KUNG FOOL

KUNG FU
1972-1975, ABC

“Man on the run” series, the most famous of which was The Fugitive, about Kwai Chiang Caine (David Carradine), who had been trained in the martial arts in China, and had to flee after a murder and now must roam the United States to escape his would-be captors. Basically an anthology show with a different cast each week.

The show began each week showing Caine going through training, with his teacher Po (Keye Luke) telling him his training wouldn't be complete unless he could grab the pebble from his master's hand.

MAD #164, January 1974
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Angelo Torres

Caine often had flashbacks to his childhood with Po relating to the current situation. Po would call him “Grasshopper”.

Much of the railroad was built by Chinese workers.

from Singable Themes for TV Shows in MAD #168, July 1974, by Frank Jacobs and Angelo Torres.

cover to German edition

cover to Dutch edition

KUNG PHEW
Cracked #112, October 1973
a: John Severin
Master Po is not an elderly man drawn like Keye Luke in this.

Because it was network TV in the 70s, they had a Caucasian playing the part. As a Shaolin master, Caine did not believe in violence.

The motor companies used for sound effects were all Japanese but it's not like you'd refer to Cracked for lessons in Asiatic studies.

The elderly lady is Jonathan Winters as Maude Frickert. In the last panel is Frankie Laine.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID CARROTSEED
Cracked #119, September 1974
a: John Severin

There is no Kung Fu poster inside

Richard Nixon owned homes in San Clemente and Key Biscayne.

Tomorrow is the second part of the Kung Fu parodies.