Hocus Pocus — spongebob

"Hocus Pocus" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 4. In this episode, SpongeBob thinks he turned Squidward into an ice cream cone.

Characters

SpongeBob SquarePants
Gary the Snail
Mr. Magic
French Narrator
Squidward Tentacles
Rasputin ^(mentioned)
Squidward the Ice Cream Cone ^{(single appearance)}
Incidentals
- Tom
- Incidental 9
- Incidental 12
- Incidental 13
- Incidental 14
- Incidental 16
- Incidental 23 ^{(named Charlie)}
- Incidental 24
- Incidental 29
- Incidental 31
- Incidental 36
- Incidental 37A
- Incidental 41
- Incidental 42
- Judy
- Incidental 46
- Incidental 47
- Incidental 60
- Incidental 63
- Incidental 64
- Incidental 68
- Incidental 92
- Incidental 103
- Incidental 106
- Steve
- Incidental 108
- Mr. Mailman
- Incidental 155
Other beachgoers
Patrick Star
Horace B. Magic ^(debut)
Mr. Magic's security ^{(single appearance)}
Motorcycle guy ^(debut)
King Neptune ^(mentioned)

Synopsis

In the beginning of the episode, SpongeBob is preparing popcorn for himself and Gary. The popcorn flies into his living room and he settles down to watch television, when a commercial comes on for a magic kit, which SpongeBob decides to order.

4 to 6 weeks later, SpongeBob receives the kit in the mail and decides to show Squidward his skills in the magical arts. He tries to demonstrate a card trick to Squidward, but the latter escapes from under the former's nose. He then heads out of Bikini Bottom on a bus passing by. Meanwhile, a boatmobile passes by and Incidental 103 is unhappy because his ice cream cone is pistachio. His father doesn't understand why he dislikes pistachio when he asked for it. Soon, the boatmobile hits a crack and Incidental 103's pistachio ice cream cone flies out, which causes Incidental 103 to cry even more, and lands onto Squidward's chair. Because of this, SpongeBob thinks he has turned Squidward into an ice cream cone and promises him that he will still be able to live a normal life after he seems unable to change "Squidward" back to his normal self.

Some time later at Goo Lagoon, SpongeBob notices the Squidward ice cream cone is melting in the sun, forcing SpongeBob to rush it home and put the Squidward ice cream cone in the freezer. Patrick then shows up, and SpongeBob explains what has happened to him. Patrick attempts to eat the Squidward ice cream cone, but the Squidward ice cream cone melts. Just then, SpongeBob realizes that Mr. Magic can help them, so he and Patrick pay him a visit along with the melted Squidward ice cream cone gathered inside a jar.

The floating fish head tells them that he cannot help SpongeBob, and then Patrick notices a leg sticking out from behind a curtain. Behind the curtain, a fish is talking into a microphone, and saying exactly what Mr. Magic is saying. The fish claims he is technically Mr. Magic, but he cannot help SpongeBob as he is only a businessman and not a real wizard. SpongeBob is furious because of this and exclaims loudly that his faith in the magical arts is ruined, before Mr. Magic gets security to kick SpongeBob and Patrick out.

Back in the neighborhood, SpongeBob is still grieving while yelling out random magic words, when Squidward shows up and throws the jar of melted ice cream away; Patrick witnesses this. SpongeBob sees Squidward and believes his magic words turned him back to normal and that he really is magic. He then offers to transform Squidward into something else, but he runs away, yet again. In the end, Patrick later requests SpongeBob to turn him into a jar of mayonnaise. SpongeBob does so, and amazingly, it works.

Production

Model sheets

Music

( ‣ ) Production music
( • ) Original music
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

• Happy Sponge Chase Vibes - Nicolas Carr [Title card]
• You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob making popcorn]
‣ The Two Ronnies - Alan Tew [TV show]
‣ Fly by Night - Montague Ewing [Mr. Magic commercial]
• Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob goes to the post office]
• Steel Licks 40 - Jeremy Wakefield [Mailman arrives]
• Steel Licks 41 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob shoved into mailbox]
‣ Star Premiere - Sammy Burdson, John Fiddy ["Here it is: Mr. Magic's Magical Magic Kit!"]
• Steel Licks 48 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Look at all this!"]
‣ Whisky Sour - David Morse [plays on radio]
• Gator - Steve Belfer [SpongeBob's card trick]
‣ Hey Buddy - Nino Nardini [SpongeBob juggling]
‣ Slippery Sid - Roger Roger ["I don't like pistachio!"]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [ice cream cone lands on Squidward's chair]
‣ Dramatic Cue (E) - Ronald Hanmer ["My simple card trick has turned you into an ice cream cone!"]
‣ Circus Flourish C - Daniel Jean Jeannin ["I am a level ten wizard!"]
• Idea Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Presto!"]
• Steel Licks 22 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob gasps]
‣ Drama Link (E) - Hubert Clifford [SpongeBob trying to change Squidward back]
• Steel Licks 78 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Oh, I am so sorry, Squidward."]
‣ Hula Festival - George Elliott [SpongeBob and "Squidward" at the movies.]
‣ Rescue - Cecil Milner [ice cream melting]
‣ Trombone Cha Cha - Don Lusher ["Hey, Squidward, I got something for ya."]
‣ Toy Soldiers - Ron Aspery ["I promise to stand by as an eternal guard over my buddy."]
• Steel Licks 78 - Jeremy Wakefield ["I have turned poor Squidward into a frozen dessert."]
‣ Dramatic Cue (D) - Ronald Hanmer ["Patrick! Stop eating Squidward!"/"Patrick!"/"Pat...!"/"SpongeBob screams"]
‣ Wooden Bear - Gil Flat, Tony Tape, Florian Voelxen [ice cream melts]
‣ Dramatic Cue (H) - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob screams]
‣ Dramatic Cue (F) - Ronald Hanmer ["Patrick, Squidward has melted!"]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hey, that's it!"]
• Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr [Mr. Magic's address]
‣ Fairies A - John Fox, Otto Sieben [brown tile road]
‣ The Quest (A) - Will Schaefer ["ENTER!"]
• Doom Gong - Nicolas Carr ["ENTER!"]
‣ The Haunted Castle - Paddy Kingsland ["Who dares to see Mr. Magic?!"]
• Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr [melted ice cream in jar]
‣ Furtive Footsteps - Paddy Kingsland ["Have you ever thought of a different hobby?"]
• Goofy Conversation 2 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Mr. Magic's a fake]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob, Patrick kicked out]
‣ Hawaiian Breeze - Jon Jelmer [SpongeBob crying]
• Hawaiian Misadventures B - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Squidward, you're back!"]
• Born to be Dumb - Nicolas Carr [motorcycle]
• Hokus Pokus End Sting - Nicolas Carr [ending]

