Sideshow Fry

"Sideshow Fry" is the twelfth comic issue, which was released 26 March, 2003 in the US and 16 December, 2004 in the UK.

Act I
While visiting a circus, Fry is revealed to have an outie belly button which was considered ugly and no-one has had one ever since. During the show Fry and Zoidberg are brought out of the audience to feed Jumbot, a robotic elephant, but instead are crushed and thought to be dead. Fry and Zoidberg find themselves with the circus freaks since the elephant had a trap door on its foot and Fry is considered a freak with his outie belly button. Meanwhile at the circus Bender beats up the Unhuman Cannonball and steals his job for revenge from when in the army he reprogrammed Bender to cook awful meals. Harold Zoid was once one of the freaks but is replaced by Zoidberg, so he takes Zoidberg’s job and explains that Fry and Zoidberg are in the circus and not dead.

Act II
At the circus Fry falls in love with a bearded lady named Katie, and when Leela comes to rescue them he doesn’t want to leave. Leela asks Bender to help them escape and he shoots out of the cannon at 90 degrees and lifts up the tent, distracting everyone so Fry, Zoidberg and Leela can escape. Katie claims that she never loved Fry and tells them to go off without her. Jumbot tries to pull them back but Katie helps them escape.

Trivia

 * This was the last issue in the UK that was bimonthly, from then on they were monthly and split in half.

Outside References

 * The title is a reference to the character Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons.


 * Leela uses Interprize rent-a-ship. All ships available are modeled on the various Enterprises from Star Trek. "Enterprise" is a real life car rental company.


 * Leela overhears Bender singing the theme song from the 1980s TV series The Greatest American Hero.

Goofs

 * Artists for this issue confused the Thundercougarfalconbird dealer with Victor. Dialogue is written as Victor speaks, including a third-person "Beek-tor" whereas we can see the artist drew the wrong character, and no-one noticed.

Special Features

 * The Bongo Beat, news from Bongo Comics.

Characters

 * Amy
 * Bender
 * Harold Zoid
 * Fry
 * Hermes
 * Debut: Katie
 * Leela
 * Linda
 * Morbo
 * Prof. Farnsworth
 * Sal
 * Victor (in a way)
 * Zoidberg

Comic Credits

 * Script
 * Eric Rogers
 * Pencils
 * John Delaney
 * Inks
 * Phyllis Novin
 * Letters
 * Karen Bates
 * Color
 * Joey Mason
 * Editor
 * Bill Morrison