Line #17 Literature/HeckWhereTheBadKidsGo


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heck_cover.png]]
2	%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
3
4	->''If you've lived a life so bad,''\
5	''that you drove your parents and teachers mad''\
6	''one day then, perhaps your last''\
7	''you'll have to pay for every disrupted class.''\
8	''Deep down beneath your feet where only bad kids go''\
9	''is a place where it's always hot weather,''\
10	''and you learn that a demon's forever!''\
11	''Yes, you guessed, you're down in Heck.''\
12	''Here all the brats are nervous wrecks.''\
13	''Nothing to do to save their necks.''\
14	''It's always detention down in Heck.''\
15	''Where all the bad kids go...''\
16	''Down!!''
17	-->--'''Demon Lizards''', welcoming children to Heck.
18
19
20	''Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go'' is a series of books by Dale E. Basye. It follows the adventures of Milton and Marlo Fauster, who, after dying when a giant marshmallow bear explodes, are sent to Heck, which is Hell for children. There, they meet the Principal of Darkness, Bea "Elsa" Bubb, and things start to get a bit insane. The series is set to have 9 books, each one chronicling their journey through one of Heck's circles. Eight of them have currently been released, with the last one scheduled for an unknown date. The series is known for its surreal, bizarre humor, and its [[HurricaneofPuns many, many puns]].
21
22	----
23	!!Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go contains examples of:
24
25	%% * AlphaBitch: Lyon Sheraton.
26	%% * AlternateUniverse: [[spoiler: Milton spends most of Book 6 in one.]]
27	%% * AnimalEyes: Justified with Madam Pompadour, as she's some kind of cat demon.
28	* AssShove: Damian shoving a stick of dynamite up the butt of the giant marshmallow bear and kicking off the plot.
29	* AuthorAvatar: Dale E. Basye himself is a character as of Book 4. [[spoiler: He dies in Book 7.]]
30	* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Milton for most of Book 2, and Damian for Books 3-5. They both die again, though.]]
31	%% * TheBarnum: P.T. Barnum himself.
32	* BigBad: At least one per book. Bea "Elsa" Bubb seems to be the main one. [[spoiler: Although, as of Book 4, it seems that Satan and Micheal are both vying for role, each with their own agendas.]] Damian [[BigBadWannabe tries,]] [[spoiler: especially after coming back from the dead,]] but he's only ever a DragonWithAnAgenda, first to Bea "Elsa" Bubb and then to [[spoiler: Satan]]. Of course, as of Book 7, [[spoiler: he's been granted his own circle...]]
33	%% ** In Book 1, it's just Bea "Elsa" Bubb, with Damian as her [[TheDragon Dragon]].
34	%% ** In Book 2, it's The Grabbit, with [[spoiler: Necia's cult back on living earth]].
35	%% ** In Book 3, it's a [[BigBadDuumvirate trio]] with Lady Lactose, the Burgermeister, and Madame Pompadour.
36	%% ** In Book 4, it's [[spoiler: The Man Who Soldeth The World, a.k.a [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Micheal]], with Barnum, Welles, and Mr. De Hory as his [[TheDragon Dragons]] and [[UnwittingPawn Unwitting Pawns]]]].
37	%% ** In Book 5, it's Edgar Allen Poe and [[spoiler: Nikola Tesla]].
38	%% ** In Book 6, it's Napoleon and Cleopatra.
39	%% ** In Book 7, it's Lewis Carroll, with [[spoiler: Micheal once again serving as TheManBehindTheMan.]]
40	* BigBadEnsemble:
41	** Given that each book has its own BigBad beyond the main ones, this is a given. However, the ones who stay throughout the whole series are Bea "Elsa" Bubb, Damian, Satan, and [[spoiler: Micheal, who seems to be shaping up as the ultimate big bad out of all of them.]] And MAYBE [[spoiler: Gabriel and Uriel,]] since despite their [[WellIntentionedExtremist apparent good intentions,]] they WERE the ones who [[spoiler: sent Milton to Heck in the first place.]]
