Desert Skull: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}} |
{{trope}} |
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[[File:ArthurBovineSkull_2013.png|link=Arthur ( |
[[File:ArthurBovineSkull_2013.png|link=Arthur (animation)|right]] |
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{{quote|''"(...I'm just a pile of bleached bones. [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|I can't talk.]])"''|'''[[Exactly What It Says |
{{quote|''"(...I'm just a pile of bleached bones. [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|I can't talk.]])"''|'''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|A pile of bleached bones]]''', ''[[Earthbound]]''}} |
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Whenever a show features or references a desert, savannah or other barren land, odds are good that a bovine cranium will be involved to set the mood. |
Whenever a show features or references a desert, savannah or other barren land, odds are good that a bovine cranium will be involved to set the mood. |
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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] == |
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] == |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Bleach]]'' has [[Cute Monster Girl|Neliel Tu Odelshvanck]], who has part of such a skull attached to the top of her head. She lives roaming around the desert that is [[Mordor|Hueco Mundo]]. |
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** The arrancar Rudbornn also has a more traditional-looking desert bovine skull around his head, like a helmet. |
** The arrancar Rudbornn also has a more traditional-looking desert bovine skull around his head, like a helmet. |
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* The opening scene of ''[[ |
* The opening scene of ''[[Gun X Sword]]'' has Van looking down at an animal skull in the desert and questioning why the creature isn't still alive for him to eat. |
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== [[Art]] == |
== [[Art]] == |
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== [[Comic Books]] == |
== [[Comic Books]] == |
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* Three ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]'' strips had [[Cloudcuckoolander|Jon]] [http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/25/ bring home one of these], which Garfield then [[Skeletons in |
* Three ''[[Garfield (Comic Strip)|Garfield]]'' strips had [[Cloudcuckoolander|Jon]] [http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/25/ bring home one of these], which Garfield then [[Skeletons in the Coat Closet|put]] [http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/26/ on Odie], while [http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/27/ Jon was talking to his mother on the phone about it]. |
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* In the comic strip ''[[Comic Strip/Beyond The Black Stump|Beyond The Black Stump]]'', two recurring characters are a pair of skulls out in the desert somewhere who pass the time having odd conversations. |
* In the comic strip ''[[Comic Strip/Beyond The Black Stump|Beyond The Black Stump]]'', two recurring characters are a pair of skulls out in the desert somewhere who pass the time having odd conversations. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Far Side]]'': One uncaptioned cartoon shows a pair of oxen pulling a covered wagon across the desert, turning their heads as they pass a bovine skull. |
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== [[Film]] -- Animated == |
== [[Film]] -- Animated == |
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* The [[Incredibly Lame Pun|owl mariachi]] band from ''[[Rango]]'' stood on one of these while singing about Rango's journey. |
* The [[Incredibly Lame Pun|owl mariachi]] band from ''[[Rango]]'' stood on one of these while singing about Rango's journey. |
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* On ''[[ |
* On ''[[An American Tail]]: Fievel Goes West'', Tiger runs into a buffalo skeleton that seems to come to life when he's not looking. Turns out it's being manipulated by native mice, who then capture Tiger. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Lion King]]'': As Simba returns to the Pridelands, he finds it riddled with wildebeest skeletons to show how Scar's rule has ruined the land. At the end, as Simba returns to power, there's a brief shot of a skull being washed away by the rain, to symbolize the end of the old regime. |
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* ''[[Cars]]'' featured a variation of this: since all animals in their world are also vehicles, in the desert surrounding Radiator Springs, there appear to be rusted-up car parts lying among the rocks and cacti. |
* ''[[Cars]]'' featured a variation of this: since all animals in their world are also vehicles, in the desert surrounding Radiator Springs, there appear to be rusted-up car parts lying among the rocks and cacti. |
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* In ''[[Animal Crossing]]'', this shows up as a furniture item in the "American West/frontier" set. [[Furry Confusion|Sometimes animals who are cows have them in their homes...]] |
* In ''[[Animal Crossing]]'', this shows up as a furniture item in the "American West/frontier" set. [[Furry Confusion|Sometimes animals who are cows have them in their homes...]] |
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* In ''[[Earthbound]]'', you can actually have a conversation with a cattle skeleton in the Dusty Dunes Desert. [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|It, of course, claims otherwise]]. |
* In ''[[Earthbound]]'', you can actually have a conversation with a cattle skeleton in the Dusty Dunes Desert. [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|It, of course, claims otherwise]]. |
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* The original ''[[ |
* The original ''[[Starcraft]]'' had all sorts of bones and skulls in the randomly-generated desert terrain tiles. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Cave Story]]'''s Sand Zone is full of bones... including [[Dem Bones|animated ones]]. |
