Published at 7:00 AM on February 9, 2009

By Matt Goodlett

Ten Tangential Musical References from The Venture Brothers Seasons One and Two

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It's no secret that Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, creators of the late-night cartoon The Venture Brothers, are pop culture encyclopedias. It's also obvious that the geniuses behind the show are fans of music, and the show's numerous musical references run the gamut from obvious to extremely obscure.

James Urbaniak, who voices Dr. Venture, has posted a link that shows David Bowie's image throughout his career corresponding to every major VBs character design (check out The Monarch). Whether coincidental or deliberate, several of the likenesses are uncanny. The frequent Bowie references in Seasons One and Two are something to behold, but may have gotten the Venture team in trouble with Bowie's lawyers. Season Three went by sans Bowie and the Season Two finale on DVD appeared with the added subtitle "Celebrity voice impersonated" when Bowie's character spoke. Here's a list of musical references including our favorites involving Mr. Z. Stardust. 

1. Brock Samson hearts Led Zeppelin. 
The ex-Office of Secret Intelligence member who is bodyguard to Hank and Dean Venture may be a killing machine, but he's a got a deep affection for the Zep. When Hank shuffles through Samson's tapes and finds Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door, Samson refuses to play it, saying, "Zep sold out on that one." In the episode "The Incredible Mr. Brisby," it's revealed that the last time Samson and Molotov Cocktease met was at a Laser Zeppelin Show in Akron, Ohio. Later, Samson attempts to get the image of Icarus from Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records tattooed to his arm, but only gets a portion before he's called into action. This earns him a burn from the Monarch, who says, "I'm not the one getting a picture of a naked man tatooed on my arm." After Samson explains the Zeppelin connection, Monarch says, "Super F*#@ing cool...like when I was 14."  When Samson loses his license to kill and must retest, the examiner mocks his only response on the test: a drawn picture of Icarus. See Samson's response at the end of this excellent clip: 


2. Depeche Man with a girl
When Dr. Venture decides to have a yard sale in order to consolidate all of his super-science junk, hordes of henchmen show up to take advantage. Dr. Venture's rival, The Monarch, spots a member of Depeche Mode and is amazed that he's "with a girl." Monarch assumed that all the members of Depeche Mode were gay. Monarch's husky-voiced girlfriend, Dr. Girlfriend, confirms that the DM member is hetero because she saw it on their Behind the Music on VH1. 

 

3. "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" isn't free
The Season Two premiere opened with a club song that Hammer and Publick reminisce about in the commentary. The song was so important for them to have for the episode that they reportedly spent an eighth of the episode's budget licensing it. The song is "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" by Tim Cox and Nigel Swanston featuring Rozalla. It plays over the opening montage as Dr. Venture runs from responsibility following a tragedy in Season One's finale. Samson stalks the good doctor from a Tibetan temple, the rain forest, a sweat lodge, an opium den and finally catches him at a rave. Venture cries, "I just want to stay here with my new family and their feel good candy... This is Sky; we're going to have a child." 

 

4. Hunter S. Thompson lives! 
An obvious caricature of Hunter S. Thompson found its way onto the show and into the hearts of fans with insane quotes and a clipped speech pattern. In the Venture Brothers, not only did the character, Hunter, teach Samson everything he knows, he also managed to get a sex change, retire from the Office of Secret Intelligence and became a stripper. Don't judge him. He works hard for the money. (Oh, and we realize that HST isn't exactly a music reference, but he was a true rock-star writer, so there.)



5. Dr. Venture gets tricked by a whorehouse
If you went into a viewing of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with certain naughty intentions in mind and not, say, the desire to see a musical with Burt Reynolds, smarmy mustache and all, actually singing, then you'll probably take solace in the episode where Dr. Venture mistakes the movie for a "skin flick." Samson attempts to tell him the truth, but Venture cuts him off not wanting Samson to spoil it. Billy Quizboy delivers the sad news at the end of the episode saying, "It's a musical; you never get to see anything." Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick recorded a cover of the movie's song "A Hard Candy Christmas" as a Christmas gift to fans. 


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