Release

Broadcast

This episode was initially going to premiere at 8:30pm, but was swapped with its sister episode.^[7]

Distribution

This episode is available on the Season 4 Volume 2, The Third & Fourth Seasons, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, First 100 Episodes, 2-Season TV Pack, The Best 300 Episodes Ever, Slimy Dancing, 2 Secret Episodes!, From the Beginning, Part 2, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 6, Complete Fourth Season, and Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies (Turkish) DVDs.

Reception

"Hocus Pocus" was ranked #67 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.

Trivia

General

This episode was released on the Season 4 Volume 2 DVD box set six days before it aired on American television.
This episode and "The Thing" were the first to air after SpongeBob SquarePants surpassed Hey Arnold in runtime. Hey Arnold ran for 7 years, 8 months, and 1 day (October 7, 1996 to June 8, 2004), and SpongeBob SquarePants surpassed that on January 9, 2007.
This is the first episode for a few things:
- The first appearance of the Bikini Bottom Post Office.
- The first episode where SpongeBob wears his blue swim trunks outside of Goo Lagoon.
- The first episode to play "Hawaiian Misadventures B."
- The first episode to play the APM track "Slippery Sid." The track plays 10 years later with "Plankton Gets the Boot," and starting with that episode, the track becomes a recurring one in the series.
Horace B. Magic's talking machine, his stool, and the foot that is in front of the curtain appear on the episode selection pages on the second disc of the Season 4 Volume 2 DVD set and the fourth disc of The Complete Fourth Season DVD set. The melted Squidward ice cream in a jar also appears on the special features menu on said DVD.
SpongeBob's crying from "Have You Seen This Snail?" is reused.
On June 1, 2021, Nicktoons aired this episode (along with its partner) twice in a row (9-10am ET).^[8]
The "4 to 6 Weeks Later" time card is similar to the title card of "Krusty Love," except that it is light brown instead of red and there are no crabs.
SpongeBob says many magic phrases in this episode, including "presto," "alakazam," "abracadabra," and "open sesame," but he never actually says "hocus pocus" in the episode.
Tom's quote "Then why did you ask for it?!" has become a popular internet meme.

Cultural references

When SpongeBob opens the box with the magic supplies, he takes out the beard and exclaims, "The beard of Rasputin!" This is a reference to Grigori Rasputin, a Russian mystic and faith healer who befriended Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and their son Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia and claimed that he cured him, had an influence to the Romanov family, and claimed to be a holy man.
The Brown Tile Road is an homage to the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz. Additionally, SpongeBob and Patrick entering Mr. Magic's room and Patrick revealing that it's actually a man voicing him with a machine behind a curtain are direct parodies of the Wizard's scenes from the 1939 film.
The title of the episode is a reference to the magical phrase "hocus pocus."

Errors

When SpongeBob yells "Patrick! Stop eating Squidward!," his teeth turn yellow for a split second.

When SpongeBob checks out the Magic Kit, his socks are missing.
When Frank the Goldfish slides on the pistachio ice cream on the beach blanket, SpongeBob gets it and puts the pistachio back together to get the foot trail away. In the following scene, the pistachio still has the foot trail.
When SpongeBob angrily stomps on the magic kit box, his teeth turn light blue for a few frames.
When SpongeBob puts the pink ice cream in with the pistachio ice cream, it has a foot trail to the right, but when Patrick takes it out, it goes to the left.
When Patrick finds the curtain leading to Horace, there is a piece of wood sticking out through the curtain that leads Patrick to open the curtain. However, once the curtain is opened, the elongated piece of wood disappears.
In the shot of SpongeBob opening the magic kit, he's in his cylinder shape from the mailbox. In the next shot after the closeup of the magic kit, he's back to his square shape.

Patrick's cheeks error.
When SpongeBob asks Squidward if he can turn him into something else, Patrick's cheeks are far out from his mouth.
During the third time that SpongeBob opens the fridge to check on the pistachio ice cream, one of his irises turn yellow for a moment.

SpongeBob's yellow iris

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Hocus Pocus	-
French	Bob le Magicien	Bob the Magician
German	Hokus-Pokus	Hocus-Pocus
Greek	Χόκους Πόκους Chókous Pókous	Hocus Pocus
Hungarian	Hókusz-pókusz	Hocus Pocus
Italian	Abra Cadabra	-
Japanese	ボクは魔法使い Boku wa mahōtsukai	I'm a Wizard
Polish	Hokus-Pokus	Hocus-Pocus
Portuguese (Brazil)	Conversa Fiada
Portuguese (Portugal)	Abra Cadabra	-
Russian	Фокус-покус Fokus-pokus	Hocus-Pocus
Spanish	Abracadabra	-