Aqua Teen Hunger Force brings Boston to its knees -- now you know what Vleeptron knows / evil constipated foreign HTML now removed

The city of Boston, Massachusetts USA (a 2.5 hour drive east of me) shut down for most of Wednesday 31 January 2007 when a handful of suspicious electronic devices were discovered at various locations around the city. For a few hours, bridges, highways and tunnels, mass transit rail were shut down, and an estimated U$500,000 in public safety hours and resources were expended, but eventually it was discovered that the devices were advertising gimmicks to hype an upcoming feature movie about the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a cartoon program on the Turner Broadcasting / Time Warner Cartoon Network.

Two multimedia artists (and musicians), men in their 20s, have been arrested and charged with a new state law against hoaxes which induce fear of terrorist acts in the public.

The signs were battery-powered Light Emitting Diode images of the ATHF character Ignignokt.

Read this and make yourself hip. Now you know what Agence-Vleeptron Presse knows.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Ignignokt)

[image] The members of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday convene on the moon.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are a fictional group of villains from the American TV series Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The individual villains debuted in various episodes throughout seasons 1 and 2, but first convened as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday in the season 2 finale "The Last One". They were brought together by the Mooninite Ignignokt, who believed that they could assist him in destroying the Aqua Teens. He was sadly mistaken as, apart from himself, they seem to be only interested in doing their own thing, which gets quite a few of them destroyed until only seven members remain. Thus their name.

"Evil" Plans

As the Mooninites seem to be the only ones actually intertested in the Aqua Teens' destruction, it is they who devise the group's "real" evil plan. This plan involves boring into the Aqua Teens' heads with the "Screw of Damnation" (which he found behind the "Armoire of Despair"). Apparently, this plan involves Mothmonsterman telling the Teens to "stay still" (with a post-it note) while Major Shake utilizes his "Phllipshead Death-Driver". MC Pee Pants also had a plan, which was to use the members of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday as monsters in a haunted house. MC Pee Pants would then sell the house as a condo in order to make money to buy psychadelic mushrooms. This plan suggestion got MC stepped on by Err. Ol' Drippy proposed a plan to save the world by adopting a highway, although Ignignokt misinterpreted it as an evil plan to "Shave the World".

Ignignokt

Ignignokt (voiced by Dave Willis) is a two-dimensional creature from the moon (Although he claims to have 5,000 dimensions and that Earth is his moon). As the Aqua Teens' chief tormentor, he concocts various plans that never cease to annoy them, usually involving manipulating Meatwad. His plans include stealing a belt that will give him the powers of the rock group Foreigner, stealing a welfare check from his Uncle Cliff (which actually turned out to be a bill), distributing copies of an incredibly easy video game to train people to defeat a Gorgotron (a large purple Mooninite) that was laying waste to the Mooninites' "craps", and giving Shake and Meatwad some "moonajuana". He claims that carving "DA MOON RULZ #1" into Carl's car is a sign of trust and friendship. He is the self-proclaimed "Digital Ruler" of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and he also believes that Plutonians are "teh suck" and has thus started the War of Spacecataz.

Large and green, Ignignokt speaks with a haughty, condescending air and is openly selfish and solipsistic. Often, his voice will suddenly go off pitch, mimicking the sounds of the old Atari video games on which his design was based.

On January 31, 2007, a number of "devices" were found in the area of Boston, Massachusetts. These devices turned out to be magnetic light fixtures shaped like Ignignokt and Err as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign for the ATHF motion picture (c.f.: 2007 Boston magnetic light scare).

Err

Err (voiced by Matt Maiellaro) is second in command of the Mooninite Army (although he and Ignignokt are the only members of it). He is purple and smaller than Ignignokt. He is known for his trash talk, and he is usually the one who coerces Meatwad into going along with Ignignokt's schemes. In his most recent appearance, he claimed that the Mooninites only act the way they do due to a need for attention.

Err fits precisely into the notch on Ignignokt's head, and when combined they can pool their firepower into the "Quad Laser", which is a stronger, yet slower, version of their standard lasers. A larger and more powerful version of this attack, the "Quad Glacier", which is done by replicating themselves into the form of a massive pistol, moves at a pace that barely registers to the naked eye.

On January 31, 2007, a number of "devices" were found in the area of Boston, Massachusetts area. These devices were later discovered to be magnetic light fixtures in the shape of the characters as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the ATHF movie (c.f.: 2007 Boston magnetic light scare).

Rabbot
[image]

The Rabbot is a giant robotic rabbit created by Dr. Weird to solve the world's alleged "vegetable problem". For some odd reason, Weird sprays French perfume into the Rabbot's eyes, causing him to get angry and escape the lab, leaving a giant Rabbot-shaped hole in the wall which is seen in several other episodes. He also breaks into the Powerpuff Mall and steals a hair-growth formula, with which he sprays random things in town, including Master Shake.

While with Ignignokt's group, he doesn't do much, although he is responsible for the group's name, the reason being that "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday" is one of only two things he can say (the other being "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0"). He is one of only six members of the group left alive at the end of the episode.

