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{{dablink|For the episode, see [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (SpongeBob SquarePants episode)]]}}
{{Short description|Fictional superheroes from SpongeBob SquarePants}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
'''Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy''' are a superhero duo, who star on the fictional television series and are watched by characters on the [[Nickelodeon TV channel|Nickelodeon]] [[animated television series]] ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]''. They are especially watched upon by [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]] and [[Patrick Star]].
{{Infobox character
| multiple = no
| series = [[SpongeBob SquarePants]]
| name = Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy
| image = Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.jpg
| caption = Mermaid Man (left) and Barnacle Boy (right)
| first_major = [[SpongeBob SquarePants]]
| first_minor = [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 1)#ep6a|Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy]]
| first_date = August 21, 1999
| voice = '''Mermaid Man''':{{ubl|[[Ernest Borgnine]] (1999–2012)|[[Joe Whyte]] (in ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month]]'' and ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]]'')|[[Joe Alaskey]] (in ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!]]''|[[Daniel Hagen]] (in ''SpongeBob Moves In'')|[[Tom Kenny]] (young; in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" and ''The Patrick Star Show'')|[[Adam West]] (young, in "Back to the Past")}}
'''Barnacle Boy''':{{ubl|[[Tim Conway]] (1999–2013)|[[Burt Ward]] (young; in "Back to the Past")|[[Tom Kenny]] (young; in ''[[The Patrick Star Show]]'')}}
| creator = [[Stephen Hillenburg]]
| designer =
| species = [[Human]]s
| occupation = Superheroes
}}
'''Mermaid Man''' and '''Barnacle Boy''' are a duo of fictional characters from the American [[animated series|animated television series]], ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]''. They were respectively voiced by [[List of SpongeBob SquarePants guest stars|guest stars]] [[Ernest Borgnine]] and [[Tim Conway]], who both previously starred in the 1960s [[sitcom]] ''[[McHale's Navy]]''. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy first appeared in the eponymous [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 1)|season one]] episode that premiered on August{{nbsp}}21, 1999, and have since been featured as recurring characters. Following the actors' deaths, the characters have been relegated to non-speaking cameos after creator [[Stephen Hillenburg]] requested not to recast the characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1197180365552545794|title=Steve was very clear he did not want to replace Ernest Borgnine with a sound alike. It was his call.|date=November 20, 2019|website=[[Twitter]]|first=Vincent|last=Waller}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/spongebob-squarepants-mermaid-man-barnacle-boy-stopped-appearing-reason/|title=SpongeBob SquarePants: Why Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy No Longer Appear|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=April 11, 2020|first=Adrienne|last=Tyler|accessdate=September 22, 2022}}</ref>


Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy have many enemies, their top to arch rivals happen to be Man Ray and the Dirty Bubble. In addition, Mermaid Man was a part of an allied group of other superheros, called the I.J.L.S.A. (International Justice League of Super Acquaintances), a parody of the names [[Justice League]] and [[Superfriends]]. Not only do they star in a cartoon, but also really protect the citizens of [[Bikini Bottom]]. The name of each of their episodes, such as [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]] are parodies of the [[Superman (film)|Superman films]] which also ended in [[roman numerals]].
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are two elderly superheroes who live in a retirement home and are stars of [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob]] and [[Patrick Star|Patrick]]'s favorite television show. Mermaid Man appears to suffer from memory loss and dramatically yells "Evil!" whenever he hears the word, while Barnacle Boy seems to be the more sensible and more irritable of the two. They are among the few humans who can breathe underwater and speak to the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. They made their final regular appearances in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 9)|season 9]] episode "[[Patrick-Man!]]"


==Role in ''SpongeBob SquarePants''==
On the SpongeBob episode [[Have You Seen This Snail?]], the package that SpongeBob receives has the words [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]], Inc., so [[Bikini Bottom]] may host a [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] channel.
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are semi-retired [[Superhero|superheroes]] in the fictional city of [[Bikini Bottom]]. They are among the few humans who can breathe underwater and speak to the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. Within the show's [[fictional universe]], they are real superheroes. In addition to fighting crime, the duo has been extensively [[media franchise|franchised]] throughout Bikini Bottom, including the television series ''The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy'',<ref name=Retire>{{cite episode|title=Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy|series=SpongeBob SquarePants|season=1|number=6a|network=Nickelodeon|airdate=August 21, 1999|credits=Writers: [[Paul Tibbitt]], [[Mark O'Hare]], [[Mr. Lawrence]]}}</ref> a long-running [[comic book]] series, [[trading card]]s, and kids' meals at the [[Krusty Krab]]. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy currently reside at Shady Shoals Retirement Home. However, their two biggest fans, [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]] and [[Patrick Star]], convince them to come out of retirement in their first appearance.<ref name=Retire/><ref>{{cite episode|title=Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy VI: The Motion Picture|series=SpongeBob SquarePants|season=4|number=67b|network=Nickelodeon|airdate=October 7, 2005|credits=Writers: Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell, [[Paul Tibbitt]]}}</ref>


===Mermaid Man===
The Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy theme song is [["The Lineman"]] by [[Sam Spence]] for [[NFL Films]].
{{quote box|width=22em; max-width:40%


