Husbands and Knives/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 19 Episode References
← 406 "Little Orphan Millie"	407 "Husbands and Knives"	"Funeral for a Fiend" 408 →

Cultural references

Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation

• The episode title is a pun on the film Husbands and Wives.
• In one scene in the Android's Dungeon comic book store, a "World Champ Boston Red Sox" pennant is hung on a bookshelf, where it is visible behind Bart and Comic Book Guy.
• The DVD Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation (pictured), which Milhouse asks Alan Moore to sign, is a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, both of which Moore wrote.
• The song Milo plays in his store is a Korean version of "What's New Pussycat?" which has been performed by several artists, most famously by Tom Jones.
• The song that plays when the freelancers beat up Comic Book Guy is "Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Phillip Souza.
• When Spiegelman, Clowes and Moore beat up Comic Book Guy, the sound effects from their punches appear on the screen ("POW!"), a reference to the Batman TV series from the 1960s.
• Marge's gym, Shapes, is a parody of Curves.
  • The slogan of Shapes, as seen on the wall of the workout station room, is "I am woman, hear me sweat." The slogan is a pun on the lyric "I am woman, hear me roar" from the song "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy.
• The L.A. Body Works (which Marge visits before opening Shapes) is a parody of LA Fitness.
• Homer (in his new hideous look) carrying Marge up the Springfield Notre Dame is reminiscent of a scene in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
• The treadmill scene in the gym is a reference to the music video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again".
• The Pet Shop Boys song "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" can be heard.
• The "Opal" show is a parody of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Comic references

• The comics Bart looks at are Death Of... Superman, Death Of... Aquaman, Death Of... Casper and comics about Caveman Robin, Black Robin, and Born-Again Robin.
• The Wolverine comic that Milhouse's tears blotch appears to be a copy of Wolverine #1 (1982) (though the actual issue does not feature "controversial pop-up claws").
• The comics The Formidable Mulk and The Thung are parodies of The Incredible Hulk and The Thing from The Fantastic 4.
• Marge compares herself to a cardboard cutout of Wonder Woman.
• The comics displayed behind the writers at the signing are Lost Girls, Maus, and Ghost World, respectively written by guest stars Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, and Dan Clowes. Art Spiegelman's mask is based upon the mask he has drawn himself wearing as an illustrator in Maus.
• Archie Comics: Coolsville has a display of used Jughead hats.
• Alan Moore's outburst at Milhouse's request that he sign the DVD Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation (a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta), is a reference to Moore's opposition to adaptations of his works by major film studios, particularly his refusal to support the recent film adaptation of V for Vendetta.
• Two popular European comic books, Asterix and Tintin, are referenced.
  • The book Tintin in Paris is not a real comic, but a pastiche of several Tintin comics, including The Black Island and Destination Moon.
  • A number of real Tintin comics are shown in the display, such as The Shooting Star and Tintin in Tibet (the complete list is here).
• Coolsville Comics & Toys in this episode is a parody of the real store Meltdown Comics & Collectibles on Melrose in Hollywood, California. The writers of the show go there for their comics. Coolsville looks almost like Meltdown except for slight differences.
• When Comic book guy tries to lure his customers back with ninja weapons in this episode the writers are making an indirect joke at the real world Toy Mandala, a comic store competitor of Meltdown Comics & Collectibles. Toy Mandala does actually sell ninja weapons in real life and is a comic store. They do not, however, sell weapons to children.

Goofs

• When Lisa walks up to the display of Tintin comics, Prisoners of the Sun is in the lower-right-hand corner, next to The Shooting Star. When she picks up Tintin in Paris, The Crab with the Golden Claws is in the lower-right-hand corner.