The Leprechauns
Flargon, Dingle, and Merle

Flargon (voiced by Scott Hilley), Merle (voiced by Andy Merrill) and Dingle are a trio of Leprechauns who steal Dr. Weird's rainbow machine. Flargon, the mastermind, leads his two underlings in a plot to use the machine to grab people out of the park and take them to the forest to steal their shoes. Flargon looks the most like a steryotypical Leprechaun, and is the only one of the group who actually sports an Irish accent.

Dingle is a pudgy, effeminate Leprechaun. He is in charge of manning the rainbow machine. His entire vocabulary seems to consist of just "FEET!" and "NO FEET!", which he tends to scream out at random intervals.

Merle is actually just a normal human who happens to look exactly like a Leprechaun. He is half-Korean and native to Rhode Island. He uses his binoculars to spot people in the park for Dingle to take with the rainbow machine. He is the only one who looks normal enough to go grocery shopping for the Leprechauns.

After having their plan foiled by the Aqua Teens, the Leprechauns were invited to join Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. However, they ran late, and with the Tree Judge and Tree Stenographer, attempted to take a wooden rocket to the moon. Merle, Flargon, and the Trees are accidentally set on fire by Dingle when he attempts to launch the rocket.

Mothmonsterman
[image]
Mothmonsterman flying toward the Shake Signal

Mothmonsterman (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) is a giant humanoid moth creature genetically engineered by Dr. Weird. He escapes the lab through the hole left by Rabbot when he is attracted to the city by the lights of Shake's "Shake Signal". When the light is turned off, Mothmonsterman does everything in his power to get it turned back on, which basically entails him manning a school bus and calling the Aqua Teens' house about the light. Shake manages to convince Meatwad that Mothmonsterman IS the bus and that the bus is Dracula. When Frylock takes Meatwad to Memphis, Tennessee to prove that Dracula is dead (by visiting a tourist trap called "Dracla's (sic) Grave"), Mothmonsterman takes over the house and finally gets to turn the light back on.

Mothmonsterman is an easygoing fellow, who rarely goes through much trouble to achieve his ends. He can asexually reproduce and apparently has around 1,000 children, as he "layed about a thousand of my eggs" in Carl's esophagus. He owns a house in Belize.

Brownie Monsters
[image]
A Brownie Monster

The ten Brownie Monsters were created by Shake when he attempted to clone a brownie recipe in the same machine in which Frylock was analyzing a sample of Mothmonsterman. They revealed themselves after the Aqua Teens returned from Memphis. They speak in a whirring, clicking tongue. Since they are infused with Mothmonsterman's DNA, each of them posesses his wings and claws.

While with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, they and Drippy adopt a highway and attempt to name the group "Click-Click-Click-Click-Click-Click-Click". Ignignokt becomes angered at this, and he executes the Brownie Monsters via Mooninite firing squad.

Ol' Drippy
[image]
Drippy plays with Meatwad

Ol' Drippy (voiced by Todd Field) is an annoyingly benevolent mold-based creature. He was created by Shake after he made a mess of the kitchen. He is altruistic, gentle-voiced, and loved by almost everyone. Shake becomes jealous of Drippy (who was named by Meatwad) as Drippy is recieving more attention than he is. He does what he can to get rid of Drippy, although Drippy is sympathetic to Shake as well, and lets Shake eat part of his body for its medicinal properties when he gets sick. At the end of the episode, Drippy jumps in front of a truck to save Shake.

Drippy, however, survived, regenerated, and was invited to the meeting on the moon called by Ignignokt, although he was tricked into believing that the meeting was a baby shower (he made lemon squares). He suggested an alternate method to Ignignokt's Screw of Damnation plan, which consisted of going to Earth and adopting a highway to "save the world", although Ignignokt believed that Drippy was trying to "shave the world," something apparently menacing. When Drippy's "mutiny" is revealed, the Mooninites shoot him with the Quad Glacier, and although Drippy could have easily dodged the poky projectile, he oddly obeyed the Mooninites' commands to stay in place. He is not seen after this, so it is assumed he was destroyed.

MC Pee Pants
[image]
Dr. Weird introduces MC Pee Pants

MC Pee Pants (voiced by Chris Ward IV) is a crazy, eight-foot spider who wears a shower cap and a diaper. He is known for his overly convoluted schemes, all of which use rap as a cover for his criminal tendencies. His address is 612 Wharf Avenue. He is frequently killed, after which he is revived by Satan (who is actually a lava monster from Superfriends) in a new form with another convoluted scheme.

In his spider form, he posed as a child rapper and used his song "I Want Candy" to get people wired on sugar, and then using the sugar-high populace as a power source to run a giant drill and tunnel to Hell to release an army of demons to use as minions in his diet pill scam. Once the Aqua Teens get wise to his scheme, they track him down and kill him.

He was then transformed and sent back as Sir Loin, a cow with the same eyes, shower cap and diaper. He once again posed as a rapper, this time using his song "Doin' It 4 Da Shorteez" to convince people that he was running a charity food drive. Once the food was brought to him, he would use it to attract flies and collect their acidic saliva to burn a hole into the First National Bank, from where he would steal money to keep up with payments on his broken patio furniture. He dies again when the Aqua Teens trick him into going into a slaughterhouse.