42	** As of Book 7, Phelps Better is planning something on the surface to get revenge on his father [[spoiler: who is probably Satan]] for leaving him up there, and EFFACE (a group of FallenAngel mercenaries) working for Bea "Elsa" Bubb, simply because it fits [[DragonWithAnAgenda their own agenda.]] [[HiddenAgendaVillain Whatever that might be.]] Oh, and [[spoiler: [[BigBadWannabe Damian]] is back in Heck, and Bubb has given him his own circle.]] So it looks like the series might be building to a full on GambitPileup between all the different villains.
43	%% * BodyHorror:
44	%% ** Most of the demons, but especially the ones who are "inside out," like Lord Byron.
45	%% ** The Snark.
46	%% * BrainwashedAndCrazy:
47	%% ** [[spoiler: Marlo when under the effects of the [[LaserGuidedAmnesia Milk of Amnesia.]]]]
48	%% ** Also Einstein in Book 6.
49	* {{Cliffhanger}}: Most of the books end on one of these. Specifically-
50	** Book 1: [[spoiler: Milton escapes from Heck and comes back to life, but Marlo and Virgil are still trapped there.]]
51	** Book 2: [[spoiler: Marlo gets an Infernship working for Satan, Milton goes on the run with the P.O.Ds, Damian is resurrected, and someone believes that everything is going AllAccordingToPlan.]]
52	** Book 3: [[spoiler: Marlo is BrainwashedAndCrazy and being sent to Fibble, and Milton now has her job in Hell. Oh, and [[FreakyFridayFlip they switched bodies.]]]]
53	** Book 4: Milton and Marlo are both being taken to Snivel, and [[spoiler: Milton has not only resolved to destroy Heck, but also realized that Micheal is The Man Who Soldeth The World.]]
54	** Book 5: Milton and Marlo are sent to Precocia, [[spoiler: Satan and Micheal have switched jobs, and the book ends with Gabriel looking very worried about what is coming.]]
55	** Book 6: Ends on a surprisingly light one- just Milton and Marlo being taken away to Lipptor, [[spoiler: now renamed Wise Acres due to CosmicRetcon.]]
56	** Book 7: The biggest cliffhanger yet. [[spoiler: Marlo is an EmptyShell, being locked away who knows where, Damian has been given his own circle, Milton is now Principal Bubb's special assistant, with some very unpleasant jobs ahead of him, and the final scene is of Micheal sitting in Hell, petting a [[RightHandCat cat,]] and musing about a plan to rule all creation.]]
57	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Dale E. Basye himself can come across as this, with his [[{{Metaphorgotten}} bizarre, derailing metaphors]], interesting descriptions of where he lives, and the fact that his AuthorAvatar is insane, with a list of his irrational fears.
58	%% * ConjoinedTwins: Sam/Sara.
59	* ContrivedCoincidence:
60	** Poe's pendulum [[spoiler: severing Sam and Sara when Snivel falls.]]
61	** Milton finding the encyclopedia page about the Music of the Spheres, [[spoiler: which is central to Lewis Carrol's plan.]]
62	* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Being locked in a room literally full of your favorite food and being forced to eat your way out until you're sick of it.
63	%% ** Also, Hollow Wean.
64	* CosmicRetcon: The end result of Book 6, which [[spoiler: removes Precocia from existence and changes Lipptor's name to Wise Acres.]]
65	%% * CourtroomEpisode: At the end of Book 5, with "The Trial of the Millennium."
66	* {{Cult}}: Necia belongs to one. [[spoiler: After Milton comes BackFromTheDead, they decide to sacrifice him,]] and eventually, wind up resurrecting and worshiping [[spoiler: Damian.]]
