Baffler Meal

"Baffler Meal" is the first episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast season eight, and the eighty-second overall. It aired on January 1, 2003 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. It was produced Dave Willis, Matt Maiellaro, and Jay Edwards, and written by Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis, and Todd Hanson.

Space Ghost gets Burger Trench as a new sponsor, but its living food superhero mascots called the Aqua Teen Hunger Force take over.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#clear"| Master Shake
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Dave Willis
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Space Ghost
 * style="background-color:#clear"| George Lowe
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Zorak
 * style="background-color:#clear"| C. Martin Croker
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Frylock
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Matt Maiellaro
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Moltar
 * style="background-color:#clear"| C. Martin Croker
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Meatwad
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Dave Willis
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Rusty Wallace
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Willie Nelson
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Himself
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Colonial Man
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Dave Willis
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Axl Rose
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Doorman
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Barry Mills
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Matt Maiellaro
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jay Edwards
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Hunter McRea
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| God
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Axl Rose
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Doorman
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Barry Mills
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Matt Maiellaro
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jay Edwards
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Hunter McRea
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| God
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Colonial Man band member
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Hunter McRea
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| God
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| God
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| God

Organizations

 * Aqua Teen Hunger Force
 * Guns N' Roses (mentioned)
 * Colonial Man Band

Locations

 * Ghost Planet
 * Studio
 * Earth
 * Burger Trench (mentioned)
 * Bar
 * Heaven (mentioned)

Objects

 * Power bands
 * Inviso belt
 * Amulet of Ayahockalise
 * Baffler Meal (mentioned)

Vehicles

 * Houseboat

Development
It was written in 1999, but was rejected due to focusing too much on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters. When the characters became a full-fledged series of its own, appropriately titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the episode was completed. Todd Hanson co-wrote the episode when he joined the team for a week. While writing the episode, he also created Napkin Lad, who was scrapped because he didn't fit. He was to have been killed with the rest of the Aqua Teens, by having water poured on him. Napkin Lad ended up appearing on Aqua Teen Hunger Force for the 2011 episode "Last Dance for Napkin Lad." Hanson voiced the character.

The characters look different from how they do in Aqua Teen Hunger Force, especially Frylock who was redeveloped as a more traditional-looking box of fries without arms or legs, being able to hold things with his french fries which stand in as hair. He is more mature in the series, with the addition of a goatee reinforcing that idea.

Master Shake is more of a conventional leader with flaws, something that continued briefly at the start of his own series.

The only one who remained the same is Meatwad. His only change in the series is that his stupidity has had time to be developed.

Filming
The Willie Nelson interview that took place ended up being used in "Kentucky Nightmare."

It was apparently copyrighted in 2003, although this seems unlikely since it aired at midnight on the first day of 2003.

Music
The music composer isn't credited. The main piece of music in the show is provided by the Colonial Man Band at the end of the episode.

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: January 1, 2003 at 12 pm on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)

Behind the scenes

 * Adult Swim skips this episode on their website.
 * Colonial Man last appeared in the original ending to "Snatch."
 * Special thanks are given to Southfork Restaurant and Smith's Olde Bar.
 * Audio commentary is provided on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Two DVDs, as mentioned below.
 * The finalized forms of Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad previously had cameos in The Powerpuff Girls Movie.

Errors

 * At times, Willie Nelson has been flipped right to left, which is noticeable due to the words on his cap now back to front.
 * Burger Trench is probably on Earth, although that isn't outright confirmed.

Everlasting influence

 * As mentioned below, a complete eleven season DVD set of Aqua Teen Hunger Force was released, subtitled The Baffler Meal Complete Collection.

Home availability

 * In the United States:
 * July 20, 2004: Warner Home Video releases Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Two on DVD.
 * July 12, 2022: Warner Home Video releases Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection on DVD.
 * In Australia:
 * November 7, 2007: Madman Entertainment releases Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Two on DVD.
 * In the United Kingdom and Ireland:
 * December 7, 2009: Warner Home Video releases Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Two on DVD.