Clyde Crashcup
Encyclopedia
Clyde Crashcup is a fictional character
from the early-1960s animated television series The Alvin Show
.
) is a scientist in a white coat whose experiments invariably failed. His was the only voice heard in many of the episodes, because the other character in the series was his assistant Leonardo, who only whispered into Clyde's ear. In one episode, though, Clyde invented a wife (voiced by June Foray
, who also portrayed Rocket J. Squirrel in Rocky and Bullwinkle, among many characters). Clyde had one of the four segments, and the Chipmunks starred in the other three (two of which were musical segments). In the episode "Crashcup Invents the Birthday Party", Foray provided the (all too audible) voice for the mother of Crashcup's inaudible assistant Leonardo.
Clyde Crashcup was primarily an inventor rather than a researcher, although he tended to "invent" things which had already been invented. However, in one episode, he built a functioning time machine
. He typically would invent something by taking a pencil out of his lab coat's pocket and drawing a picture in midair of his conception: the picture would then become the actual object.
Clyde's catchphrase was to break down the name of his invention into its etonymic elements to explain his thought process. For example, when asked to justify the invention of the telephone, he would say "That's 'tele-' for tele and '-phone' for phone: telephone."
The character and his voice appear to have been based on characters from the 1930s and 1940s. The voice of the scientist in the 1943 Bugs Bunny
cartoon, Super Rabbit, is very similar; and both are similar to that of radio-era comic actor Richard Haydn
, who often played slightly befuddled or eccentric characters. As drawn, Crashcup somewhat resembled Shepard Menken's physical appearance.
Dell Comics
published 5 issues of a "Clyde Crashcup" comic book from Aug-Oct 1963 to Sept-Nov 1964. During a period spanning parts of 1963 and 1964, Dell also published a 12¢ and a 25¢ comic book titled "Alvin and His Pals in Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo", in which Clyde and Leonardo appear throughout. All were written by John Stanley
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the early-1960s animated television series The Alvin Show
The Alvin Show
The Alvin Show is an American animated television series. It was the first to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks, although a series with a similar concept The Nutty Squirrels Present had aired a year earlier...
.
Fictional character biography
Clyde Crashcup (voiced by Shepard MenkenShepard Menken
Shepard Menken was an American voice actor and character actor.Menken began his career at the age of 11, when he started appearing on children's radio programs...
) is a scientist in a white coat whose experiments invariably failed. His was the only voice heard in many of the episodes, because the other character in the series was his assistant Leonardo, who only whispered into Clyde's ear. In one episode, though, Clyde invented a wife (voiced by June Foray
June Foray
June Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
, who also portrayed Rocket J. Squirrel in Rocky and Bullwinkle, among many characters). Clyde had one of the four segments, and the Chipmunks starred in the other three (two of which were musical segments). In the episode "Crashcup Invents the Birthday Party", Foray provided the (all too audible) voice for the mother of Crashcup's inaudible assistant Leonardo.
Clyde Crashcup was primarily an inventor rather than a researcher, although he tended to "invent" things which had already been invented. However, in one episode, he built a functioning time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
. He typically would invent something by taking a pencil out of his lab coat's pocket and drawing a picture in midair of his conception: the picture would then become the actual object.
Clyde's catchphrase was to break down the name of his invention into its etonymic elements to explain his thought process. For example, when asked to justify the invention of the telephone, he would say "That's 'tele-' for tele and '-phone' for phone: telephone."
The character and his voice appear to have been based on characters from the 1930s and 1940s. The voice of the scientist in the 1943 Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
cartoon, Super Rabbit, is very similar; and both are similar to that of radio-era comic actor Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn was an English comic actor in radio, films and television.-Early life and career:Born George Richard Haydon in London, he was known for playing eccentric characters, such as Edwin Carp, Claud Curdle, Richard Rancyd and Stanley Stayle. Much of his stage delivery was done in a...
, who often played slightly befuddled or eccentric characters. As drawn, Crashcup somewhat resembled Shepard Menken's physical appearance.
Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
published 5 issues of a "Clyde Crashcup" comic book from Aug-Oct 1963 to Sept-Nov 1964. During a period spanning parts of 1963 and 1964, Dell also published a 12¢ and a 25¢ comic book titled "Alvin and His Pals in Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo", in which Clyde and Leonardo appear throughout. All were written by John Stanley
John Stanley (comics)
John Stanley was a comic book creator, best known for writing Little Lulu from 1945 to 1959. While mostly known for scripting, Stanley also was an accomplished artist who drew many of his stories, including the earliest Little Lulu issues. His specialty was humorous stories, both with licensed...
.
Appearances
In The Alvin Show, Clyde Crashcup appeared in the following segments:- Crashcup Invents Jokes
- Crashcup Invents Self-Preservation
- Crashcup Invents Glass
- Crashcup Invents the Chair
- Crashcup Invents the West
- Crashcup Invents Baseball
- Crashcup Invents the Bathtub
- Crashcup Invents the Wife
- Crashcup Invents Flight
- Crashcup Invents the Baby
- Crashcup Invents the Stove
- Crashcup Invents Music
- Crashcup Invents First Aid
- Crashcup Invents Electricity
- Crashcup Invents Egypt
- Crashcup Invents the Bed
- Crashcup Invents the Telephone
- Crashcup Invents Do-it-Yourself
- Crashcup Invents the Time Machine
- Crashcup Invents the Shoe
- Crashcup Invents Physical Fitness
- Crashcup Invents the Ship
- This is Your Life, Clyde Crashcup
- Crashcup Invents the Birthday Party
- Crashcup Invents Self-Defense
- Crashcup Invents Crashcupland
Other media
- In 1981, Crashcup appeared on the TV-special A Chipmunk ChristmasA Chipmunk ChristmasA Chipmunk Christmas is an animated christmas television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It aired on the NBC television network in 1981, nine years after the death of Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. . This was the first time that Alvin, Simon and...
, in a dream sequenceDream sequenceA dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
; he told Alvin that he'd just invented Santa ClausSanta ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. Shepard Menken reprises Clyde Crashcup.
- Crashcup later had a special guest spot in the modern Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
1990 episode "Back to Our Future," in which he showed up in the time of the new show with a time machine and brought the modern Chipmunks back to his time, where they temporarily switched places with the Alvin Show Chipmunks. It was later released on VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
on April 14, 1994, as The Chipmunks Go to the Movies.