| quote = "What could you possibly describe about the character that has a [[Starfish|thing]] all over his nose like this... and says "EVIL!"
==Mermaid Man==
| source = —[[Ernest Borgnine]]<ref name=Interview>{{cite web|title=Ernest Borgnine Interview|url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/ernest-borgnine|publisher=Archive of American Television|access-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref>
{{SpongeBobCharacter
|name= ''Mermaid Man''
|image= MermaidMan.PNG
|Gender= Male
|Color= Orange
|Eye Color=
|Kingdom= [[Atlantis]]
|Phylum= [[Merman]]
|Class=
|Order=
|Family2=
|Genus=
|Species=
|Birthday=
|Marital status= Single
|Aliases= ''Old Coot''
|Height=
|Weight=
|Address= Shady Shoal's Retirement Home
|Political Position=
|Occupation(s)= [[Superhero]]<br />[[Actor]]
|Family=
|Ancestors=
|Descendants=
|Pet(s)=
|Owners=
|Friends= [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Barnacle Boy|Barnacle Boy]]
|Side-Kick= [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Barnacle Boy|Barnacle Boy]]
|Fans= [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|Spongebob Squarepants]]<br />[[Patrick Star]]<br />Mermaid Man and Barncle Boy Fan Club
|Boss=
|Employees=
|Enemies= [[Dirty Bubble]]<br />[[Moron Ray (SpongeBob SquarePants character)|Man Ray]]<br />[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Barnacle Boy|Barnacle Boy]] (short time)<br />Atomic Flounder
|Interests= Crime Fighting, watching television
|Education=
|Favorite TV Show(s)=
|Favorite Food(s)= [[Mashed Potatoes]], [[Meatloaf]], [[Broccoli]], [[Krabby Patty|Krabby Patties]], [[Ice Cream]]
|Favorite Holiday(s)=
|Awards=
|Powers/Abilities=
|License #=
|License Plate=
|Card Card #=
|First appearance= ''[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (SpongeBob SquarePants episode)|Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy]]''
|Portrayer= [[Ernest Borgnine]]<br />[[Joe Whyte]]<br />[[Joe Alaskey]]
}}
}}
Ernie Huckler, better known as Mermaid Man, is a stereotypically [[senile]] elder, and appears to suffer from slight memory loss as he is easily confused by others' behavior, though this also could be partly credited to his hearing loss.<ref name=Credit>{{cite episode|title=Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V|series=SpongeBob SquarePants|season=3|number=52b|network=Nickelodeon|airdate=June 1, 2002|credits=Writers: [[C.H. Greenblatt]], [[Kazimieras G. Prapuolenis|Kaz]], [[Merriwether Williams]]}}</ref> As a young adult, Mermaid Man had a muscular, athletic build, but the elderly Mermaid Man is overweight and out of shape. As opposed to his sidekick, Barnacle Boy, he is slightly less grouchy and somewhat more tolerant of SpongeBob's ecstatic optimism, but only to a certain extent as SpongeBob's slips or mistakes have triggered serious consequences before in the past, and his partner seems annoyed with Mermaid Man's absentminded tendencies.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II|series=SpongeBob SquarePants|season=1|number=20b|network=Nickelodeon|airdate=March 3, 2001|credits=Writers: Chuck Klein, [[Jay Lender]], [[Mr. Lawrence]]}}</ref> Despite this, Mermaid Man has maintained some of his abilities as a skilled crime-fighter, though some of them have been comically shifted to reflect stereotypes commonly associated with his age; however, few of his admirers seem particularly bothered by this.
'''Mermaid Man''' is a semi-retired [[superhero]]. He is voiced by [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning [[actor]], [[Ernest Borgnine]] (in the series), [[Joe Whyte]] (in [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month|Employee of the Month]] and [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom|Battle for Bikini Bottom]]), and [[Joe Alaskey]] (in [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!|Lights, Camera, Pants!]] and [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab|Creature from the Krusty Krab]]). His name is a [[portmanteau]] of [[mermaid]] and the lesser-known [[merman]], the latter being the actual name for the male version of a mermaid.


The episode "Mermaid Man Begins" reveals that, through a series of meticulous and intricate events, he and his friend were suddenly equipped with aquatically themed superpowers when they left the microwave on long, causing their popcorn to become slightly overcooked. After eating the popcorn, they gain their signature superpowers. They then chose to dedicate their lives to brawling undersea crime as a result (it is implied that the backstory behind the duo's powers as described in Bikini Bottom media was in fact far different from the presumably actual backstory Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy remembered from differing perspectives).<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mermaid Man Begins|series=SpongeBob SquarePants|season=8|number=163a|network=Nickelodeon|airdate=September 23, 2011|credits=Writers: Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Sean Charmatz, Richard Pursel}}</ref> Out of the three different stories Mermaid Man gave, it is revealed that the story of them eating radioactive popcorn was correct.
Mermaid Man is a semi-retired [[superhero]] who has aged well past his prime. His costume mostly resembles the costume of the [[comic book]] hero [[Aquaman]], with the addition of a star-shaped mask, a scallop-shell bra, and a pair of fuzzy slippers. Mermaid Man's underwater lair and method of crime fighting is a [[parody]] of [[Batman]], and his "invisible Boat-Mobile" is a parody of both the [[Batmobile]] and [[Wonder Woman]]'s invisible jet. It is unknown how he can live in [[Bikini Bottom]], as he is very clearly a humanoid (although he could be [[Atlantis|Atlantean]] or otherwise super-powered). He has an obsession with the word "EEEEVIIILLLLLL!"


===Barnacle Boy===
Mermaid Man's sidekick is Barnacle Boy, who he treats like a child even though Barnacle Boy is sixty-eight years old. Mermaid Man appears to be in the advanced stages of [[senility]], often forgetting what he was talking about, or what he was doing. This is not a problem for [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob]] and [[Patrick Star|Patrick]], who unconditionally adore the two heroes and managed to coax them out of retirement and back into [[television]]. SpongeBob has appeared with them in six different shorts — often involving a [[supervillain]], a [[gadget|supergadget]], or some combination of the two and making a film about the heroes.
Tim Strangler, better known as Barnacle Boy, is the undercredited and underappreciated younger sidekick of Mermaid Man.<ref name=Credit/> Grumpy and slightly ill-tempered, Barnacle Boy is notable for his brooding, moody disposition and exasperation with his partner's absentminded behavior as a result of old age, and even into his [[Wikt:golden years|golden years]], Barnacle Boy is still treated in a juvenile fashion, coddled in an infantile way.<ref name=Credit/> While he was as muscular as Mermaid Man was in their younger days, he has a slender physique and large nose that slightly resemble those of [[Squidward Tentacles]] as an elder.


In the video game ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]]'', Barnacle Boy has a son, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren which he notes to be his son's "four screaming children".


