| Der Inspector | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
The Katzenjammer Kids (January 15, 1905) |
|
Original Publisher |
King Features Syndicate |
|
Created by |
Rudolph Dirks |
Origin[]
Der Inspector in the 1929 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Der Inspector is the long‑bearded, top‑hatted truant official sent specifically to enforce Hans and Fitz's school attendance, acting as the boys' primary authority figure outside their home and their household surrogate "father," Der Captain. His mission: catch them skipping class and drag them back to their desks.
Stern, dutiful, yet often hapless. His dedication to enforcing school rules makes him the ultimate nemesis for the mischievous twins, who unfairly see him as “Der Goat.” Despite his authority, he seldom succeeds, earning the boys’ mocking contempt. He’s known for the exasperated line, “Mit dose kids, society is nix!” (“With these children, society is doomed!”), becoming a standard gripe reflecting adult frustration in the series
Initially one-dimensional (school enforcer), his role grows as the stories lean into wider adventure and globe-trotting tales: he becomes part of the recurring adult ensemble. He’s a close friend and frequent co-conspirator of Der Captain. They often commiserate over the twins’ antics, exchange tricks and failures, and both frequently end up outsmarted by Hans and Fritz.
Public Domain Appearances[]
School fire escape (1909).
Public Domain Comic Strip Appearances[]
- The Katzenjammer Kids (1905-1949)
- The Captain and the Kids (1914-1940)
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- All the Funny Folks (1926)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Policy and Pie (1918)
- The Heathen Benefit (1918)
Public Domain Comic Book Appearances[]
- Okay Comics #1
- Comics on Parade #4-56
- Sparkler Comics #1-120
- Tip Top Comics #6-187
- Four Color #881
- Captain and the Kids #16-32
- The Captain and the Kids 50th Anniversary Edition
- Comics on Parade Special Issue
Public Domain Parade Appearances[]
- The 6th Annual Macy's Christmas Parade (1929)
Notes[]
- The Inspector balloon from the 1929 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade made a cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters movie alongside many of the haunted vintage balloons from the parade, such as Pinocchio, Little Man-Big Man, Morton the Nantucket Sea Monster, and Clarence the Clown.