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"Squidferatu" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 13. In this episode, Squidward ventures to Nosferatu's castle after accidentally receiving his mail.
Characters
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- SpongeBob's eyes
- Squidward Tentacles
- Nosferatu
- Slappy Laszlo
- Frankenstein's gorilla (single appearance)
- Innkeeper (single appearance)
- Creepy coachman (single appearance)
- Skeleton seahorses (single appearance)
- Sea urchins
- Incidentals
- Five Incidental 56s
- Incidental 154
- Barrel guy (deleted scene)[4]
- Window lady[4]
- Bat jellyfish
- Sea spiders
- Live-action mummy (single appearance)
- Live-action zombie (single appearance)
- Live-action vampire (single appearance)
- Vampire snail (single appearance)
- Phantom of the Opera (single appearance)
Synopsis
Squidward is seen outside, spraying urchins out of his garden. The mailman approaches him and gives Squidward mail after he accidentally sprays him. Squidward checks the letter and sees that it is actually for Nosferatu. He tries to throw it away but stuffs it inside SpongeBob, who is inside the trash can. SpongeBob, who was doing some spring cleaning, says that Squidward should deliver the letter to Nosferatu, since he considers it a federal crime to throw other people's mail away. Squidward agrees to deliver the mail, and SpongeBob tags along. Squidward opens his closet to reveal that he has years' worth of Nosferatu's mail mistakenly delivered to him.
SpongeBob and Squidward travel on their way to Nosferatu's castle. An innkeeper tries to warn them, but a coachman shows up with a carriage and gives them a ride. Squidward knocks on Nosferatu's door, to which it opens after Squidward tries to leave. Soon after SpongeBob and Squidward enter, Nosferatu is seen flickering the lights, and Slappy shows up underneath him. Nosferatu goes through the mail and eats the Blood of the Month crate. SpongeBob and Slappy laugh, with Squidward and Nosferatu being unamused. SpongeBob and Squidward try to leave, but Slappy will not let them, claiming the rain is not optimal for them. Nosferatu and Slappy invite SpongeBob and Squidward to have dinner and spend the night with them.
It is revealed that Slappy tricked SpongeBob and Squidward, using a raincloud powered by a light. Slappy shows them the food served at the dinner, which Squidward is disgusted by this. Squidward requests for ketchup on the mummy fingers, and SpongeBob while serving it, gets some on Squidward's face. While Nosferatu approaches Squidward, SpongeBob gets some ketchup on him. SpongeBob and Squidward are later shown in bed. They try to sleep, but SpongeBob keeps leaving the bedroom to do things he forgot. While SpongeBob is absent from the room, Nosferatu shows up through a wall and tries to attack Squidward, disappearing when SpongeBob enters the bedroom.
SpongeBob and Squidward soon notice Nosferatu in the wall, and he tries to approach them, causing them to flee the room in horror. While SpongeBob and Squidward try to escape, Slappy shows up and tries to attack them, but Squidward sprays him. SpongeBob and Squidward check various doors to leave the castle, but they see several scary things inside them. SpongeBob and Squidward jump into the laundry chute and end up inside Nosferatu's coffin room. Slappy shows up and tells them that Nosferatu would be very unhappy to find them there. Nosferatu suddenly appears in another coffin, right next to SpongeBob and Squidward.
SpongeBob and Squidward think Nosferatu is about to attack them, but Slappy claims that he just wanted to return mail to Squidward. Nosferatu gives Squidward his package, which is garlic. Nosferatu hisses at the garlic, but Slappy says that he is only joking about him not liking it. They all laugh as the lights flicker again. The flickering is revealed to be coming from the Phantom of the Opera. Everyone laughs as Slappy's head falls off from the screen's iris out.
Production
This episode, along with its sister were finished on June 17, 2022.
This episode was confirmed by Vincent Waller on July 8, 2022.[5]
During the original British and Irish airing of the sister episode on October 20, 2022, a master slate for the Ofcom-compliant edit of the episode could be briefly seen, which revealed the September 22, 2022 date of when this episode and its sister episode, "Slappy Daze," were delivered to other countries.
