What can I even say about "SpongeBob Squarepants" as a brand at this point. It's legacy of over 20 years and counting can't be understated in its influence, success, and impact. Sure, it has had multiple rough patches, and you can make a strong argument it's running into franchise fatigue with how much Nick has milked it in recent years, but people are always going to come back to it remembering all the laughs, memorable personalities, and unmistakable style that drew everyone in.
Everyone knows the season 1 classic "Scaredy Pants", where SpongeBob is tired of being ridiculed over his fears surrounding the Halloween season, so he makes a scary disguise of his own to try and scare the town himself, which goes in an unexpected direction once the Flying Dutchman himself enters the picture. I don't know anyone who would consider this a favorite of theirs, but it's certainly a very enjoyable and funny one. It has the line "I've come for your pickle", how can it not be?
However, 18 years and 10 seasons later came another, more ambitious Halloween episode - one that simply hasn't gotten the same love, called "The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom". Even though it doesn't have the same quotable dialogue that the earlier entry has, it carries a much more unique flavor to call its own, and I think it's time I give the episode its due.
Right from the title card, you'll notice one of the single most standout elements - the stop-motion animation, provided by Screen Novelties. The studio is best known for their contributions to Robot Chicken, certain scenes in Chowder, and the special "Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas".
This isn't the first nor last time they've worked with SpongeBob either, providing a couple bit parts before getting to do an entire episode with "It's a SpongeBob Christmas" in 2012, and still get commissioned for select scenes to this day. But this manages to stand out even further from those other examples, because of the more mixed-medium techniques used all throughout the special, as we'll see over time.
10 seconds in, and already the episode gives us an amusing visual gag with making the jellyfish the typical Halloween 'bats'. It's a cool idea.
Lots of cute costumes in this clip. Surprisingly light on the fanservice (beyond the obvious Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, anyway), but it creates a really charming Halloween atmosphere to start an episode that's debatably all about it.
These cutesy, saccharine decorations that manage to look unsettling in their own way (that freaking unicorn head especially...) is just a SpongeBob thing for him to do. You can definitely say he's missing the point of the season, and in-context it's more or less presented that way, but I just like that he's able to celebrate in his own way.
Here's a good early example of them mixing up the techniques. First of all, Squidward's house displaying a threatening red glow and his ghouly video saying "There is no candy here... Only onions!" is already good for a laugh, but it's made even funnier by having a bunch of giant, live-action onions come pouring out. And then even go through the trouble of them switching from real-time in the first shot to matching the stop-motion frame rate in the second shot.
I really like this gag where Patrick looks at himself in a mirror ("The only thing you have to fear is... yourself"), and the mirror image stays as he holds it down to the cowarding Sponge so they're able to talk. It's the kind of SpongeBob bit that, while not worthy of a laugh perse, knows to revel in its inherent absurdity.
Check out this trick when we're first introduced to Sandy in her costume, using what looks like painted cardboard to create a silhouette that turns into her model. And they somehow managed to make it look seamless, I'm kind of blown away every time I see it.
Sure, they kind of cheat here by not requiring SpongeBob and Patrick to wear air helmets (which also holds true for the Christmas episode), but I'm willing to look past it as it's quite a minor detail compared to all the ambition on display.
Apart from the great attention to detail by having visible strings on the robot-puppet, this entire sequence is oozing that 'mad scientist' aesthetic. The way everything is lit and shot, along with the constant sparks as background noise, adds so much to the overall ambience.
Another visual benefit this has over "It's a SpongeBob Christmas" is how much more they vary up the lighting and color work, allowing for each set to better stand out, and this is proudly on display in both the Krusty Krab and Chum Bucket trying to terror-up the competition. And yeah, Krabs' exaggeration by personifying these veggies is pretty good.
Not gonna lie... Karen looks cute with those cat ears and whiskers. I'm not the only one who's thinking this, right?
Weird expression as a still, but it works with how Mr. Lawrence delivers this moment: "Patties are people! They're people patties!" He sounds so much more insane than usual here, I love it.
