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| | ''The doll and the logo'' |
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| [[File:Kick The Cheat.PNG|[[File:Kick_The_Cheat.PNG|180px|thumb]]]] | | ''This article is about the discontinued talking doll.'' ''For the [[Games|game]], see [[Kick The Cheat (game)]].'' ''For the [[Running Gags|running gag]], see [[Kicking The Cheat]].'' |
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| | '''Kick The Cheat''' (also known as '''Kick The Cheat The Cheat''') is a plush doll of [[The Cheat]] that first appeared in [[Everybody Knows It]] (as a unique, handcrafted doll with a few differences) before being sold in the [[Store Toys|Store]] for a brief time. It is equipped with a voice box, so it alternates between four different [[Lack of Intelligible Speech|The Cheat noises]] when struck or [[Kicking The Cheat|kicked]]. It is 10 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 30 inches around. |
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| [[File:Kick The Cheat.PNG|[[File:magnify-clip.png|15px|thumb]]]] | | It was first made available for purchase on the [[Flash Store]] on February 16, 2004. It cost $32 at first, but the price was eventually raised to $39. A [[Kick The Cheat (game)|promotional game]] was made around the same time. It sold out sometime after January 2005, but was brought back due to popular demand on September 12, 2005. The doll was finally sold out in December 2007. Despite being discontinued, the dolls continue to make appearances in the [[Homestar Runner (body of work)|Homestar Runner]] body of work. |
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| | Kick The Cheat dolls are prominently featured in [[Puppet Stuff]]. In some early toons, a regular doll was used in place of The Cheat, instead of the unique [[Puppet Character Variations|handcrafted version]] of the doll. In [[Decemberween Dangeresque]], Kick The Cheat dolls are used as puppet versions of [[Gunhaver]], [[Reynold]], [[Fightgar]], and [[Crackotage]], with the unique handcrafted doll in the role of [[Firebert]]. In September 2020, a [[Kick The Cheat Voicebox Replacement Surgery|Kick The Cheat voicebox replacement surgery]] tutorial was posted on [[YouTube]], with instructions to replace the doll's batteries. |
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| | In November 2017, one of the last remaining Kick The Cheat dolls was offered as one of the potential prizes for donating to [[Worldbuilders]]. |
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| | == Appearances == |
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| ''This article is about the plush.'' ''For the [[Games|game]], see [[Kick The Cheat (game)]].'' ''For the [[Running Gags|running gag]], see [[Kicking The Cheat]].''
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| '''Kick The Cheat''' (also known as '''Kick The Cheat The Cheat''') is a plush doll of [[The Cheat]]. In reference to the [[Running Gags|running gag]] of [[Kicking The Cheat|kicking The Cheat]], it is equipped with a voice box and plays [[Lack of Intelligible Speech|The Cheat noises]] when kicked. Originally sold in the [[Flash Store|Flash]] and [[Yahoo Store|Yahoo Stores]] from 2004 to 2007, a revival of the toy was released by [[Fangamer]] in 2025.
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| == Contents ==
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| * [#As_Merchandise 1 As Merchandise]
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| ** [#Fangamer 1.1 Fangamer]
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| * [#In_Toons 2 In Toons]
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| * [#Appearances 3 Appearances]
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| * [#See_Also 4 See Also]
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| <span id="as-merchandise"></span>
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| == <span class="mw-headline"> As Merchandise </span> ==
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| ''See also [[Store Toys|Store Toys#Kick The Cheat]]''
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| [[File:Adopt The Cheat Foundation.png|[[File:Adopt_The_Cheat_Foundation.png|166px|thumb]]]]
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| [[File:Adopt The Cheat Foundation.png|[[File:magnify-clip.png|15px|thumb]]]]
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| Save The Cheat!
