The Funky Phantom
Encyclopedia
The Funky Phantom was a Saturday morning cartoon
, produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions
by Australia
n production company, Air Programs International in 1971 for ABC
.
, The Funky Phantom featured three teenagers — Skip, April and Augie — and their dog Elmo. While trying to get out of a storm when driving the Looney Duney, they entered an old house where the longcase clock
was wrong. Upon setting the clock to midnight, it released two ghosts: a Revolutionary War
-era ghost named Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore and his cat, Boo. The two stumbled upon two Redocats
they stumbled upon and ended up hiding inside the clock during the Revolutionary War, but then couldn't get out and eventually died inside. Ever since being freed by their new friends, Mudsy and Boo have accompanied them on many mysteries, always giving an invisible helping hand.
The voice of Mudsy was provided by Daws Butler
and was identical to his voice work for the character Snagglepuss
, even down to the use of Snagglepusses catchphrases, such as appending sentences with the word "even".
In the 1970s, comic books of The Funky Phantom were released by Western Publishing
and Gold Key Comics
. The comics were both original stories as well as adaptations of some of the TV episodes. The stories in the comics, however, took a different turn from the TV episodes, as on the show, the "ghost" was always a villain in a mask (like Scooby-Doo
). In some of the original comic stories, the villains would often turn out to be other ghosts from on or around the colonial era. (The show never addressed why it seemed that there were no other ghosts besides Mudsy and Boo.) The comics even did a twist on the series when the gang traveled back to colonial times via an erratic time machine, only to find out that the kids are now the ghosts (the machine could only transport spiritual matter) and Mudsy is once more inside a flesh-and-blood body.
Also, the comics introduced a new regular character who never appeared in the show. Priscilla Atwater, a ghostly matron from Mudsy's time, who lusted after Mudsy and pursued him actively, although she tended to flirt with about any other ghost who came along.
released The Funky Phantom: The Complete Series on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
, produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n production company, Air Programs International in 1971 for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Plot
Similar to Hanna-Barbera's successful Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!Scooby-Doo, Where are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 a.m. EST and ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. Twenty-five episodes were produced...
, The Funky Phantom featured three teenagers — Skip, April and Augie — and their dog Elmo. While trying to get out of a storm when driving the Looney Duney, they entered an old house where the longcase clock
Longcase clock
A longcase clock, also tall-case clock, floor clock, or grandfather clock, is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower, or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are commonly 1.8–2.4 metres tall...
was wrong. Upon setting the clock to midnight, it released two ghosts: a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
-era ghost named Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore and his cat, Boo. The two stumbled upon two Redocats
Red coat (British army)
Red coat or Redcoat is a historical term used to refer to soldiers of the British Army because of the red uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. From the late 17th century to the early 20th century, the uniform of most British soldiers, , included a madder red coat or coatee...
they stumbled upon and ended up hiding inside the clock during the Revolutionary War, but then couldn't get out and eventually died inside. Ever since being freed by their new friends, Mudsy and Boo have accompanied them on many mysteries, always giving an invisible helping hand.
The voice of Mudsy was provided by Daws Butler
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
and was identical to his voice work for the character Snagglepuss
Snagglepuss
Snagglepuss is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon character created in 1959, a pink anthropomorphic mountain lion voiced by Daws Butler. He is best known for his famous catchphrase, "Heavens to Murgatroyd!", along with phrases such as "Exit, stage left!" Snagglepuss was originally known as "Snaggletooth"...
, even down to the use of Snagglepusses catchphrases, such as appending sentences with the word "even".
In the 1970s, comic books of The Funky Phantom were released by Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
and Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
. The comics were both original stories as well as adaptations of some of the TV episodes. The stories in the comics, however, took a different turn from the TV episodes, as on the show, the "ghost" was always a villain in a mask (like Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
). In some of the original comic stories, the villains would often turn out to be other ghosts from on or around the colonial era. (The show never addressed why it seemed that there were no other ghosts besides Mudsy and Boo.) The comics even did a twist on the series when the gang traveled back to colonial times via an erratic time machine, only to find out that the kids are now the ghosts (the machine could only transport spiritual matter) and Mudsy is once more inside a flesh-and-blood body.
Also, the comics introduced a new regular character who never appeared in the show. Priscilla Atwater, a ghostly matron from Mudsy's time, who lusted after Mudsy and pursued him actively, although she tended to flirt with about any other ghost who came along.
Episodes
- Don't Fool With a Phantom (9/11/1971) - Mudsy comes to the aid of Farmer Higgens when a mysterious villain called the Raven has been sabotaging the barnyard in order to claim the property. When the group plans to enter a local cross-country race for the money to pay off the mortgage, the Raven plans to sabotage their attempts.
