Line #66 Literature/RickyRicottasMightyRobot


1	%%
2	%% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16708593840.86557400
3	%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
4	%%
5	[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ricotta-new_6102.png]]
6	%%
7	''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot'' (formerly ''Ricky Ricotta's Giant Robot'') is a series of children's [[InsistentTerminology adventure novels]] written by Creator/DavPilkey (best known for his ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants'' books). The original run of books was illustrated by Martin Ontiveros, but the rebooted series is illustrated by Dan Santat.
8
9	The books are based around a mouse named [[AlliterativeName Ricky Ricotta]] and his [[HumongousMecha mighty robot]]. OnceAnEpisode, the duo defeats a MonsterOfTheWeek from a different planet in the Solar System coinciding with its AlliterativeName. (In fact, the planets are in order from closest-to-furthest from the Sun excluding Earth, which is where the first book's villain is from.) Each book ends with the villain being thrown into jail [[ContinuityCavalcade alongside the other villains in the series.]] The books also incorporate the "Flip-O-Rama" mechanism from ''Captain Underpants'' for quote-unquote "action scenes".
10
11	The series was formerly called ''Ricky Ricotta's Giant Robot'', which Pilkey used when he published the first three books. Young readers were quick to point out that the robot was only giant in relation to Ricky Ricotta's size (if he is 12 times taller than a mouse, he's only about 2.5 feet tall) and suggested that the adjective be eschewed for "mighty", [[AscendedFanon which Pilkey did.]]
12
13	After the ''Book o' Fun'' (also taken from ''Captain Underpants'') was released, the series went into a seven-year hiatus. In October 2013, it was [[http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/scholastic-publish-two-new-captain-underpants-books-plus-newly-re-illustrated-editions announced]] that the series was due for a rebooting with a new artist, PromotedFanboy Dan Santat, who not only [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion re-illustrated the whole series]] but also illustrated two long-awaited remaining books not published during the Ontiveros era.
14
15	!!Books:
16	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot'' (2000)
17	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Mutant Mosquitoes from Mercury'' (2000)
18	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Voodoo Vultures from Venus'' (2001)[[note]]Renamed ''Video Vultures from Venus'' in the reprint.[[/note]]
19	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Mecha Monkeys from Mars'' (2002)
20	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Jurassic Jackrabbits from Jupiter'' (2002)
21	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn'' (2003)
22	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'' (2005)
23	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Astro-Activity Book o' Fun'' (2006)
24	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Naughty Night Crawlers from Neptune'' (2015)
25	* ''Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Un-Pleasant Penguins from Pluto'' (2016)
26	----
27	!!These books contain examples of:
28
29	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Every book title besides the first one, after the "vs." part.
30	* AIIsACrapshoot: Inverted with the Robot. It was built and programmed to destroy the city but it refused to do so, and turns good instead, protecting the city thereafter.
31	* AlliterativeName: '''R'''icky '''R'''icotta himself.
32	** Also, the villains starting with '''M'''r. '''M'''osquito - after him comes '''V'''ictor '''v'''on '''V'''ulture, '''M'''ajor '''M'''onkey, '''G'''eneral '''J'''ackrabbit[[note]]the soft "G" in "general" sounds like "J"[[/note]], '''S'''ergeant '''S'''tinkbug, '''U'''ncle '''U'''nicorn, '''N'''imrod '''N'''ightcrawler, and '''P'''resident '''P'''enguin.
33	* [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Annoying Younger Cousin]]: Lucy, who, as Ricky puts it, is "a little ''pest!''"
34	* ArmiesAreEvil: Major Monkey and General Jackrabbit are both portrayed as {{Jerkass}} military leaders who want to TakeOverTheWorld. Sergeant Stinkbug goes a step further, wishing to turn Earth into his personal LandfillBeyondTheStars.
35	* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The Grow-Big Gumballs used by Sergeant Stinkbug causes anybody who eats them to grow bigger, eventually reaching gigantic proportions.
36	* {{Barefoot Cartoon Animal}}s: Many of the mice aren't seen with any footwear.
37	* BathroomBreakOut: Ricky does this to escape Mr. Mosquito to help Mighty Robot fight back (since Ricky's capture is the only thing preventing his Mighty Robot from fighting back).
38	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'', Ricky, easily annoyed by his robot's gigantic size given that he's a little mouse, makes a wish at night that the Robot should find another friend his own size so he won't have to hang out with him all the time. However, it turns out his wish has inspired a plan by ''the villains'', who sent a giant Ladybot to fight with the Robot. Thus, Ricky changes his mind about his wish and ventures out to get his Robot back from the Ladybot.
39	* {{Bowdlerise}}: ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus'' was later rereleased as ''Video Vultures from Venus''.