67	* DarkerAndEdgier: * While Book 7 is a bit lighter than Book 6, the ending takes it to new levels of darkness, with [[spoiler: Marlo being knocked into a coma from realizing the shear amount of pain her words have caused, and being forced to experience it all at once.]]
68	%% ** Book 6, compared to...well, every other book before it.
69	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment- The Department of Unendurable Redundancy, Bureaucracy, and Redundancy.
70	* EmotionEater: Yukkah, the troll creature that guards the Surly Gates, grows bigger in response to irritation and anger.
71	* FallenAngel: [[MeaningfulName Angelo Fallon]], who gets hired by Bubb to [[spoiler: "kill" Milton]] in Book 6.
72	* TheFerryMan: Charon, the original [[TheFerryMan Ferry Man]] makes an appearance.
73	* FreakyFridayFlip: [[spoiler: Milton and Marlo are stuck going through one for most of Book 4.]] Also, in a less literal example, [[spoiler: this is sort of the fate of Satan and Micheal, who, as the result of the Trial of the Millennium, are forced to switch jobs.]]
74	%% * FunWithAcronyms: All over the place, especially in Book 2.
75	%% * GirlPosse: The Nyah-Nyah Narcissisters are one for Lyon.
76	* GoodIsNotNice: The Archangels in some cases. Special mention goes to Gabriel and Uriel, who seem to [[spoiler: be the ones who sent Milton to Heck in the first place, for the purpose of destabilizing it,]] and Micheal, [[spoiler: who is the BigBad of Book 4 and tries selling the Earth to aliens.]]
77	* GoshDangItToHeck:Enforced by Bea "Elsa" Bubb and the other teachers. Hell is only ever referred to as "H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks" or "down there."
78	%% * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Anubis.]]
79	* HeroicSacrifice:
80	** During the War of the Words, [[spoiler: Dale E. Basye rides the Snark into oblivion to save Milton and Marlo, at the cost of annihilating himself.]]
81	** Also in Book 7, [[spoiler: Marlo deliberately loses the debate with Milton, condemning herself to Hell so that he can go to Heaven.]]
82	* HiddenAgendaVillain: We don't yet know WHY [[spoiler: Gabriel and Uriel want to destabilize Heck.]] And for the first few books, even that much hadn't been revealed. We DO know that [[spoiler: they specifically sent Milton there for that purpose.]] And of course, it's debatable whether they're villains or not.
83	%% ** EFFACE in Book 7.
84	* IllNeverTellYouWhatImTellingYou: [[spoiler: "This Extraordinary Anticipatory Recorded Wearable Incitement Gadget (EARWIG)- another groundbreaking innovation from Nikola Tesla- will now self-destruct so as to conceal the identity of its ingenious creator."]]
85	** Bordeaux, often.
86	* IncrediblyLamePun: It's [[HurricaneOfPuns FULL]] of them. Special mention goes to "Milton's Pair of Dice: Lost," and a pit in Book 7 that the characters have to pun their way out of to avoid being crushed.
87	%% * KilledMidSentence:
88	%% ** Marlo Fauster. In the first chapter.
89	%% ** Also, [[spoiler: Dr. Brinkley.]]
90	%% * LaserGuidedAmnesia: Caused by Milk of Amnesia.
91	%% * LivingShadow: Anyone put through the Shadow Box/Wastrel Projector.
92	* LogicBomb: [[spoiler: Shouting "I am lying!" had a very adverse effect on the Pinocchio Wood that was holding up Fibble...]]
93	%% * LoveInterest:
94	%% ** Zane for Marlo.
95	%% ** Sara for Milton.
96	* MeaningfulName: Frequently, and often overlaps with PunnyName. Major examples include [[BigBad Bea "Elsa" Bubb]], [[FallenAngel Angelo Fallon]] and Milton and Marlo.
97	* {{Metaphorgotten}}: Done often in the Foreword, Middleword, and Backwords. And in the author bios. And acknowledgements.
