The Invention Exchange is a ritual popularized at the Gizmonic Institute whereby inventors demonstrate a recent invention for each other. As practiced by the participants in the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" experiment, it serves as an informal contest, with each side trying to "win".
Joel Robinson, as an inventor, enjoyed and encouraged the Invention Exchange. Whenever he wasn't able to show off his invention, it seemed to bother him. His replacement, Mike Nelson, on the other hand, was not naturally inclined to such a scientific endeavor and the practice gradually diminished during the first few months of his captivity, until it ceased altogether.
When Kinga Forrester revived the experiment, she also revived the practice, "competing" with Gizmonic employees (and new test subjects) Jonah Heston and Emily Connor.
List of Invention Exchanges[]
Joel Robinson Era[]
Episode | Joel's Invention | The Mads' Invention |
---|---|---|
101- The Crawling Eye | Electric bagpipes |
Canine antiperspirant |
102-The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy | Airbag helmet |
"Chalk Man" record and security system |
103- The Mad Monster | Hell-in-a-handbag |
Acetylene-powered thunder lizard |
104- Women of the Prehistoric Planet | Toilet paper in a bottle |
Clay and Lars' Flesh Barn |
105- The Corpse Vanishes | Chiro-gyro |
Flame throwing flower |
106- The Crawling Hand | Safety saw |
Limb lengthener |
107- Robot Monster | Cumber-bubble-bund |
Methane whoopee cushion |
108- The Slime People | Cartoon eyeglasses |
Screaming cotton candy |
109- Project Moon Base | Juggling water |
Insect-a-sketch |
110- Robot Holocaust | Nitro burning funny pipe |
Stocking mask of the future |
111- Moon Zero Two | Teleporting food |
Celebrity mouth to mouth toothpaste |
112- Untamed Youth | Never-light pipe |
Tongue puppets |
113- The Black Scorpion | Giant party favor |
Mads have mutated |
201- Rocketship X-M | BGC-19 drum machine |
BGC-19 drum machine |
202- The Side Hackers | Joel's pet slinky |
Dr. F.'s slinky body |
203- Jungle Goddess | Radio controlled circular saw |
Dr. F.'s head is fused to a sax |
204- Catalina Caper | Tickle bazooka |
Tank tops |
205- Rocket Attack U.S.A. | Candy adding machine |
Water-polo foosball |
206- Ring of Terror | Pin-bolus |
Life-size "Operation" game |
207- Wild Rebels | 3D pizza |
Hobby hogs |
208- Lost Continent | No time for invention |
Exercise variations |
209- The Hellcats | Sign language translator |
No invention (but they do yell NOOOOO!) |
210- King Dinosaur | Incredibly stinky sweat socks |
The pocket scientist |
211- First Spaceship on Venus | Junk drawer helper |
Invention lost in MADs junk drawer |
212- Godzilla vs. Megalon | Easy-to-make Halloween costumes
|
More Halloween costumes
|
213- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster | Mind controlled guitar
|
Doggie chew toy guitars
|
301- Cave Dwellers | Smoking jacket |
Robotic arm wrestling |
302- Gamera | Endless salad bar |
Bird cage vacuum |
303- Pod People | Monster chord
|
Public domain "karaoke" machine
|
304- Gamera vs Barugon | Soda can animation |
Disco cumber-bubble-bund |
305- Stranded in Space | "Bang"-gun variations |
"Bang"-gun variations |
306- Time of the Apes | Cellulite phone
|
Miracle growth baby formula
|
307- Daddy-O | Air freshener mobile |
Alien teething nook |
308- Gamera vs Gaos | Fax tissue dispenser |
Self image printers |
309- The Amazing Colossal Man | Non-permanent tatoos |
A plant that reviews music |
310- Fugitive Alien | Musical chair
|
Eye, ear, nose, and throat dropper
|
311- It Conquered the World | The "Sony Seaman" |