40	* ABoyAndHisX: A mouse boy and his mighty robot, who acts as his best friend and helps save the day.
41	* BrattyHalfPint: Lucy, again.
42	* BerserkerTears: Lucy's reaction to being told by Ricky that if they don't destroy the evil robot in book 7 that there will be no more sweets in the world. Lucy does NOT take that well.
43	* BigNo: In ''Mecha Monkeys from Mars'', Ricky shouts this after finding out his robot was kidnapped.
44	* BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce: Ricky [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink laces some cookies]] with chili peppers and feigns being {{Brainwashed}} in order to defeat the ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus''.
45	* BullyHunter: Ricky becomes one in the first book after saving the robot from Dr. [=McNasty=].
46	* CharacterCatchphrase:
47	** "It's about to get much worse" for Ricky, which he says when each main villain is defeated and [[TemptingFate complaining that their day can't get any worse]], before they're then sent to prison.
48	** Also, each book ends with Ricky stating "that's what friends are for!"
49	* ContinuityCavalcade: Every book in the series ends with the villain getting thrown in jail next to the villains from the previous books. Uncle Unicorn noted it was getting crowded once he was tossed in there.
50	** In ''Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn'', one page shows inhabitants of previously visited planets dumping their trash on Saturn.
51	* ContinuityReboot: Went through one in 2014 after a 7-year hiatus.
52	* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In the first book, the Robot's evil creator, Dr. [=McNasty=], tries to punish him by zapping him after he refuses to destroy Squeakyville. But then the Robot was saved by Ricky...
53	* EdibleThemeNaming: Ricky's last name is a type of cheese. So are all the other mice in Ricky's town.
54	** The three Jurassic Jackrabbits, post-HeelFaceTurn, are named Cupcake (the Bunnysaurus Rex), Fudgie (the Trihareatops)[[note]]Fudge in the reprint[[/note]], and Waffles (the Rabbidactyl).
55	* EmpathicWeapon: The Robot himself.
56	* EverytownAmerica: Squeakyville.
57	* {{Expy}}: Before the reboot, the Robot looked almost identical to WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant, except with mouse ears.
58	* FourFingeredHands
59	* FossilRevival: General Jackrabbit uses his DNA with fossil skulls to create the Jurassic Jackrabbits. Sounds a lot like ''Film/JurassicPark''.
60	* FunnyAnimal: The entire cast save the Robot.
61	* GentleGiant: The Robot.
62	* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: The first seven books were rereleased in May, July, and August 2014, with new full-color artwork by Dan Santat, who also did the artwork for the last two books.
63	* HairRaisingHare: General Jackrabbit, the villain of the fifth book. The Jurassic Jackrabbits also count before Ricky turned them good.
64	* HeelFaceTurn:
65	** The Jurassic Jackrabbits at the end of the fifth book, who become Lucy's pets and help her, her cousin, and the Robot in their adventures.
66	** Nigel and Clancy, President Penguin's chief guards, who intervene to save Lucy after their president subdues her and her pets and become their home dwarf planet's presidents afterward.
67	* {{Humble\| Hero}} KidHero: Ricky.
68	* HumongousMecha: The Robot, again. Note that this is only in relation to a mouse, in human size, he's only 2.5 feet.
69	** On the villains's side, there's the Major Monkey's Orangu-Tron in ''Mecha-Monkeys from Mars'' and Uncle Unicorn's Ladybot in ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus''.
70	* HypnoRay: There's one built by the villains in ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus'' to [[MassHypnosis hypnotize everyone in Squeakyville to give them all of the town's food supply]]. Then the villains from ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'' build one to make the Robot fall in love.
71	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Ricky in the first book.
72	* IronicEcho: When Ricky meets up with his uncle and aunt, they both subject him to a tight handshake and sloppy kiss, saying "nobody wants a wimpy handshake" and "everyone loves kisses" respectively. The Robot then decides he wants to try too and gives them a taste of their medicine, while Ricky giggles and repeats their words.
73	%%* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl
74	* LandfillBeyondTheStars: In this series, the planet Saturn has become a massive dumping ground due to all the stinkbugs making it so. If you've read the story, you'll see ''exactly'' what we mean. Uranus is also one, with Uncle Unicorn having turned the planet into a radioactive waste dump.
75	* LifesavingMisfortune: Ricky being grounded from watching television is the reason why the Venusian vultures were unable to brainwash him during their initial invasion.
76	* MadScientist: Every single villain.
77	* MassHypnosis: In ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus'', the eponymous vultures hypnotize the citizens of Squeakyville into giving them all of their food after they all watched TV last night. Since [[LifesavingMisfortune Ricky was grounded from watching during that time, he's the only mouse unaffected]].