The Flying Dutchman gets a fantastic introduction. The green-heavy images already create a fantastic contrast to the more calm colors we've seen up to now, but the angle and deep, dark clouds of the first shot along with the really well-made Dutchman puppet and extremely detailed ship in the second shot is the kind of visual flair to get any viewers' immediate attention.
This only flashes by for half a second, but freezing it for this... Jesus, this is frightening. I think it's actually a lot scarier than what we see later that are supposed to be the big scares of the night.
The fact Spongebob's laughs are used not just as a catalyst for the Dutchman, but also as visual slapstick is pretty clever. The fact they have visible depth only adds to the impact, too.
That said, I really like how it's not just Spongebob that bothers him, but moreso the cutesy decorations everywhere. Adds more of a social satire element that maybe Halloween has lost its edge, but they don't dwell on this either to keep things focused and comedic.
You gotta love the slow build-up going on as the coaster ride gets started, and the ominous dread in even simple shots like this one. You know a big scare-fest is about to come for the young ones watching... and be assured, they deliver.
Some caps from the musical number (apparently called "The Scare Song"... meh), which is phenomenally entertaining. From the amazing puppetry, to the varied set pieces, to the little additions like the hand-drawn eyes, to the incredibly 'Halloween' aura of it all... this is what makes the episode a must-watch for the season in my opinion. Easily the episode's highest point. There's even more great stuff I'm not showing, just watch it for yourself.
So yeah, the Dutchman literally steals the souls from the Sponge's friends, and we get a brief glimpse of their completely unconscious bodies. So disturbing just on the concept level.
And of course, we actually see the souls themselves caged up. I think the lack of a backdrop, and how your eyes are inevitably going to focus on the captors with their blue coloring, only adds to the unnerving factor of this scene.
They dared to go the extra mile here and made these somewhat crude, but expressive as hell models of Spongebob just for this quick bit where his skeleton leaves his body. I wouldn't say it's the smoothest, but I'm quite impressed with the level of effort.
Terrorizing the souls with public domain footage is... interesting, I'll give them that.
Oh, and he briefly turns Plankton into an Igor. Check out the texture on that hand.
Okay, so Spongebob using Sandy's fake robot is a little underwhelming, but I think it's amusing since realistically... yeah, he has no chance there. Also this effect is pretty cool.
Check out how clay-like Plankton looks here, yet the rough texture is still visible enough to clearly identify it as him. And side note, interesting that him giving the Dutchman the idea to go into SpongeBob's brain is a direct reference to "Sponge Out of Water", in a series that doesn't usually call back like that.
Some stills from the sequence in SpongeBob's brain, entirely made by Sally Cruikshank. You may recognize her as the artist behind some nostalgic Sesame Street bits like this, this, and this. Even after all these years, she hasn't lost her trippy, psychadelic charm, and I only wish she was able to get more work like this.
Here's a trippy visual. The Dutchman is obviously denying his fright, so we see how his being is filled with glowing eyes in a dark void, with this one white, screeching creature covers increasingly more of it. I don't know how the heck Sally thought this up, but it's such a haunting visual that strangely makes sense if you think about it psychologically.
That huge, semi-grotesque baby being the thing that gets the Dutchman to snap, while not as fitting as the exposed brain in "Scaredy Pants", definitely works in terms of ending a sequence like this - not to mention going along with the Sponge's established approach to the holiday at the beginning.
If I did have a criticism toward the episode, it's that the episode could have ended on a funnier or at least more memorable note. "We learned not to be afraid to never be scared of being afraid again" is the kind of joke moral that tries to make sense within its intentionally awkward wording, but doesn't quite stick the landing for me. But I love this episode too much for it to hurt the experience.
And I should point out, even with all these caps this is only a fraction of what the episode as a whole has to offer, especially from a visual standpoint. Even if you are someone who hasn't watched SpongeBob since season 3 or 4, I heavily encourage you to check this one out. I can't exactly say it's on par with the best of the series, but it's one of the most delightfully atmospheric experiences you'll ever get out of the franchise. So enjoy, and have a f̶u̶n̶n̶y̶ scary Halloween.