Channel Awesome
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'''Linkara:''' And now we're back. I love this outfit.
 
'''Linkara:''' And now we're back. I love this outfit.
   
''(He walks off as the AT4W logo appears in the corner; cut back to the comic)''
+
''(He walks off as the AT4W logo appears in the corner; cut back to the comic as the review resumes)''
  +
  +
'''Linkara (v/o):''' Our next story is "An Offer You Can't Refuse".
  +
  +
'''Linkara:''' If I did refuse it, can I just skip to the end?
  +
  +
'''Linkara (v/o):''' A bunch of dorks on motorcycles are riding around in front of Arnold's.
  +
  +
'''Biker 1:''' Come on, guys... let's show these pansies what '''''real''''' men are like!
  +
  +
'''Biker 2:''' Chick's right!
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  +
'''Linkara:''' Real men are named "Chick".
  +
  +
'''Linkara (v/o):''' The bikers go in and try to hit on some girls while Richie's band is performing on stage without stupid-looking costumes. As the girls are accosted, the band performs "Earth Angel", until Marty McFly comes onstage to sing "Johnny B. Goode". No, Richie instead comes down to tell the bikers to knock it off. The bikers challenge Richie and his friends to a rumble, but one of the girls quickly summons the cops to prevent things from getting out of hand... who all arrive brandishing guns! Look, I know there were mobsters running around town that one time, but you don't need to be this trigger-happy! The bikers make a quick getaway, and we cut to the next night. One of the bikers, who looks like a greasier Shaggy from ''Scooby-Doo'', starts hassling Al to get in on a protection racket. He actually looks kind of bizarre; his big chin and cartoonish features kind of clash with the slightly more realistic look of everyone else. He really does look like he belongs in "Archie" and not this.
   
 
'''This guide is not complete. Please finish.'''
 
'''This guide is not complete. Please finish.'''

Revision as of 00:47, 10 June 2020

Happy Days #2

At4w happy days no 2 by masterthecreater-d5sqh02-768x339

Released
January 28, 2013
Running time
21:09
Previous review
Next review
Tagline
These days are aaaaallll... filled with bad comics like this one.
Link

Linkara: (wearing a leather jacket instead of his usual coat) Heeeey, and welcome to Atop the Fourth Wall, where bad comics burn.

(He holds up an MP3 player and pushes a button on it. The theme from Happy Days plays)

Singers: Sunday, Monday, happy days, / Tuesday, Wednesday, happy days...

(Footage of the TV show Happy Days is shown)

Linkara (v/o): Ah, Happy Days, the beloved '70s and '80s sitcom about a family in the '50s and '60s, the sitcom that gave birth to the phrase "jumping the shark", produced five spinoffs, kick-started Henry Winkler's career, and is one of the many things that Ron Howard is known for.

Linkara: I never watched it when it was first airing, mostly because I didn't exist at the time, but growing up, I watched it a lot on TV Land, mainly because of, well, the Fonz.

(Footage of Winkler's character, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, AKA "The Fonz", is shown)

Linkara (v/o): The Fonz was coolness personified: awesome leather jacket, could kick anyone's ass, rode around on a motorcycle, was the ultimate ladies' man, and could get electronics to work simply by hitting them. Happy Days was massively popular in its heyday, even managing to occupy the top five shows in Nielsen ratings for three years. And naturally, that success meant that it would get other media associated with it...

(Cut to a shot of one such media, a comic book)

Linkara (v/o): ...including a comic book. And that brings us to today's subject, produced by Gold Key.

(Shots of past Gold Key comics are shown, many of them based off of TV shows, including Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, Star Trek and Adam-12)

Linkara (v/o): You'll recall Gold Key as being the ones who produced several TV show comics, including Star Trek and Adam-12. Still, this does make one wonder something...

Linkara: How the hell do you turn a sitcom into a comic book, anyway? Well, short answer: Archie ripoff. Long answer: really lame Archie ripoff.

(More footage of the show is shown)

Linkara (v/o): I shouldn't be surprised by this comic, though. I mean, they managed to make it into an animated series, too. I mean, how bizarre could that have been?

(Cut to the intro of that show: The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang)

Narrator (Wolfman Jack): His dog is named Mr. Cool and the Good Group, one flaky time machine and... a future chick, name of Cupcake. Oh, now the gang got zapped into that time machine, and they're like traveling through time!

Linkara: (nonplussed) Why the hell am I not reviewing that right now? (rolls eyes) Ugh! Anyway, let's just dig into (holds up today's comic) "Happy Days #2".

