View source for Sons of Mars (Adventure Time)

{{Infobox television episode
| series       = [[Adventure Time]]
| image        = Adventure_Time_Sons_of_Mars_Title_Card.png
| season       = 4
| episode      = 15
| production = 1009-093<ref name=prodnumbers>{{cite web|title=Shows A-Z, Adventure Time With Finn and Jake|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/adventure-time-with-finn-and-jake/listings/|publisher=[[The Futon Critic]]|access-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref>
| story        = [[Patrick McHale (artist)|Patrick McHale]]<br />[[Kent Osborne]]<br />[[Pendleton Ward]]<br/>Jesse Moynihan<br/>[[Doug TenNapel]]
| writer       = Ako Castuera<br/>[[Jesse Moynihan]]
| director = {{Plainlist|
* [[Larry Leichliter]]{{efn|name=note1|Director}}
* [[Nate Cash]]{{efn|name=note2|Creative director}}
* [[Nick Jennings (artist)|Nick Jennings]]{{efn|name=note3|Art director}}}}
| airdate      = {{Start date|2012|07|23}}
| guests       =
*[[Tom Gammill and Max Pross|Tom Gammill]] as Glob
*[[Melissa Villaseñor]] as Grob
*[[Miguel Ferrer]] as Death, Grod
| length = 11 minutes
| prev         = [[Card Wars]]
| next         = [[Burning Low]]
| season_article = Adventure Time season 4
| episode_list = List of Adventure Time episodes
}}
"'''Sons of Mars'''" is the fifteenth episode of the [[Adventure Time season 4|fourth season]] of the American [[animated television series]] ''[[Adventure Time]]''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Ako Castuera and [[Jesse Moynihan]], from a story by Patrick McHale, [[Kent Osborne]], and [[Pendleton Ward]]. It originally aired on [[Cartoon Network]] on July 23, 2012. The episode guest stars [[Tom Gammill]], [[Miguel Ferrer]], and [[Melissa Villaseñor]].
The series follows the adventures of [[Finn the Human|Finn]] (voiced by [[Jeremy Shada]]), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother [[Jake the Dog|Jake]] (voiced by [[John DiMaggio]]), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, when the Martian deity Grob Gob Glob Grod (voiced by Tom Gammill, Miguel Ferrer, Melissa Villaseñor, and [[Tom Kenny]]) comes to arrest Magic Man (voiced by Kenny) for his crimes, he uses his magic to disguise himself as Jake to escape his trial while having the real Jake take his place. Jake is tried by [[Abraham Lincoln]] (voiced by Ward), King of Mars, but soon, all is righted when Finn travels to Mars to save his friend.
The episode marks both the return of Lincoln, who had appeared in the series' [[Pilot (Adventure Time)|pilot episode]], as well as the on-screen debut of the oft-mentioned deity Grob Gob Glob Grod. Ward had originally wanted [[Bill Nye]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Bill Murray]] to voice the character. "Sons of Mars" helped [[Cartoon Network]] mark double digit growth in all kid demos for the night, according to [[Nielsen rating]]s. It received largely positive reviews from critics, with many applauding the [[absurdism|absurdity]] apparent in the episode.
==Plot==
Magic Man (voiced by [[Tom Kenny]]) is spotted by his four-headed Martian brother Grob Gob Glob Grod (voiced by Tom Gammill, Miguel Ferrer, Melissa Villaseñor, and [[Tom Kenny]]) comes to arrest Magic Man (voiced by Kenny), who are planning on bringing Magic Man back to Mars to face trial for his many crimes. Magic Man soon runs into Finn and Jake, and knocks them both unconscious. He then physically turns himself into Jake, and transforms Jake into him. Grob Gob Glob Grod, not realizing the difference, seizes Jake and rockets off to Mars. Finn, aware of the charade, forces Magic Man to take him to his house in order to find something that can help him save Jake. Magic Man's house, however, is completely derelict, and is a reflection of Magic Man's "sick mind". For instance, plants and animals live wildly in the structure, and a tiny Manticore is kept in a glass jar, apparently for Magic Man's amusement.