Promotional art
- Created by Eliza Herndon, Ian Vazquez, and the official Nickelodeon Twitter account.
Art
Character design
- Designed by Adam Reed and Joann Chang.[6][7]
Backgrounds
- Designed by Rebekie Bennington.[8]
Storyboards
- Additional board by Jeff Shea can be found here.[9]
Music
| ( ‣ ) Production music |
| ( • ) Original music |
| ( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
‣ Witch Way Is Up (b) - Magnum Opus [Title card.]
‣ Dance of the Macabre - Sean Elder [Opening.]
‣ Shock Chord [#76] - Sean Elder [Squidward looming over his garden.]
• ? - Nicolas Carr [Overlays "Shock Chord [#76].]
• Fooling Around Halloween - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Biting my begonias, eh? Not on my watch!"]
‣ Waltz in a Graveyard Sting (a) - John Rowcroft [Squidward reads the name on the envelope.]
‣ ? ["Nosferatu?"]
• Fooling Around Halloween - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Squidward throws a letter for Nosferatu in the trash.]
‣ ? [SpongeBob says Nosferatu's name.]
‣ Hubble Bubble - Sean Elder ["You have to deliver it yourself, otherwise it would be a federal crime!"]
‣ Drama Link - Georges Van Parys [SpongeBob panics.]
‣ Hubble Bubble - Sean Elder ["Alright already! I'll take it to him!"]
‣ Waltz in a Graveyard (b) - John Rowcroft [SpongeBob goes through Nosferatu's magazines.]
‣ ? [SpongeBob says Nosferatu's name again.]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene.]
‣ Med Evil A - Alexander Rudd [SpongeBob and Squidward walking to Nosferatu's castle.]
‣ Goosebumps - Sean Elder [Squidward whistling.]
‣ The Face of the Devil - Baptiste Thiry [Innkeeper warns Squidward not to go to the castle.]
‣ ? [Innkeeper says Nosferatu's name.]
‣ Jeepers Creepers - Sean Elder ["I'm sorry, I don't have any spare change."]
• Jolly Little Roger - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gives the innkeeper a Krabby Patty.]
‣ Vampire in a Hurry - Julien Vega [The carriage heads to Nosferatu's castle.]
‣ Vampire Waltz (c) - Dave Hewson ["We're taking the bus on the way home!"]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Mailbag hovering in the air.]
‣ Vampire in a Hurry - Julien Vega [The carriage flies away.]
‣ Vampires (Vampiri) - William Assandri, Antonio Cimini [Squidward knocks on the castle door.]
‣ ? [Squidward calls for Nosferatu.]
• Ghoulish Fools - Nicolas Carr [The castle door opens.]
• Phantom of the Haunted Houseboat - Nicolas Carr [Nosferatu flickering the lights.]
‣ ? [SpongeBob says Nosferatu's name again.]
• Haunted Hula Skirts - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Nosferatu scares Squidward.]
‣ Par for the Corpse (b) - Magnum Opus [Slappy appears.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 7A - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward and Nosferatu facepalm.]
‣ Legend of the Vampire (b) - Magnum Opus ["I am sorry master."]
‣ Into The Cellar - Sean Elder ["The master has invited you to stay for the night."]
‣ Pusta Czardas - Janos Lehar ["Well, uh, under the circumstances, I wouldn't mind some fine Transylvanian cuisine for a change."]
‣ Vampire Hunter - Steve London [Slappy turns off the rain clouds.]
‣ Devil Theme - Gian Plenizio [At dinner.]
• Blazing Baloney Western - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob firing ketchup.]
‣ Skeletone Deaf (b) - Matthew Moore [Nosferatu licks the ketchup off Squidward.]
‣ Waltz in a Graveyard (b) - John Rowcroft [SpongeBob and Squidward in bed.]