(AT4W title theme plays, and title card has the Happy Days theme playing in the background. Cut to a closeup of the comic's cover)

Linkara (v/o): The cover sucks. It's bad enough that it's a photo cover; I could accept that, since they're trying to let people know it's based on the show, but I don't even know what the hell is going on with it. We have Fonzie on roller skates, holding a phone, and bizarre lightning-shaped patterns connecting him to a picture of Richie, who is clearly not on a phone, and a second one to Richie's family – again, not on a phone. Is Fonzie calling their pictures? Is this like a Harry Potter thing with the pictures that move? I'm pretty sure those can't talk to you. Then again, I've seen all of, like, one Harry Potter movie; they might do that. Although, the Fonz in the Harry Potter universe would make a lot of sense, given the abilities he's demonstrated. (imitates Hagrid) You're a wizard, Fonzie.

Text: Dial F-O-N-Z for fantastic!

Linkara: (angrily) THAT IS NOT HOW THAT WORKS!

Linkara (v/o): The book is an anthology, so we have multiple stories to cover, starting with: "The Great Fonzarelli".

Linkara: Also known as the name of my new Italian cookbook.

Linkara (v/o): We open with Richie, the main character of most of Happy Days, being talked to by some guys, and while this is supposed to be Richie, he has blond hair inexplicably, even though Ron Howard is and was a redhead.

Guy 1: Consolidated Charities wants you, Richie Cunnigham!

Linkara: (as this guy) You will be our ritual sacrifice to the god of charity!

Guy 2: Yes, you... to be the magician in its first annual fund-raising carnival.

Linkara: I... don't think you can just randomly pick someone to be a magician.

Linkara (v/o): And Richie even points out that he doubts he's up to it. Instead, however, as the Fonz is pulling up, Richie says that he'd be a great sorcerer.

Linkara: Oh, come on! What makes you think that the Fonz is gonna be any good at magic whatso–

(Before he can finish, however, we cut to an episode of Happy Days, showing Fonzie running his hand over a door and hitting it once with his fist, much to the amusement of Mork the alien)

Mork (Robin Williams): Aha!

(Then the Fonz blows on the door and it falls in)

Linkara: (beat) Withdrawn.

Linkara (v/o): The Fonz is naturally uncertain when Richie tells him he's got a job for him.

Richie: Fonz, now you can pay your debt to society...be a good guy... doing what comes naturally...

FonzIE: Nobody ever paid me for that before!

Linkara: Ha! It's funny that you think you're gonna get paid.

Fonzie: Me?? A magician? I wouldn't know where to start...

Richie: Sure you would...

Linkara (v/o): No punctuation mark...

Richie: You've got what it takes. Pizzazz!

Linkara: No, you still need to know some magic tricks, dude! Standing on stage for ten minutes and going, "Heeeeeey!", only works if you're at a convention.

Linkara (v/o): Richie tells some others that Fonzie is going to do the magic act.

Fonzie: Not so fast, Cunningham! I didn't say yes... I didn't say no...

Linkara (v/o): Aaaand on the next panel...

Fonzie: I gave it some thought Cunningham and, ah, I'll do it...

(Cut to a clip of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang watching The Thing That Couldn't Die)

Tom Servo: Wow, they held the tension for a full second.

(Cut back to the comic)

Fonzie: There is one condition! You, Weber and Ralph will do your bit too! Come on as the Moonmen, music from outerspace!

Linkara: I don't think music from the hearts of space is really gonna get people excited to see magic, dude.

(He snaps his fingers, and much to his surprise, "Neranzoula" by Irene Papas plays in the background. He shakes his head)

Richie: The moonmen... Music from outerspace... What a great idea! The guys will love it!

Linkara: (laughs) No, it isn't.

Fonzie: Now I've got to figure out how to make magic!

Linkara: Based on my experience, you spend three months searching for a wizard who then tells you that you're an asshole.

Linkara (v/o): That night, Fonzie is having dinner with the Cunningham family.

Richie: What are you worried about, Fonzie?

Linkara: That he could fail miserably, become the laughingstock of the town, and end up costing the charity thousands of dollars. No biggie.

Mrs. Cunningham: You could see teeth to chickens...

Mr. Cunningham: ...or teach a cow how to fly...

Linkara: I'm pretty sure salesmanship and educational skills are not the same thing as magic tricks.

Fonzie: Fly... Fly?? I think I've got it!

Linkara: (as Fonzie) I'll skip town on the next flight!