Finn discovers a Martian teleporter that was given to Magic Man in the hopes that he would learn love and voluntarily return to his home planet. Finn warps to Mars, and witnesses Jake being put on trial in front of [[Abraham Lincoln]] (voiced by [[Pendleton Ward]]), the King of Mars. Magic Man is found guilty, and while Jake tries to plead his case, it falls on deaf ears. Lincoln gives Jake two options: he can either be put to death with the Wand of Disbursement, or Lincoln can use the power of the wand to turn him into living star dust. Before Jake can answer, Finn intervenes, accidentally causing the wand to touch Jake, killing him. Lincoln, realizing his mistake, travels to the 37th Dead World and pleads with Death; Lincoln initially offers Death a [[Penny (United States coin)|penny]] in exchange for Jake's soul before agreeing to surrender his [[immortality]]. Death accepts the deal, bringing Jake back to life, but leaving Lincoln as a lifeless statue. Finn and Jake then rocket back to Earth and punch Magic Man in the face.
==Production==
[[File:DougTenNapelJune2011.jpg|thumb|Elements of the episode were borrowed from a scrapped season one episode, storyboarded by [[Doug TenNapel]].]]
"Sons of Mars" was written and storyboarded by Jesse Moynihan and Ako Castuera, from a story developed by series creator Pendleton Ward, Patrick McHale, [[Kent Osborne]], Moynihan, and [[Doug TenNapel]].<ref name=episodecredits>{{cite episode| title=Sons of Mars| series=Adventure Time|credits = Leichliter, Larry (director); Nate Cash (creative director); Nick Jennings (art director); Jesse Moynihan & Ako Castuera (storyboard artists) | network = [[Cartoon Network]] |airdate=July 23, 2012 | season = 4 | number = 15}}</ref> TenNapel had previously written the storyboard for the scrapped [[Adventure Time season 1|first season]] episode "The Glorriors".<ref>{{cite web|last=Seibert|first=Fred|title='The Glorriors' Storyboard|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/37568763/The-Glorriors-Storyboard|publisher=[[Scribd]]|access-date=January 14, 2013}}</ref> The reason he was credited for "Sons of Mars" was because the scene featuring Lincoln interacting with Death was very similar to a scene he boarded in a scrapped season one episode.<ref name=episodecredits/><ref>{{cite web|last=Muto|first=Adam|title=What parts of the story for 'Sons of Mars' did Doug TenNapel pitch?|url=http://new.spring.me/#!/GunterFan/q/553171980812043603|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140209061012/http://new.spring.me/%23!/GunterFan/q/553171980812043603|archive-date=February 9, 2014|publisher=[[Formspring]]|access-date=January 30, 2014|quote=The scene with Abraham Lincoln striking a deal with Death was based on a similar scene that he boarded for an abandoned season one episode.|url-status=dead}}</ref> The entry was directed by [[Larry Leichliter]].<ref name=episodecredits/> According to Moynihan, the episode was originally supposed to be connected to the third-season episode "Ghost Princess"; in Moynihan's original story, the premise involved both Ghost Princess and Magic Man. In the end, after "extensive meetings" with the show's writing staff, Moynihan decided to rewrite the episode so that it would serve as a sequel to Magic Man's story.<ref>{{cite web|last=Moynihan|first=Jesse|title=Adventure Time Update|url=http://jessemoynihan.com/?p=1676|publisher=JesseMoynihan.com|access-date=February 5, 2013|date=July 20, 2012}}</ref> The name "Margles" was a reference to Moynihan's ex-girlfriend Margaret. Moynihan envisioned the episode as a way to negate any negative energy about their relationship and breakup, thereby "exorcis[ing] [the energy] from his heart".<ref name=jessemars/>
A large portion of the episode's original draft featured Finn and Jake discovering a strange naturalistic temple inscribed with carvings of Abraham Lincoln. These scenes were excised due to the time constraints of the episode, and creative director Nate Cash storyboarded a shorter scene—featuring Finn and Jake carrying a broken robot—to take the removed material's place.<ref name=natemars>{{cite interview |last=Cash |first=Nate |title=Sons of Mars |type=DVD commentary track |publisher=[[Cartoon Network]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |date=2014 |work=Adventure Time: The Complete Fourth Season}}</ref><ref name=jessemars/> Ward was very conscientious in how Lincoln was portrayed in the episode; he wanted him to be exclusively referred to as "King of Mars". This was because he felt Lincoln's appearance in the pilot was solely for cheap laughs. For "Sons of Mars", Ward wanted his appearance to have real meaning.<ref name=wardmars>{{cite interview |last=Ward |first=Pendleton |title=Sons of Mars |type=DVD commentary track |publisher=[[Cartoon Network]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |date=2014 |work=Adventure Time: The Complete Fourth Season}}</ref>
