Swamp Gas is a location featured in the 2020 Disney/Pixar animated feature film, Onward. It is the place where Ian and Barley plan to refill gas for their van Guinevere to continue their quest to find the Phoenix Gem.
Background
The Swamp Gas area is based on a typical gas station. Next to it is a retail shop where Pixie Dusters hang out to swarm the area. Inside it is a snack display and a soda fountain, alongside various refrigerators containing several drinks as well as lottery cards.
Role in the film
On their way to Raven's Point to find the Phoenix Gem, Ian and Barley's van, Guinevere runs out of gas, to which the elf brothers stop there to refill gas for their van, after a failed attempt to magically enlarge the gas can and the fuel within it, with Ian accidentally shrinking Barley. Upon arriving, Ian, Barley, and their late father witness an aggressive fairy named "Dewdrop" shouting at a nervous elf causing him to drop his soda. Arriving inside the retail, the group sees numerous Pixie Dusters swarming the area. Ian then asks a storekeeper to get fuel for their van just as Barley requests Ian some Cheese Puffs and a bathroom key for Barley himself to which the troll tells him that it costs $12.99 for the total due to Barley's impatience. As Ian and Barley's father taps on one of the Pixie Dusters, Ian tells Dewdrop that his father is unaware of them in the area just as Ian, Barley, and their father leave the Swamp Gas retail area.
As Ian, Barley, and their father arrive at the gas station area, Ian hears Barley arguing with Dewdrop just as Ian takes his brother and his father back to the van, unintentionally knocking down the Pixie Dusters' motorcycles, causing them to rampage towards them just as Ian, Barley, and their father escape via Guinevere. Ian then starts the engine due to Barley's diminutive size just as the Pixie Dusters chase the gang across the freeway. The area's further fate is unknown.
Trivia
- Spoofs of real-life beverages are Cloak & Cola (parody of Coca Cola), Orange Quest (possibly a parody of Fanta), Pixie Fizz (possibly a parody of Sparkling Ice), Diet King's Cola (a parody of Diet Coke), Mountain Doom (parody of Mountain Dew), Elixir (parody of Monster), and Satyrade (parody of Gatorade).
- Spoofs of real-life candies include Crowbars (parody of Butterfinger) and Sparkle Sticks (parody of Pixy Stix).
- References to Pixar media include:
- Two varieties of TripleDent Gum appear on a snack display and the retail's register.
- One of the candy bars is named "Park Avenue", named after Pixar's street address, "1200 Park Avenue".
- A Poultry Palace cup can be seen by the Sparkle Sticks box.
- The retail's bathroom key includes a license plate saying "PA2-86S". The license plate's initialism is a reference to Pixar Animation Studios and February 1986, the year Pixar was founded.
- Cheese Puffs is a parody of "Cheetos". Also, the country that manufactured it is called "Gorgon Zola's", a pun on the mythical creature "Gorgon" and the food "gorgonzola".
- References to the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" include:
- One of the snacks on display is labeled "Magic Beans", a reference to the objects the protagonist Jack received from a seller by trading his cow for magic beans, much to his mother's disgust since Jack was supposed to sell the cow for money.
- Also, one of the Pixie Dusters shouts at Ian: "Outta the way, Beanstalk."