==Development==
Mermaid Man enjoys watching television and playing checkers with Barnacle Boy. He eats almost anything. His favorite foods are [[Meatloaf]], [[Mashed Potatoes]], [[Broccoli]], [[Krabby Patty|Krabby Patties]] and [[Ice Cream]].
[[File:Early sketches of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An early drawing of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy predecessor "Barnacle Bill", an elderly sailor with a body made of wood, by Hillenburg]]


===Voice===
According to Mermaid Man,his powers are all in his costume. He uses abilities similar to Aquaman's such as: summon and control sea creatures, high speed swimming (used to create an effect dubbed the Raging Whirlpool), water balls, and the ability to survive underwater. While Mermaid Man retains all of these abilities, they are not as powerful as they were in his prime. Also,Mermaid Man has Super Telescoping Vision according to a scene cut from the storyboards of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V.
Series creator Hillenburg described the guest appearances of [[Ernest Borgnine]] and [[Tim Conway]] as "so fantastic." He said "From the very beginning, the first real guest stars were Borgnine and Conway [...] When you have a guest artist, you don't know how it's going to turn out. But Borgnine is the most animated guy on the planet."<ref name=Childhood>{{cite news|last=Cavna|first=Michael|title=The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/07/_tom_kenny_who_voices.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006111645/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/07/_tom_kenny_who_voices.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 25, 2013|date=July 14, 2009}}</ref>


According to casting supervisor Jennie Monica Hammond, Hillenburg and [[Derek Drymon]], the show's [[creative director]], already knew that they wanted Borgnine and Conway to provide the voices when they were [[voice casting]] for Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. They were on top of the list of actors they wanted to cast, and Hillenburg and Drymon were known to like them from their roles in ''[[McHale's Navy]]''. Hillenburg and Drymon directly approached Borgnine and Conway, and the actors both accepted.<ref name=HammondHA>{{cite news | author = Hammond, Jennie Monica | title = The Oral History of ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' | work = [[Hogan's Alley (magazine)|Hogan's Alley]] #17 | year = 2010 | access-date = September 21, 2012 | url = http://cartoonician.com/the-oral-history-of-spongebob-squarepants/ | publisher = Bull Moose Publishing Corporation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150831044034/http://cartoonician.com/the-oral-history-of-spongebob-squarepants/ | archive-date = August 31, 2015 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
In addition to this,his belt houses a wide array of various weapons,most commonly seen as some kind of beam or ray. The only one named is the Small Ray which shrinks things,but various effects were created when Spongebob used the belt on Squidward trying to reverse the Small Ray's effects. His belt feaures other powers such as Building Obliteration Button, Chin Cam, and various radioactive beams that cause bizarre mutations and various effects to the subject, such as causing them to suddenly catch on fire, turn inside out, or to be cut in half by scissors. They are only briefly shown, all afflicting Squidward. This seems to be a reference to both Batman and Space Ghost.


====Voice of Mermaid Man====
==Barnacle Boy==
{{multiple image
{{SpongeBobCharacter
| image1 = YoungerMermaidMan.jpg | width1 = 130
|name= ''Kyle "Barnacle Boy"''
| image2 = YoungBarnacleBoy.jpg | width2 = 107
|image= Barnacleboy.jpg
| footer = A younger Mermaid Man (left) and Barnacle Boy (right)
|Gender= Male
|Color= Red & Blue
|Eye Color=
|Kingdom=
|Phylum=
|Class=
|Order=
|Family2=
|Genus=
|Species=
|Birthday=
|Marital status= Single
|Aliases=
|Height=
|Weight=
|Address= Shady Shoal's Retirement Home
|Political Position=
|Occupation(s)= [[Superhero]]<br />[[Actor]]
|Family= Wife, Son, Daughter In-Law, four grandchildren
|Ancestors=
|Descendants=
|Pet(s)=
|Owners=
|Friends= [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Mermaid Man|Mermaid Man]]
|Side-Kick=
|Fans= [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|Spongebob Squarepants]]<br />[[Patrick Star]]<br />Mremaid Man and Barnacle Boy Fanclub
|Boss= [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Mermaid Man|Mermaid Man]]
|Employees=
|Enemies= [[Dirty Bubble]]<br />[[Man Ray (SpongeBob SquarePants character)|Man Ray]]
|Interests= Crime Fighting
|Education=
|Favorite TV Show(s)= ''The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy''<br />''The '''New''' Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy''
|Favorite Food(s)= [[Mashed Potatoes]], [[Meatloaf]], [[Broccoli]], [[Krabby Patty|Krabby Patties]]
|Favorite Holiday(s)=
|Awards=
|Powers/Abilities= Laser vision, hardly works
|License #=
|License Plate=
|Card Card #=
|First appearance= ''[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (SpongeBob SquarePants episode)|Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy]]''
|Portrayer= [[Tim Conway]]
}}
}}


On casting the voice for Mermaid Man, Borgnine's voice cracked when he was giving the "Evil!" voice. In an interview with the [[Archive of American Television]], Borgnine said "By golly! We started something... and we kept it [the voice] in."<ref name=Int>{{cite web|last=Day|first=Patrick Kevin|title=Ernest Borgnine won a new generation on 'SpongeBob SquarePants'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2012-jul-09-la-et-st-ernest-borgnine-spongebob-squarepants-20120709-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 2, 2013|date=July 9, 2012}}</ref> Borgnine described the [[voice-over]] as it is like "stealing money" whereas "your voice becomes the actor... you make that character come alive through your voice."<ref name=Interview/>
'''Barnacle Boy''' is Mermaid Man's side-kick. He is voiced by [[Emmy Award]] winning [[comedian]] and [[actor]] [[Tim Conway]].

Barnacle Boy (actual name '''Kyle''') is a 68-year old semi-retired [[superhero]] sidekick. His costume is a cross between the [[Silver Age]] [[Aqualad]] and [[Gilligan]] of ''[[Gilligan's Island]].'' Barnacle Boy also exclaims "Mumblin' Morays!" when he's excited. Although he turned evil and won against Mermaid Man,forcing him to give in to his demand of being called Barnacle Man,he soon reverted to being called Barnacle Boy. Possibly because Mermaid Man could not remember to call him Barnacle Man.

Mermaid Man, his mentor, treats him as if he were a young boy, in spite him being an adult. He often calls Mermaid Man an "old coot". In true sidekick fashion he takes the brunt of the physical comedy upon himself.

Barnacle Boy once became a villain briefly in [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]], teaming up with Man Ray and the Dirty Bubble following a dispute about a pipsqueak patty (a '''very''' small version of a Krabby Patty intended for children) at the Krusty Krab. After a protracted fight--and a painful parody of the [[Justice League|International Justice League of Super Acquatances]] with the regular cast--he and [[Mermaid Man]] patched things up. Barnacle Man, as he likes to be called, gets a little more respect now (even though he '''cannot''' finish an adult-sized Krabby Patty). In the same episode Barnacle Boy mentioned he was so old he had hairs growing out of the wrinkles on his liver spots. He also has a nose similar to Squidward's, although larger.

