Tanooki Suits Me
"Tanooki Suits Me" is aSuper Mario Bros. comic published under theNintendo Comics System brand. Unlike the otherSuper Mario Bros. comics, it was not printed in any issue of theSuper Mario Bros. comic series, but instead in the trade paperbackSuper Mario Bros.: Mario's Special Powers. "Tanooki Suits Me" is the only story in the American Super Mario cartoons or comics to feature the Tanooki Suit. The title is a pun on theTanooki Suitpower-up, which is featured in the comic, and the phrase "it suits me".
Plot synopsis[edit]
The Mushroom Castle is hosting a formal opening ceremony for its new Royal Art Gallery, in which they are able to display their royal art treasures for everyone to enjoy. At the ceremony,Princess Toadstool tellsLuigi that the gallery is also being opened because theMushroom King wants to make sure the masterpieces are all kept in one place so they will not disappear, stating that when last he counted, almost twenty paintings and sculptures were missing, with Luigi commenting that he must be a "kleptomaniac with really good taste." Toadstool then asks whereMario is, with Luigi replying that "he's around here somewhere." After Toadstool goes to get a new tray of snacks, Luigi gestures to Mario that he can come out of hiding now, but he refuses. Luigi pulls him out, saying that just because he is wearing a raccoon suit instead of a tuxedo is no reason for him to be embarrassed.
When asked why he is wearing the suit, Mario explains that, because Luigi mistakenly ordered only one tuxedo for them, he had to go to a suit rental shop, and the suit was the only one they had. Luigi remarks that maybe no-one will notice, but this is quickly disproved by the Mushroom King commenting Mario on his raccoon suit, much to the plumber's chagrin. Just then, an elderly man walks up to Mario, saying, "I couldn't help noticing yourTanooki Suit! It's been years since I've seen such a fine example of Tanooki-tailoring." The elderly man explains thatTanooki was the name ofMushroomland's first tailor, whose trademark was to sew a tail on the back of every suit he made. Adding to that, Tanooki's suits were said to possess magical abilities that could be granted to their wearers, but he was eventually forced to go out of business and soon disappeared altogether. The elderly man leaves at that point, telling Mario to take good care of the suit, for "a genuine Tanooki is rare these days!"
Mario notices a small button on the front of his Tanooki Suit and presses it in curiosity, thustransforming into a statue. Luigi, who is helping himself to the celery puffs, does not see this and, when Mario does not hear him, thinks he has gone back into hiding. At the same time, the Mushroom King is showing a painting called theMona Mushroom, by an artist namedDa Fungi, to some patrons, during which he notices Statue Mario and says to himself that he does not remember the statue being there. In his statue form, Mario is amazed that the elderly man was right about the suit having magical abilities, but cannot figure out how to change back to his normal form.
At night, after everyone else leaves, Toadstool and her father head off to bed, planning to clean up the gallery in the morning. However, once they are out of the room, twoMousers sneak in and steal all the paintings and statues, including Mario, stating their plans to sell the artwork toKing Koopa. The next morning, Toadstool comes into the gallery and, upon realizing that they have been robbed, says that she needs call Mario, unaware of his current predicament.
AtKoopa's castle, aHammer Brother asks the Koopa King why exactly he is now collecting elegant artwork. Koopa explains that he is a new kind of collector–the "artsy-crafty type"; his plan is to buy the art from the mice for a small price and sell it toWart for a much higher profit. The two Mousers then show up, bringing in the artwork they stole and Mario, who is also confused as to why Koopa would want elegant art. As the Mousers place the artwork, Koopa gives them their payment of fiftyKoopabits, with Mario commenting that he is worth at least seventy-five. Koopa then hears Wart knocking outside, so he gets the Mousers to leave by claiming the police are outside and that they should leave out the back while he covers for them.
Wart comes in to look at the artwork that the Koopa King is selling him. He notices that Koopa has theMona Mushroom and excitedly offers to pay one billion Koopabits for the painting, then at Koopa's suggestion decides to pay five billion for the entire collection; Mario realizes that Wart will take him and the artwork away toSubcon, andMushroomland will never be able to reclaim it. Just as the art is being loaded into a crate and onto Wart's forklift truck, Mario thinks "I wish I could be human again," and suddenly changes back into his Tanooki-Suited human form, much to the shock of the two villains, who mistake him for a large raccoon. Wart demands to know what is happening, so Mario makes up an explanation, telling Wart that the so-called "masterpieces" Koopa is selling him are in fact products of theApook Corporation that will turn back into worthless raccoons in ten minutes. Furious, Wart takes his money back from Bowser and starts a fight with him, during which Mario takes the forklift and drives off with the masterpieces. As he leaves, Koopa remarks to himself that "that big raccoon looks awfully familiar."
Soon after driving through the wall of the castle, Mario is congratulated by Toadstool for bringing back the stolen artwork except for "the funny-looking statue." Mario reassures her that he feels that statue "will turn up again... someday."