He is then sent back as a worm, and it is under this form that he joins Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and here he uses the aforementioned "haunted house" plan. Ignignokt objects, and tells Err to step on MC, which he does.

His final form is that of Little Brittle, an old man living at Tragic Castles retirement home. His plan was to release his song "Please Come Visit Me, Dawg" in Transylvania, in order to get a vampire to come and bite him. His aim was to become immortal so that he would never go back to Hell to recieve more complicated assignments from Satan. He does in fact become a vampire, but forgets that sunlight will kill him. As Ward has recently cut all ties with the series, MC Pee Pants did not appear in season 4.

Happy Time Harry
[image]
Happy Time Harry being a bad influence on Meatwad and Jiggle Billy

Happy Time Harry (voiced by David Cross) is a depressed suicidal doll who may or may not be addicted to heroin. He was bought by Frylock for Meatwad after the doll Meatwad wanted, Jiggle Billy, turned out to be too expensive. Harry has a knife installed in his wrist in place of one of his hands. He is a bad influence on Meatwad and almost everyone else he meets, including Jiggle Billy, who he eventually convinces to shoot off his own head. Shake eventually deduces that the last thing a suicidal person would want is to be immortal, and throws Harry off a cliff in a parody of Highlander. Happy Time Harry's accessories include glittery red dancing shoes and "action bills".

Harry has a busy schedule and is in trouble with his parole officer, and as such could barely make it to the meeting on the moon. He stabs Travis after Travis asked Harry to demonstrate his "magic talking knife". Harry is one of the few who makes it to Earth as part of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday to confront the Aqua Teens, but he is soon blown up by Frylock's eye beams.

Major Shake

Major Shake (voiced by Matt Harrigan) is an imperfect clone of Master Shake made by Oglethorpe in a plot to "de-terraform" the Earth. Oglethorpe got impatient and pulled him out of the cloning machine before he was ready, and a such, he appears melted, wears high heels, and has a boombox sticking out of his side. The Plutonians abduct Master Shake and replace him with Major Shake, who Frylock and Meatwad immediately see through. Despite Major Shake's many attempts to contact the Plutonians and tell them that he has been found out, they simply tell him to go about with his mission. Major Shake eventually gives up and gets away in Carl's car.

Major Shake may not be a clone, but another Plutonian who was altered to look like Master Shake by Emory and Oglethorpe. This is supported by the fact that he seemed to know them from from before he was created. Even though he was created by the Plutonians, he is generally found more pleasant than they are, which is probably the reason Ignignokt invited him to the meeting on the moon. Like the Rabbot and Mothmonsterman, he survives the end of "The Last One," despite getting hit by a truck.

Randy the Astonishing
[image]
Randy buys Meatwad from Shake

Randy the Astonishing (voiced by Dave Willis) is the prince of Jupiter. He was sent to Earth to "infiltrate the human gene pool", but, since he looks nothing like a human, he could find no one to procreate with. He ends up starting a freak show circus. He meets Shake and Meatwad in a back alley wearing a trenchcoat, and Shake sells Meatwad to Randy's circus where, due to his shapeshifting ability, he becomes a popular act, making Shake jealous. Randy eventually gets up the courage to reveal his true form, which makes his father, who happened to be in the circus's audience, proud of him. As they escape from the circus, the Aqua Teens burn down the bigtop.

During his time with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he was under the control of Travis of the Cosmos. After Harry stabs Travis, Randy asks Bingo if the hole in the back of his head (made by Travis's tongue) is noticeable. Bingo gives him a clown wig to cover it up, which turns Randy into a frozen clown.

Romulox

Romulox (voiced by Todd Barry) is a tar monster from Trenton, New Jersey. Shake accuses him of stealing his PDA. After an unsuccessful trip to the Trenton Tar Pits to try to find him, they return to their house only to find him in their living room with a PDA. This PDA, which actually does belong to Romulox, has numerous features not typical to a PDA, including a teleportation system. When he hears that Shake has lost his, Romulox gives his PDA to Shake. He is a yuppie, and he shows up at the house dressed in a bikini. He has an "easy-flow elbow" (which lets him operate a grappling hook flawlessly), and claims to be one of only two people to have this trait, Bruce Willis being the other.

At the meeting on the moon, he displays evidence that he is a poseur, as he shows up at the meeting dressed exactly like Oog, which is unlikely a coincidence. The Dumbassahedratron notes this: "What, did you two call each other last night?". He eats some sundried tomatoes that he finds on the floor, which are part of the Broodwich; he is subsequently taken away to the Broodwich Dimension.


Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future
[image]
The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future annoys Carl

The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future (voiced by Matt Maiellaro) is a crazy robot who claims that he is the Ghost of Christmas Past. He first shows up in Carl's house and tells Carl "what Christmas was like" when Carl was eight, in which he was made to eat carpet by his father and his house was destroyed by robots and lasers (Carl remembers eating carpet, but not the robots and lasers). He then proceeds to fill Carl's pool with elf blood and tell the Aqua Teens and Carl about the original Santa Claus, an ape named "Sir Santa of Claus", and elves from Mars. He has a penchant for telling drawn-out stories such as this with absolutely no factual basis. He says that the only way for Carl to get rid of the blood is for Carl to have sex with the Great Red Ape in Space. Carl eventually gets rid of him by selling his house to Glenn Danzig, whom the Ghost can't stand.