‣ ? [Nosferatu and Slappy creeping up on SpongeBob and Squidward in bed.]
• Spongebones - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["This place gives me the creeps."]
• Lap Steel Lullabye - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob goes to sleep.]
‣ House of Horrors: Alone In The Dark - Ernest Tomlinson [SpongeBob keeps getting up from bed.]
‣ ? [SpongeBob notices Nosferatu sticking out of the wall.]
‣ House Of Horror [#10.3] - W. Merrick Farran [Nosferatu hisses.]
‣ Project X - Cedric Palmer [SpongeBob and Squidward running through the hall.]
• Lap Steel Lullabye - Nicolas Carr [Slappy falls asleep.]
‣ House Of Horror [#10.3] - W. Merrick Farran [Monster door is shown./Skull door is shown./Sushi door is shown.]
‣ Project X - Cedric Palmer [SpongeBob and Squidward running on a conveyor belt.]
• ? - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob and Squidward scream at each other.]
‣ On Broadway - Jerry Mengo [The "Nosferatu two-step."]
‣ Time for Terror - Jack Dorsey ["Snap out of it, SpongeBob!"]
• Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr ["Ooh! I know what to do!"]
‣ Project X - Cedric Palmer [SpongeBob and Squidward carving stakes.]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Will these even work without steak sauce?"]
‣ Legend of the Vampire (b) - Magnum Opus [Slappy's head rolling downstairs.]
‣ Scorched Earth - Trevor Duncan [Nosferatu appears behind SpongeBob and Squidward.]
‣ Twilight Serenade - Bert Weedon [Nosferatu gives Squidward his mail.]
‣ ? [Lights flickering.]
• Haunted Hula Skirts - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Ending.]
Release
- This episode is available on the SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 22, The Complete Thirteenth Season, Another 100 Episodes, and The Best 300 Episodes Ever DVDs.
Trivia
General
- This episode's first production code (#325-1316) represents the first 11 minutes of this episode, directed by Ian Vazquez and storyboarded by Dan Becker, while the second code (#325-1353) represents the last 4 minutes directed by Dave Cunningham, and storyboarded by Fred Osmond.
- The second production code, (#1353) despite having a higher number than the final episode of the season (#1352 "Sandy, Help Us!") was actually in production at the same time as the first part. The code is an extra number added in after a set number of production segments (52) was made.
- It is similar to The Simpsons' handling of production numbers. For example, the season 9-produced episodes #5F23 ("The Joy of Sect") and #5F24 ("All Singing, All Dancing") have higher numbers than #5F22 ("Bart the Mother"), yet they were written earlier. This is because there were already 22 episodes set for the season.
- This episode has the largest gap between non-consecutive codes seen yet, with the second portion having a code 38 ("You're Going to Pay...Phone" and "A Skin Wrinkle in Time" share the same code) segments after the first.
- The second production code, (#1353) despite having a higher number than the final episode of the season (#1352 "Sandy, Help Us!") was actually in production at the same time as the first part. The code is an extra number added in after a set number of production segments (52) was made.
- This episode took 1 year and 3 months to produce.[10]
- This means that this episode was in early production during July 2021.
- This episode's title is a portmanteau of "Squidward" and "Nosferatu."
- This episode is 15 minutes long, while its sister episode is 7 minutes long.
- This episode and its sister both feature Nosferatu and Slappy.
- Repeating from "Patrick the Mailman," the laugh Nosferatu makes at one point is a hyena laugh.
- In the UK and Ireland, when Squidward first sees Nosferatu's mail, the dramatic lightning/thunder effect was slowed down, and so were the flashing lights as Squidward first enters Nosferatu's place.[11]
- This and its sister episode hold the record with the most character designers, with 11.
- Kidferatu (Nosferatu as a child) appears in a painting when SpongeBob and Squidward are running down the hallway in fear. This marks his first appearance in the main series.
- Slappy breaks the fourth wall at the end of this episode when his head bounces after being sliced off by the camera.
