOT getting picked up for another season...phoo...)
Chapter 42-
The scenes from the "ASPCA" were highly inspired by several animal rescue shows I had seen on TV. I used to watch "Animal Cops"...an...incredibly disturbing, but insightful show about humans saving abused animals.
Chapter 43-
The first mention of "The Rainbow Bridge" (and its poem). When it came time to teaching Toaster about mortality, I wanted to utilize a place that was (not necessarily) connected to any religion. I decided on "The Rainbow Bridge" because it describes the afterlife of beloved pets...not necessarily humans. It seemed to be the best fit that most could relate to.
Chapter 44-
Once again: YES. "Inko Colors- the Animation!" IS an actual anime about Parakeets! (It's on Youtube!)
Chapter 46-
Fett and Mrmph-Mow make their second appearance in this chapter! Huzzah!
Chapter 49-
""A-Acapella?!" The Keronian forgot for a second that the Yellow Pearl he knew was currently laying dormant inside of his hat.
"THIS IS THE YELLOW DIAMOND CONTROL RO-" the Yellow Pearl stopped her scripted speech and stared at the frog in surprise. Her voice went almost to a whisper: "G-Gamama?"
"What the?" Gamma tilted his head in confusion. How did this Pearl know his name?!" - Gamma is actually speaking to Lucky here! How does she recognize him? The personal family stories that Prolulu and Atmomo have been telling her to pass the time of course! (This is also why the Pearl knows his full name "Gamama" as well!)
Chapter 50-
"Gamma recommended some fun and romantic spots across the cosmos if her wish ever came true. He told her that "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" had a spectacular dinner show, and that the planet Coruscant had excellent shopping and museum tours." - "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" is from "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". The planet of "Coruscant" is one of the more urban planets in the "Star Wars" franchise.
...and...that's all the Easter Eggs I can find (or remember anyway). I'm sure I forgot something...but it's rather fun creating a fanfiction where you can casually stick random references in there! I hope you guys enjoyed this silly bonus chapter! Here's to another year of laughs and excitement with our Gem and Keronian friends!
-The Toonfreak