List of references in publications

This is an alphabetical list of Mario-related sightings and references in novels, comic books, comic strips, magazines, and other print publications.

For information about books starring Mario, visit the publications page.

Halloween: The Mad House
While in an arcade, a character named Brandon sights "the new Mario Brothers game".

Scott Pilgrim
The band that Scott currently plays in is named "Sex Bob-omb".

Foxtrot
10/14/1990 - The Sunday strip published on this date revolves around Jason playing Super Mario Bros., all the while Paige demands he turn the game off so she can watch Star Search. This strip is reprinted in the collection Eight Yards, Down and Out.

1/14-19,21-26/1991 - A two-week storyline where Jason gets upset that his friend Marcus has beaten Super Mario Bros. first. Attempting to beat the game himself, Jason stays up all night playing it, so Andy takes it away for two weeks, despite his complaints. She eventually gives it back to him a week early because Roger wouldn't stop playing it himself. This storyline is reprinted in Eight Yards, Down and Out.

9/??/91 - Jason begs Andy to buy him a Super Nintendo, one of his reasons being "it's got the latest Mario cartridge", and if she doesn't buy it, "I'll be stuck playing dumb ol' Mario 3 forever!" Reprinted in Bury My Heart at Fun Fun Mountain.

7/??/92 - Andy unplugs Jason's NES while he's playing Mario Bros. in order to make him come to dinner. This leads to Jason becoming so furious that he kicks his NES and destroys it. Reprinted in Say Hello to Cactus Flats.

12/17/93 - At the end of an unrelated storyline, Jason bothers Peter by holding up a game cartridge and saying, "Super Mario Universe 2 awaits..." Reprinted in Take Us to Your Mall.

2/??/97 - Jason plays a game titled Super Earthworm Mario Country 3 and has trouble finding a Blue Star in a level called the Rainbow Sewer. Paige infuriates him by suggesting he triple-jump to a ledge with a secret door (she knows this from reading the strategy guide). Reprinted in Come Closer, Roger, There's a Mosquito on Your Nose.

12/13/2005 - As part of a storyline where Jason attempts to do his own remake of King Kong, Peter wears a Donkey Kong mask and tie. Reprinted in Houston, You Have a Problem.

04/01/2006 - How Come I'm Always Luigi? is released. The cover shows Jason and Marcus pretending to be Mario and Luigi (based on a week of strips where the boys imitate video game scenarios while playing in the snow).

Howard & Nester
October 1988 - Howard gives a tip for Super Mario Bros. 2.

June 1990 - Howard and Nester debug Super Mario Bros. 3

Both these strips can be seen at The Howard & Nester Comics Archive.

Sally Forth
10/27/06 - New storyline has Sally and Ted dressed as the Super Mario Bros. for a Halloween party. Unfortunately, no one has any idea who they are supposed to be, and the closest guess is "an affront to the Italian Defamation League?" Also, a Donkey Kong-like costume can be seen in the background of one of the strips. The strips can be seen here.

Simpsons Comics
Issue #110: Bad News Bearer

Near the beginning, Bart is seen playing a Donkey Kong-like game, while Milhouse tells him what to do:

Milhouse: Come on, Bart, jump over those cement-filled barrels and make it to the top of the Gorilla Mafia ladder! Bart: I know Milhouse! I know!

Bart: Aaaah! He got me!

While on screen the characters speak:

DK (in a blue tux): I'm a legitimate business monkey!

Mario: You-a-Italian stereo-types demean us all! Mama Mia!

Near the end, Ned Flanders, after coming home from the hospital after becoming uncouncious because he played too many video games, says he'll make a mushroom pizza. In the next panel, a Toad-like being appears by Ned. In the next full page panel, Ned is Luigi, chasing him. The Simpsons are also computer Game characters. Homer is DK, Bart is Mario, Marge is Lara Croft & Lisa is Sonic the Hedgehog. Marge: Get him, Homer!

Homer: I'm on it!

Bart: Mama Mia!

Issue #130: Marge the Sellout

Marge gets into the habit of auctioning off all of the family's possessions online. She soon auctions off Bart's old video games to the chef character Luigi Risotto. After Luigi wins the auction, the next panel reveals that he has a brother; a plumber who's dressed up like Mario. The "Mario" character asks Luigi to help him fix a leaky pipe, to which Luigi responds "Hold your mushrooms! I'm-a coming!".