Hanged man costumes |
312- Gamera vs Guiron | Collapsible trashcan |
Racy rorschachs |
313- Earth vs the Spider | CD blow drier |
Cheese phone |
314- Mighty Jack | Ear-shaped earmuffs |
Formal flippers |
315- Teenage Cave Man | Rainy day ipecacs |
Nothing (Mads fight) |
316- Gamera vs Zigra | Crow-ka-bob |
Three Stooges guns |
317- The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent | Literal "Waffle iron" |
Meat re-animator (for vegetarians) |
318- Star Force: Fugitive Alien II | The big head
|
Big noses
|
319- War of the Colossal Beast | Between-meal mortar |
Breakfast bazooka |
320- The Unearthly | Celebrity products |
Hard to swallow pills |
321- Santa Claus Conquers the Martians | Misfit toys |
Wish squisher |
322- Master Ninja I | Pop-up books for adults |
Boil-in-a-bag IVs |
323- The Castle of Fu Manchu | Extremely useful phone circuit/the big head again |
Joe Besser "Stinky" bomb |
324- Master Ninja II | Perpetual hamster habitat |
Conveyor belt buffet |
401- Space Travelers | The dollaroid |
Facial tissue |
402- The Giant Gila Monster | Sitcom radio |
Renaissance festival punching bags |
403- City Limits | Mr. meat and potato head |
Pop star Tupperware
|
404- Teenagers from Outer Space | Scratch and sniff report cards |
Resusci-Annie ventriloquist doll |
405- Being from Another Planet | Jack Palance impersonation kit |
Tragic moments figurines |
406- Attack of the Giant Leeches | Insty-adolescence kit |
Patches the leech |
407- The Killer Shrews | Jim Henson's Edgar Winter Babies
|
The Mads try to destroy the Earth |
408- Hercules Unchained | The Steve-O-Meter |
Decorator Roaches |
409- The Indestructible Man | Cereal Novels |
Secret Invention |
410- Hercules Against the Moon Men | Super freak-out kit |
Deep Hurting!
|
411- The Magic Sword | Big gulp berets |
Designer bio-hazard absorbent throw pillows |
412- Hercules and the Captive Women | The womb mate |
The lawn baby |
413- Manhunt in Space | Recycled paper clothing |
Beanbag pants |
414- Tormented | Aunt Catherine Wheel |
Drinking Jacket |
415- The Beatniks | Pocket pool |
Good-Luck Troll costumes |
416- Fire Maidens of Outer Space | Nike Air Chalada |
Big checkbook |
417- Crash of Moons | Rock and wreck guitar |
Sugary Deep 13 toothpaste |
418- Attack of the the Eye Creatures | Funny gag fax |
Router Ouija board |
419- The Rebel Set | Abstract paint-by-number kit |
Quick primp kit |
420- The Human Duplicators | Beanie chopper |
William Conrad fridge alert |
421- Monster A-Go Go | Non-violent action figures |
Johnny Longstorso |
422- The Day the Earth Froze | Snacktion |
Unhappy meals |
423- Bride of the Monster | Microwave Faith popcorn | The tough love seat |
424- "Manos" The Hands of Fate | The cartuner
|
Chocolate bunny guillotine
|
501- Warrior of the Lost World | Bittersweet Hearts |
The square master |
502- Hercules | Instant karma |
Cellular desk |
503- Swamp Diamonds | Andrew Lloyd Weber Grill |
U-View |
504- Secret Agent Super Dragon | Micro-golf |
Virtual comedy |
505- The Magic Voyage of Sinbad | Rat Pack chess set |
Chinderwear |
506- Eegah | Pork-orina |
Replacing Frank's blood with anti-freeze |
507- I Accuse My Parents | Junk drawer organizer |
Cake 'N' Shake |
508- Operation Double 007 | Sarah the bobbin buzzard |
Lederhosen-hosen |
509- The Girl in Lovers Lane | Doc Martens for Don Martin |
Evil baseball promotions |
510- The Painted Hills | Back-talk |
Cholester-do all |
511- Gunslinger | New whiffle items |
The scanner planner |
512- Mitchell | Daktari stool |
None (Mads are being audited) |
Mike Nelson Era[]
Episode | Mike's Invention | The Mads' Invention |