[[Ghostshrimp|Dan "Ghostshrimp" Bandit]] designed many of the backgrounds in this episode, including most of Magic Man's house; on his [[Instagram]] account, Ghostshrimp posted several background stills of this location, writing, "This is one of my all time fave locations for some reason! It just makes me feel silly and spooky at the same time!"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ghostshrimp |title='Magic Man's house...' [Part 1] |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj5RhAklSDO/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bj5RhAklSDO |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=registration|publisher=[[Instagram]] |access-date=June 13, 2018 |date=June 12, 2018}}{{cbignore}} Note: taken from background designer [[Ghostshrimp]]'s [[WP:SOCIALMEDIA|official Instagram]].</ref> Portions of Magic Man's house feature a number of cardboard boxes labelled "Dirt", which Ghostshrimp added because he thought they were "mysterious and intriguing".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ghostshrimp |title='Magic Man's house...' [Part 2] |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj5uL3hFh3Q/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bj5uL3hFh3Q |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=registration|publisher=[[Instagram]] |access-date=June 13, 2018 |date=June 12, 2018}}{{cbignore}} Note: taken from background designer [[Ghostshrimp]]'s [[WP:SOCIALMEDIA|official Instagram]].</ref> These sorts of idiosyncratic background details were added because Ghostshrimp was "try[ing] to create a story beyond the story!"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ghostshrimp |title='Magic Man's house...' [Part 3] |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj7YDSUF6o0/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bj7YDSUF6o0 |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=registration|publisher=[[Instagram]] |access-date=June 13, 2018 |date=June 12, 2018}}{{cbignore}} Note: taken from background designer [[Ghostshrimp]]'s [[WP:SOCIALMEDIA|official Instagram]].</ref>
"Sons of Mars" features the return of several characters, with perhaps the most obvious being Magic Man, voiced by Kenny, who had originally appeared in the first-season episode "Freak City".<ref>{{cite episode| title=Freak City | series=Adventure Time|credits = Leichliter, Larry (director); Pat McHale (creative director); Nick Jennings (art director); Pendleton Ward & Tom Herpich (storyboard artists) | network = [[Cartoon Network]] |airdate=July 26, 2010 | season = 1 | number = 20}}</ref><ref name=frederatorarchivesom>{{cite web|title=Tom Kenny is Back as Magic Man|url=http://pwcartoons.frederator.com/post/27631850998/my-juice-tom-kenny-is-back-as-magic-man-in|publisher=[[Frederator]]|access-date=June 19, 2013|date=July 2012}}{{dead link|date=August 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://fluttersly.tumblr.com/post/27649555798/adventuretime-my-juice-tom-kenny-is-back-as Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225090937/http://fluttersly.tumblr.com/post/27649555798/adventuretime-my-juice-tom-kenny-is-back-as |date=2014-02-25 }}</ref> The episode also features the return appearance of Lincoln as the king of Mars.<ref name=sonsofmarsav/> Lincoln had originally appeared in the series' [[Pilot (Adventure Time)|pilot episode]] in 2007.<ref name=sonsofmarsav/> Grob Gob Glob Grod, an oft-mentioned deity in the ''Adventure Time'' universe appears on screen for the first time in this episode;  Moynihan had crafted the character in order to [[retcon]] why various names had been ascribed to the being over the course of several seasons.<ref name=jessemars>{{cite interview |last=Moynihan |first=Jesse |title=Sons of Mars |type=DVD commentary track |publisher=[[Cartoon Network]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |date=2014 |work=Adventure Time: The Complete Fourth Season}}</ref> The deity's four heads were voiced by Kenny, Tom Gammill, [[Melissa Villaseñor]], and [[Miguel Ferrer]].<ref name=frederatorarchivesom/> (Ward had originally wanted [[Bill Nye]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Bill Murray]] to voice the character.)<ref name=sonsofmarsav/><ref>{{cite web|last=Ewalt|first=David|title=It's Adventure Time! Pendleton Ward Talks About His Hit Cartoon|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2011/11/15/its-adventure-time-pendleton-ward-talks-about-his-hit-cartoon/|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=January 22, 2013|date=November 15, 2011}}</ref> Ferrer also reprises his role as Death, a character who had first appeared in the [[Adventure Time season 2|second season]] episode "[[Death in Bloom]]".<ref name=episodecredits/><ref>{{cite episode| title=Death in Bloom | series=Adventure Time|credits = Leichliter, Larry (director); Cole Sanchez (creative director); Nick Jennings (art director); Jesse Moynihan & Cole Sanchez (storyboard artists) | network = [[Cartoon Network]] |airdate=February 28, 2011 | season = 2 | number = 17}}</ref>
