Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys

This is the page about the Kamp Koral episode. For other uses, see Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (disambiguation).

"Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys" is a Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years episode from season 2. In this episode, the Dinghy and Pontoon cabins go head-to-head in a series of superhero challenges.

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
• Sandy Cheeks
• Bubble Bass
• Harvey
• Elwood
• Kevin C. Cucumber
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Perch Perkins
• Squidward Tentacles ^(cameo)
• Larry the Lobster ^(cameo)
• Mo ^(cameo)
• Craig Mammalton ^(cameo)
• Realistic Fish Head
• Sea bunnies
• Sea bear
• Sea urchin
• Moose snail
• Scallops and clams
• Man Ray
• Mermaid Man
• Barnacle Boy
• Atomic Flounder ^(cameo)
• Jumbo Shrimp ^(cameo)
• Dirty Bubble ^(cameo)
• Sinister Slug ^(cameo)
• Incidentals
  • Incidental 101
  • Incidental 102
  • Incidental 103
  • Incidental 105
  • Incidental 106
  • Incidental 107
  • Incidental 108
  • Incidental 109
  • Elwood
  • Incidental 113
  • Incidental 114
  • Incidental 115
  • Anchovies
    • Incidental 117
• Gasper the Gregarious Ghost ^{(single appearance, pictured)}
• Army of the Living Dead ^(pictured)
• Lando the Land Lad ^{(single appearance, pictured)}
• Characters from Underwhoops ^{(single appearance, pictured)}

Synopsis

File:Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys 135.png

SpongeBob, Patrick, Kevin, and Bubble Bass all dressed as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.

SpongeBob and Patrick oversleep and are late to buy comic books, and rush to the store. Although they only find lame comics at first, Patrick spins the rack around and finds an issue of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. They buy it and enjoy it, wishing that the fun would never end. The two dress up as the superheroes themselves and go around camp looking for villains. They pretend Perch's watchtower is a cheese monster and cut its legs down. Next, they hear a camper drowning in the lake, and when they catch up to him, Bubble Bass and Kevin show up also dressed as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. SpongeBob and Bubble Bass argue over their portrayals of Mermaid Man, and agree to a contest to see who is better.

Sandy tests them by unleashing "Dr. Fun," who is Elwood in a supervillain suit, into the general store, and seeing who can stop him. SpongeBob and Patrick end up fighting against Barnacle Boy and Kevin with the store's items, ignoring Elwood, who steals the money. As Elwood does an evil laugh, he attracts the various creatures of the forest to invade the camp. Sandy apologizes for making the suit work, saying it is not in her nature to not make things function properly. She, SpongeBob, Patrick, Kevin, and Bubble Bass all run away, unable to deal with the animals.

File:Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys 171.png

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy arrive.

Noticing the trouble, Mr. Krabs uses the conch signal to summon the real Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Barnacle Boy throws a waterball that stops Elwood's mind control powers, and Mermaid Man uses his animal communication to return them to the forest. They bid the campers farewell with some advice to follow their parents. Elwood still enjoyed his crimes and does another evil laugh, with the members of E.V.I.L. watching. Impressed, Man Ray comments that Elwood has potential.

Production

This episode was confirmed on January 13, 2023.

According to the metadata of the files on John John Bajet's website, this episode's color design was completed by February 7, 2023.

Art

Color design

• Designed by John John Bajet.

• SpongeBob as Mermaid Man
  SpongeBob as Mermaid Man
• Patrick as Barnacle Boy
  Patrick as Barnacle Boy
• SpongeBob, Patrick, and Bubble Bass spinning (middle, bottom right)
  SpongeBob, Patrick, and Bubble Bass spinning (middle, bottom right)

Prop design

• Designed by David Brueggeman.