He may be related to Turkitron, who once claimed to be the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future but was later discovered to be a defective toy from the present. Still, the Cybernetic Ghost and Turkitron have the same voice and same penchant for telling convoluted stories. He says he has something to do with Sigourney Weaver and that he survived the "Quickening of the Dragonoids". He is one of only seven members of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday who survive "The Last One", along with Ignignokt, Err, the Rabbot, Mothmonsterman and Major Shake.

Oog
[image]
Oog harrasses Frylock

Oog (voiced by Jon Glaser) is a Neanderthal who came in contact with Frylock's time travelling supercomputer, the OoGhij MIQtxxXa. The computer increased Oog's intelligence and vocabulary, but not his syntax, and he still has several of his caveman traits. The computer also extended Oog's lifespan and, as such, he beat Frylock to the patent on the computer. He shows up at the Aqua Teens' house demanding video games.

As he still posesses Neanderthal traits, he can be distracted by jingle keys and made hyperactive by the sight of fire. Romulox copies his outfit when they attend the meeting on the moon. He objects to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday under the leadership of Ignignokt, and as such, proposes "12 point plan for good happy success". Ignignokt responds by throwing an animal bone through the window; Oog runs outside, grabs it, and promptly blows up.

Travis of the Cosmos
[image]
Travis speaks through Shake

Travis of the Cosmos (voiced by Brooks Braselman) is a pink, five-eyed alien blob who speaks a pseudo-Japanese language gibberish. He can only communicate by jabbing his sharp tongue into another's body and using their mouth to speak. This leaves a raw hole in the back of the host's head that varies in size from small on Shake to enormous on Randy. He came to Earth to try to find employment. Frylock invents a device from Meatwad's bush nickel colander, to allow him to speak normally, and he learns to speak English by using Carl's English language self-help tapes, which unfortunately seems to consist of obscenities and bad pick-up lines. He has trouble controlling his bladder, which is made all the worse by the fact that all of his body fluids are composed of a corrosive acid. Travis also seems to possess the ability to decompose organic matter, with a green projectile sludge.

He shows up at the meeting on the moon wearing a pearl necklace that he never sported before. He no longer had the colander machine, he possessed Randy the Astonishing to be able to speak. After Harry stated that he had a "magic talking knife", Travis asked Harry to demonstrate. Harry did so by stabbing Travis, killing him instantly and removing Randy from his control.

Tree Judge and Tree Stenographer

The Tree Judge (voiced by Dave Willis) and Tree Stenographer (voiced by Matt Maiellaro) are in charge of the Wood Court. They send a summons to Shake and arrest Carl for dumping oil in the woods, and later arrest Shake personally after he burns down the tree (named Big Ralph) who brought the summons. The Judge claims to have sat on the bench for 100 years, presiding over trials. The Stenographer is very laid back and is the one that uses Carl's skin as paper during the trial, though he spends most of his time doodling. He was previously in charge of getting the book of "Arboreal Legislation". Despite the fact that they conduct trials and are capable of sending Shake a summons, they are quite unintelligent. Frylock ultimately burns them down to escape.

They survive and accept the invitation to join Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. They and the Leprechauns run late and attempt to take a wooden rocket to the moon, but are set on fire by Dingle when he attempts to launch the rocket.

Broodwich Voice
[image]
The Voice (not pictured, obviously) tells of the dangers of eating the Broodwich

The Broodwich Voice (voiced by Isaac Hayes III) is a demonic, disembodied voice that resides in a skull-filled chamber beneath the Aqua Teens' house. He, along with his evil submarine sandwich, the Broodwich, are unearthed by Shake while he was hunting for treasure in the front yard. He is a manipulative spirit who attempts to convince Shake that he is the "Chosen One" destined to eat the Broodwich. After Shake eats all of the sandwich except the sundried tomatoes, which he hates, the Voice congratulates Shake on passing the "Last Temptation of the Broodwich" and Shake wins a skeleton bride. When he turns her down, the Voice applauds him again, and gives him a free lobotomy, which convinces Shake to eat the tomatoes.

He is, in fact, at the meeting on the moon, but, being a disembodied voice, only reveals himself when he speaks, in this case tempting Oog and Romulox to eat the sundried tomatoes. After he takes Romulox to the Broodwich Dimension, he is never heard from or mentioned again.

Dumbassahedratron
[image]
The Dumbassahedratron bothers Frylock

The Dumbassahedratron (voiced by Jon Schnepp) is an obnoxious cube that appears on the Aqua Teens' front lawn. He claims to have all knowledge in the universe; indeed, he calls himself the "Wisdom Cube". Frylock initially believes him, due to his eagerness to answer questions and his personality, akin to that of an "eccentric genius". He enjoys making prank calls, and engaging people in mindless conversation, which is what gives him away to Frylock. He wears offensive bumper stickers on his back. He is, in fact, the cousin of the actual Wisdom Cube, who also has a flair for bad comedy and practical jokes. The Wisdom Cube comes to pick up the Dumbassahedratron, and leaves Frylock with a burning bag containing "the ultimate answer". However, it actually contained dog droppings, and as the two cubes laugh at Frylock, they are both chopped up by a passing helicopter.