78	* MindControlEyes: The citizens of Squeakyville in ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus'', and the Robot in ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus''. They all have the spiral-eyed variation.
79	* MosquitoMiscreants: Mr. Mosquito summons up a whole horde of these to invade Earth in a bid to [[HomeworldEvacuation escape]] from Mercury's [[HailfirePeaks horrible climate]].
80	* NiceMice: Ricky and most of the other Squeakyville citizens.
81	* OncePerEpisode:
82	** The Robot fighting the villains and throwing the chief one to jail.
83	** Then there's "Flip-O-Rama", like in ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants''.
84	* PlutoIsExpendable: Scientists in Squeakyville no longer considering Pluto a "real" planet is President Penguin's motivation for attacking Earth.
85	* PresidentEvil: President Penguin, who invades the Earth [[EvilIsPetty because it stopped classifying Pluto as a planet]].
86	* PunnyName: Ricky's full name is a play on both the word "ricotta"[[note]]which is cheese; in fictional works, mice are obsessed with cheese[[/note]] and the name of actor Desi Arnaz's character, Ricky Ricardo, from the show ''Series/ILoveLucy''. His [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Annoying Younger Cousin]] Lucy is also a reference to the show.
87	* PutOnAPrisonBus[=/=]FallingIntoJail: Every book ends with the VillainOfTheWeek getting locked up in the same prison building, which gets increasingly full as the series goes on -- and just so happens to have nine windows for all nine villains.
88	* RobotBuddy: One that's also a HumongousMecha.
89	* RodentsOfUnusualSize: The Mighty Robot's head looks vaguely like a mouse.
90	* ShoutOut:
91	** One book features "Hate Potion #9", a reference to the song "Love Potion No. 9".
92	** The aforementioned PunnyNames of Ricky and Lucy are a reference to ''Series/ILoveLucy'', as are the names of Lucy's parents Fred and Ethel.
93	** One chapter is titled "[[Music/TheBeatles Lucy in the Sky with Rubies]]".
94	* ShowWithinAShow: "Rocket Rodent" in ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus''. It was Ricky's favorite show. The titular character is similar to [[VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures Sparkster]].
95	* ShrinkingViolet: Ricky himself.
96	* SolarSystemNeighbors: Nearly the entire rogues gallery (with the exception of Dr. [=McNasty=] from the first book) are aliens from each of the Solar System's planets, and each of them invade Earth because of some aspect of their homeworlds that they do not like and want a better home.
97	* StrollingOnJupiter: The gas and ice giants are just as inhabited as the rest of the solar system.
98	* TagalongKid: Lucy.
99	* TakeOverTheWorld: It seems that this is the intent of every villain in the series. For Dr. [=McNasty=], he simply wants to take the city over. For the other villains, they just aren't content with living on their home world for one reason or another. Admit it. None of them have ever played ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'', so none of them know that in the game, there are technologies that can improve a planet's climate.
100	* ThemeNaming: Lucy is named after Creator/LucilleBall, who had a TV show called ''Series/ILoveLucy'', where she was married to a musician named "Ricky Ricardo". Also, Lucy's mother and father, Aunt Ethel and Uncle Freddy, were named after Fred and Ethyl Mertz, two other characters from the same show.
101	* TickleTorture: Done by Ricky to Victor von Vulture in order to escape him in ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus''.
102	* TiedTogetherShoelaceTrip: How the Ladybot is ultimately defeated in ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'', courtesy of the Jurassic Jackrabbits.
103	* TinCanRobot: Well, the Robot.
104	* TryAndFollow: In ''Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'', Ricky does it to [[UnwantedAssistance Lucy]] by telling her that everything she loves would be destroyed. [[BerserkerTears She bursts into tears.]]
105	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The Robot in the first book, towards Dr. [=McNasty=].
106	* {{Unicorn}}: Uncle Unicorn and his Uranium Unicorn flunkies.
107	* UnnamedParent: Ricky's parents are only known to the audience as "Ricky's mom" and "Ricky's dad".
108	* VersusTitle: Every single book '''''ever'''''. Except for the first one, at least.
109	* VileVulture: ''Ricky Ricottas Mighty Robot vs. the Voodoo Vultures from Venus'' has the titular heroes fight Victor von Vulture and his army of alien vultures. The vultures perform a MassHypnosis on Squeakyville to force the residents to give them all their food.
110	* TheVonTropeFamily: Victor von Vulture is the BigBad of ''Voodoo Vultures from Venus''.
111	%%* WhatMeasureIsANonCute
112	* WorldOfFunnyAnimals: Solar system, actually.
113	* YouDirtyRat: Dr. [=McNasty=] in the first book.

Context Literature / RickyRicottasMightyRobot