MST3K FAQ--Other media

OTHER MEDIA

Q: I heard something about a MST3K book being available. Is that true?
A: Yes! The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, from Bantam Books, hit bookstores in April, 1996.

Q: What is the book about?
A: It is "the ultimate episode guide," an episode-by-episode look at the series from the KTMA days through the end of season six (with a preview of season seven), with remembrances from the current cast (except for Bill, who wasn't officially with the show when the book was written), including Trace and Frank. Joel chose not to contribute.
(By the way, MST3K carried on with the Guide on the Web after season six. You can read the cast's observations about seasons seven here and their comments about seasons eight through ten--originally featured on the Sci-Fi Channel's Web site--here.)

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazaing Colossal Episide Guide cover
Available from Bantam Books

Q: Where can I buy a copy?
A: You may still find copies at bookstores, but perhaps your best bet is to head to a web site such as Amazon.com. The cover price is $17.95 (within the U.S.), but it's selling at book retailer websites for about $14. Its ISBN number is 0553377833.

Q: How did the book do, saleswise?
A: There were at least five printings of the book. At mid-1996, our source at Bantam said that about 51,000 copies of the book had been shipped to book stores. We were told they sold briskly for the first few weeks, but then (after all the hard-core MSTies had bought one, apparently) sales trailed off.

Q: Can I buy MST3K episodes on VHS?
A: Rhino Home Video released about 30 episodes on VHS cassette beginning in 1997 but stopped producing VHS tapes a few years later when they converted to all-DVD sales. However they are still available from many online sites. 

Q: Are any of these episodes available on DVD?
A: Yes! The following individual episodes have been released on DVD:

  • 106- The Crawling Hand
  • 209- The Hellcats
  • 424- "Manos" The Hands of Fate (with short: "Hired--Part 2")
  • 506- EEGAH!,
  • 507- I Accuse My Parents (with short: "The Truck Farmer")
  • 512- Mitchell
  • 513- The Brain That Wouldn't Die
  • 515- Wild Wild World of Batwoman (with short: "Cheating")
  • 517- The Beginning of the End
  • 619- Red Zone Cuba (with short: "Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance")

In 2002, Rhino began releasing episodes four at at time as part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection series.

  • Volume 1 includes: 204- Catalina Caper, 606- The Creeping Terror, 607- Bloodlust (with short: "Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm") and 609- The Sky Divers (with short: "Why Study Industrial Arts?")*
  • Volume 2 includes: 301- Cave Dwelllers, 303- Pod People, 622- Angel's Revenge and Mystery Science Theater: The Shorts, Vol. 1.
  • Volume 3 includes: 202- The Sidehackers, 320- The Unearthly (with shorts: "Posture Pals" and "Appreciating Our Parents"), 518- The Atomic Brain (with short: "What About Juvenile Delinquency?") and Mystery Science Theater: The Shorts, Vol. 2.
  • Volume 4 includes: 820- Space Mutiny, 822- Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, 1002- Girl in Gold Boots and episode 1009- Hamlet.
  • Volume 5 includes: 821- Time Chasers, 908- The Touch of Satan, 1003- Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders and 1006- Boggy Creek II.
  • Volume 6 includes: 511- Gunslinger, episode 404- Teenagers From Outer Space, episode 406- Attack of the Giant Leeches (with short: Undersea Kingdom Pt. 1) and Mr. B's Lost SHORTS??!! (which includes Mr. B Natural (from episode 319- War of the Colossal Beast), X Marks the Spot (from episode 210- King Dinosaur), Hired!--Part 1 (from episode 423- Bride of the Monster), Design for Dreaming (from episode 524- 12 to the Moon), Johnny at the Fair (from episode 419- The Rebel Set) and Are You Ready for Marriage? (from episode 616- Racket Girls).
  • Volume 7 includes: episode 407- The Killer Shrews (with short: Junior Rodeo Daredevils), episode 408- Hercules Unchained, episode 410- Hercules Against the Moon Men, episode 816- Prince of Space and Assignment:Venezuela (which includes Assignment:Venezuela, Century 21 Calling (from episode 906- The Space Children) and A Case of Spring Fever (from episode 1012- Squirm).
  • Volume 8 includes episode 907- Hobgoblins, episode 902- Phantom  Planet, episode 421- Monster A-Go-Go (with short: Circus on Ice) and episode 603- The Dead Talk Back (with short: The Selling Wizard.)
  • Volume 9 includes episode 104- Women of the Prehistoric Planet, 207- Wild Rebels, 613- The Sinister Urge (with short:  Keeping Clean and Neat), 812- The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (this volume was withdrawn by Rhino).
  • Volume 10 includes epsode 212- Godzilla vs. Megalon, 503- Swamp Diamonds (plus short: What To Do on a Date), 514- Teenage Strangler (plus short: Is This Love?), 810- The Giant Spider Invasion (this volume was withdrawn by Rhino and replaced in 2008 with "Volume 10.2" in which episode 212- Godzilla vs. Megalon was replaced with episode 402- The Giant Gila Monster. That episode was also sold a single-disk via Rhino's Web site.)
  • Volume 11 includes episode 206- Ring of Terror, 409- Indestructible Man, 414- Tormented, 1011 Horrors of Spider Island.
  • Volume 12 includes episode  episode 419- The Rebel Set, 504- Secret Agent Super Dragon, 612- The Starfighters, 811- Parts: The Clonus Horror.

Also, in 2004, Rhino also released a special two-DVD set:

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Essentials featuring episode 424- "MANOS"-THE HANDS OF FATE and episode 321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS. MSTies who ordered the set from a special Rhino web site also received a bonus disc, Mystery Science Theater: The Shorts, Vol. 3.

Visit Rhino's Web site here.
For a detailed look at the MST3K DVDs, click here.

Q: I remember hearing something about a MST3K CD-ROM coming out. Did it?
A: Alas, no. Due to setbacks at Voyager (the multimedia company that was slated to produce the CD-ROM), the MST3K CD-ROM project was canceled.

Q: I also remember some talk about an MST3K comic book. What's the deal on that?
A: There was some discussion of an MST3K "graphic novel" from Acclaim that would have Mike and the bots riffing on old Gold Key and Dell comics. It should be noted, however, that it always looked unlikely that MST3K's writers would actually take part in writing the comic book. Unfortunately, in a repeat of the Voyager situation, Acclaim announced a cutback in its comics production, and one of the casualties is the MST3K comic. At one point, Acclaim officials said they were considering putting the comic on Acclaim's website, but it never happened.

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