This is referenced in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV when Barnacle Boy and Squidward are locked in a battle of wits involving them calling each other "Big-nose." Barnacle Boy also runs security at the Rock Bottom Museum.

In the video game, ''Battle for Bikini Bottom'', it was revealed that Barnacle Boy has a son, a daughter-in-law, and four "screaming" grandchildren.

Barnacle Boy possesses powers similar to [[Mermaid Man]], though he seems to lack the belt powers. However,he does have "[[Sulfur]] Vision" (a form of heat vision) that Mermaid Man does not. Like Mermaid Man,his powers are not what they used to be.

==Mermalair==
The '''Mermalair''' is the secret hideout of [[Mermaid Man]] and [[Barnacle Boy]]. The only episodes that the Mermalair appeared in were [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II]], [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III]] and [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]. However, in the video game, ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]]'', the Mermalair can be seen in much more detail.

===Secret Entrance===
To enter the Mermalair, a secret switch must be pressed inside Shady Shoals rest home, and it will activate a secret door under the couch (much like the entrance to the secret lair of [[Darkwing Duck]] which you get to by activating a secret door under two recliners). A hole leads down to the lobby of the Mermalair.<ref name="Battle">''as seen in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]] video game.''</ref> In SpongeBob SquarePants comics, it's accessible by charging full speed at a wall in the home. There is another entrance, which is a cave like the batcave from the [[Batman]] tv series (most likely for the boatmobile to get outside). Shady Shoals is located nearby a large cliff which marks the possible location of the cave.

The Mermalair is broken up into the following sections:
*Mermalair Lobby - Entrance Area<ref name="Battle"> </ref>
*Mermalair Main Chamber - Security Computer, Funnel Machines, Tower of Power, and a leisure area for Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>
*Mermalair Security Tunnel - Tunnel leading to the Rolling Ball Room<ref name="Battle"> </ref>
*Rolling Ball Room<ref name="Battle"> </ref>
*Villain Containment Area - Where villains are locked up.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>

===Cave Entrance===
The cave entrance of the Mermalair contains the ''Wall of Superhero Super Gadgetry''.<ref name="III">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III]]"''</ref> This wall contains such gadgets as the Cosmic Ray, the AquaGlove, and the Death grenade.

An additional tool is the ''Orb of Confusion.'' Warning: Prolonged exposure to the Orb of Confusion will give its victim confusion. Another tool is the Tickle Belt (as seen in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episode 17).<ref name="III"> </ref>

Another room in this area of the Mermalair is where Man Ray was frozen in a tube of frozen tartar sauce.<ref name="III"> </ref>

Additional features include:
*Tubes where the [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy#Allies|I.J.L.S.A]] members are contained in.<ref name="V">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]"''</ref>
*A conference room with the I.J.L.S.A. Table<ref name="V"> </ref>
*Prawn's cell<ref name="Battle"> </ref>

===Mermalair Lobby===
At the end of the hole at the entrance, the lobby of the Mermalair is the first room. It contains various obstacles to get to the main chamber.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>

===Mermalair Main Chamber===
The Mermalair Main Chamber is found after the lobby, in which doorway leads to it. Inside, the Security Computer is present, in which it controls the security system. In addition, funnel machines and the tower of power control the power within the Mermalair. Finally, a leisure area, including a Television set, is where Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy rest.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>

====Security system====
The Mermalair has a large security system in which Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy use to keep the villains in the villain chamber locked up. In order to shut the whole system down, four buttons must be pressed, along with the main shut-down button, at the main computer.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>

==Invisible Boatmobile==
The Invisible Boatmobile is Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's vehicle, located in the Mermalair. The boat is a regular-sized boatmobile with many superhero features to it, such as the [[origami]] button. Whether the boatmobile itself folds up into an origami shape or just the people in it is unknown. SpongeBob claims to know lots about the boat, like knowing where the windshield wipers are, but pressing the aforementioned button.<ref name="II">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II]]"''</ref>It is said for the boatmobile to have a more powerful engine than others to enable the heroes to get to the situation where their help is needed faster. In addition to the engine, the boatmobile has manual transmission and a "torpedo mode" ejection system.

*The boatmobile was once almost completely painted black by SpongeBob and Patrick, thus defeating the purpose of it being invisible.
*Barnacle Boy commonly gets burned by the [[tailpipe]] of the boatmobile when Mermaid Man starts it up.
*To drive it you need an invisible licence.
*[[Barnacle Boy]] thinks that making it invisible was a stupid idea.
*In SpongeBob's [[Mermaid Man]] [[movie]], the invisible boatmobile was played by the visible [[Pearl Krabs]] and a mountain climber.<ref name="VI">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy VI - The Motion Picture]]"''</ref>
*When using the Invisible Boat alarm, the Boatmobile is temporarily visible, and it appears to be a somewhat old-fashioned [[convertible]]. However, when SpongeBob and Patrick paint half of the Boatmobile, or when they run it into a street light, it appears to be shaped like a boat. Also, the game, "Lights, Camera, Pants!" it was seen for a brief moment to be pink.In the GBA version of battle for Bikini Bottom in a mini game you drive the boat mobile,if you crash it flashes briefly and looks like a red jelopy. It is similar to the car driven by Mickey Mouse

==Allies==
[[Image:IJLSA2.PNG|left|100px|thumb|The I.J.L.S.A. Logo]]
[[Image:Ijlsa.jpg|120px|right|thumb|The I.J.L.S.A. as portrayed by SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy]]
[[Image:IJLSA.PNG|right|100px|thumb|The original I.J.L.S.A. members.]]
Allies of [[Mermaid Man]] and [[Barnacle Boy]] include the '''I.J.L.S.A. (International Justice League of Super Acquaintances)''' is a team of superheroes, which are allies of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. It is only mentioned in the episode [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]. Members of the I.J.L.S.A. (a subsidiary of [[Viacom]]) includes:

'''The Quickster''' - (originally The Whizzer) who has the ability to run really quick. He is parody of [[Flash (comics)|the Flash]] or QuickSilver. [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]] once portrayed him.

