Long John Silver

publication date: Monday, February 12, 2018 (part of Winter 2018)

category: Piracy

clue: If you wanted to open a fast-food restaurant named for this fictional pirate, copyright lawyers would say that you don't have a leg to stand on.

explanation: The one-legged Long John Silver of Treasure Island inspired the seafood chain bearing his name. more…

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, and Lori Lancaster

trivia: Long John Silver (2009) was the very last fictional goo to be published, not counting special exceptions made for a do-over goo and a one-week theme by Matthew Preston. Fictional characters had been a part of the game since Alfred E. Neuman in Round II, but I grew increasingly uncomfortable with their presence over time. This game is supposed to be about famous people, and it's one thing to include long-dead historical figures in that definition, but people who don't actually exist do not belong. After Silver, they would not return. It didn't help that the original Silver goo was riddled with errors, hastening their demise. –Scott Hardie

20th Anniversary: Celebrity Goo Game has changed a lot since it began in February 1998. The twenty goos in this theme recreate the twenty most impactful and game-changing goos from the last two decades, in order of their influence. Happy anniversary, goo game!