==Reception==
"Sons of Mars" officially aired on July 23, 2012 on [[Cartoon Network]]. As part of Cartoon Network's Monday night line up, "Sons of Mars" helped the network show double digit growth in all kid demos for the night, according to [[Nielsen rating]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bibel|first=Sara|title=Ratings Notes for Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and TruTV: 'The Closer', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Dallas,' 'Falling Skies, 'Hardcore Pawn,' Black Dynamite' & More|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/24/ratings-notes-for-adult-swim-tbs-tnt-cartoon-network-and-trutv-the-closer-rizzoli-isles-dallas-falling-skies-hardcore-pawn-black-dynamite-more/142610/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727004253/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/24/ratings-notes-for-adult-swim-tbs-tnt-cartoon-network-and-trutv-the-closer-rizzoli-isles-dallas-falling-skies-hardcore-pawn-black-dynamite-more/142610/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 27, 2012|work=[[TV by the Numbers]]|publisher=[[Zap2it]]|access-date=February 8, 2014|date=July 24, 2012}}</ref> The episode first saw physical release as part of the 2013 ''Jake the Dad'' DVD, which included 16 episodes from the series' fourth and fifth seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Adventure Time: Jake the Dad (DVD + Jake Hat)|url=http://www.walmart.com/ip/26068499?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem#Movie+Description|publisher=[[Walmart]].com|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref> It was later re-released as part of the complete fourth season DVD in October 2014.<ref name=seasonfour>{{cite web|title=Cartoon Network-Adventure Time-Complete 4th Season|website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KH57UXS|access-date=June 27, 2014|date=June 27, 2014}}</ref>
Oliver Sava of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' awarded the episode an "A" and described it as a "big mythology episode" for the series.<ref name=sonsofmarsav>{{cite web|last=Sava|first=Oliver|title='Sons of Mars' {{!}} Adventure Time|url=https://www.avclub.com/adventure-time-son-of-mars-1798173574|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[The Onion]]|access-date=February 5, 2013|date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> He called it "a story for long-time fans of ''Adventure Time''" due to its reveal of several important characters like Lincoln and  Grob Gob Glob Grod.<ref name=sonsofmarsav/> Sava felt that the episode was "random" and "incredibly bizarre", but that it gave both a better look at ''Adventure Time''{{'}}s "big picture" as well as the series' "psychedelic panorama of absurdity".<ref name=sonsofmarsav/> Sava specifically applauded the episode's merging of bizarre characters and mundane tasks, such as Grod drawing on an overhead projector, as well as the [[non sequitur (literary device)|non sequitur]] ending featuring the tiny manticore.<ref name=sonsofmarsav/> Gordon Miller of Cinema Sentries called the episode one of the "standouts" of the ''Jake the Dad'' DVD, specifically praising the episode's use of Lincoln.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Gordon|title=Adventure Time: Jake the Dad DVD Review: The Fun Hasn't Ended|url=http://cinemasentries.com/review/adventure-time-jake-the-dad-dvd-review/|publisher=Cinema Sentries|access-date=February 8, 2014|date=September 23, 2013}}</ref> Colin O'Boyle of GeekSmash enjoyed the appearance of both Lincoln and the tiny manticore, writing, "That, ladies and gents, is one of the reasons I love ''Adventure Time''".<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Boyle|first=Colin|title='Adventure Time: Jake the Dad' DVD Review|url=http://www.geeksmash.com/tv-shows/adventure-time-jake-the-dad-dvd-review637|publisher=GeekSmash|access-date=February 8, 2014|date=September 17, 2013|archive-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222203217/http://www.geeksmash.com/tv-shows/adventure-time-jake-the-dad-dvd-review637|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Explanatory notes==
{{notelist|30em}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb episode|2259192}}
{{Adventure Time episodes|5}}
[[Category:2012 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Adventure Time season 5 episodes]]
[[Category:Mars in television]]
[[Category:Fictional depictions of Abraham Lincoln in television]]
[[Category:Fiction about personifications of death]]
[[Category:Television episodes about resurrection]]