Amazingly enough, the Dumbassahedratron survives and joins Ignignokt's group. He annoys the villains and generally talks too much and makes a nuisance of himself. He almost gets sucked out the broken window after Ignignokt throws a bone through it to kill Oog. For some reason, he ends up in Hell telling bad jokes to Satan, who claims to "like funny box" but promptly blows him away with fire.

DP and Skeeter
[image]
DP and Skeeter meet Carl
DP and Skeeter meet Carl

DP and Skeeter (both voiced by Patton Oswalt) are two drunk frat aliens that are constantly trying to get laid. DP's dad owns some sort of dealership, and Skeeter hates to be called by his real name (Zarnold Edward Quigley). They made their first appearance in the episode "Frat Aliens", when after crashing DP's ship into the Plutonians' ship, they head for Earth, crashing into Carl's house before they realize that it wasn't a girl, as they thought it was (Carl had installed a security grid that could be seen from space). Skeeter leaves DP on Earth after he passed out drunk after throwing up all over the Aqua Teens' front lawn.

DP and Skeeter were carrying around another alien, a frat pledge they called "Ass Head". However, after he fell out of the ship, he was shown again, later in the episode, dead.

The next morning, after Shake and DP are drunk and hung over, Frylock attempts to send DP back to Howling Stump Monster Planet, where he lives. However, the ship Frylock builds crashes, and lasers in Carl's security grid obliterate DP. Still, he is regenerated and makes the appearance at the gathering.

They are killed and eaten by an alien female after irritating Ignignokt.

Bingo the Robotic Floating Clown Head

Bingo the Robotic Floating Clown Head is keeper of the clown wig. Along with his associate, a wig holder named StyroHead who he often argues with, he wants to turn Carl into a clown by using a wig infected with the Clownisilus bacterium. He can only communicate by honking, which only StyroHead (and those who read the subtitles) can understand.

Although he never met the Aqua Teens directly, he shows up at the meeting on the moon. He is one of the crowd that encourages Harry to drink an entire keg of beer. Randy ends up showing the hole in the back (made by Travis's tongue) to Bingo, who covers it up with another of his wigs, which turns Randy into a frozen Clown. After the group returns to the moon following Drippy's failed "plan", Bingo is simply not seen again.

Plutonian League

The Plutonian League is a rival group to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday established by the Plutonians, as Ignignokt thinks that they are "teh suck" and did not invite them to the meeting on the moon.

Oglethorpe

Oglethorpe (voiced by Andy Merrill) is the leader of the Plutonian League, although, like the Mooninite Army, it has only two members. He is fat and orange, and being a Plutonian, it is assumed he is from Pluto. However, he is actually from beyond Pluto. He apparently comes from the "Austrian Region of Pluto and Nian". It is never explained what this actually means, although Oglethorpe does indeed sport a heavy Austrian accent. He is quick to anger, and has the munchies.

He claims to be a genius, but is actually just a buffoon with access to advanced technology. He plans to conquer Earth, through such nonsensical plans as sending a Master Shake clone to "de-terraform" the Earth and stealing the Aqua Teens' cable through a Stargate (which a lawsuit-fearing Oglethorpe calls a "Fargate"). He went to high school with Ignignokt, although they despise each other and are currently at war (which just seems to consist of the Plutonians and Mooninites trading insults and pranks). He is named after Oglethorpe University.

Emory

Emory (voiced by Mike Schatz) is the other Plutonian. He is green, and taller and thinner than Oglethorpe. He also appears to be far more intelligent and logical, but, being the soft-spoken sort, goes along with the more commanding Oglethorpe's hare-brained schemes. He wears a sweatband, as does Oglethorpe, but since Oglethorpe wears his beneath his mouth, Emory calls it a "droolband". He once lost his keys in a woodchipper, into which he and Oglethorpe went to find them, explaining their bizarre appearance.

Emory can squirt a foul-smelling "soap" from his spikes. He claims to use it to clean the ship (which, incidentally, is actually Uglor's ship from Space Ghost), although Frylock believes that this substance is actually waste. Emory found Meatwad's broken Jiggle Billy doll, which still works, despite having its head blown off. Emory enjoys jiggling with it, although Oglethorpe believes that the doll is trying to "control" him. He is named for Emory University.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday%2C_Tuesday%2C_Wednesday%2C_Thursday%2C_Friday%2C_Saturday%2C_Sunday#Ignignokt"

Category: Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters

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2007 Boston Mooninite Scare

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(Redirected from 2007 Boston magnetic light scare)

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LED advertisement featuring the character Ignignokt (from ATHF), as seen in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Identical devices were removed by police throughout the Boston area on January 31, 2007.

LED advertisement featuring the character Ignignokt (from ATHF), as seen in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Identical devices were removed by police throughout the Boston area on January 31, 2007.