- Heir Scare (9/18/1971) - The Looney Duney gets lost in a swamp and they end up outside of Conway Mansion. They end up aiding Michael Conway when he is stalked by a marsh monster that is after the Conway fortune.
- I'll Haunt You Later (9/25/1971) - Skip, April, Augie, and Mudsy stumble onto an abandoned truck somewhere in the swamp. While looking for the driver, they stumble onto a castle that is haunted by the Ghost of Jean LafitteJean LafitteJean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
. - Who's Chicken (10/2/1971) - Chickenman steals a shipment of chickens bound for Chicken Delicious owned by April's Uncle Henry.
- The Headless Horseman (10/9/1971) - The Looney Duney gets a flat tire outside of Sleepy Hollow. Skip, April, Augie, and Mudsy encounter the Headless Horseman who is targeting a descendant of Ichabod Crane.
- Spirit Spooked (10/16/1971) -
- Ghost Town Ghost (10/23/1971) - The Looney Duney arrives in the western town of Plainville where it's 50 Year Frontier Celebration is crashed by two outlawOutlawIn historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
s named Ringo and Blackie who are disguised as Bob DaltonBob Dalton (outlaw)Robert Reddick Dalton , better known as Bob Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He led the ill-fated Dalton Gang raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. Ambushed by town citizens Bob, Bill Power, Grat Dalton and Dick Broadwell were all killed.-Early life:The Dalton family...
and Jesse JamesJesse JamesJesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
. - We Saw a Sea Serpent (10/30/1971) - Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April learn about a sea serpentSea serpentA sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
called the Black Lake Creature which is scaring away the locals. They are unaware that Mr. Warnock and his henchman are using the Black Lake Creature for their own reasons. - Haunt in Inn (11/6/1971) - Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April end up staying at Widow Wilson's Inn which is haunted by a ghost that's been scaring away it's customers.
- Mudsy Joins the Circus (11/13/1971) - Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April visit the Barnaby Bros. Circus where they spot a gorillaGorillaGorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
robbing the circus. They suspect that the circus' gorilla Gigantua is behind this and eventually discover that the gorilla in question is connected to a counterfeiting operation. - Pigskin Predicament (11/20/1971) - The football playoffs between Central High and Westside is interrupted when criminals Fingers and Lefty steal the $1,000,000 necklace of Brockton Van Cleef and store it in a football which ends up in a mix-up upon colliding with the Central High team. Now Fingers and Lefty plan to reclaim the football that contains the necklace by posing as members of the other team.
- The Liberty Bell Caper (11/27/1971) - The Parafiend has stolen the original U.S.A. Flag that was made by Betsy RossBetsy RossBetsy Ross is widely credited with making the first American flag. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.-Early life:...
and leaves a poem riddle for his next caper. Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April figure out that the Parafiend is after the Liberty BellLiberty BellThe Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
. - April's Foolish Day (12/4/1971) - Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April enter the Looney Duney in the Desert Race. Known racer Winfield Wheely is hired to ride the Road Hog Roadster by Cyrus Road Hog and Winfield Wheely ends up taking April as his navigator. Yet Cyrus Road Hog has his own plans for winning the race.
- The Forest's Prime-Evil (12/11/1971) - While in the Sequoia Forest, Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April end up camping out there. The next morning, the group find tracks left by BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
and end up stumbling upon an illegal logging activity. - The Hairy Scary Houndman (12/18/1971) - Elmo is entered in a dog show. Houndman targets Mrs. Alstair's dog Cromwell yet his henchmen mistaken Elmo for Cromwell since the two dogs look alike.
- Mudsy and Muddlemore Manor (12/25/1971) - Mudsy, Skip, Augie, and April arrive at Muddlemore Manor which was a showplace for George Washington and his army. They find the place haunted by a ghost claiming to be the Spirit of '76. Meanwhile, Mayor Henry Iverson plans to have Muddlemore Manor torn down.
- Ghost Grabbers (1/1/1972) - Arriving in East Muddlemore, Skip, Augie, and April learn more of Mudsy's past where he and Boo hid in a clock upon stumbling upon two renegade RedcoatsRed coat (British army)Red coat or Redcoat is a historical term used to refer to soldiers of the British Army because of the red uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. From the late 17th century to the early 20th century, the uniform of most British soldiers, , included a madder red coat or coatee...
burying their loot. The group decides to look for the lost treasure when the hotel clerk Mr. Richford and the criminal Slippery Stark plan to capture Mudsy in order to lead them to the lost treasure by disguising themselves as the ghost of the two renegade Redcoats.
Cast
- Daws ButlerDaws ButlerCharles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
- Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore, Fingers - Tommy CookTommy CookThomas Edwin Reed Cook was an English cricketer for Sussex County Cricket Club. He was also a professional footballer with Brighton & Hove Albion and Bristol Rovers, who made one appearance for England in 1925. He later became manager at Brighton.A right-handed batsman, he played 460 first class...