'''Captain Magma''' - who has a volcano on the top of his head from which he can shoot lava. A parody of the [[Human Torch]] or [[Firestorm]] from the [[JLA]]. He was once portrayed by [[Squidward Tentacles]].

'''The Elastic Waistband''' - who has the ability to bend his body into fantastic shapes and forms. This hero is a parody of [[Plastic Man]] from the [[JLA]] or [[Mr. Fantastic]] from the [[Fantastic Four]]. He was once portrayed by [[Patrick Star]].

'''Miss Appear''' - who has the ability to become invisible. A parody of [[Invisible Woman]], part of the [[Fantastic Four]]. She was once portrayed by [[Sandy Cheeks]].

There is another ally for Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy who's not exactly a member of the IJLSA.

'''Starfish Man''' - a super hero who teamed up with Mermaid Man in [[SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab|Creature from the Krusty Krab]] to defeat the Giant Plankton and save Bikini Bottom. He is none other than [[Patrick Star]].

The DVD "Fear of a Crabby Patty" shows the storyboards for Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V which includes information on what happened to the original I.J.L.S.A. They retired some time after debris from a plane explosion landed on them. They are now semi-active retirees who seem to like spending time at a nudist colony.

==Enemies==
[[Mermaid Man]] and [[Barnacle Boy]] have many enemies.
* '''Atomic Flounder''' - A retired villain who can blast hot [[Radioactivity|radioactive]] beams from his mouth. Capable of third degree burns from his beams, he wears a radioactive suit and speaks with a Kennedy-esque New England accent.<ref name="II">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II]]"''</ref>
[[Image:Biodirty.jpg|thumb|The Dirty Bubble]]
* '''Dirty Bubble''' - A giant dirt bubble who is Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's number one arch nemesis and SpongeBob's favorite villain. He enjoys making his enemies eat dirt. When he first appeared, he tried to capture the heroes, who attempt to ditch SpongeBob. He successfully captured the two, before SpongeBob accidentally pops him with a pencil while attempting to get his autograph.<ref name="II"> </ref> Later, in [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]], Dirty Bubble somehow returns. In the episode, Man Ray has teamed up with him to form an organization called E.V.I.L. (''Every Villain Is Lemons''). When Barnacle Boy tires of Mermaid Man treating him like a little kid, he joins the two, and commits crimes. In the end, Barnacle Boy returns to the good side, leaving Man Ray and Dirty Bubble disappointed. He is a champion at paddleball, as seen in [[Have You Seen This Snail?]]. Dirty Bubble is voiced by [[Charles Nelson Reilly]] and [[Tom Kenny]].
* '''Jumbo Shrimp''' - Seen in "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II]]". He is once referred to (perhaps mistakenly, or in reference to a different villain) as "The Killer Shrimp" by the Dirty Bubble.
* '''Kelp Thing''' - Seen in "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy VI - The Motion Picture]]". "I must do what I do." He parks his villain car in no parking zones, but Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy tow it away. His name and appearance may be based on [[Man-Thing]].
* '''Sneaky Hermit''' - A super hermit crab who plans to rule the world by means of sneakiness. He steals buildings in a sneaky fashion. His weakness is pepper. Seen in Lights, Camera, PANTS!. In the New Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episode in that game, he called Man Ray, Moron Ray and the Dirty Bubble, the Dopey Bubble.
* '''Snorelonn''' - Only mentioned in Nickelodeon Magazine, in the special SpongeBob issue. His evil plan is to wake everyone up with loud snoring noises. SpongeBob and Patrick were playing Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy and said that Squidward was Snorelonn. Snorelonn also plans to eat them and suck out their brains with a turkey baster.
* '''Man Ray''' - Man Ray was first mentioned in ''Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy'' by SpongeBob when he's trying to get Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy to come out of retirement. He later appears in person in ''[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III]]'', where SpongeBob and Patrick released him from frozen tartar sauce. When he discovers that he has a tickle belt, Man Ray tricks the duo to teach him kindness. After the class, Man Ray grabs the Aqua Glove and the Cosmic Ray from Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's arsenal to take over Bikini Bottom. When he discovers that he has become good, he quits villainy. His head is made up of his mask/shoulder pads combo and is headless underneath that. Later, in ''[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]'', he becomes evil again (and somehow recovers his head), and brings back the Dirty Bubble and they team up with Barnacle Boy (who became evil) to form E.V.I.L. At the end, Barnacle Boy becomes good again, leaving Man Ray with Dirty Bubble in the middle of a long winded story. Additionally,even though he took off the Tickle Belt in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III, he's shown wearing it in later episodes. Though it may be an Anti-Tickle Belt which allows him to continue to be evil. He may be a parody of the [[Aquaman]] villain [[Black Manta]]. His name seems to be derived from the [[DC comics]] super-villain [[Man-bat]] and the [[United States|American]] [[artist]] [[Man Ray]], or the manta ray. [[John Rhys-Davies]] and [[Bob Joles]] voice Man Ray.
* '''Prawn''' - He threw Mermaid Man's red clothes in the laundry with his white clothes. Like Man Ray, he was unfrozen by Spongebob in the frozen tarter sauce in ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]]''. He is voiced by [[Mr. Lawrence]].
* '''Reflecto''' - Squidward was mistaken for Reflecto when SpongeBob and Patrick were playing Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Reflecto uses mirrors in his evil schemes, and if he is ever cut off from sunlight, he loses his power.
* '''Sinster Slug''' - Seen as a cardboard cut out in "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II]]."
* '''Dr. Octofish''' - Barnacle Boy used his paddleball of fury to break this villain's concentration. Mentioned in Lights, Camera, Pants! Possibly the villain at the beginning of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. "Doctor Octofish" is a possible parody of [[Doctor Octopus]] from [[Spider-Man]].