Linkara (v/o): Fonzie says he could make a girl levitate. And now they're at Arnold's Cafe, and Richie's hair is more red. What the hell did Fonzie pause in the middle of his thought and then resume again the next day? A girl named Cheryl stops by their table and Fonzie suggests to her that she could be the one to do it. And then we cut to the backstage of the charity performance. Welcome to the comic that time forgot; just huge chunks of scenes feel left out. Don't have Fonz answer a question right away; just cut to it later so it might as well be right away. Have him exclaim that he has the answer, and then cut to the next day where he explains said answer. And here we've jumped ahead to the theater and the girl is lying on a table for the magic act. Fonzie has rigged up a pulley system that will lift the table up, thanks to near-invisible strings to give the illusion that he's making it levitate.

Cheryl: What if the wire breaks... if the platform tips... if I fall...

Linkara: My God, she's right! She could fall down all of three feet!

Richie: She's right! What would we do? There's no guarantee this thing will even work!

Fonzie: It worked today, didn't it?

Linkara (v/o): Uh, then why is everyone complaining? If it works, it works.

Fonzie: The dress rehearsal was perfect. Let's wrap it up for the night!

Richie: You know what they say about dress rehearsals! A good dress rehearsal means a jinxed performance!

Linkara: (glowering at camera) Okay, I know that that's a real theater superstition, but it's a really stupid one. Why the hell do you even have a dress rehearsal if you actually think showing that you have it all down means failure for the real performance?!

Linkara (v/o): And why would you tell that to Fonzie?! Sure, the guy exudes confidence from every follicle of perfect hair, but you don't want to try to get the guy nervous, do you? So the night of the performance comes and... Dear God, what the hell are they wearing? Look, some people can pull off costumes and makeup for their band. You guys can't. Unless, of course, your band was called Plan 9 and the Rejected Muppets. Fonzie has been forced out of his jacket and is instead wearing a fake mustache, a turban, and some weird-ass wizard muumuu. You traded leather Tuscadero for goofy Tuscadero!

Audience member: Bravo! Bravo!! Bring back the moonmen!

Linkara (v/o): Wait, if the band was that damn good, why the hell did they even bother with the magician crap? Just get Richie's band to play a full concert! Anyway, the band rushes to set everything up. What follows are supposed to be them trying to get things done fast, though that just makes me wonder what the hell the stage crew are doing. They pull open the curtain before Fonzie's onstage. Cheryl also trips before going onstage, but she's fine, and the trick goes off successfully, if slightly delayed. Otherwise, everything happens perfectly.

(Cut to a clip of the MST3K gang watching Devil Doll)

Servo: And another six dollars is raised for charity.

(Back to the comic again)

Linkara (v/o): And so, the story ends with Fonzie saying...

Fonzie: Next time give me something easy... like bringing back George Washington!

Linkara: Yeah, because doing a single trick with only minor complications was truly (exaggeratedly) the height of difficulty! (shrugs)

(Cut to Linkara wearing a blue outfit)

Linkara: (arms crossed) We'll be right back, ya Slifer Slackers!

(He walks off as the AT4W logo appears in the corner; we go to commercial. Upon return, Linkara appears again in his outfit)

Linkara: And now we're back. I love this outfit.

(He walks off as the AT4W logo appears in the corner; cut back to the comic as the review resumes)

Linkara (v/o): Our next story is "An Offer You Can't Refuse".

Linkara: If I did refuse it, can I just skip to the end?

Linkara (v/o): A bunch of dorks on motorcycles are riding around in front of Arnold's.

Biker 1: Come on, guys... let's show these pansies what real men are like!

Biker 2: Chick's right!

Linkara: Real men are named "Chick".

Linkara (v/o): The bikers go in and try to hit on some girls while Richie's band is performing on stage without stupid-looking costumes. As the girls are accosted, the band performs "Earth Angel", until Marty McFly comes onstage to sing "Johnny B. Goode". No, Richie instead comes down to tell the bikers to knock it off. The bikers challenge Richie and his friends to a rumble, but one of the girls quickly summons the cops to prevent things from getting out of hand... who all arrive brandishing guns! Look, I know there were mobsters running around town that one time, but you don't need to be this trigger-happy! The bikers make a quick getaway, and we cut to the next night. One of the bikers, who looks like a greasier Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, starts hassling Al to get in on a protection racket. He actually looks kind of bizarre; his big chin and cartoonish features kind of clash with the slightly more realistic look of everyone else. He really does look like he belongs in "Archie" and not this.

This guide is not complete. Please finish.