CLUB SPONGEBOB

Episode Title: "Club SpongeBob"
Episode Airing Number: 51
Episode Production Number: 42
Original Airdate: July 12, 2002 (this was released on DVD in March of 2002)
Season: 3
On DVD: "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Third Season," "Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies," "Absorbing Favorites"
On VHS: "Sponge Buddies"
Aired With Episode: "My Pretty Seahorse"
Running Time: 11:00

Storyboard Directors: Walt Dohrn and Mark O' Hare
Storyboard Artists: Carson Kugler, William Reiss, and Erik Weise
Writers: Walt Dohrn and Mark O' Hare
Animation Director: Andrew Overtoom
Creative Director: Derek Drymon

In Brief: Squidward, SpongeBob, and Patrick get stranded in a kelp forest.

Story: While pedaling to work on his bike, Squidward discovers that SpongeBob and Patrick have a club house on top of a high vine. The boys try to convince him that he can't come in, but he makes his way up anyways. He learns that there's no room and that the club is stupid, so he pulls on a vine to get out. In the process, he accidentally catapults the club house. It lands in the middle of a kelp forest.
Stranded in the kelp forest, Squidward thinks they're done for. SpongeBob insists they'll be fine. He asks his toy, the Magic Conch, what they must do to get out. The Conch says they must do "Nothing," so Patrick and SpongeBob sit on the ground and literally do nothing. Squidward insists they must do something, so he tries finding his way out. Soon, he thinks he's out, but he's actually where he started, which is where SpongeBob and Patrick are.
Squidward sets up his own camp and cooks a bug to eat. Suddenly, an airplane is about to crash, so the pilot drops their load, which is lots of food. SpongeBob and Patrick praise the Magic Conch for their gift and eat. Squidward wants some of the food, but SpongeBob and Patrick make him ask the Magic Conch if he can eat. It keeps telling him he can't, which drives him insane.
Then, a rescuer comes to save the three. SpongeBob and Patrick are thrilled to see he also has a Magic Conch. The rescuer asks the toy what they do, and it says "Nothing." Everyone, even Squidward, obeys.

Song: "New Member Initiation"
Welcome to our club
Welcome to our club
Welcome Squidward
Welcome Squidward
Welcome Squidward
Welcome Squidward
Welcome Squidward

Quotes:
Squidward: Well, I'll let you know that I am a member of over twenty different exclusive clubs all across the sea bottom.
Patrick: What did he say?
SpongeBob: I don't know. Something about his nose?

Squidward: Oh why must every eleven minutes of my life be filled with misery? Why?
SpongeBob: Oh, cheer up Squid, it could be worse.
Patrick: Yeah, you could be bald and have a big nose.

Squidward: Well, this is the end.
SpongeBob: No it's not, Squidward.
Patrick: *building wooden coffins* It's not?

Squidward: *to SpongeBob and Patrick* But don't you two sad clowns come crying to me when your circus tent comes crashing down.

Observations:

Color Changes Squidward's bicycle wheels turn from light tan to dark brown in this episode. The stalk the club house is on later becomes a brighter green.

Disappearance After Squidward comments about the club house not having any space, Patrick's flowers on his shorts disappear for a few seconds.

Connection to Reality The Magic Conch Shell toy is a reference to a Magic 8 Ball. To get an answer from the Magic Conch to a question, the user pulls a string and it says something. For a Magic 8 Ball, you ask a question and shake the toy. The answer appears in text on a triangular sign inside the ball.

Disappearance #2 Once Squidward arrives back to the area where SpongeBob and Patrick are doing nothing, whenever the Magic Conch Shell is seen, it doesn't have its white lining it had in the shell's opening earlier. It later reappears.

Scooter The airplane pilot that drops the load on board has the voice and face of Scooter the surfer fish.

Company Name The airplane that drops all of the food into the kelp forest has a label that says "Picnic Supply inc." on the outside of it.

Candles The cake that came from the airplane has three birthday candles on it.

Similar Eating Habit Patrick also uses his mouth like a vacuum cleaner to take in food in "Grandma's Kisses."

Wrong Color The last time Squidward asks the Magic Conch if he can eat something, the closeup of his arm shown is yellow.