===Organizations===
* '''E.V.I.L.''' - An organization of supervillains. It stands for "Every Villain Is Lemons". It was only temporary, in which Man Ray, the Dirty Bubble, and Barnacle Man (Barnacle Boy betrayed Mermaid Man because he did not like to be treated as a little kid) were the members. They committed such crimes as ringing doorbells and running, as well as spying on teenagers at Make-Out Reef. Barnacle "Man" rejoined the side of justice after the I.J.L.S.A. defeated itself and Mermaid Man was forced to give in to Barnacle Man's demands.<ref name="V"> </ref>


On July 8, 2012, Borgnine died of kidney failure at the age of 95.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lloyd|first=Robert|title=Ernest Borgnine: From Marty to McHale to Mermaid Man|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2012-jul-09-la-et-st-ernest-borgnine-from-marty-to-mchale-to-mermaid-man-20120709-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 2, 2013|date=July 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ernest Borgnine, Voice of Mermaid Man, dead at 95—Watch Clips from His Best Work|url=http://www.heavy.com/movies/2012/07/ernest-borgnine-dead-at-95-watch-clips-from-his-best-work/|work=Heavy|access-date=May 2, 2013|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814061818/https://heavy.com/movies/2012/07/ernest-borgnine-dead-at-95-watch-clips-from-his-best-work/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ernest Borgnine, of 'Marty' and 'Mermaidman' Fame, Dies at 95|date=July 9, 2012 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/ernest-borgnine-marty-mermaidman-fame-dies-95-014600548.html|publisher=Yahoo! News|access-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Duggan|first=Fearghall|title=RIP Ernest Borgnine: A Superhero In A Seashell Bra|url=http://sabotagetimes.com/reportage/rip-ernest-borgnine-a-superhero-in-a-seashell-bra/|work=Sabotage Times|access-date=May 2, 2013|date=July 9, 2012|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193113/http://sabotagetimes.com/reportage/rip-ernest-borgnine-a-superhero-in-a-seashell-bra/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Nickelodeon]] honored him with a two-hour ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' marathon featuring episodes focused upon his character.<ref>{{cite web|last=Blair|first=Kevin|title=Nickelodeon To Honor Ernest Borgnine With Two-Hour 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Marathon|url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/Kevin_Blair/2012/07/10/nickelodeon_to_honor_ernest_borgnine_w|publisher=Starpulse.com|access-date=May 2, 2013|date=July 10, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130616011623/http://www.starpulse.com/news/Kevin_Blair/2012/07/10/nickelodeon_to_honor_ernest_borgnine_w|archive-date=June 16, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Zahed|first=Ramin|title=Nick Offers Special Borgnine SpongeBob Tribute|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/nick-offers-special-borgnine-spongebob-tribute/|work=Animartion|access-date=May 2, 2013|date=July 10, 2012}}</ref>
==In Bikini Bottom Media==
===TV Series===
In [[Bikini Bottom]], there is a cartoon called ''The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.'' These are some of the episodes:
*'''Episode #17''': Mermaid Man uses the ''Tickle Belt'' on Manray.<ref name="III"> </ref>
*'''Episode #27''': The Mermalair is built.<ref name="Battle"> </ref>
*'''Episode #72''': Kelp Thing's car is towed.
*'''Episode #912''': As described by Mermaid Man: "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were surrounded. The Kelp-Thing was to their right and there was broccoli on the side. But if there's one thing Mermaid Man remembers, it's how to forget. [[My Fair Lady|The rain in Spain stays mainly on the]]--[[Star Trek|space!... The final]] [[The Final Countdown (song)|countdown]]. Stick to the, stick to the, [[Skip to My Lou|Lou my darling! Louuuuuu!]]"<ref name="VI"> </ref>


The young Mermaid Man was voiced by [[Tom Kenny]] in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 1)|first season]] episode "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" and ''The Patrick Star Show'' episode "Super Sitters", and by [[Adam West]] in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 7)|seventh season]] episode "Back to the Past."<ref>{{cite web|title=Voice Of Mermaid Man|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/SpongeBob-SquarePants/Mermaid-Man/|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Guest/>
There is also a cartoon called ''The New Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy,'' which is the new series, that SpongeBob convinced Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy to create. These are some of the episodes:
*Episode #1: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy "defeat" SpongeBob and Patrick and come out of retirement.<ref name="I">''as seen in the episode, "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (SpongeBob SquarePants episode)|Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy]]"''</ref>
*Episode #2: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are playing checkers and the phone rings. Mermaid Man announces that they need to get the phone fixed.
*Episode #3: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy go on vacation, and leave SpongeBob and Patrick to watch the Mermalair.<ref name="III"> </ref>
*Episode #4: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are at the Krusty Krab, and Mermaid Man is taking a long time to order.<ref name="V"> </ref>


[[Joe Whyte]] voiced Mermaid Man for the video games ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month]]'' and ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom]].'' [[Joe Alaskey]] voiced Mermaid Man for the video games ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!]]'' and ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab]]''. After Borgnine's death, he was replaced by Daniel Hagen for the mobile app ''SpongeBob Moves in''.
===Movies===
There are only two known movies involving Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.<ref name="VI"> </ref>


The character has appeared on the series in the years since Borgnine's death, but with dialogue limited to no more than a single line or other characters such as SpongeBob or Larry the Lobster dressing in Mermaid Man costumes.
*A new movie was being created by Dribply Bros. Studios, but with ''...ACTORS...,'' and not Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.


====Barnacle Boy====
*Another movie (called "The '''''Real''''' Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy Movie" by SpongeBob) was made at the same time that SpongeBob made to compete against the real movie:
Barnacle Boy was voiced by Conway, who co-starred with Borgnine in the sitcom ''[[McHale's Navy]]''. In 2010, [[Burt Ward]] guest starred as the young Barnacle Boy in the episode "Back to the Past".<ref name=Guest>{{cite web|last=Arrant|first=Chris|title=Nickeledon Announces Superhero-Themed "SpongeBob SquarePants" DVD|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/nickeledon-announces-superhero-themed-spongebob-squarepants-dvd-40237.html|publisher=Cartoon Brew|access-date=May 3, 2013|date=April 7, 2011}}</ref> As with Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy's appearances were reduced to non-speaking roles or portrayal by other characters (generally [[Patrick Star]]) since Borgnine's death.


