# Mad scientists' guild **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468 "2002-05-06T02:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/21 "2002-05-07T02:37:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hampster \* > \*\* > **Fiver** , if we include Gyro Gearloose, we’ll have to include > Gadget Hackwrench. > \*\* Good _GOD_ yes! Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/22 "2002-05-07T05:43:50Z")
Who’s Gadget Hackwrench? ---
**Author:** ![DynoSaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DynoSaur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DynoSaur)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/23 "2002-05-07T08:26:14Z")
Leonard of Quirm well, ok, maybe he’s not MAD… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/24 "2002-05-07T12:51:39Z")
Agatha Heterodyne from _Girl Genius_ comics Mr Peabody, of Wayback Machine fame. Dr. Goldfoot. Almost all the Bond villians. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/25 "2002-05-07T13:24:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Leave us not forget Pearl Unlike these other so-called ‘mad scientists,’ she’s officially accreddited! Some of my picks: Dr. Clyde Crashcup (sooooper genius) Riff from [Sluggy Freelance](http://www.sluggy.com) Dr. Jack Griffin, the Invisible Man Professor Morbius from Forbidden Planet (Or as Robbie would say, Pro-Fessor Mor-bius) Herbert West, Re-Animator The Abominable Dr. Phibes Robur, Master of the World (does he count?) Dr. Caligari Dr. Strangelove And, of course, Dr. Emilio Lizardo! “Laugh-a while you can, monkey boy!” ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/26 "2002-05-07T13:38:09Z")
do mad criminal masterminds count? Dr. Fu Manchu Dr. Bruno Mabuse The Master There was a Dr. Nikola but I don’t know much about the character. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/27 "2002-05-07T15:35:34Z")
Herbert West, from _Re-Animator_ and _Bride of Re-Animator_. Vincent Price’s character in _Edward Scissorhands_ — not an evil mad scientist mind you. Technically, not even really mad, more like lightly eccentric…but it’s Vincent Price, of which madness and evil come with the territory. Speaking of Vince, _the Abominable Dr. Phibes_. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/28 "2002-05-07T20:14:26Z")
link– [http://www.studiofoglio.com/art/gallerypages/lost/docevil.html](http://www.studiofoglio.com/art/gallerypages/lost/docevil.html) or just– [http://www.studiofoglio.com/](http://www.studiofoglio.com/) Enjoy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/29 "2002-05-07T20:37:56Z")
Agatha Heterodyne isn’t mad. We could include certain other characters from \Girl Genius\, but not Agatha. Dr. Scratchansniff from \Animaniacs.\ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/30 "2002-05-07T23:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > \*\*Agatha Heterodyne isn’t mad. We could include certain other characters from \Girl Genius\, but not Agatha. > > Dr. Scratchansniff from \Animaniacs.\ \*\* I dunno. Agatha’s been getting a little…_odd_…in the last few issues. But **not** Dr. Scratchansniff. He’s only a Hollywood shrink! He doesn’t even have a bestselling self-help book, much less his own talk show. He ain’t no scientist. Phooey. ---
**Author:** ![TigoleBitties](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@TigoleBitties](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TigoleBitties)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/31 "2002-05-07T23:22:46Z")
Have you no patronage of the ARTS??? DO YOU ALL LIVE IN CAVES?? Such Mad science and no one…NO ONE mentions the legendary Wile E. Coyote…Sooooper Genius (and yes he may have bought his stuff from Acme, but he built it all himself)😃 ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/32 "2002-05-07T23:58:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Knowed Out \* > \*\*Vincent Price’s character in _Edward Scissorhands_ — not an evil mad scientist mind you. Technically, not even really mad, more like lightly eccentric…but it’s Vincent Price, of which madness and evil come with the territory. > > Speaking of Vince, _the Abominable Dr. Phibes_. \*\* Actually, Anton Phibes’ doctorate was in music, if memory serves, so although he may be a “mad doctor,” he is not really a “mad scientist.” ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/33 "2002-05-08T00:00:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flowbark \* > \*\*The guy in The Fly (either version) \*\* You mean Andre Delambre – at least in the '58 version starring Al (later David) Hedison. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/34 "2002-05-08T00:50:09Z")
Considering all the weird killing machines Phibes made, ScriptAnalyst, not to mention the gramaphone he stuck into the back of his neck which enabled him to talk… he might not have officially been a scientist but I think he qualifies. And the acid dripping thing. That was total mad scientist down to the spiral tube. John Carradine played a Mad Scientist in quite a few movies and he was terrific each time beginning with Dr. Max Heinrich von Altermann from Revenge of the Zombies in 1943 and ending with Dr. Zeitman from Evil Spawn in 1947 with over 20 other movies in which he played a crazy academe! (No, I didn’t know that outright, I just looked it up on the IMDB)… even though the movie generally sucked. I think he gets the king of the mads award. You know who else nobody’s mentioned? The friendly, but obviously mad, scientist Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (and his assistant Beaker.) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/35 "2002-05-08T12:03:02Z")
Dr. Evil (after all, he didn’t go to Evil Medical School to be called _Mr._ Evil) I have to agree with you, **Bosda**. Although the Warners certainly made Dr. Scratchansniff go mad, he is only a simple p-sychiatrist. And **Arken** , I don’t think Clyde Crashcup was a mad scientist. Just a clumsy inventor who was probably also a compulsive liar. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/36 "2002-05-08T13:18:28Z")
Oh come on, mobo85. Is it really fair to call Clyde an inventor? He never invented anything. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/37 "2002-05-09T14:35:45Z")
**mobo85** : > [@](#): > > I have to agree with you, **Bosda**. Although the Warners certainly made Dr. Scratchansniff go mad, he is only a simple p-sychiatrist. No no, you’re both wrong. Wrong, I tell you! Dr. Scratchansniff was obviously studying the Warners for his own research; he wasn’t their therapist. I know I’m right and someday I’ll show you! I’ll show you all! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/38 "2002-05-09T21:43:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*Oh come on, mobo85. Is it really fair to call Clyde an inventor? He never invented anything. 😉 \*\* Which is why I say he’s a liar. He claims to have invented basically everything in the whole damn universe. It’s a level of lying only seen after Clyde via Joe Isuzu. ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468/39 "2002-05-09T23:20:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*Considering all the weird killing machines Phibes made, ScriptAnalyst, not to mention the gramaphone he stuck into the back of his neck which enabled him to talk… he might not have officially been a scientist but I think he qualifies. > > And the acid dripping thing. That was total mad scientist down to the spiral tube. \*\* Let’s see, Phibes kills his victims in the first film with the plagues of Moses: bats, rats, locusts, etc. Sounds more like a theologan. He cooks up some nice yummy green goo that attracts the locusts to their victim – sounds more like a chef than a scientist. And he launches a lethal statue of a unicorn’s head with a catapult (unseen by the audience). I guess plotting a trajectory involves a certain amount of science… In the second film, somebody gets sandblasted to death, and someone else is crushed. Along with the acid-dripping machine, these devices are not much in the way of examples of “mad science.” They’re mechnical devices that are fiendishly clever, but that’s it. But most important, Phibes is motivated by revenge, not a desire to tamper with “thing man was not meant to know.” There’s very little resembling science (mad or otherwise) in either Phibes film. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists-guild/107468.md?page=1)