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* The standard ''[[ |
* The standard ''[[Clonk]]'' desert scenarios contain, along with [[All Deserts Have Cacti|cacti]], animal skulls as decoration. |
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* ''[[Videogame/Eets|Eets]]'' uses this as decoration for desert-themed levels. |
* ''[[Videogame/Eets|Eets]]'' uses this as decoration for desert-themed levels. |
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* These can be found in the desert levels of the [[Game Boy Advance]] ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' games. Rare items can be dug up in the nearby sands. |
* These can be found in the desert levels of the [[Game Boy Advance]] ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' games. Rare items can be dug up in the nearby sands. |
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== [[Western Animation]] == |
== [[Western Animation]] == |
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* [[Bugs Bunny]] [[Skeletons in |
* [[Bugs Bunny]] [[Skeletons in the Coat Closet|wears one]] in the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' short "[[The Wacky Wabbit]]". |
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** In another ''[[ |
** In another ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoon, ''[[Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid]]'', Bugs falls into a hole next to some cow bones, and he briefly thinks the bones are his. Later, he tricks Killer the Buzzard into thinking the same. |
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* At the top of the ''[[Arthur ( |
* At the top of the ''[[Arthur (animation)|Arthur]]'' episode [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLb2dcHNjKc "Feeling Flush,"] there's an [[Imagine Spot]] where the kids are walking through the desert. The very first shot we see is of a skull (pictured above). |
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* There's one of these (with overly ornate horns) atop the sign for the Gold City Guest Ranch in the "[[Incredibly Lame Pun|Mine Your Own Business]]" episode of ''[[Scooby |
* There's one of these (with overly ornate horns) atop the sign for the Gold City Guest Ranch in the "[[Incredibly Lame Pun|Mine Your Own Business]]" episode of ''[[Scooby-Doo (animation)|Scooby Doo]]''. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Adventure Time]]'' has these, except some of them seem to be skulls of ''aquatic'' animals. |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
Revision as of 12:00, 8 April 2014
"(...I'm just a pile of bleached bones. I can't talk.)"
|
Whenever a show features or references a desert, savannah or other barren land, odds are good that a bovine cranium will be involved to set the mood.
Often accompanied by cacti.
Compare Ribcage Ridge, a sister trope.
Examples of Desert Skull include:
Anime and Manga
- Bleach has Neliel Tu Odelshvanck, who has part of such a skull attached to the top of her head. She lives roaming around the desert that is Hueco Mundo.
- The arrancar Rudbornn also has a more traditional-looking desert bovine skull around his head, like a helmet.
- The opening scene of Gun X Sword has Van looking down at an animal skull in the desert and questioning why the creature isn't still alive for him to eat.
Art
- Shows up in many Georgia O Keefe paintings.
Comic Books
- Three Garfield strips had Jon bring home one of these, which Garfield then put on Odie, while Jon was talking to his mother on the phone about it.
- In the comic strip Beyond The Black Stump, two recurring characters are a pair of skulls out in the desert somewhere who pass the time having odd conversations.
- The Far Side: One uncaptioned cartoon shows a pair of oxen pulling a covered wagon across the desert, turning their heads as they pass a bovine skull.
Film -- Animated
- The owl mariachi band from Rango stood on one of these while singing about Rango's journey.
- On An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Tiger runs into a buffalo skeleton that seems to come to life when he's not looking. Turns out it's being manipulated by native mice, who then capture Tiger.
- The Lion King: As Simba returns to the Pridelands, he finds it riddled with wildebeest skeletons to show how Scar's rule has ruined the land. At the end, as Simba returns to power, there's a brief shot of a skull being washed away by the rain, to symbolize the end of the old regime.
- Cars featured a variation of this: since all animals in their world are also vehicles, in the desert surrounding Radiator Springs, there appear to be rusted-up car parts lying among the rocks and cacti.
Video Games
- In Animal Crossing, this shows up as a furniture item in the "American West/frontier" set. Sometimes animals who are cows have them in their homes...
- In Earthbound, you can actually have a conversation with a cattle skeleton in the Dusty Dunes Desert. It, of course, claims otherwise.
- The original Starcraft had all sorts of bones and skulls in the randomly-generated desert terrain tiles.
- Cave Story's Sand Zone is full of bones... including animated ones.
- The standard Clonk desert scenarios contain, along with cacti, animal skulls as decoration.
- Eets uses this as decoration for desert-themed levels.
- These can be found in the desert levels of the Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games. Rare items can be dug up in the nearby sands.
Web Original
- In Pioneer Trail (formerly Frontier Ville), these keep popping up on disused parts of your homestead.
Western Animation
- Bugs Bunny wears one in the Looney Tunes short "The Wacky Wabbit".
- In another Looney Tunes cartoon, Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid, Bugs falls into a hole next to some cow bones, and he briefly thinks the bones are his. Later, he tricks Killer the Buzzard into thinking the same.
- At the top of the Arthur episode "Feeling Flush," there's an Imagine Spot where the kids are walking through the desert. The very first shot we see is of a skull (pictured above).
- There's one of these (with overly ornate horns) atop the sign for the Gold City Guest Ranch in the "Mine Your Own Business" episode of Scooby Doo.
- Adventure Time has these, except some of them seem to be skulls of aquatic animals.