On September 27, 2018, ''SpongeBob'' showrunner [[Vincent Waller]] confirmed that Conway would not reprise his role as Barnacle Boy again. Waller stated:
*'''Producers:''' [[SpongeBob SquarePants]] and [[Patrick Star]]
{{Blockquote|Mr. Conway is having health issues. He came in for the [[The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water|2nd SB movie]] and voiced a seagull, but it wasn't easy for him.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=VincentWaller72|number=1045387469565227008|title=No, sadly not. Mr.Conway is having health issues. He came in for the second SB movie and voiced a seagull, but it wasn't easy for him.|first=Vincent|last=Waller}}</ref>|sign=|source=}} Conway died of [[normal pressure hydrocephalus]] at the age of 85 on May 14, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tim-conway-uninhibited-crack-up-artist-on-the-carol-burnett-show-dies-at-85/2019/05/14/5f1e8eba-7664-11e9-b7ae-390de4259661_story.html|title=Tim Conway, uninhibited crack-up artist on 'The Carol Burnett Show,' dies at 85|last=Lednicer|first=Lisa Grace|date=May 14, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>
*'''Writers:''' [[SpongeBob SquarePants]] and [[Patrick Star]]
*'''[[Cameraman]]:''' [[Patrick Star]]
*'''Boom (Explosion) Operator:''' [[Sandy Cheeks]]
*'''Microphone Holder (Actual Name for Boom Operator):''' [[Sheldon J. Plankton]]
*'''Make-up ''Artist'':''' [[Squidward Tentacles]]
*'''Cast:'''
**[[SpongeBob SquarePants]] as the Narrator, Kelp Thing (Voice Only), and a car "driver".
**[[Mermaid Man]] as himself
**[[Barnacle Boy]] as himself
**[[Pearl Krabs]] as the "in-visible boatmobile"
**[[Sandy Cheeks]] as Mermaid Man's [[stunt double]] (role assigned in the hasty remake of the movie)
**A piece of green cardboard with [[googly eyes]] on two [[pipe cleaners]] suspended from completely visible strings as Kelp Thing
**[[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]] as the narrator and Kelp Thing (voice only, though he appears "driving" a car in the beginning)
**Donald pulls Pearl Krabs (the visible boatmobile) up a mountain
;Production
*The movie was first produced differently. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were driving the Invisible Boatmobile (Pearl Krabs) and were pulled by a guy up a rocky hill. Later, Mermaid Man recited the plot of episode #912 before the movie ended. However, it was ruined because Patrick Star had the lens cap on.
*Takes of one scene of the film
:*'''Take One:''' Mermaid Man tells Barnacle Boy "We have to get back those swollen Krabby Patties". SpongeBob says "Cut! No! It's '...'''stolen''' Krabby Patties'!".
:*'''Take Two:''' Mermaid Man tells Barnacle Boy "We have to get back to those stolen Maggy Daddies". SpongeBob says "Cut! No, Mermaid Man! It's '...stolen Krabby Patties'!".
:*'''Take 5003:''' Mermaid Man tells Barnacle Boy "We have to get back those stolen Krabby Patties". (The scene was ruined because Plankton could not hold up the mic and it kept appearing in the frame, eventually falling into Mermaid Man's mouth.)


In ''[[The Patrick Star Show]]'' episode "Super Sitters", a younger Barnacle Boy is voiced by [[Tom Kenny]].
;Plot
A warehouse filled with thousands of Krabby Patties is present. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy just discover that the Krabby Patties have been stolen by one of their enemies: Kelp Thing! Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy proceed to the underground city. They drink cheese coffee. They encounter Kelp Thing. They defeat the enemy and get back the swollen Krabby Patties.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


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Latest revision as of 01:27, 24 November 2024

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy
SpongeBob SquarePants characters
Mermaid Man (left) and Barnacle Boy (right)
First appearance
Created byStephen Hillenburg
Voiced byMermaid Man:
Barnacle Boy:
In-universe information
SpeciesHumans
OccupationSuperheroes

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are a duo of fictional characters from the American animated television series, SpongeBob SquarePants. They were respectively voiced by guest stars Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway, who both previously starred in the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy first appeared in the eponymous season one episode that premiered on August 21, 1999, and have since been featured as recurring characters. Following the actors' deaths, the characters have been relegated to non-speaking cameos after creator Stephen Hillenburg requested not to recast the characters.[1][2]

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are two elderly superheroes who live in a retirement home and are stars of SpongeBob and Patrick's favorite television show. Mermaid Man appears to suffer from memory loss and dramatically yells "Evil!" whenever he hears the word, while Barnacle Boy seems to be the more sensible and more irritable of the two. They are among the few humans who can breathe underwater and speak to the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. They made their final regular appearances in the season 9 episode "Patrick-Man!"

Role in SpongeBob SquarePants

[edit]

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are semi-retired superheroes in the fictional city of Bikini Bottom. They are among the few humans who can breathe underwater and speak to the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. Within the show's fictional universe, they are real superheroes. In addition to fighting crime, the duo has been extensively franchised throughout Bikini Bottom, including the television series The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy,[3] a long-running comic book series, trading cards, and kids' meals at the Krusty Krab. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy currently reside at Shady Shoals Retirement Home. However, their two biggest fans, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, convince them to come out of retirement in their first appearance.[3][4]

Mermaid Man

[edit]

"What could you possibly describe about the character that has a thing all over his nose like this... and says "EVIL!"

Ernie Huckler, better known as Mermaid Man, is a stereotypically senile elder, and appears to suffer from slight memory loss as he is easily confused by others' behavior, though this also could be partly credited to his hearing loss.[6] As a young adult, Mermaid Man had a muscular, athletic build, but the elderly Mermaid Man is overweight and out of shape. As opposed to his sidekick, Barnacle Boy, he is slightly less grouchy and somewhat more tolerant of SpongeBob's ecstatic optimism, but only to a certain extent as SpongeBob's slips or mistakes have triggered serious consequences before in the past, and his partner seems annoyed with Mermaid Man's absentminded tendencies.[7] Despite this, Mermaid Man has maintained some of his abilities as a skilled crime-fighter, though some of them have been comically shifted to reflect stereotypes commonly associated with his age; however, few of his admirers seem particularly bothered by this.

The episode "Mermaid Man Begins" reveals that, through a series of meticulous and intricate events, he and his friend were suddenly equipped with aquatically themed superpowers when they left the microwave on long, causing their popcorn to become slightly overcooked. After eating the popcorn, they gain their signature superpowers. They then chose to dedicate their lives to brawling undersea crime as a result (it is implied that the backstory behind the duo's powers as described in Bikini Bottom media was in fact far different from the presumably actual backstory Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy remembered from differing perspectives).[8] Out of the three different stories Mermaid Man gave, it is revealed that the story of them eating radioactive popcorn was correct.

