Welcome to The Adventurer!
We put on a Thimbleweed Tuesday over at Mojo this week, as we posted another ICYMI article. This time: Thimbleweed Park. And, by extension, Maniac Mansion shared its share of the limelight in the grand unified theory of…
It’s not an original notion that Maniac Mansion and Thimbleweed Park exist in a shared universe, but through trivia and easter eggs, we took a Pepe-Silvia-proportioned attempt to connect the dots. The Thimbleweed coroner’s office? Edna’s multiple appearances? Ray and Razor? The actual mansions? Consider this mystery solved – maybe. As a bonus, we’ve added a few more nuggets of proof further down in this newsletter. Just for you, The Adventurer’s discerning readers.
Now, if you’re in the mood for some vintage content…
More Mojo Maniac Mansion
First and foremost, our “LucasArts’ Secret History: Maniac Mansion” article has more information on the game than anyone will ever need. Plus, you get this piece of Dan Lee artwork…
Longtime readers might remember Jason’s gripping account of framing his Maniac Mansion poster. Spoiler: It has a happy ending.
If all of these articles seem Jason-centric, then, well… he does have that poster, which is more than an indication of how unhealthy big a fan he is of the game. A blast from the past is his NES write-up. Both of ‘em, come to think of it. He even took the time to jump into the (surprisingly successful) TV show.
Other Maniac writings: Check out a Douglas Crockford interview, as well as a five-page sit-down with Gary Winnick.
Finally, we did review Maniac Mansion back in 2001. “We.” I think we safely can say, “This review reflects Lemonhead’s opinions, and his alone,” as he clocked the score in with a questionable one-out-of-five skulls. Give it a read, though!
Did you know the game turned 39 this month? No? Well, it did, so there ya go. Full circle.
A Few More Thimbleweed Park Nuggets
The proof keeps piling up – the Maniacverse is obviously real. (What do you mean you don’t care?)
This one is clear as day – Leonard is the cousin of Maniac Mansion’s Bernard. Note, too, that he is in possession of the mansion’s man-eating plant.
This is the type of hard-hitting investigative journalism you read Mojo and The Adventurer for. Furthermore…
Inside the Thimbleweed arcade, you’ll find a Jason the Newsguy poster which looks more than suspiciously like Zak McKracken. This echoes the Maniac Mansion arcade, which had a Zak poster on its wall.
Moving right along to the Thimbleweed post office:
A package on the way to Weird Ed Edison? And one to Sandy and Dave? Just consider that the final mic drop.
Get Down With Maniac Mansion, NES Style
It just seems fitting – Maniac Mansion’s NES soundtrack right into your ears.
Meanwhile, you can still buy the Thimbleweed Park soundtrack on Bandcamp for a cool $10.
This Week’s Poll
No surprise here: Is Maniacverse real or is it a conspiracy theory?
Historical Moments in History
39 years ago this week, Maniac Mansion was released.
13 years ago this week, TTG launched The Wolf Among Us, a low-key Mojo favorite.
Merch for the People
Only the best! The Adventurer has a web store for all your apparel and decoration needs! Don the original LucasArts logo, Manny Calavera’s face, or the OG Adventurer logo, though be warned: Popularity will smack you in your face when you wear – or display – these masterpieces.
Full News Roundup
06 Oct: Thimbleweed Park Gets the ICYMI Treatment: Plus, “Maniacverse” becomes a beloved phrase amongst the kids.
05 Oct: Poker Night gets “stanked” in new update: The night is still young, as it turns out.
05 Oct: English speakers no longer spared Famicom Maniac Mansion: You can only outrun destiny so long.
01 Oct: PLOT ARMOR to be remembered: Double Fine’s next game will be PLOT ARMOR
01 Oct: Passport to Adventure author will embrace the freedom of the written word: Heck, you might call it the difference between text and Talkie.
30 Sep: Tamir Nadav, Telltale Games product director, has passed away: The former Telltale dev had moved to Brazil, where he lived the last years of his life.
Last Week’s Mojole Results
It’s the game that sweeps the nation! Can you beat Mojole, our fiendishly difficult daily puzzler? Only hardcore LucasArts aficionados need apply.
29 Sep: “milla##” – ... Vodella. Psychonauts agent.
30 Sep: “loboto#” – Psychonauts villain AND a dentist.
01 Oct: “hollis#” – ... Forsythe, Psychonauts... look, there’s a pattern here.
02 Oct: “up#####” – Uptime: Now and again, Mojo sees uptime. No pattern there, though.
03 Oct: “astral#” – ... projection. Psychonauts power.
04 Oct: “vault##” – Where GDC hides videos that belong in a museum.
05 Oct: “rubber#” – ... chicken with a pulley in the middle. Come on.
And for the competitive amongst you, the Mojole forum thread has gone strong for more than two years. The two juggernauts to beat: Sushi and Huz Niemandswasser.
Your Daily Challenges
Mojole too easy? Too hard? (Probably too hard.) Here are other daily challenges to get the brain cells firing on all cylinders.
Monkey Island Frantic: A Monkey Island scene-guessing game at a frantic pace. Image updates at midnight Pacific time. Brag about your results on the Mojo Forums!
Guess That Tune: Each daily game features a clip from Monkey Island music. Guess the tune in up to 6 tries, and return each day for a new challenge! Here, too, you can post your results on Mojo Forums.
Return to Monkey Island Trivia Card Game: The card-guessing game, now in your browser.
Become a Mojoer! (sponsored content)
Hey, kids, do you want to become one of us? Why not join our Patreon? One single dollar will make you a Friend of Mojo. And for the privileged few, there’s the $5 Diamond Club tier, which will earn you a special mention in The Adventurer. Join now! Our interns are hard at work finishing up the special mention section!
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