98	* MonsterClown: Gets [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in Book 4 when the clowns are shrimp, and actually not that scary. [[spoiler: PlayedStraight when those clowns amplify themselves with the Humbugger, though.]]
99	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Some of Milton's inventions in Book 6 really help [[spoiler: [[BigBadDuumvirate Napoleon and Cleopatra]] take control of the AlternateUniverse.]]
100	%% * NonHumanSidekick: [[WeaselMascot Lucky]] is one of the non-talking variety.
101	%% * OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The Archangels, although many of them seem to have their own goals.
102	* PostHumousCharacter: Given that the books take place mostly in the afterlife, there are a lot of these.
103	* PowersThatBe:...and any of its associated or subsidiary enterprises, including- but not limited to- the Powers That Be Evil.
104	%% * PutOnABus: Fairly frequently. There most notable examples:
105	%% ** Virgil is only in books 1, 3, and 6,
106	%% ** Sam/Sara is gone for Book 6 [[spoiler: except for a brief scene in the AlternateUniverse]],
107	%% ** Lyon and Bordeaux are curiously absent for Books 4, 5, and 7,
108	%% ** [[LoveInterest Zane]] hasn't been seen since Book 4,
109	** [[BigBadWannabe Damian]] is gone in Book 6 following [[spoiler: his second death]], but does [[TheBusCameBack eventually return]] in Book 7, [[spoiler: and is given his own circle by Bea "Elsa" Bubb.]]
110	** [[AuthorAvatar Dale E. Basye himself]] vanishes after Book 5. [[spoiler: He returns in Book 7, only to die and wind up in Heck, before being [[DeaderThanDead annihilated]] outside the Tower of Babble.]]
111	* RetGone: [[spoiler: The ultimate fate of Precocia is to be wiped from existence.]]
112	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Madame Pompadour's eyes will flash red when she gets angry.
113	* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Madame Pompadour, a [[BuffySpeak snake...cat...thing.]]
114	%% * RhymesOnADime: The Grabbit.
115	* {{Satire}}: To some extent, with each book focusing on a different thing. (Materialism/consumerism in Book 2, television and advertising in Book 4, high pressure school systems in Book 6.)
116	%% * ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Lyon and Bordeaux.
117	%% * ShipTease: Between [[spoiler: Virgil and Bordeaux, of all people.]]
118	%% * ShmuckBait: The vending machines in Limbo's Cafeterium.
119	%% * SiblingYinYang: Milton and Marlo, naturally.
120	* SpellMyNameWithAThe: {{Averted}} with Bea "Elsa" Bubb. She's Principal of Darkness, not The Principal of Darkness.
121	%% * StomachOfHolding: Used by Lyon and Bordeaux to [[spoiler: get the Hopeless Diamonds past security.]]
122	%% * SurrealHumor: Sometimes.
123	* TakeThat: In the first book, an obvious, but hilarious, {{Expy}} of Barney can be seen "smothering people with kisses."
124	%% * TheSmartGuy: Milton.
125	%% * TimeyWimeyBall: Thanks to [[spoiler: the pools of time in Book 6. Results in a CosmicRetcon.]]
126	* TheUnpronounceable: In universe (and possibly out of universe). Nobody can figure out how to pronounce Dale E. Basye's last name. Even after he tells them how it's pronounced. [[RunningGag Repeatedly.]]
127	%% * VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler: Micheal]]
128	* VisualPun: [[TheBarnum P.T. Barnum]] has flaming pants. [[spoiler: Liar, liar, pants on fire.]]
129	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In Book 6, [[spoiler: Napoleon]] pulls this on [[spoiler: [[UsefulNotes/JuanPonceDeLeon Ponce de Leon]]]], by dropping [[spoiler: him]] into quicksand in a wine cellar. [[spoiler: It doesn't take.]]

Context Literature / HeckWhereTheBadKidsGo