- All of Nosferatu's poses in this episode are taken from stock photos that were previously used in "The Night Patty."
- This is the first appearance of Incidental 56 ever since his debut in "Scaredy Pants" from over 20 years ago.
- This episode and its sister episode are the first episodes to be aired in Hispanic America on the same date as the USA airing since "Dunces and Dragons" on February 20, 2006.
- This is the second episode to show blood, after "Dying for Pie."
- This is the second appearance of the track Time for Terror in 21 years since its first appearance in "Survival of the Idiots."
Dub facts
- In the German dub, this episode is called "Nosferatu," which is the same name of the 1922 silent German horror film Nosferatu.
Episode references
- In one scene, Nosferatu can be seen flickering a light switch, just as he did in his debut episode "Graveyard Shift." In the ending, The Phantom of the Opera does the same thing.
- Additionally, the ending of the episode is also similar to "Graveyard Shift," as both episodes have a silent horror movie character flickering the lights on and off at the end of the episode.
Cultural references
- This episode's title is a parody of the 1922 silent German horror film Nosferatu, which that film title was combined with "Squidward" into that episode's title. A few references to the film are made:
- The boat in the mountain is the schooner that Count Orlok's coffin is taken to Wisborg in the original film. Supervising director Ian Vazquez said that "I imagine in Spongeworld that trip ended differently and landed the vampire underwater."[14]
- The dining room in the episode is based on the scene in the original film where Orlok invites Thomas Hutter for dinner.[15]
- In the beginning of the episode, two of the urchins eat a flower and kiss together. This scene parodies the 1955 Walt Disney film Lady and the Tramp.
- The photo of Nosferatu in his dining room is inspired by the character Edward from The Twilight Saga film series.
- This was added into the storyboards by April "Pinkie" Davis, saying, "I tossed this into a scene to make ME laugh and ME only."[16]
- The Phantom of the Opera is from the French novel of the same name, and his design is based on his appearance from the 1925 silent horror film where he was played by Lon Chaney.
- Much like Nosferatu, He is known by the title of the film he comes from.
- Nosferatu reads a magazine titled Bat Fancy, a parody of the similarly titled Cat Fancy magazine.
- Slappy's flapping legs while laughing along with SpongeBob are a reference to the 1939 MGM theatrical cartoon, "Jitterbug Follies."[17]
- The red suit of Armor that appears when Spongebob and Squidward first arrived may be a reference to Bram Stoker's Dracula that is worn by Dracula played by Gary Oldman.
Errors
- When Squidward is holding the letter, the central part of his suction cups are gray instead of purple.
- In the same scene, the letter has a black-and-white stamp with Nosferatu's castle on it, but when Squidward moves his hand, showing the front of the letter again, the stamp is red.
- When Squidward notices that SpongeBob is doing spring cleaning, Patrick's house is missing.
Videos
Names in other languages
References
- ^ Sterling Scarlett on Twitter - "The Squidferatu episode of..."
- ^ Dan Becker on Twitter - "SQUIDFERATU!!.."
- ^ Sergio Calm on Twitter - "Hope everyone with be screaming..."
- ^ a b Ian Vazquez on Twitter
- ^ Vincent Waller on Twitter - "Yes"
- ^ Professional Character Design | adamtreed.carbonmade.com
- ^ Character Design | Joann Chang
- ^ Backgrounds & Props | The Art of Rebekie Bennington
- ^ Jeff Shea on Twitter - "HOLY MOLY kinda speechless!!!.."
- ^ Kyle Morrison on Twitter - "After 15 months it's just..."
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLQxBJxD6Y4
- ^ Kyle Morrison on Twitter - "I was given a BIG folder of..."
- ^ Kyle Morrison on Twitter - "Incidentally, I also cobbled..."
- ^ Ian Vazquez on Twitter
- ^ Ian Vazquez on Twitter
- ^ April "Pinkie" Davis on Twitter - "I tossed this into a scene..."
- ^ Ian Vasquez on Twitter