Space Ghost Coast to Coast/Fire Ant

Fire Ant
Season 6, Episode 7
Airdate	December 10, 1999
Production Number	9907-75
Written by	Dave Willis Matt Maiellaro Jim Fortier Mark Banker
Directed by	—
← 6x06 Table Read	6x08 → King Dead
Space Ghost Coast to Coast — Season Six

Fire Ant is the seventh episode of the sixth season of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and is the seventy-fifth episode overall.

Guest Stars: Conan O'Brien (Himself)

Voices: George Lowe (Space Ghost), C. Martin Croker (Moltar/Zorak)

Plot Overview

Conan, on the monitor, is lowered to repetitive trumpet fanfare, at the end of which there is a break and Space Ghost parachutes in to another fanfare. He has Moltar attach a speaker to his head which will transfer his thoughts, which clearly doesn't work at all. Moltar warns Space Ghost that Alpha Centuri is going to explode, but when Space Ghost attempts to be hoisted away to save it, it explodes and one of the wires snaps. Zorak and Moltar beat Space Ghost with sticks until he falls.

In the interview, Conan and Space Ghost argue about Space Ghost's origins, particularly about how Space Ghost was once a Space Man who died choking on a muffin. Space Ghost corrects him, saying that he's thinking of Muffin Hunter (which Conan saw on The WB). Space Ghost goes on to lament over his failed cartoon idea, pounding the desk with his fist until it bursts into flames, eventually engulfing Space Ghost's entire body and his desk.

Conan starts talking about Space Ghost's original show, which Space Ghost attempts to defend saying that he was "improvising with monsters" and that Conan won't make it in television because he doesn't have a weapon. The interview turns hostile now with Conan berating Space Ghost's interview techniques while Space Ghost ignores him and plots the destruction of a fire ant's family. They shut off the lights and the rest of the episode is spent with Space Ghost stalking the ant. This goes on for 10 minutes.

Space Ghost finally reaches the lair of the ants and a giant ant monster, who chases him away.

Notes

Guests

• Conan O'Brien: A former writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, Conan O'Brien went on to host his own Late Night series after David Letterman left NBC for CBS in 1992. He has since gained popularity with a younger audience which led NBC to ask him to replace Jay Leno in 2009 when Leno retires from television.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Extension: To make up for the fact that Space Ghost spends 10 minutes chasing an ant, this episode was extended into 30 minutes instead of the usual 15.
• Different Versions: Because the Ant sequence is so long, there is an alternate version of the episode where the ant sequence was shortened significantly. When this episode was rerun on Adult Swim, the shortened version was shown instead of the 30 minute one.

Memorable Moments

• An excessively long fanfare plays Space Ghost in. After he tries to leave again, he gets stuck.
• Space Ghost bursts into flames on accident.
• Space Ghost spends 10 minutes following an ant to its lair while humming.

Quotes

• Space Ghost: Ow! Don't everybody go freakin' out on me. This has happened once before, but I forgot what I did to fix it.
  Zorak: We poked you with sticks until you fell down, remember?
  Space Ghost: You sure I didn't harness the power of the sun?
  Zorak: No, it was definitely sticks. Beaten with sticks.

• Conan O'Brien: Space Ghost is obviously a space man who died and became a space ghost. Now, I know that you don't want the kids to know that you died (fake crying), but you died, baby! And you got to get down with that.
  Space Ghost: No!
  Conan O'Brien: Face it, Space Ghost!
  Space Ghost: No!
  Conan O'Brien: You're a Space Man that choked on a muffin!

• Zorak: I couldn't get work for five years! So I had to steal things for money!
  Moltar: Yeah, me too!
  Zorak: Now look at us!
  Moltar: They won't even animate us!
  Zorak: 'Cause they hate us!

• Conan O'Brien: You're Moltar, and you're Zorak.
  Zorak: You know what? It's Wallace now.
  Moltar: I'm Wallace too!
  Space Ghost: Shut up, Wall-tar...Walltor. Moll-usk. That's your name?
  Moltar: Ugh.