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| ''Original Yahoo storefront description:''
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| <blockquote>Frustrated? Tired of being picked on by The Man but can't do anything about it? Take out your frustrations and KICK THE CHEAT!!!<br />
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| This soft, huggable plush image of The Cheat is 11" high, 13" wide and 30" around. He's equipped with a voice box, so whenever he's kicked or struck, he screams four different exclamations in his native language of The Cheat.<br />
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| (Note: We are not responsible if you Kick The Cheat and Strong Mad comes around and busts your kneecaps)</blockquote>
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| The Cheat plushies were first mentioned as being "in the works" by [[Matt Chapman]] in a [[Homestarrunner.net Interview - 21 May 2003|May 2003 interview]]; the [[Email FAQ]] stated The Cheat plush dolls would be available "early 2004". As predicted, the plush toy was first made available for purchase on the [[Flash Store]] on February 16, 2004. After selling out sometime after March 2005, it was brought to the [[Yahoo Store]] [[Store Front Page News 2005|on September 12, 2005]] due to popular demand. Its initial price was $39 (though [[Store Front Page News 2006|sales would regularly reduce the price]] to [[Store Front Page News 2007|as low as $24]]). The toy's tag bears a [[Harmless Junk, Inc.]] copyright dated 2003.
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| A [[Kick The Cheat (game)|promotional game]] was made around the time of its initial release to market. Accessible from the Flash Store rather than any [[Games|games]] menu, the simple game featured [[Strong Bad]] using a large mechanical foot to kick one of the plush toys into a brick wall.
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| [[File:KickCheatContest.png|[[File:KickCheatContest.png|180px|thumb]]]]
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| [[Main Page Pop-Ups|A rare specimen]]
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| When less than 200 remained, [[Main Page Messages]] referred to Kick The Cheat as "endangered"; they were dubbed "extinct" when the doll sold out [[Store Front Page News 2007|in December 2007]], with the store page stating that all had "found warm, loving homes".
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| Although the toy remained discontinued, they were offered as prizes on rare occasions. A [[Store Front Page News 2009|2009 store promotion offered "the last remaining Kick the Cheat"]] as a prize: anyone making a purchase from the store during the month of June was entered into the contest. In 2017, a chance to win "one of the last remaining Kick the Cheats" [[@StrongBadActual Tweets 2017|was offered as an incentive]] for donating to [[Worldbuilders]]. Another doll was [[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|discovered in 2018]], still sealed in its bag; [[SBCG4AP Playthrough|later that year]], Matt joked that fans would have to "battle to the death" for the plushie while indicating doubtfulness and uncertainty about future plans to produce more Kick The Cheat dolls.
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| The toy's voicebox has potential to fail, especially after years of use. The store offered a 30-day warranty for defective voiceboxes. In September 2020, a [[Kick The Cheat Voicebox Replacement Surgery|Kick The Cheat voicebox replacement surgery]] tutorial was posted on [[homestarrunnerdotcom|YouTube]], demonstrating how to replace the doll's batteries. Strong Bad has also posted several times about having spare voiceboxes (occasionally referred to as "larynxes"), most prominently [[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|showing a bin's worth on Instagram]].
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| <span id="fangamer"></span>
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| === <span class="mw-headline">Fangamer</span> ===
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| [[File:Kick The Cheat comparison.jpg|[[File:Kick_The_Cheat_comparison.jpg|180px|thumb]]]]
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| [[File:Kick The Cheat comparison.jpg|[[File:magnify-clip.png|15px|thumb]]]]
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| Comparison of Fangamer (left) and original (right) varieties of Kick The Cheats
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| ''Fangamer storefront description:''
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| <blockquote>''Still'' frustrated? ''Still'' tired of being picked on by The Man but can't do anything about it? Take out your frustrations and KICK THE CHEAT!!! Again!</blockquote>
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| On February 25, 2025, a [[Fangamer|new "Kick the Cheat" plush]] was listed on [[Fangamer]] alongside [[Kick The Cheat Plush Returns!|an announcement video]]. Described as being "based on the 2004 original", the design is largely the same, with the addition of a zipper for easier access to the voice box if batteries should need replacement. An attached tag features a "[[The Cheat's Lightswitch]]" wallplate illustration, with "rave on" and "rave off" text on the plate to facilitate [[techno|throwing lightswitch raves]]. The updated version adds two new voice lines, for a total of six Cheat sounds; as an [[Easter egg]], occasionally the line "I can do it. I will do it [[Nine Times|nine times]]." from [[Crazy Cartoon|The Cheat's animation]] in [[crazy cartoon]] will play.
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| It is priced at $36. Due to strong demand, the initial stock sold out within the first day of being made available for sale.