---|---|---|
513- The Brain That Wouldn't Die | The gutter bumber shoot |
The dream buster |
514-Teen-Age Strangler | The waiter-baiter |
Frank-n-Forcer |
515- The Wild Wild World of Batwoman | Razor-back |
Atomic powered hair dryer |
516- Alien from L.A. | Fridge udders |
Vend-a-gut |
517- Beginning of the End | New playing cards |
Re-comfy bike |
518- The Atomic Brain | The Mads |
Crow and Tom Servo |
519- Outlaw | Fabio Kit |
Really real time machine |
520- Radar Secret Service | Mike's Rope |
Hypno Helio Static Statis, containing X-4 |
522- Teen-Age Crime Wave | Escape via rocket pack |
Mace Mousse |
601- Girls Town | The Power Steves |
Umbilicus |
602- Invasion USA | Mike's Robot |
Crow's Wire Mother & the Dr. Forrester Doll |
612- The Starfighters | Cowboy Mike's Red Hot Ricochet Barbecue Sauce |
Cranial Ports |
Revival Era[]
Episode | Jonah's Invention | The Mads' Invention |
---|---|---|
1101 - Reptilicus | Bubble Fan |
N/A |
1102- Cry Wilderness | Turkey-Theremin |
Carvel Clock |
1103- The Time Travelers | Dr. Crow's Old Time Edible Silica Packets |
Afterlife Alert |
1104- Avalanche | Mouth Vacuum |
Don la Font-aine 3000 |
1105- The Beast of Hollow Mountain | Disco Cannon |
Titanic Hot Water Cannon |
1106- Starcrash | BB-Servo |
Band-eat-o |
1107- The Land that Time Forgot | M. Night Shyamalan Living |
Elder Pump |
1108- The Loves of Hercules | Fried Turkey Dunk Tank |
Mexican Jumping Beanbag Chair |
1109- Yongary - Monster from the Deep | Tiny Desk |
Hitler Coffee |
1110- Wizards of the Lost Kingdom | Verbal Smoke Bombs |
Sponsor Clock |
1111- Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II | GIF Notes |
Punt Bunnies |
1112- Carnival Magic | Yeasta Pet |
Flavor Sweat |
1113- Il Natale Che Quasi Non Fu (The Christmas that Almost Wasn't) | Re-Gifter |
Humbug FM |
1114- At the Earth's Core | Permanent Temporary Tattoos |
Rip Taylor Urn Cannon |
1201- Mac and Me | Spez dispensors |
Algernon |
1202- Atlantic Rim | Inflatable Air-Dancer Organ |
Supposi-Stories |
1203- Lords of the Deep | Hand-Dryer Air-Hockey Table |
Drone Probes |
1204- The Day Time Ended | Fortune Meal |
Spray-On Mustard Gas |
1205- Killer Fish | Alchemy Glue |
Time-Travel Oven |
1206- Ator, the Fighting Eagle | Swiss Army Cheese |
Totino's Pizza Roll Popper |
1301 - Santo in the Treasure of Dracula | Crow's Blinkers |
The Kingadome |
1302 - Robot Wars | Meat Cute |
The Simulator of Love |
1303 - Beyond Atlantis | Mech Hands |
Plantsodyne |
1304 - Munchie | Sustain-A-Band |
Deadmill | |
1305 - Doctor Mordrid | Gilbert & Sulli-Phone |
Palm Greaser |
1306 - Demon Squad | Mood Globe |
Electric Lassos |
1307 - Gamera vs Jiger | Tele-Graph |
Plasmanator |
1308 - The Batwoman | Vin Diagram |
Duck Tape Dispensor |
1309 - The Million Eyes of Sumuru | Business Skittles |
Mug of Doom |
1310 - H.G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come | Roller Coaster |
Corn Cob Turkey Holder |
1311 - The Mask | Multi-Mask |
MeJa Board |
1312 - The Bubble | Pop Duster |
Lens-Be-Safe |
1313 - The Christmas Dragon | B-52's Wig / Perpetual Motion Machine / A Paperweight That Looks Just Like a Cinder Block |
Missile Toe |
Behind-the-scenes[]
The Invention Exchange was created to feature the "prop comedy" humor of show creator and original host Joel Hodgson.
Once Michael J. Nelson was in the lead, the first several episodes continued the invention exchanges, but the segment was soon phased out to accommodate Nelson's (less prop-oriented) brand of humor.
When the series was revived 18 years later with Hodgson at the helm, the Invention Exchange returned with host Jonah Ray.