Ian and the Giant Sock Puppet

Ian and the Giant Sock Puppet is the fifth episode of ObjectTales. This story is a retelling of the bible story of David and Goliath.

## Plot

The show opens up with Jerry dressed as his alter ego Captain Timerpants with a cardboard cutout of a city skyline. He demonstrates his super-suction ears by jumping on a cardboard building. He gets stuck as Mario walks out on the countertop. Jerry asks for Mario's help getting down, but falls off before Mario can actually help him. When Mario asks Jerry to get out of his costume, Jerry says that he doesn't feel special about his normal self. Mario then mentions that he got a letter from Myra Eggleston from Youngstown, Pennsylvania. She says that her siblings are all older than her and can do all kinds of things but she is too little for any of those things and wonders what is special about her. Mario then tells the story of Ian and the Giant Sock Puppet.

A long time ago in a country named Israel, Ian (Little Tommy Cup) was a shepherd who lived with his three brothers (Jimmy and Jerry Spraycan and John Broomstick) and his father Vector (Pa Broomstick). Everyday while Ian tended his sheep, the sheep would tip over and his older brothers would pick on him by making him pick up their tipped over sheep and get them food. One day, their father Vector comes running to the boys to tell them that Israel's sworn enemies, the Philistines, are attacking. In order to defeat them, Israel's king, King Owen (Grover Flashlight) is putting together an army to defeat the Philistines. As everyone heads towards the battle grounds, Vector tells Ian that saving Israel is a big man's job and not intended for boys and that he needs to stay with the sheep.

At the battlefield, the army of the Israellites were camped out on one hill while the Philistines were on another hill. The Philistines began to throw insults at the Israellites. Then the two upfront Philistines (Jean Claude and Christophe Feather Duster) begin to make a deal with the Israellites. The two armies will bring out their great champions and if one of them wins, the losing army will be the winning army's slaves. King Owen agrees to the offer and the Philistines bring out their champion, a giant sock puppet named Gaston.

The Isreallites are frighten by the sight of Gaston and they run away and hide. Gaston came back day after day for 40 days to see who would fight him. But every time he showed up, all the Israellites were in hiding. After a while, Vector begins to worry about his boys, and he sends Ian to the campgrounds to deliver some stinky pizza. At the grounds, Ian sees his brothers in hiding from Gaston and overhears Gaston calling the Israellites cowards. Fed up with no one willing to fight Gaston, Ian goes to King Owen and says that he will fight Gaston. King Owen has major doubts that Ian, at his young age, can defeat Gaston. Ian, through song, convinces Owen to let him out on the field. Owen tells Ian to put on his old royal armor. Ian is not fit for the armor and says that he will confront Gaston with all he has and the will of Neptune. Owen reluctantly lets Ian go out and fight.

As Ian heads for the camp, he stops by a stream and picks up five smooth stones. At the camps, Ian goes to Gaston and accepts his challenge. Gaston suits up in his boxing uniform and heads out in the battlefield and confronts Ian. Ian then takes a stone he picked up and uses a sling shot to fling a stone at Gaston. The stone hits Gaston's head, knocking him completely out. The Israellites are cheering with victory as the Philistines run away in defeat and fear. The story ends with Ian riding on his sheep in the sunset, and falling off.

Back on the countertop, Jerry is moved by the story and is feeling special again. The bible verse of the day is Matthew 19:26; with God all things are possible. Jerry thinks that he can do anything he wants and says that he wants to be a chicken. Mario then corrects him by saying that the verse means whatever God wants us to do, we can do. As Mario leaves the countertop, Jerry stays behind to play around as Captain Timerpants for fun. He then uses his super-suction ears to hang onto the camera and gets stuck then falls off onto the kitchen floor.

## Trivia

* This was the first episode for several things:
	+ This was said to be the first of the easiest episodes to make, as it only took four months to produce. This episode held that record until The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment!.
	+ The first episode to feature Jerry's alter-ego Captain Timerpants. Believe it or not, Captain Timerpants was going to appear just in this episode and not come back ever. But people loved Captain Timerpants so much that he was kept.
* In the original Bible story, Dave severs Goliath's head after knocking him out with the stone. But since ObjectTales is a kid-friendly show, the battle ends with just Gaston getting knocked out.
* There were a few differences between pre-production and the final version:
	+ The sheep tipping over was something Quinn came up since it'll be just dull for them doing nothing.
	+ The line Captai Timerpants saying what are the Philippines was not in the script.
* In the scene where Captain Timerpants is eating popcorn and talking to Mario about the story, there is a piece of popcorn on Captain Timerpant's helmet. Quinn Vischer stated on the DVD commentary that it was his idea as he thought it'd be funny, but no one found it funny at all.
* John Danen, Wilbert Ellis, Zack Nawrocki and Eddie Olsen were impressed to see Bob Smith animating Little Tommy tap-dancing.
* The TV version of this has The Blues With Jerry.
* This was featured as a bonus feature on a re-release of Captain Timerpants and the Ferocious Piglet.
* Quinn Vischer has stated that this is the first video to feature animals. However, in Neptune Wants Me to Understand Them!?!, there is a snake and two whales featured in it.
* The 2009 re-release states the episode came out in 1997, which is not true. Also, Captain Timerpants is in his second costume design.
* As you'll notice in some of the characters, the underneath of them is brighter than normal.
* Goliath had a convenient chance of attacking David, but he just stares at his slingshot when he could just plan ahead.
* The sun in the ending goes down really fast.
* David had 7 brothers, but there were only 3 seen.
* How could Jerry's suction ear malfunction? It's a plunger, and their supposed to stick to things.
* Quinn states that Captain Timerpants can fly, but he doesn't really have this super power. (Though in the Bad Toy Frog video game and later design of the costume later incorporate flight)
* This is the first and only appearance of Christophe Feather Duster. He appears in A Very Funny Sing-Along! and Beauty and the Brout along with Jean-Claude and Phillipe.
* A few nods from the first episode are featured here:
	+ Grover Flashlight playing a biblical king, which looks indentical to the same one.
	+ The lion pizza box design is most likely a refernce towards when Daniel had pizza with the lions.
* Jimmy and Jerry saying they can eat a whole (insert object here) is a reference towards their debut appearance.
* The episode's title is reminisces towards Roald Dahl's book "James and the Giant Peach", which a film adaption came out around the same time as the episode.

## Goofs

* Jimmy's pupils clip through his eyelids when Mario was telling the viewers who Ian is.
* When one of the feathe dusters are hopping, they appear to be flying.
* King Owen's monocle changes from silver to gold in one shot.
* When Gaston is falling down, he is missing his cap in one shot.
* One of Captain Timerpant's super suction ears is bent during the "What Have We Learned" song.