Where Did THAT Come From – Kung Fu Comic Book Guy & Toreador Grampa

Hey hey tap ballers! In our silly lil game, we sometimes see things pop in that we have no clue as to their Origin. They seem familiar, but we just can’t pinpoint from where. So that is why we decided to make a fun lil reminder out of it. To let you know just Where did THAT Come From?

Toreador-ah, don’t spit on the floor-ah, use the cuspidor-ah, that’s what it’s for-ah… LMBO… anyone else think this when they saw the name of Grampa’s skin? If you did then I know you love classic Simpsons and/or the Three Stooges. So with the Tap Ball Event, all sorts of new stuff has appeared in our games. One of the premium offerings was the Toreador Grampa skin and we also got a skin for Comic Book Guy in the daily prizes. I’ll be honest, this was the point in the Daily Tasks that I had to get to because CBG is my favorite character and I dig anything having to do with him. Of course, you may be wondering when and where in the Best. Show. Ever. that CBG put on a karate gi.? Why is Grampa all ready to fight bulls? Is it just to look fancy or does it have something to do with the Best. Show. Ever.? Let’s check it out the TV series to find these fellas.

First up… Toreador Grampa in “Million-Dollar Abie” (S17:E16). Homer is determined to bring professional football to Springfield and nearly succeeds. He designs a team and stadium and everything is set for the town to beat those Hollywood jerks at getting the expansion. Only problem is that Springfield renamed all the streets to things like Touchdown Avenue, Two-Point Conversion Avenue and Off-Season Knee Surgery Blvd and the NFL Commissioner gets lost.

As things often happen in the Best. Show. Ever., the commisioner winds up at the Simpson house and asks if he can use the phone. The whole town is waiting at the stadium… well, almost… Grampa was left home. Grampa sees a TV program warning about criminals who pray on the elderly that watch that program. The robbers ask to use the phone or the bathroom and steal wallets, jewelry and pictures of their children. Unfortunately for the Commissioner, he seems to be doing just that. Grampa knocks him unconscious with a golf club and ties him up. No surprise that this isn’t the Commish’s favorite day. The result is no more Meltmania or Downs Syndrome for Springfield.

The Simpsons and Springfield turn against Grampa (even his dentures won’t smile at him) and Homer’s pops becomes depressed. Convinced it’s not worth living, Grampa goes to a euthanasia doc to end it all. Although morbid, the diePod playing Megadeath always makes me giggle.

Grampa prepares to follow in the footsteps of Socrates, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Hunster S. Thompson and Fred Kinnickey.  He wants to die watching cops beat up hippies to the sounds of the Glenn Miller Orchestra but just in time, voters overturn the law allowing assisted suicide. Grampa gets a second chance at life (well, after he realizes he’s not dead) and realizes that he should live without fear. He should eat salt water taffy and skateboard vert ramps on an ECV while taunting youths.

At the requisite town hall meeting to decide what to do with the stadium that’s now useless, the town decides to use it for the ancient sport of bullfighting and rebrand it as the Springfield Estadio de Toros. Grampa volunteers to be the Toreador. He sure looks manly in those leggings.

Grampa is a very talented bullfighter but Lisa wants him to stop hurting helpless animals. Even though he’d look stupid in the outfit fighting oysters, Grampa decides to free the bulls instead. He may have enjoyed having people cheer for him t 83-years-old but Lisa was cheering for him the whole time and that’s what’s worth it. Sure the bulls rampaged through the town but it’s the sweet family moments during the carnage that remind me why this is the Best. Show. Ever.

And saving the best for last… Kung Fu Comic Book Guy in “Lisa the Drama Queen” (S20:E9). Homer takes Lisa and Bart to the Janet L. Munoz Robbins Rec Center aka the Springfield Recreation Center. Comic Book Guy is teaching martial arts.

CBG: “Welcome to Shaolin Kung Fu. 10,000 years of knowledge will be passed along to those whose parents have signed a permission slip. The rest of you have just purchased very expensive pajamas. Namaste.”

Bart: “Pardon me master but what does a big fat wad like you know about Kung Fu.”

CBG: “Ah. Kung Fu is not about physique but the channeling of one’s energy or chi. If you doubt my skill, feel free to attack at my signal.”

Sure it’s just a quick moment at the beginning of the episode but I love it.  Anyone who remembers the Butterfinger commercials of the 90s knows Bart can do some mean karate when motivated but we also know he skipped his karate lessons in Season 3. At some point, the kids including Nelson and Ralphie learned a thing or two lol. Not much else to say beyond how stoked I am to add this skin to CBG. What’s your opinion? Do you have him nunchucking all over town?

As for Grampa, I do wish this skin was a prize instead of premium but it is what it is. Did you buy bullfighting Abe Simpson? Enjoying the animations as much as me? Sound off below.  I’ll leave you with one of my favorite martial arts movie quotes that immediately came to mind when I thought of finding sensei CBG in the show.  “There is only one place that you have not looked and it is there, only there that “YOU” shall find the master.”

TTFN… Wookiee out!