The January 31, 2007 Boston bomb scare (Boston advertising security scare or Boston Mooninite ad scare) occurred when Boston police officers mistakenly identified small electronic devices found throughout Boston and the surrounding cities of Cambridge and Somerville as improvised explosive devices.[1] The suspicious devices turned out to be battery-powered LED placards with an image of a cartoon character called a "mooninite" used in a guerrilla marketing campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, a film based on the animated TV series Aqua Teen Hunger Force (ATHF) on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late-night programming block.[1]

Background

In November 2006, artists Peter Berdovsky, 27, a political refugee from Belarus living until recently in Arlington, Massachusetts, and Sean Stevens, 28, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, were hired by marketing company Interference, Inc. to install 40 electronic signs in and around Boston. Berdovsky and Stevens installed the devices in two waves in January 2007; first mounting 20 signs around the middle of January, then coming back to mount an additional 18 signs on the night of January 29, 2007.[2]

Devices

During the early morning hours the promotional devices were not illuminated.
Closeup of the same device with the diodes lit.

The devices were promotional electronic placards for the forthcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. Each device, measuring about 1 by 1.5 feet,[1] consisted of a printed circuit board (PCB) which had been painted black with light-emitting diodes and other electronic components soldered to it, including numerous resistors, a few capacitors, and at least one integrated circuit package. At the bottom was a pack of four D-cell batteries, and magnets were attached to the back so the devices to be easily mounted on any metal surface. To blend with the black PCB, the batteries were originally covered in black tape.

The LEDs were arranged to show a cartoon character displaying the middle finger.[3][4] Two variants were manufactured with the LEDs arranged in pixelated likenesses of either Ignignokt or Err, Mooninite characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said the device "had a very sinister appearance. It had a battery behind it, and wires".[5] Others compared the displays to the Lite-Brite electronic toy,[5] although the method of construction is completely different.

The incident

On January 31, 2007, at 8:18 a.m.,[6] an employee of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spotted the device on a stanchion that supports an elevated section of Interstate 93 (I-93), above Sullivan Station. At 9 a.m., the Boston Police Bomb squad received a phone call from the MBTA requesting assistance in identifying the device.[6] During the preliminary investigation at the site, the police found that the device shared some characteristics with improvised explosive devices. These characteristics included an identifiable power source, circuit board with exposed wiring, and electrical tape. After the initial assessment, the Boston police shut down the northbound side of I-93 and parts of the public transportation system. At around 10 a.m. the police sprayed the suspicious device with a water cannon, completely destroying it.[1] By 10:21 a.m. it was determined to be "some sort of hoax device".[6]

At 12:54 p.m., Boston police received a call identifying a similar device located at the intersection of Stuart and Charles Street.[6] At 1:11 p.m. the Massachusetts State Police requested assistance from the bomb squad with devices found under the Longfellow and Boston University bridges.[6] Both bridges were closed as a precaution and the Coast Guard closed the river itself to boat traffic.[7][8]

The first media reports that the event was a hoax occurred around 1 p.m.[citation needed] Friends of Peter Berdovsky received an e-mail from him at 1:26 p.m. which alleged that five hours into the scare, an Interference executive requested Berdovsky "keep everything on the dl".[2] Travis Vautour, friend of Berdovsky, stated: "We received an e-mail in the early afternoon from Peter that asked the community that he's a part of to keep any information we had on the down low and that was instructed to him by whoever his boss was."[9]

Two hours later, Interference notified their client, Cartoon Network, rather than law enforcement authorities.[2] Between 2 and 3 p.m., a police analyst identified the image on the devices as an ATHF cartoon character, and the police concluded the incident was a publicity stunt.[1] Turner Broadcasting System issued a statement concerning the event at around 4:30 p.m.[1] Portions of the Turner statement read: "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger. The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force."[10]

"They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger." Some devices had been up in the cities listed for two weeks before the Boston incident occurred, although no permits were ever secured for the devices' installation.[10]

The marketing company responsible for the campaign, Interference, Inc., has made no comment on the situation and their website has also been down.[11] Berdovsky and Stevens, the individuals hired by Interference to install the signs, were arrested by Boston police during the evening of January 31, and charged with violating Chapter 266: Section 102A½ of The General Laws of Massachusetts, which makes it a crime to place a "hoax device" with the intent to panic the public.[3][12] Both were released on $2,500 bail.

City officials have stated they intend to seek restitution from Turner Broadcasting for costs incurred during the incident. Those costs reportedly top $500,000 USD for Boston and an additional $500,000 for the MBTA, Cambridge, and Somerville.[2] As part of a settlement that resolves all criminal and civil claims, Turner Broadcasting Systems and Interference Inc. have agreed to pay $2 million. $1 million of this will go towards reimbursing the affected agencies, and $1 million will go towards Homeland Security. In addition, Turner will release a statement to take responsibility and apologize for the incident.[13]

Arrests

Berdovsky and Stevens were arrested on the day of the incident and charged with placing a hoax device to incite panic, a felony charge that carries a five year maximum sentence, and one count of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Both pleaded not guilty to the two charges and were later released on a $2,500 cash bond.[2] At their arraignment Assistant Attorney General John Grossman claimed that the two were trying to "get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location."[14] Michael Rich, the lawyer representing both men, disputed Grossman's claim, asserting that even a VCR could be found to fit the description of a bomb-like device.[14] Judge Leary said that it will be necessary for the prosecution to demonstrate an intent on the part of the suspects to cause a panic. The judge continues "It appears the suspects had no such intent, …but the question should be discussed in a later hearing."[14] A small crowd of supporters gathered outside of the courthouse to protest the perceived overreaction by authorities.

