The Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love

*You know, Little Wooden Boy, the worst sin in the world is disloyalty. You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Little Wooden Boy?*
— **Tick**

**"The Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love"** is an episode of the animated television series *The Tick.*

## Synopsis

Arthur meets a woman with an identical flying suit, making Tick jealous, and they must defend her inventor father's secrets from Swiss spies. Meanwhile, a whale-man re-emerges from the sea, and runs across North America.

## Plot

We open with Blowhole, a giant, humanoid whale emerging from the sea, and, according to a new report, running across America, as he did multiple decades before. Meanwhile, Tick and Arthur are chasing the Angry Red Herring, who has robbed a bank. Tick grabs him, however, he slips out of his grasp, but ends up crashing into a chimney. As they are unmasking him, a woman in a Moth Suit, nearly identical to Arthur's, flies up to them. Her name is Carmelita, and she has been searching for Arthur. All the while, they are watched by the Swiss Industrial Spies, who are confronted by Die Fledermaus. He, however, is no match for their giant Swiss Knives. Tick and Arthur take Carmelita to their apartment, and she explains that her father invented their flying suits, and his suit contains the "key" to his secrets.

Arthur takes Carmelita on a walk, while Tick patrols alone, and Blowhole continues his journey. Die Fledermaus is trying to get help over the phone in Ben's Diner, but American Maid and Sewer Urchin doubt him. Arthur and Carmelita bond, and fly through the sky. Carmelita hears their yodeling in the distance, and flees, leaving Arthur confounded, and the Swiss unable to find him in the clouds. An excited Tick is ready for "hobby night" with Arthur, but Arthur informs him that he will be going out to dinner with Carmelita at the Bistro D'Burden, which angers Tick.

Arthur shares some superhero stories with Carmelita at dinner, while Tick carves a plank of wood at home, and unintentionally gives their location to the spying Swiss. Tick sees a "little boy's face" in the wood, and he turns it into the Little Wooden Boy, and takes it on patrol. Arthur explains Tick's dislike of Carmelita to her, as the Swiss prepare to attack. Across the street, Die Fledermaus and the other heroes notice the Swiss coming for them. The Swiss mangle the interior of the Bistro, and Tick overhears and sprints off to help. Carmelita hands over a book with her father's secrets, but Arthur's suit has the key to the code, and they force him to strip to his underwear. American Maid, Die Fledermaus come to help, but Die Fledermaus and Urchin leave quickly, leaving American Maid outnumbered.

The Swiss correct her assumption that they work for the Swiss government, as they are actually criminals, just as Tick arrives to assist. Sally Vacuum is ready with a huge goup of hippies, and plenty of equipment, to interview Blowhole, but her microphone cord gets caught in his teeth, and she becomes tied to him. Arthur catches the leader of the Swiss, and reclaims the book. Blowhole happens to be going through that section of The City, and swallows Tick, Arthur and Carmelita. They discover Carmelita's father inside, and Tick is forced to burn Little Wooden Boy to smoke their way out. Blowhole regurgitates them, and Tick shares his inspirational words, which Dr. Vatos (Carmelita's father) deems "brilliant".

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Tick
* Arthur

### Supporting Characters

* Carmelita Vatos (first appearance)
* Die Fledermaus
* American Maid
* Sewer Urchin

### Antagonists

* Swiss Industrial Spies (only appearance)
	+ Bernard
	+ Franz
	+ Klaus
	+ Hilda
* Angry Red Herring (only appearance)

### Other Characters

* Blowhole (only appearance)
* Sally Vacuum (final appearance)
* J.J. Eureka Vatos (first appearance)
* Fisherman (only appearance)
* Hippies (only appearance)
* Human Bullet (mentioned only)
* Facts at 5 anchor

## Locations

* The City
	+ Ben's Diner
	+ Bistro D'Burden
	+ Arthur's apartment building
		- Arthur's apartment
* Lighthouse (for specifics, see trivia below)
* Facts at 5 studio

## Notes

* The episode breaks with the tradition established in season 1 of each episode's title beginning with "The Tick vs.".
* Blowhole seems to have risen from the ocean at the shores of Cape Elizabeth in Maine.
	+ There is actually a lighthouse extremely close to the spot in which he seems to have come from (as seen in the Indiana Jones-esque map shots), called Cape Elizabeth Light, or "Two Lights", which could be purposefully or inadvertently referenced in the episode.
* When Arthur is on his dinner date with Carmelita, he references he and Tick's run-in with the Bee Twins in The Tick vs. El Seed, and his simple-minded clone from The Tick vs. The Uncommon Cold.

## Gallery

* See The Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love/Gallery.