Barnacle Boy

[edit]

Tim Strangler, better known as Barnacle Boy, is the undercredited and underappreciated younger sidekick of Mermaid Man.[6] Grumpy and slightly ill-tempered, Barnacle Boy is notable for his brooding, moody disposition and exasperation with his partner's absentminded behavior as a result of old age, and even into his golden years, Barnacle Boy is still treated in a juvenile fashion, coddled in an infantile way.[6] While he was as muscular as Mermaid Man was in their younger days, he has a slender physique and large nose that slightly resemble those of Squidward Tentacles as an elder.

In the video game SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, Barnacle Boy has a son, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren which he notes to be his son's "four screaming children".

Development

[edit]
An early drawing of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy predecessor "Barnacle Bill", an elderly sailor with a body made of wood, by Hillenburg

Voice

[edit]

Series creator Hillenburg described the guest appearances of Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway as "so fantastic." He said "From the very beginning, the first real guest stars were Borgnine and Conway [...] When you have a guest artist, you don't know how it's going to turn out. But Borgnine is the most animated guy on the planet."[9]

According to casting supervisor Jennie Monica Hammond, Hillenburg and Derek Drymon, the show's creative director, already knew that they wanted Borgnine and Conway to provide the voices when they were voice casting for Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. They were on top of the list of actors they wanted to cast, and Hillenburg and Drymon were known to like them from their roles in McHale's Navy. Hillenburg and Drymon directly approached Borgnine and Conway, and the actors both accepted.[10]

Voice of Mermaid Man

[edit]
A younger Mermaid Man (left) and Barnacle Boy (right)

On casting the voice for Mermaid Man, Borgnine's voice cracked when he was giving the "Evil!" voice. In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Borgnine said "By golly! We started something... and we kept it [the voice] in."[11] Borgnine described the voice-over as it is like "stealing money" whereas "your voice becomes the actor... you make that character come alive through your voice."[5]

On July 8, 2012, Borgnine died of kidney failure at the age of 95.[12][13][14][15] Nickelodeon honored him with a two-hour SpongeBob SquarePants marathon featuring episodes focused upon his character.[16][17]

The young Mermaid Man was voiced by Tom Kenny in the first season episode "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" and The Patrick Star Show episode "Super Sitters", and by Adam West in the seventh season episode "Back to the Past."[18][19]

Joe Whyte voiced Mermaid Man for the video games SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom. Joe Alaskey voiced Mermaid Man for the video games SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab. After Borgnine's death, he was replaced by Daniel Hagen for the mobile app SpongeBob Moves in.

The character has appeared on the series in the years since Borgnine's death, but with dialogue limited to no more than a single line or other characters such as SpongeBob or Larry the Lobster dressing in Mermaid Man costumes.

Barnacle Boy

[edit]

Barnacle Boy was voiced by Conway, who co-starred with Borgnine in the sitcom McHale's Navy. In 2010, Burt Ward guest starred as the young Barnacle Boy in the episode "Back to the Past".[19] As with Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy's appearances were reduced to non-speaking roles or portrayal by other characters (generally Patrick Star) since Borgnine's death.

On September 27, 2018, SpongeBob showrunner Vincent Waller confirmed that Conway would not reprise his role as Barnacle Boy again. Waller stated:

Mr. Conway is having health issues. He came in for the 2nd SB movie and voiced a seagull, but it wasn't easy for him.[20]

Conway died of normal pressure hydrocephalus at the age of 85 on May 14, 2019.[21]

In The Patrick Star Show episode "Super Sitters", a younger Barnacle Boy is voiced by Tom Kenny.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Waller, Vincent (November 20, 2019). "Steve was very clear he did not want to replace Ernest Borgnine with a sound alike. It was his call". Twitter.
  2. ^ Tyler, Adrienne (April 11, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Why Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy No Longer Appear". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Writers: Paul Tibbitt, Mark O'Hare, Mr. Lawrence (August 21, 1999). "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 6a. Nickelodeon.
  4. ^ Writers: Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell, Paul Tibbitt (October 7, 2005). "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy VI: The Motion Picture". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 4. Episode 67b. Nickelodeon.
  5. ^ a b "Ernest Borgnine Interview". Archive of American Television. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Writers: C.H. Greenblatt, Kaz, Merriwether Williams (June 1, 2002). "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 3. Episode 52b. Nickelodeon.
  7. ^ Writers: Chuck Klein, Jay Lender, Mr. Lawrence (March 3, 2001). "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 20b. Nickelodeon.
  8. ^ Writers: Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Sean Charmatz, Richard Pursel (September 23, 2011). "Mermaid Man Begins". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 8. Episode 163a. Nickelodeon.
  9. ^ Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). "The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Hammond, Jennie Monica (2010). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley #17. Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  11. ^ Day, Patrick Kevin (July 9, 2012). "Ernest Borgnine won a new generation on 'SpongeBob SquarePants'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  12. ^ Lloyd, Robert (July 9, 2012). "Ernest Borgnine: From Marty to McHale to Mermaid Man". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  13. ^ "Ernest Borgnine, Voice of Mermaid Man, dead at 95—Watch Clips from His Best Work". Heavy. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  14. ^ "Ernest Borgnine, of 'Marty' and 'Mermaidman' Fame, Dies at 95". Yahoo! News. July 9, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  15. ^ Duggan, Fearghall (July 9, 2012). "RIP Ernest Borgnine: A Superhero In A Seashell Bra". Sabotage Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  16. ^ Blair, Kevin (July 10, 2012). "Nickelodeon To Honor Ernest Borgnine With Two-Hour 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Marathon". Starpulse.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  17. ^ Zahed, Ramin (July 10, 2012). "Nick Offers Special Borgnine SpongeBob Tribute". Animartion. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  18. ^ "Voice Of Mermaid Man". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Arrant, Chris (April 7, 2011). "Nickeledon Announces Superhero-Themed "SpongeBob SquarePants" DVD". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  20. ^ Waller, Vincent [@VincentWaller72] (September 27, 2018). "No, sadly not. Mr.Conway is having health issues. He came in for the second SB movie and voiced a seagull, but it wasn't easy for him" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Lednicer, Lisa Grace (May 14, 2019). "Tim Conway, uninhibited crack-up artist on 'The Carol Burnett Show,' dies at 85". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
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