• A phone in a glass case
  A phone in a glass case

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ The Mob - Sam Spence [Title card and opening.]
 ‣ Gala Performance - Laurie Johnson [SpongeBob wakes up.]
 ‣ Man, Go Man! - Ralph Dollimore [SpongeBob and Patrick run to the camp store.]
 ‣ ? [Lando the Land Lad comic.]
 ‣ Another Spring - Tommy Reilly, James Moody ["Only the dreps are left."]
 ‣ A Pirate's Life For Me (A) - Ron Goodwin [SpongeBob finds the last Mermaid Man comic.]
 ‣ The Lineman - Sam Spence [SpongeBob and Patrick reading the comic.]
 ‣ Beauty Queen - Tommy Reilly, James Moody ["Wow, that was amazing."]
 • Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gets an idea.]
 ‣ Hercule Poirot - Gerhard Trede ["You thinking what I'm about to think?"]
 ‣ Big City Sidewalks - Sam Spence [SpongeBob and Patrick dressed as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.]
 ‣ Mecanissimo - Vladimir Cosma [SpongeBob and Patrick patrolling the camp.]
 ‣ Crime And Danger Sign #3 - Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch [Stilted stilton cheesing the city/Patrick sawing the watch tower.]
 ‣ Dignity - Peter Yorke [SpongeBob and Patrick hear a cry for help/SpongeBob, Patrick, Bubble Bass, and Kevin arrive at the scene.]
 ‣ The Mob - Sam Spence [Bubble Bass and Kevin laughing at SpongeBob and Patrick's costumes.]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact (6) - Ivor Slaney ["Leaping lather, no!"]
 ‣ The Mob - Sam Spence ["The real Mermaid Man would never laugh at anyone."]
 ‣ Alpine Echoes - Tommy Reilly, James Moody ["Hey there, just a reminder..."]
 ‣ Dramatic Cue (B) - Ronald Hanmer ["I know we'd help that citizen!"]
 ‣ Drama Link (D) - Hubert Clifford [SpongeBob, Patrick, Bubble Bass, and Kevin rip a camper's skin off.]
 ‣ Comic Walk - Sidney Torch ["Thanks for nothing, super morons!"]
 • Idea Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hmmm, interesting."]
 ‣ The Mob - Sam Spence [SpongeBob challenges Bubble Bass and Kevin to a contest.]
 • Superfriends Wipe- 1 - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene.]
 ‣ Big Ed's March - Sam Spence ["In order to figure out who's the best Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, I'm gonna put you to the test!"]
 ‣ Kommissar X - Gerhard Trede [Elwood enters the camp store dressed as Dr. Fun.]
 ‣ Witty Fellow - Gerhard Trede [Elwood tries to rob the store.]
 ‣ Hit and Run - Sam Spence [SpongeBob, Patrick, Bubble Bass, and Kevin fighting each other in the store.]
 ‣ Target - Hans Ehrlinger [Elwood steals the tip jar.]
 ‣ Night On Bare Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky, Fiachra Trench [Elwood hypnotizes a bunch of clams.]
 ‣ Clumsy A - Bernd Gesell ["Well, y'all blew that one."]
 ‣ Dignity - Peter Yorke ["The city's in trouble!"]
 ‣ City Of Evil - John Scott [Animals wreaking havoc.]
 ‣ Night On Bare Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky, Fiachra Trench [Urchins swarming.]
 ‣ Tuba Fun - Dick Walter ["Elwood has actual superpowers!?"]
 ‣ Panic Patrol - Kenny Graham [Kevin gets pantsed by sea bunnies.]
 ‣ Crime Scene - Frederick Charrosin ["Time to use a privilege shared only by presidents, police commissioners, and summer camp masters.]
 • Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr ["The Mermaid Man conch signal!"]
 ‣ The Lineman - Sam Spence [Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy appear.]
 ‣ Mighty Ocean - Ronald Hanmer [Animals return to the forest.]
 ‣ Gunning for Danger - Syd Dale ["Mermaid Man! How can we ever repay you?"]
 ‣ Stool Pigeon - Kenny Graham ["That was fun!"]
 ‣ Zelle 503 - Gerhard Trede [Ending.]

Trivia

General

• This episode premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the 2025 event "Friday Night Hits."
• In Germany, this episode was originally going to premiere on January 31, 2024 at 5:00 PM. It was then updated with the following chronologically:
  • It was replaced with a rerun of "The Whole Tooth."
  • After that, it was pushed back to premiere on February 4, 2024 at 5:00 PM, but it was pulled again, being replaced by a rerun of "Patrick Takes the Cake."
  • It was pushed back once again to premiere on February 14, 2024 at 5:00 PM, but it was pulled for a third time, being replaced by a rerun of "Stormy Weather."
  • If this episode was not pulled, its debut would've coincided with the American premiere of "Momageddon."

File:Mermaid Men and the Boys.png

"Mermaid Men and the Boys."

• On the Paramount Press Express, this episode is mistakenly listed as "Mermaid Men and the Boys."
• This episode uses 2D animation at the end when 2D Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy appear, thanks to Mr. Krabs, and a close-up of the villains in the E.V.I.L. lair.
  • The E.V.I.L. lair appears to be art directed by Marta Knudsen, an art director for The Patrick Star Show.
• This episode marks the third time that a younger version of Mermaid Man is voiced by Tom Kenny in the SpongeBob franchise. The first was "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" in the main series and the second was "Super Sitters" in The Patrick Star Show.
• In the UK and Ireland, the scene where SpongeBob and Patrick are chasing each other is darkened due to fast motion.
• While its sister episode "Nut Madness" ends with Elwood being buried and stating "This is fun!," this episode features Elwood's comic book being destroyed, and his first line early in the episode is "This is not fun."

Episode references

• The letters on the comic Elwood reads, and his superhero suit, are colored like the ones that appear during the F.U.N. Song in "F.U.N."
• Perch is reading Jelly from the Jam Lagoon, a comic SpongeBob owns in "The Jelly Life."

Cultural references

• The lame comics that SpongeBob refuses to buy include Gasper the Gregarious Ghost, a parody of Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Underwhoops by Klamz, a parody of Underworld by Kaz.

Video

File:Kamp Koral Staffel 2 Promo - Ab 22. Januar 2024 (Nick Deutschland)

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
German	Meerjungfraumänner und Blaubarschbuben	Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys
Russian	Морские Супермены и Очкарики Morskie Supermeny i Ochkariki	Sea Supermen and Four-Eyes
Spanish (Latin America)	Sirenomanes y Chico Percebes	Mermaid Men and Barnacle Boys