Funky Phantom (1972) 1

Not often do we get to celebrate two holidays for the price of one within a comic book, but we do today.

Calling on The Funky Phantom to act as emcee covers both National Get Funky Day and, as a ghost, Halloween month.

This Scooby-Doo clone mimicked the tone and plot of most Mystery Gang episodes. It loosely relied on the vernacular of the day with its title to entice young viewers to tune in on Saturday mornings.

Funky Phantom (1972) 1 Gold Key

Overall, it was not one of Hannah-Barbera Productions best outings, but the animated series does have a certain dated charm after the passage of four decades.

The premise behind The Funky Phantom, as explained in the opening theme, had a trio of teens seeking shelter from a storm. Sneaking into an old house, they attempt to reset the grandfather clock only to unleash colonial-era poltergeists Jonathan Wellington “Mudsy” Muddlemore and his pet cat Boo. To escape British Redcoats during the Revolutionary War, the two hid inside the clock, but were unable to get back out and died within. Upon being released, the two buddy up with the teens and solve mysteries.

Mudsy may sound familiar to viewers. His voice acting was done by Daws Butler, better known as Snagglepuss.

The series lasted a mere 17 episodes while a comic book version saw 13 hit newsstands. Gold Key and Whitman each featured adaptations of animated episodes as well as original material.

Funk as a musical genre originated in the mid-1960s featuring a mixture of soul, jazz and rhythm and blues usi

Funky Phantom (1972) 1 Whitman

ng the bass line as its guide.

The Godfather Soul James Brown is given much credit for streamlining the style. By 1976 funk had cemented itself in the mainstream that Wild Cherry produced a danceable one-hit wonder Play That Funky Music, White Boy that topped the charts September 18 of that year.

It wasn’t until after Hurricane Matthew hit Florida the Funkytown Fitness center in St. Augustine inaugurated National Get Funky Day on October 5 to get people out of “their comfort zones” and celebrate life.

To get in the groove, a recommended playlist includes: Give Up the Funk by Parliament, More Bounce to the Ounce by Zapp, Super Freak by Rick James, Brick House by the Commodores, Superstition and Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder, Get Down on It by Kook & the Gang, Funky Town by Lipps Inc and Sex Machine by James Brown.