The Monkey Island SCUMM Bar: Thimbleweed Park Trivia

In the original Thimbleweed Park, the town’s elevation is fourteen feet. In the sequel’s announcement header, it is fifteen, the same as in Delores.

Razor and the Scummettes was a band featured in designers Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick’s first collab, Maniac Mansion.

Diner proprietors Sandy and Dave originally appeared in Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick’s Maniac Mansion.

That “foolproof disguise” originally appeared in David Fox’s Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders.

One Guybrush Threepwood famously got shot out of a circus cannon. Note, too, that Guybrush’s coat can be found in Ransome’s dressing room.

Guybrush Threepwood might never have been accused of being a hooker, but the three other professions have prominently been featured in the Monkey Island games.

It’s more than suggested that the coroner’s office is a replica of Dr. Fred’s office in Maniac Mansion.

In the grand tradition of The Secret of Monkey Island, Thimbleweed Park gently mocks the frequent deaths seen in Sierra adventure games.

In the hotel elevator, you’ll see a Guybrush + Elaine declaration of love.

Delores’s copy of Graphics BASIC is real and was indeed written by Ron Gilbert and Tom McFarlane. HESware released it for the Commodore 64 in 1984 (some sources claim it was 1983). (Image nabbed from eBay.)

The “wanted” meteor is the same one seen in Maniac Mansion – the poster can even be found in the titular mansion. The piece above is from a Gary Winnick piece of concept art.

A Zak McKracken poster can be found in the arcade, albeit under a different name: Jason the Newsguy.

Maniac Mansion’s Edna appears in Thimbleweed Park, specifically on the phone. (And later, also in person.) The “For a good time” gag first appeared in Maniac Mansion.

One can speculate that Thimbleweed Park is the shared universe for many LucasArts adventure games. In the circus, specifically, you can spot Zak McKracken, Guybrush Threepwood, Ed, Edna, and Green Tentacle. Look closely, and you’ll also find a good chunk of TWP’s dev team. Clockwise: Gary Winnick, Malcolm Stead, Robert Megone, Lauren Davidson, David Fox, Ron Gilbert, Mark Ferrari, Octavi Navarro, and Jenn Sandercock.

Very similar arcade cabinets can be found in Maniac Mansion and Thimbleweed Park. They are vaguely different, mind you:

Video Fever = Tuna Head
Disco Crazy = Disco Madness
Alien Slime = Space Slime
Die! Enemy Die! = Die! Enemy Scumm!
Meteor Mess = Meteor Menace
Kill Skill = Kill Thrill

You can find Maniac Mansion’s mansion – or at least the mansion library – in Thimbleweed Park. Did the Edmunds own the mansion before the Edisons? Or vice versa? Or are these tract mansions? We may never know. (Unless Thimbleweed Park 2 reveals it all.) Either way, Chuck the Plant can also be found in both games.