Joel Robinson was a character on the Peabody Award-winning television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was portrayed by the creator of the series, Joel Hodgson. Joel was the host of MST3K from 1988 to 1993. Episode #512, "Mitchell", was his last episode as host; beginning with the following episode (#513 The Head that Wouldn't Die ) he was replaced by Mike Nelson, played by series head writer Michael J. Nelson.

The character of Joel escaped the Satellite of Love in an previously undiscovered escape pod mislabeled as a crate of "Hamdingers ." After his departure he returned just once in the show's final season (episode 1001: Soultaker), having turned the escape pod into a homemade spaceship. He returned to the S.O.L. to make repairs and give Mike a pep talk. Since leaving the ship Joel had traveled around the Australian outback doing pyrotechnics for the band Man or Astroman . He now works at a Hot Fish Shop in Osseo.

Joel's tenure as host was marked by "invention exchanges," where Joel and his mad scientist tormentors would come up with wacky inventions in a contest with each other. This worked well for creator Hodgson, who was a gifted prop comic.