Spiral Knights - Snarbolax inspiration, I think I found it.

Snarbolax inspiration, I think I found it.

20 replies [Last post]

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 01:24

Hachiman

Legacy Username

While delving through my inventory I came across my Twisted Snarble Barb, its description reading: A gnarled snarble barb enhanced to swing with a satisfying "snicker-snack".

Now, knowing that I had heard that phrase before, I thought hard and rememebered I first saw it while playing the new game Alice: Madness Returns when I aqcuired the Vorpal Blade, where it mentioned something about "snicker-snack" so I followed up with a quick googling of the term. The results showed that the term was used in a poem called "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carol, the writer of Alice in Wonderland. Also further googling resulted in me actually reading the poem, I will leave just a part of it here that has relevance.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

So, I have concluded that with the use of the words; frumious (used in Frumious Fang), snicker-snack (used in the description for the Twisted Snarble Barb), and frabjous (used in the acheivement for defeating the snarbolax), that the snarbolax and things related to it were inspired by the great Lewis Carol.

It is also arguable that the names Snarble Barb and Snarbolax were inspired by his nonsensical words in the poem.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 02:16

Urch

*slow clap*

I wasn't aware that this was some kind of secret? I mean, I don't think OOO could be more obvious with the thing. Did you figure it out all on your own?

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 02:42

Hachiman

Legacy Username

yeah

I indeed did figure this out myself, and while I know that it is fairly obvious now that I know it, some people don't know. That much I am sure of, mainly because not everyone goes about reading all of Lewis Carol's works, I hadn't even read that poem or heard of it prior to this.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 05:26

aeolianmode

Legacy Username

I didn't know, very nice.

I didn't know, very nice. Thanks for putting it up.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 05:30

Gigafreak

Legacy Username

http://twitter.com/#!/NickPop

http://twitter.com/#!/NickPopovich/status/75436238420709376
http://twitter.com/#!/NickPopovich/status/75991906542288896

They made several references to Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky in the days leading up to the Snarbolax.

In fact, the boss's tokens are "Frumious Fangs" and the achievement for defeating it is "O Frabjous Day!"

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 05:34

MeSako

Legacy Username

Before Snarbolax was released

Before Snarbolax was released into the Clockworks; Nick acctually took this part:

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!"

and changed it into this:

"Beware the Snarbolax, my knight!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!"

and then he posted it on his Twitter, as a hint on what to come.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 05:49

Gigafreak

Legacy Username

...Yeah, I just said that. :(

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 06:27

robocpf1

Legacy Username

How many people have

How many people have accidentally called him Snorlax? I have.

Ah the days of the Pokemon Red/Blue.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 07:00

Trouser

Another possible influence

In physical and game characteristics, Snarbolax reminds me a lot of this cuddly little guy.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 07:05

Splinter

Hopefully all those that

Hopefully all those that didn't catch this immediately, now know, also hopefully this will get some people to read Through the Looking Glass :P

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 10:17

#10

kevomatic

Legacy Username

Honey badger.

Honey badger don't care.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 16:25

#11

Hachiman

Legacy Username

oh well...

Ok, I did mention all of the ingame references, and since I started playing the game AFTER snarbolax was released, and was not aware of any twitter thing, I did not know about any of that other stuff (the twitter posts and such) being as there is no way I could have known about them.

Thank you all for making me feel like an idiot because I started playing later than you guys, at least I still came to the conclusion by myself.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 16:32

#12

Valkier

Legacy Username

@Hachiman I dunno, my friend.

@Hachiman

I dunno, my friend. I started playing a day or two after SK was hosted by Steam and understood the reference as soon as I saw the name "Snarbolax". We're talking before I knew what tokens were, before I saw the equipment names, before I got the achievement for killing him, the name was too ridiculous to not be reminiscent Lewis Carrol's iconic literature.

I don't think anyone was particularly mean to you about this so I'm not sure why you've suddenly gotten defensive over it. This simply wasn't the revelation to the masses you apparently thought it was. Go have fun and don't worry about it. :-)

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 19:27

#13

Hachiman

Legacy Username

...

did you seriously think I was upset? I'm not offended at all, though I do feel a bit stupid.

Mainly because I haven't read ANY Lewis Carol literature. At all.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 19:26

#14

Sunless

Slowpoke.jpg

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 19:50

#15

Loki

Legacy Username

Many people aren't aware of

Many people aren't aware of who Lewis Carrol even is, so why give the OP such a snicker-snack?

Bandersnatch? ''What the hell is that? Are you making up words?''
Jabberwocky? ''Oh, isn't that one of those America's Best Dance Crew groups? xD''

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 21:25

#16

Rusvul

Hey, look, this game is

Hey, look, this game is generating educational opportunities! Hopefully some of the players who aren't familiar with Lewis Carroll's work will go back and look at the literature, and learn a little more.

Video games encouraging learning?! Heavens!

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 23:47

#17

nearo

Legacy Username

yknow..

before snarby came out, there was a twitter post about claws that catch etc etc, it's clearly not secret.
edit; oh yeah you saw it, mhm.

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 08:50

#18

CeCeeS

Legacy Username

Some other possible

Some other possible references:

"The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!"

Eyes of flame, wood.

"One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!"

Leave your bombs at home, they are useless.

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 09:09

#19

Guildenberg

@CeCeeS

Sadly, you can't go galumping back to Haven with its head....although getting its fangs is a nice consolation prize. XD

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 12:28

#20

Madogu

Legacy Username

Sadly, I've never read the books myself,

But have seen plenty of references outside the literature, such as the cartoon, the recent movie, certain video games, ect. Never really put two and two together until now, so thank you OP for bringing this to light.

Also, this thread got me to thinking about the Encounter itself and how much like the books it might be. Does the original writing mention anything about a bell in reference to the Jabberwocky or any such monsters?

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Snarbolax inspiration, I think I found it.