Nintendo World

 * Nintendo World #7 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #18 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #30 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #37 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #38 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #43 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #48 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #58 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #63 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #70 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #90 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #91 - Mario Smash Football appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #94 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #97 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #98 - Super Paper Mario appears on the cover
 * Nintendo World #99 - A Mario game appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #104 - Mario Party 8 appears on the cover
 * Nintendo World #108 - 50 mario's best power ups and special moves, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Mario Galaxy appears on the cover.
 * Nintendo World #109 - Mario Kart Wii appears on the cover.

EGM2

 * EGM2 #23, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario RPG appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #26, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 is the cover story
 * EGM2 #27, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #28, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #30, Ziff Davis Publications – Mario appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #32, Ziff Davis Publications – Mario Kart 64 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #45, Ziff Davis Publications – Yoshi's Story is the cover story
 * EGM2 #6, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 2 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #31, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 3 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #32, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 3 appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #41, Ziff Davis Publications – Diddy Kong Racing appears on the cover
 * EGM2 #43, Ziff Davis Publications – Diddy Kong Racing appears on the cover

Expert Gamer

 * Expert Gamer #58 – Mario Party is the cover story
 * Expert Gamer #59 – Super Smash Bros. Melee appears on the cover
 * Expert Gamer #69 – Mario Party 2 is the cover story
 * Expert Gamer #75 – Mario Tennis is the cover story
 * Expert Gamer #75 – Paper Mario is on the cover

Hot Dog

 * Hotdog #58, Scholastic – Mario's face is the cover.
 * Hotdog #74, Scholastic – Mario and Luigi are Fighting Bowser on the Back

Nintendo Fun Club News

 * Nintendo Fun Club News #1, Nintendo – Big article about Super Mario Bros.

Total 64

 * Total 64 #9 – Yoshi's Story appears on the cover

Nintendo Gamer/ NGamer

 * Nintendo Gamer   Mario Party 8 appears on front cover.

NGamer (spanish version)

 * Nintendo Gamer #1 - Super Mario Galaxy appears on front cover.

NGamer (brazilian version)

 * Nintendo Gamer #3 - Mario Kart Wii appears on front cover.
 * Nintendo Gamer #6 - Super Mario Galaxy appears on front cover.
 * Nintendo Gamer #8 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears on front cover.
 * Nintendo Gamer #10 - Mario Kart Wii appears on front cover.

GamePro

 * GamePro #213 - New Super Mario Bros. is on the cover.

Gamemaster

 * Gamemaster #37 - Mario is on the cover.

Disney Adventures

 * Disney Adventures Volume 9 Issue 6 (May 1999) - The "Secret Lives of Video Game Stars" feature includes a section titled "Mario's Secret Notebook" (written by Yolanda Crous), which features a satirical synopsis of Super Mario 64 from Mario's perspective.

Mad

 * Mad #292 (Jan 1990) features cover art of two Mario brothers (one of whom is wearing Fire Luigi's clothes but is otherwise identical to Mario and has an M on his cap) attacking a TV hooked up to a Neumantendo System. On the screen is a pixelated picture of Alfred E. Neuman. Despite what the cover implies, the actual article does not lampoon any existing video games.
 * Mad #457 (Sep 2005) - The cover article is entitled "50 Worst Things About Video Games" and features various video game characters on the cover, including Mario. The Mario series is referenced three times throughout the list.
 * 2 - "Console manufacturers selling systems without basic essentials like memory cards or a second controller, so you have to shell out another 60 bucks before you can see so much as a hair on Luigi's mustache."
 * 20 - "Donkey Konga, which combines the '60s-era art of bongo drumming with none of the mind-bending hallucinogens that made it tolerable in the first place."
 * 25 - "Mario's ridiculous Italian accent, which comes in just behind Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's infamous "Kill all the Haitians" message as the worst ethnic offense in gaming."

Cracked Magazine

 * Cracked #2?? (issue from 1993) features a five-page comic featuring a satirical look behind the scenes of the Super Mario Bros. movie, where the real Mario and Luigi are working as creative consultants.
 * Cracked Collectors' Edition #109 (January 1997) features a four-page comic in which Mario is interviewed about the "Ninnytendo 64". According to this comic, Mario is Nintendo's mascot because he saved all the employees when their plumbing sprang a leak. The Super Mario Bros. movie parody comic is also reprinted here.
 * Cracked Collectors' Edition #115 (July 1998) features cover art of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider coming upon skeletons resembling Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man, and Goro.

Reboot Adventure Game

 * Virtual Life: In a book based on the CGI television show, after narrowly winning a game, Enzo complains about how awful it was, and Bob replies, "At least there weren't any Italian plumbers!"

Brain Quest
In the 4th grade edition in "page" 65 ,one of the questions is "Which game is the oldest Super Mario Brothers,Monopoly or Game Boy?".