At a press conference held outside of the courthouse following their release from jail, Berdovsky, Rich and Stevens refused to comment on the case. Berdovsky and Stevens instead insisted on discussing hairstyles of the 1970s, prompting annoyed comments and accusations of apathy from the press.[5]

Public reaction

The Boston Globe stated that the "marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap", quoting one 29-year old blogger as writing "Repeat after me, authorities. L-E-D. Not I-E-D. Get it?"[15] The G4 television channel dubbed the scare Aqua-Gate, thus suggesting the scare was a scandal.[16] The LA Times editorials derided the reaction of Boston's officials, remarking "Emergency personnel and anti-terrorism squads shut down more than a dozen highways, transit stations and other locations across the city Wednesday after receiving reports about multiple suspicious devices. The slender, placemat-sized items had dozens of colored lights, exposed wires and circuitry, and were powered by a row of D batteries wrapped in black tape. In other words, they looked like an upscale version of Hasbro's Lite-Brite, a toy for artistic grade-schoolers." [17]

The Boston Herald stated that part of the overreaction in the response could be blamed on two packages that didn't blink. According to Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, phony pipe bombs were also discovered that day, one inside Tufts-New England Medical Center at 1 p.m. Its security guard described "an agitated white male" fleeing saying, "God is warning you that today is going to be a sad day." The Herald goes on to characterize the placement of the devices as a "coordinated hoax".[18] Other incidents of the day that may have influenced the reaction include terrorist suspects arrested in England, a Washington DC metro stop being shut down due to a suspected package, and fumes emanating from a package at a post office in New York City, resulting in four people being treated there.

According to Fox News, fans of ATHF mocked Boston officials during the press conference of Berdovsky and Stevens, calling the arrests an overreaction while holding signs supporting the actions of the two. These signs had slogans such as "Free Peter" and "1-31-07 Never Forget," satirizing Mayor Tom Menino's mentions of 9/11.[19]

Other local Boston residents have been quoted by local papers. "We all thought it was pretty funny," said one student. "The majority of us recognize the difference between a bomb and a Lite-Brite," said another.[20] One resident said that the police response was "silly and insane", and that "We’re the laughingstock".[21] Something Positive, which is written and drawn by Boston resident R. K. Milholland, also weighed in on the issue.[22]

Not all press alleged an overreaction by Boston officials and media. David Hiltbrand, TV columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, states "Those wacky marketing guys at Turner Broadcasting [which is the parent company of both CNN and the Cartoon Network]. Because, let's face it, nothing says cartoon hijinks quite like a level-red terrorist threat."[23]

Karl Carter of Atlanta, Georgia-based Guerrilla Tactics Media said fans of the show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" would recognize the character and think it was funny, but other people who saw the signs wouldn't get the joke. "This is probably better set up for nightclubs and other sorts of scenarios where the people that are receiving the message, one, would know what it's about, but also two, wouldn't be frightened," he said. "You know, if you put these in certain environments, like public spaces in this post-9/11 sensitivity, then of course you're going to wind up in trouble." Make Magazine editor Phillip Torrone said the advertisers should have used better judgment, but called the Mooninite board a "neat electronic project."[24]

As reported by BoingBoing, the media and the State of Massachusetts itself maintained the use of the word "hoax" when describing the event, despite Turner Broadcasting Systems' contentions that they had no intention of arising suspicion or panic in approving the advertising capmaign.[25]

Response in other cities

Aqua Teen Hunger Force promotional devices were placed in conspicuous public places in ten different cities. This is one found at the entrance to a MARTA station in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ten cities in all were involved in the marketing campaign that began two to three weeks before the incident in Boston.

New York City, New York

The New York Police Department contacted Interference Inc., a New York-based marketing firm, to request a list of 41 locations where the devices were installed.[26] Officers were able to locate and remove only two devices, both planted on an overpass at 33rd Street and West Side Highway.[26] The NYPD did not receive any complaints about the devices according to police spokesman Paul Brown.[26]

Chicago, Illinois

At 9:30 p.m. on the evening of January 31, the Chicago Police Department received a list of installation locations from Interference Inc..[27] Police recovered and disposed of 20 of the 35 devices, leaving 15 unaccounted for. Police Superintendent Philip Cline admonished those responsible for the campaign, stating "One of the devices could have easily been mistaken for a bomb and set off enough panic to alarm the entire city."[27] Cline went on to say that, on February 1, he asked Turner Broadcasting to reimburse the city for funds spent on locating and disposing the devices.[27] Two men were briefly held in connection to the incident, but were not charged.[28]

