Subject: (urth) Even Homer nods twice

From: Nigel Price <nigel.aprice at virgin.net>
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 00:37:03 +0000

Way back on Tuesday 17 June 1997, Kevin McGuire asked on the Whorl list:

>>On a more frivolous note - is there any
>>connection between Typhon/Piaton and that
>>episode of the Simpsons where Mr. Burns
>>head is grafted onto Homer's body?

>>"But Homer, tomorrow we are meeting with
>>Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands"

As far as I can see, no one ever answered that question, but I finally got
to see that episode of "The Simpsons" on BBC2 this evening and I would say
definitely, yes! That really does look like a Gene Wolfe homage. A bizarre
one, it's true, but an homage none the less.

Nigel

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From: Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 00:32:10 +0000

> From:
> "Nigel Price" <nigel.aprice at virgin.net>

> one, it's true, but an homage none the less.

In the US, there's a much more prominent antecedent, the schlocky _THING 
WITH TWO HEADS_, starring Rosie Greer (as the body) and Ray Miland (as 
the new head).

As far as non-homages go, back in 1986, Marvel Comics produced a 
year-long limited series, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS, with such 
URTH-ly, Wolfe-ly plot elements as:

* the champions of earth being summoned by an ineffable being to do 
battle with their archenemies,

* at least one foe was resurected for the purpose

* a plot by an evil would-be ruler of all mankind involving a severed head

* a mis-appropriated mechanical suit missing its right arm.

* an artifical world with made of bits representing numerous real 
worlds, with creatures taken from them

* a refugee from the previous creation

* a formerly human being grown to immense size who sates his colossal 
hunger by drawing energy form planets via titanic machinery of 
mysterious function

Years later, the wearer of the suit went on to have adventures in a kind 
of new earth, advised by a mysterious woman named Skye, found to be some 
sort of "warrior of Eidolon", and combatted against a shaggy, grey 
shapeshifting animal....

-- 
Jeff Wilson
How Am I Posting? 1-800-555-6789
"If your SecOp can see you, so can the enemy." -Cpt Law

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From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 19:12:42 +0000

> one, it's true, but an homage none the less.

But is the episode half as clever and funny as your subject header?

-- Rostrum

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From: James Wynn <crushtv at hotpop.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 20:25:04 +0000

Nigel opines:

Crush plays the party-pooper:
I'd much prefer that this were so and I plan to use it to recommend Gene
Wolfe to my Simpson-crazed friends, however...

the Simpson's Archive (http://www.snpp.com/episodes/8F02.html) notes three
other possible movie horror sources for this homage, two of which seem quite
credible:

o The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971) http://us.imdb.com/Title?0069372

o The Thing with Two Heads (1972) http://us.imdb.com/Plot?0067245

-- Crush

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