Captain Klutz
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Captain Klutz is a comic strip character created by Don Martin. He is a parody of superhero characters. The character originally saw print in a series of original paperback books done for the MAD paperback line, not the magazine.
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[edit] Origins
Ringo Fonebone was a hopelessly inept boy. He was utterly absorbed in reading comic books, to the point that he was kicked out of his parents' house, as well as a vocational school he tried to attend and a flophouse (the last expulsion left him in nothing but a set of red long johns). He realized what a mess his life was, and as he tried to commit suicide by hanging himself, the towel he used as a rope broke. He fell to earth, inadvertently acquiring a mask (originally a woman's hat being thrown out by her irate husband), and finally crash-landed in the middle of a robbery, in long-johns, with his "mask" and towel-"cape," distracting the robber long enough for the police to capture him. The robber's angry exclamation: "Why, you klutz!" was taken by the dazed (and temporarily amnesiac) Ringo as his name, and he responded to the officers' questions regarding his identity with: "I'm...a klutz, captain." The police thought he had said he was "Captain Klutz," and the rest was history.
[edit] Adventures
Captain Klutz did not lead a luxurious life, being reduced to homelessness at various times. He was also utterly inept at crime-fighting, being stupid, easily misled, and naive. However, he usually did end up capturing the bad guy.
His main ally was Police Chief O'Freenbean, and he fought a variety of enemies, including:
- Sissy-Man
- Comrade Stupidska
- Mervin the Mad Bomber
[edit] Creators
Don Martin illustrated all the Captain Klutz stories. However, numerous writers were credited for the Captain Klutz stories. A listing of the stories, as well as the credited writers, follows.
The MAD Adventures of Captain Klutz (1967) Stories below uncredited; credited writers-Dick DeBartolo, Phil Hahn, Jack Hanrahan, Don Martin
- Prologue/Origin
- "Sissyman"
- "The Message"
- "Chicken Soup"
- "On The Elevator"
- "Gorgonzola"
- "Mervin the Mad Bomber"
MAD's Don Martin Carries On (1973)
- "The Man of 1,000 Faces (Give or Take 900)" written by Dick DeBartolo
MAD's Don Martin Steps Further Out (1975)
- "Kung Fu To You, Too!" written by Dick DeBartolo
MAD's Don Martin Forges Ahead (1977)
- "The Barfing Affair" written by Don Edwing
MAD's Don Martin Digs Deeper (1979)
- "The Gravest Show on Earth" written by Dick DeBartolo
MAD's Don Martin Grinds Ahead (1981)
- "The Cackling Cockroach" written by Don Martin
MAD's Don Martin Presents Captain Klutz II (1983)
- "To Brusha with Love" written by Don Edwing
- "The Klutz File" uncredited
- "Hollywood Whodunnit" written by Dick DeBartolo
- "The Sounds of Captain Klutz" and "The Klutz File" uncredited
- "Theme Song from Captain Klutz-The Book" written by Don Martin and Nick Meglin, music by Norm Blagman
- "The Klutz File", "Captain Klutz's Agendum for Secret Messages" and "Crimefighter's Corner" uncredited
- "The Major Catastrophe" written by Don Edwing
Additional writers: John Gibbons, Norma Martin, and Dick DeBartolo
MAD's Don Martin Sails Ahead (1986)
- "Klutzenstein" written by Don Edwing
[edit] Appearances
Captain Klutz's adventures were featured in the following volumes:
- The MAD Adventures of Captain Klutz (Signet, 1967)
- MAD's Don Martin Presents Captain Klutz II (Warner Books, 1983)
Captain Klutz stories also appeared in the following Don Martin anthologies:
- MAD's Don Martin Carries On (Warner Books, 1973)
- MAD's Don Martin Steps Further Out (Warner Books, 1975)
- MAD's Don Martin Forges Ahead (Warner Books, 1977)
- MAD's Don Martin Digs Deeper (Warner Books, 1979)
- MAD's Don Martin Grinds Ahead (Warner Books, 1981)
- MAD's Don Martin Sails Ahead (Warner Books, 1986)