Seattle, Washington

Fewer than 20 devices were found in Seattle and neither the Seattle Police Department nor the King County Sheriff's Office received 9-1-1 calls regarding them.[29] King County Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart went on to state, "To us, they're so obviously not suspicious ... We don't consider them dangerous."[29]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Interference Inc. hired two people to distribute 20 devices throughout Philadelphia on January 11.[30] One of these was Ryan, a 24-year-old from Fishtown, who claimed that he was promised $300 USD for installing the devices, only 18 of which were actually functional.[30] Following the scare in Boston, the Philadelphia Police Department recovered only 3 of the 18 devices. Joe Grace, spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, was quoted as saying "We think it was a stupid, regrettable, irresponsible stunt by Turner. We do not take kindly to it."[30]

Los Angeles, California

No devices were retrieved in Los Angeles and Lieutenant Paul Vernon of the LAPD stated that "no one perceived them as a threat."[31]

Portland, Oregon

Police Sergeant Brian Schmautz stated that officers in Portland had not been dispatched to remove the devices, and did not plan to unless they were found on municipal property. He added, "At this point we wouldn't even begin an investigation, because there's no reason to believe a crime has occurred." [5]

Devices and unauthorized merchandise sold on eBay

The incident prompted opportunists to acquire the promotional devices from other cities and auction them on eBay, with prices ranging from $500 to over $5,000 USD.[32] Other eBay users created unauthorized merchandise commemorating the event, including such items as T-shirts, stickers, and custom LED signs.[33]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Smalley, Suzanne, Mishra, Raja. "Froth, fear, and fury", The Boston Globe, The New York Times Company, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
2. ^ a b c d e Levenson, Michael, Mishra, Raja. "Turner Broadcasting accepts blame, promises restitution", The Boston Globe, The New York Times Company, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
3. ^ a b "Arrest Made In Boston's Hoax Device Incident", CBS Corporation, 2007-01-31. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
4. ^ Jamy Pombo. "TV Network Takes Responsibility For 'Hoax Devices'", ABC, January 31, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
5. ^ a b c d Lothian, Dan, Fran Fifis, Deborah Feyerick. "Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges", CNN, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
6. ^ a b c d e Davis, Ed (2007-02-02). MESSAGE FROM THE POLICE COMMISSIONER. BPDNews.com. Boston Police Department. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. "THIS IS AN INTERNAL MESSAGE SENT BY COMMISSIONER DAVIS TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT"
7. ^ Man held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare. CNN (2007-02-01). Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
8. ^ Security alert shuts Boston's Charles River. Reuters (January 31, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
9. ^ Silverstein, Jonathan. "As Boston Reeled, Was Artist Asked to Keep Quiet?", ABC News, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
10. ^ a b Powell, Shirley (2007-01-31). Statement from Turner Broadcasting Co.. CNN. TBS Corporate Communications. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
11. ^ Movie News -- "Hunger Force" Ad Campaign Causes Boston Bomb Scare.
12. ^ http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/266-102a.5.htm. The General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 266: Section 102A½. Retrieved on February 1, 2007
13. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16990202/
14. ^ a b c Lindsay, Jay; Hays, Tom (2007-02-01). Men Held on Bond in Boston Hoax Case. ABCnews.go.com/. ABC. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
15. ^ Levenson, Michael, Cramer, Maria. "Marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap", The Boston Globe, 2007-02-01.
16. ^ G4 - The Feed - Articles tagged with "Aqua-Gate". G4tv.com. G4 Media. Retrieved on 2007-02-02. Note also that this naming continues the tradition of calling scandals "-gate" after the Watergate scandal.
17. ^ http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-boston03feb03,0,5379741.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail
18. ^ http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=180586
19. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,249241,00.html
20. ^ http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/8998960763112521727
21. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16931200/
22. ^ Milholland, R. K. (2007-02-01). Something Positive for February 1st, 2007. Something Positive. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
23. ^ http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16612029.htm
24. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/02/02/buzz.marketing/
25. ^ http://boingboing.net/2007/02/02/state_of_massachuset.html
26. ^ a b c Toosi, Nathal (2007-02-01). Boston publicity stunt sets off activity in New York. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
27. ^ a b c Fitzsimmons, Emma Graves. "Cops not laughing at signs", Chicago Tribune, Tribune Company, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
28. ^ http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=180482
29. ^ a b Harrell, Debera. "Cartoon Network publicity stunt sparks panic in Boston -- but not here", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
30. ^ a b c Maykuth, Andrew. "Cartoon caper shows up here, but nobody's laughing", Philadelphia Inquirer, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
31. ^ Blankstein, Andrew. "Devices placed in Boston also intended for L.A.", LA Times, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
32. ^ Roberts, Paul (2007-02-01). Bids for Boston bomb scare promo top $5,000. InfoWorld Tech Watch. IDG. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
33. ^ Marotta, Michael (2007-02-02). Mooninite moneymaker: T-shirts, LED displays hit eBay. Boston Herald. GateHouse Media. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.

External links

* Peter Berdovsky's website
o Movie from Berdovsky's website about the marketing campaign
* Sean Stevens' website
* superfiction.com (Another Peter Berdovsky website)
* Adult Swim's Response To Crisis
* Boston suspects in hoax hold 'nonsensical' news conference

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_Mooninite_Scare"

Categories: Current events | Temporarily page-move protected | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Adult Swim | Aqua Teen Hunger Force | History of Boston | Advertising campaigns | Graffiti and unauthorised signage | United States popular history | Scandals

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