Manny Calavera
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Manuel "Manny" Calavera is the main character of Grim Fandango, a graphical adventure computer game released by LucasArts in 1998. Manny is voiced by actor Tony Plana. His last name, Calavera, means 'skull' in Spanish.
Initially, Manny appears as the Grim Reaper, escorting the newly deceased to El Marrow, entry city to the Land of the Dead. Once there, he transitions into the role of a travel agent who sells "packages" to help the soul on its journey through the Land. The packages available to travellers depend on the life they led and the money they were buried with; the righteous and kind-hearted can qualify for a comfortable journey on the "Number Nine Express" train, while the wicked and evil may get nothing more than a walking stick. For reasons he professes not to know, Manny must work in this unrewarding job for an unspecified time before he can even begin his journey. His luck with clients has been terrible; he routinely draws lowlifes who merit nothing better than a packing crate filled with foam. But when he finally manages to steal the case of Mercedes Colomar, a saintly young woman, he finds that she barely qualifies for the lowest packages. A discouraged Mercedes, who Manny knows deserved something better than a walking stick, disappears on her four-year journey on foot while Manny is otherwise preoccupied with her case. This leaves Manny to wonder if someone is tampering with the system.
Accompanied by his chauffeur Glottis (a literal speed demon), Manny discovers a sinister plot and becomes a fugitive. He leaves El Marrow to find Mercedes, with whom he fell in love at first sight, and try to set things right for her.
The game is divided into four year-long chapters, each of which begins on the Day of the Dead. On his epic journey across the Land of the Dead, Manny encounters demonic beavers, militant freedom fighters, and even slimy lawyers.
[edit] Popular culture references
The second game chapter opens to find Manny the owner of a popular bar and casino. Much of this section is an obvious homage to Casablanca, from the clothing and characters to many of the situations. His stature and dress - as well as his occupational hassles early in the game - may reflect an homage to Al Pacino, in his performance as Richard Roma in David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross."
[edit] Cameo appearances
Manny claims that he doesn't know what he did in life to deserve being stuck in El Marrow, but a possible reason appears in The Curse of Monkey Island. A pirate sitting quietly in a chicken restaurant with a serrated bread knife stuck to his back is revealed to be a skeleton who bears a strong resemblance to Señor Calavera, and who wears a button reading "Ask me about Grim Fandango." The restaurant's proprietor, Blondebeard, remarks that he complained about his chicken. Naturally, this appearance could simply be a cameo and in-joke with no deeper meaning, as is common in LucasArts games.
Manny appeared in an episode of VG Cats, called "Cats In The Cradle", where various video game characters were being talked about by their children in a class. Manny's son (created by VG Cats creator Scott Ramsoomair, like the rest of the students) said that Manny "sheds people of their mortal coil", to which Manny mentioned, "I'm a travel agent."
There is a rumor that Manny was briefly seen as a spectator at the pod race in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, but this has been verified as false.
