Hong Kong Phooey

    (Charlton, 1975-1976)
™ and © Charlton Publications, Inc.

Out of the filing cabinet and into the frying pan! Mild mannered police station janitor Penrod “Penry” Pooch uses the office filing cabinet instead of a phone booth when he changes into his caper-busting alter ego Hong Kong Phooey. As Hong Kong Phooey he finds himself in the middle of trouble while solving crimes with his trusty feline sidekick Spot. The title may be “Hong Kong Phooey” but Spot saves the day more often Phooey realizes or would ever admit.

This Charlton comic series is based on the short-lived, 1970s Hanna Barbera cartoon of the same name. The character attempted to capitalize on what was then a high level of interest in martial arts related material and police dramas. Given that Penry learned his art from a correspondence program and frequently referenced the course’s manual, it might even be said that the character reflected a satirical view of the fad. Unfortunately, neither the cartoon (16 original episodes*) nor the comic book (9 issues**) were long for this world; but, for those growing up in the 1970s both have a nostalgic place in our hearts.

Hong Kong Phooey also appeared in Marvel’s Laff-a-lympic series.
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