- Augie Anderson - Jerry DexterJerry DexterJerry Dexter is a voice actor best known for voicing heroic young men in Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the 1960s to the 1980s. He is a California native...
- Elmo the Dog - Micky DolenzMicky DolenzGeorge Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
- Skip Gilroy - Kristina HollandKristina HollandKristina Holland , is a American actress who has performed in more than 22 television series, two films, and voiceover talent for at least two video games and has transitioned to being a professional psychotherapist...
- April Stewart - Don MessickDon MessickDonald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
- Boo the Cat, Farmer Higgins, Raven/Mr. Carter, Chickenman/Mr. Angus, Bill Sands, Hank Miller
Additional voices
- Julie Bennett - Widow Wilson
- Casey KasemCasey KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
- Winfield Wheely and Professor Lundgren - Jim MacGeorgeJim MacGeorgeJim MacGeorge is an actor and voice actor.He is probably best known for his voice roles as Beany Boy, Crowy and Uncle Captain Horatio K. Huffenpuff in Beany and Cecil, Oliver Hardy in the Laurel and Hardy cartoon series, Crazy Claws in The Kwicky Koala Show, Bort in The Mighty Orbots, Wimper in...
- - Allan MelvinAllan MelvinAllan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
- - Barney PhillipsBarney PhillipsBarney Phillips was an American film, radio and television actor.-Biography and career:He was born Bernard Philip Ofner in St. Louis, Missouri, to Harry Nathan Ofner, a commercial salesman for the leather industry, and Leona Frank Ofner, a naturalized citizen of German origin, who went by the...
- - Mike RoadMike RoadMike Road is a voice actor and a Warner Bros. television series contract player whose career dates back to the 1950s....
- - Hal SmithHal Smith (actor)Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
- Houndman/Barkley - John StephensonJohn Stephenson (actor)John Stephenson is an American actor and voice actor. He has also been credited as John Stevenson...
- Headless Horseman, Mr. Warnock, Hugo, Parafiend, Slippery Stark - George Tyler -
- Janet WaldoJanet WaldoJanet Waldo is an American actress and voice artist with a career encompassing radio, television, animation and live-action films. She is best known in animation for voicing Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop and Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats...
-
Other appearances
- Mudsy appeared in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
episode "High Speed Buggy Chase" voiced by Chris EdgerlyChris EdgerlyChristopher "Chris" Edgerly is an American actor and voice actor.Edgerly was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, he moved to Savannah, Georgia at the age of two with his mother, and two brothers...
. The question "What makes the Funky Phantom so funky?" is finally asked and answered. - Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore and his team appear in the Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated episode "Mystery Solvers Club State Finals" with Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore voiced by Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
and Boo the Cat voiced by Rick D. WassermanRick D. WassermanRick D. Wasserman is an American actor and voice actor. He is also known as Rick Wasserman.-Television:* Black Panther – Radioactive Man/Igor Stancheck* The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes – Thor, Absorbing Man...
. He and his team appear alongside other Hanna-Barbera mystery teams (consisting of Mystery Inc., Speed BuggySpeed BuggySpeed Buggy is a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from September 8, 1973 to August 30, 1975.-Production:...
and his friends, JabberjawJabberjawJabberjaw is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired from September 11, 1976 to September 3, 1978 on ABC.-Premise:...
and the Neptunes, and Captain Caveman and the Teen AngelsCaptain Caveman and the Teen AngelsCaptain Caveman and the Teen Angels is an animated series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from September 10, 1977 to June 21, 1980 on ABC....
) in a fever dream of Scooby-Doo's. When the teenage sleuths are kidnapped by a flaming skeletal spirit called Lord Infernicus (also voiced by Rick D. WassermanRick D. WassermanRick D. Wasserman is an American actor and voice actor. He is also known as Rick Wasserman.-Television:* Black Panther – Radioactive Man/Igor Stancheck* The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes – Thor, Absorbing Man...
), the sidekicks are left to solve the mystery. Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore believes Scooby cannot solve the case. It is revealed that Mudsy has been the true culprit and not a real ghost, but a down-on-his-luck actor who joined a team of teen sleuths who mistook him for a real ghost. Tired of being reduced to sidekick status, he kidnapped the teenage sleuths to finally get his revenge and send them to Africa, which was in desperate need of teen mystery solvers in his eyes. Boo the Cat then quoted "You lied to me" and attacked Mudsy. When Scooby wakes up, he finds that the State Finals have been moved to a later date with the chairman that arrived having a strange resemblance to Mudsy.
DVD release
On October 26, 2010, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
released The Funky Phantom: The Complete Series on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
External links
- The Funky Phantom according to Wingnut
- The Funky Phantom at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- The Funky Phantom at Toonarific.com
- The show's opening, on YouTube