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| This article is about the 2017 issue. You may be looking for the 2014 issue, the Steven & The Crystal Gems issue, or the Steven Universe: Harmony issue. |
"Issue 3" is the 3rd issue of the 2017 Steven Universe comic series published by KaBOOM! Studios and the 11th issue overall.
Synopsis[]
When the local business owners in Beach City start to feel the economic pinch during the tourist off-season, Mayor Dewey and Buck come up with a solution: food trucks![1]
Plot[]
Mayor Dewey walks in to Fish Stew Pizza one rainy day to find both Steven and his son Buck Dewey at a table making zines. Steven makes a magazine naming and rating the local seagulls, while Buck removes all of the letters 'B' from a tourist map. The Mayor asks Nanefua about business in the winter, which turns out to quite slow - though it should pick up once spring comes around. Buck states that 'Beaches are the only thing this town has going for it', which prompts Mayor Dewey to lead a brainstorming session. Steven quickly suggests a Reptile Petting Zoo, which is quickly cut off by Buck's idea of Food Trucks. Nanefua is confused as to how food trucks will bring customers to her storefront, but the Mayor decides that it is worth a try.
At the 'Beach City Food Truck Rally', many different trucks - from 'Literally Just Toast' to 'Quinoaffles' to Beach City's own 'Fish Stew Pizza' (Better than it sounds™!) Steven helps Nanefua to make some money through the window of Greg Universe's Truck. Much to his dismay, Steven was only able to sell a pizza to the owner of the truck, Greg, in which he hopped out of his seat, ran to Fish Stew Pizza and came back with the boxed pizza.
Once the Rally ends, Buck comes up to Steven and alerts him that his 'zine, 'Squawk' is a hit. They are soon joined by a happy and now-rich Mayor Dewey, congratulating his son on his wonderful idea, but the Mayor soon learns that the workers at Fish Stew Pizza, Beach Citywalk Fries and Big Donut are quite annoyed that their usual customers didn't come around - even worse than the regular off season. The crowd is even put off with Buck's ambition to eventually upgrade to Food Airplanes.
A while later, Steven enters Big Donut and offers to trade one of his issues of 'Squawk' for a donut - to which Sadie presents a counter-offer: two donuts for the magazine. Before the trade can be done, though, Mayor Dewey interrupts, announcing that he would be buying, while flashing a new poster - this one for a 'Beach City Off-Season Community Picnic'.
The Mayor buys 12 boxes of donuts as well as a multitude of foodstuffs from the other local businesses before starting the whole thing up.
A lot of people are there - the Crystal Gems, the Frymans and various others from Beach City. Buck, however, sits in the outskirts, soon to be joined by the group of people reading 'Squawk' during the Rally. While Buck states that it's just 'this boring picnic that the mayor threw together', the visitors ignore this and then join in with the fun.
Mayor Dewey then credits his son with the amazing idea to have a picnic in the first place - which he then charges for with an increase in the hug tax.
Features[]
Characters[]
- Steven Universe
- Mayor Dewey
- Buck Dewey
- Nanefua Pizza
- Mr. Fryman
- Greg Universe
- Lars Barriga
- Sadie Miller
- Harold Smiley (cameo)
- Sour Cream (cameo)
- Yellowtail (cameo)
- Jenny Pizza (cameo)
- Kiki Pizza (cameo)
- Kofi Pizza (cameo)
- Ronaldo Fryman (cameo)
- Peedee Fryman (cameo)
- Onion (cameo)
- Jamie (cameo)
- Garnet (cameo)
- Amethyst (cameo)
- Pearl (cameo)
- Peridot (cameo)
- Lapis Lazuli (cameo)
Locations[]
- Beach City
- Fish Stew Pizza
- Dewey Park (debut)
- Big Donut
- Museum of Extraterrestrial Science and Technology (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- On the poster advertising the rally, you can see that it took place 'Every Sat[urday]' from '12pm. to 5pm.'
- The poster also supplied tearable slips with the telephone number '555-0855'
- It is revealed that Ronaldo runs a museum of extraterrestrial science and technology.
Cultural References[]
- Steven mentions that Buck is helping him make zines, which are a self-published work containing original texts and images.
- This may be a nod to the 2014 Steven Universe comics, which were presented as a series of zines.
- It is possible to see Lance and Keith from the Netflix series Voltron by one of the trucks during the Beach City Food Truck Rally.
- A background character mentions that Steven's seagull rating zine, "Squawk", is similar in name and function to Yelp, a service used to rate local businesses.
- The three character's that compliment Steven's zine are references.
- The purple-haired character resembles Amdusias from the comic "Floraverse", while the blond-haired character resembles Beleth. Melanie Harring, the creator of Floraverse, has illustrated some covers for the Steven Universe comics in the past.
- The character with glasses resembles Dan Harmon, co-creator of Rick and Morty. Katy Farina has done illustrations on various official comics for the aforementioned series.
- One of the food trucks is named "Haute Daugs". This may reference the real life restaurant "Haute Dogs".
Continuity[]
- When Buck explains how food trucks might attract tourists, he says "no rules, no regulations, just the open road, and lots of cilantro."
- This may be a loose quote from The No Home Boys, as Steven reads "no past, no future, just the open road" when he is explaining the plot of the book series in "On the Run".
- Peridot can be seen drawing a Camp Pining Hearts OC, while Onion can be seen drawing Ranger Guy, referencing the G.U.Y.S. figurine from "Onion Trade".
Cover Gallery[]
