Pinky and the Fog/Where No Mouse Has Gone Before/Cheese Roll Call is the 4th overall episode of the Pinky and the Brain spin-off series. It originally aired on November 4th, 1995 (See below). Every cartoon in this episode is animated by Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd..
Pinky and the Fog[]
Plot[]
In the 1930’s, The Brain gains the powers of mind control through a "de-fogging" process, and poses as “The Fog”. Pinky and Brain then attempt to hijack a radio show to use as an outlet for Brain’s newfound powers.
Crew[]
- Written by Gordon Bressack and Charles M. Howell IV
- Directed by Audu Paden
Trivia[]
- The Fog and The Mist are spoofs of the Orson Welles radio drama The Shadow.
- One of the announcers resembles an older version of Orson Welles.
- Brain’s outfit as "The Fog" takes cues from The Shadow.
- The music for The Mist is also similar to the music for The Shadow. The theme for The Shadow was an organ playing Camille Saint-Saens' Omphale's Spinning Wheel.
- Rob Paulsen uses the same announcer voice he used in "Yakko’s World" as the announcer for The Mist.
- The radio station where "The Mist" is being produced is WRLD, making Brain just one letter away from taking over the world.
- One of the radio actors appears to be a caricature of Mel Blanc.
- After the ending chorus is heard, the last four notes of the score are played by an organ.
Where No Mouse Has Gone Before[]
Plot[]
The mice sabotage a probe intended for aliens to see with glorified depictions of the Brain. By doing this, Brain attempts to fool the aliens into believing that he is the almighty emperor of Earth. Things go south when the aliens pick up the two and bring them to their home planet Frunobulax for their own purposes.
Crew[]
- Written by Gordon Bressack and Charles M. Howell IV
- Directed by Al Zegler
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- The cartoon’s title is a nod to the opening line from Star Trek: "Where No Man Has Gone Before".
- The opening shot of Brain floating up to the light is a nod to the famous beginning space sequence from the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with the "Blue Danube Waltz" playing in the background.
- Pinky’s response to Brain’s line about Earth becoming a world where a mouse rules and the humans go through humiliating diversions is “You mean Orlando?”. This is a nod to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and their company mascot Mickey Mouse. The "humiliating diversions" are the attractions in the park.
- One of Brain’s clips is him singing an Little Richard-styled ditty with a similar outfit. The song is based off of Tutti Fruitti.
- Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s Dogs Playing Poker painting is spoofed with the dogs having giant Brain heads.
- Other modified paintings include The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, and The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough.
- Brain’s opera is to the tune of Richard Wagner's Die Walkure, also known as Ride of the Valkyries.
- Brain’s alias of Verner Von Brain is a nod to Wernher Von Braun, a German scientist who came to America and had a civic center in Huntsville, AL named after him. He was also heavily involved in the early space program and is famous as the developer of the liquid-fuel rocket.
- Pinky’s alias of Colonel Klink is named after a German character from Hogan's Heroes.
- The Philbin Space Probe continues the tradition of a Regis Philbin reference in a Pinky and the Brain cartoon.
- "Frunobulax" is named for the dog/fictive horror movie monster in the 1974 Frank Zappa song "Cheepnis."
- The ending of the cartoon is similar to the ending of a Twilight Zone episode entitled "People Are Alike All Over" where some humans are taken away from Earth and moved to a zoo on an alien planet.
- The aliens sing the ending chorus in the episode.
Gallery[]
Cheese Roll Call[]
Plot[]
To the tune of John Phillip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis", Pinky sings a song about the various cheeses around the world.
Crew[]
- Written by Paul Rugg
- Directed by Audu Paden
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- Tress MacNeille is credited for voicing Brie in this cartoon. However, Brie's speaking part was absent from the cartoon, but she can still be heard in the crowd towards the end of the song. Her speaking part is kept intact in the Variety Pack version of this song.
- This is the only cartoon in the Pinky and the Brain spin-off series where Brain does not appear.
- This cartoon is Paul Rugg's only writing credit for the spin-off.
Goofs[]
- On iTunes, this episode's aspect ratio is slightly cropped and scrunched.
Production Notes[]
- "Pinky and the Fog" first premiered on September 24, 1995, alongside a rerun of "Bubba Bo Bob Brain" under episode "4B" of the Pinky and the Brain compilation episodes listing. Likewise, "Where No Mouse Has Gone Before" and "Cheese Roll Call" first premiered on October 1, 1995, alongside a rerun of "Win Big" under episode "4C" of the same listing. The full half-hour would later debut in its regular form on November 4th, 1995.
Cast[]
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain, Additional Voices |
| Rob Paulsen | Pinky, Radio Announcer, Frunobulaxian Ambassador, Frunobulaxians, Cheddam, Additional Voices |
| Jim Cummings | The Mist |
| Jeff Glen Bennett | Wensleydale, Frunobulaxians |
| Tress MacNeille | Brie, Additional Voices |
| Frank Welker | The President |
| Jess Harnell | Frunobulaxians, Additional Voices |
References[]
Special thanks to Brian Norman's "Bunches of References Accumulated In a Nutshell" (B.R.A.I.N) reference guide for aiding in documenting this episode's references.