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| == <span class="mw-headline"> In Toons </span> ==
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| [[Matt Chapman|Matt]] and [[Lucky Yates|Lucky]] (leftmost) using Kick The Cheat dolls as puppets in [[Everybody Knows It]]
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| The antecedent of the Kick The Cheat doll was [[Puppet Character Variations|a handmade plush of The Cheat]], first visible in [[Pulse Interview - 1 Aug 2003|the 2003 Pulse feature]] and officially shown in [[Everybody Knows It]]. As discussed in [[Club Aquatica Interview - 29 Oct 2003|a 2003 interview]], this was the prototype for the mass-produced dolls. This unique plush is typically used as Puppet The Cheat, with some exceptions: a Kick The Cheat doll was used as a puppet version of The Cheat in [[Puppet Time]], and [[Mike Chapman]] shows one to Puppet [[Homestar Runner]] in [[Some Puppet Stuff]].
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| In [[Dangeresque Puppet Squad: The Hot Jones Hijack]], Kick The Cheat dolls are used for the puppet versions of [[Cheat Commandos]] [[Gunhaver]], [[Reynold]], [[Fightgar]], and [[Crackotage]], while the unique doll portrays The Cheat's alter-ego [[Firebert]].
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| <span id="appearances"></span>
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| == <span class="mw-headline">Appearances</span> ==
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| * '''Debut:''' [[Kick The Cheat (game)]] | | * '''Debut:''' [[Kick The Cheat (game)]] |
| * [[Puppet Time]] | | * [[Puppet Time]] |
| * [[Some Puppet Stuff]] | | * [[Some Puppet Stuff]] |
| * [[@StrongBadActual]] tweet ([[@StrongBadActual Tweets 2017|29 Nov 2017]]) | | * [[@StrongBadActual]] Tweet ([[@StrongBadActual Tweets 2017|29 Nov 2017]]) |
| * [[Dangeresque Puppet Squad: The Hot Jones Hijack]] | | * [[Decemberween Dangeresque]] |
| * [[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|@strongbadactual]] Instagram post ([[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|21 Jul 2018]]) | | * [[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|@strongbadactual]] Instagram post ([[@strongbadactual (Instagram)|21 Jul 2018]]) |
| * [[Kick The Cheat Voicebox Replacement Surgery]] | | * [[Kick The Cheat Voicebox Replacement Surgery]] |
| * [[Kick The Cheat Plush Returns!]]
| | [[Category:The Cheat]] |
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| <span id="see-also"></span>
| | [[Category:Store]] |
| == <span class="mw-headline"> See Also </span> ==
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| * [[Puppet Character Variations]]
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| * [[Strong Bad Talking Plush]]
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| [/wiki/Special:Categories Categories]: <span dir="ltr">[[Category:The Cheat|The Cheat]]</span> | <span dir="ltr">[[Category:Toys|Toys]]</span> | <span dir="ltr">[[Category:Store|Store]]</span>
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The doll and the logo
This article is about the discontinued talking doll. For the game, see Kick The Cheat (game). For the running gag, see Kicking The Cheat.
Kick The Cheat (also known as Kick The Cheat The Cheat) is a plush doll of The Cheat that first appeared in Everybody Knows It (as a unique, handcrafted doll with a few differences) before being sold in the Store for a brief time. It is equipped with a voice box, so it alternates between four different The Cheat noises when struck or kicked. It is 10 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 30 inches around.
It was first made available for purchase on the Flash Store on February 16, 2004. It cost $32 at first, but the price was eventually raised to $39. A promotional game was made around the same time. It sold out sometime after January 2005, but was brought back due to popular demand on September 12, 2005. The doll was finally sold out in December 2007. Despite being discontinued, the dolls continue to make appearances in the Homestar Runner body of work.
Kick The Cheat dolls are prominently featured in Puppet Stuff. In some early toons, a regular doll was used in place of The Cheat, instead of the unique handcrafted version of the doll. In Decemberween Dangeresque, Kick The Cheat dolls are used as puppet versions of Gunhaver, Reynold, Fightgar, and Crackotage, with the unique handcrafted doll in the role of Firebert. In September 2020, a Kick The Cheat voicebox replacement surgery tutorial was posted on YouTube, with instructions to replace the doll's batteries.
In November 2017, one of the last remaining Kick The Cheat dolls was offered as one of the potential prizes for donating to Worldbuilders.
Appearances
