Ding Dong Daddy
| Ding Dong Daddy | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Teen Titans #3 (January 1966) |
| Created by | Bob Haney and Nick Cardy |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dowd |
| Abilities | Expert car driver |
Ding Dong Daddy (DDD) is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics and appearing as an enemy of the Teen Titans. Created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, he first appeared in Teen Titans #3 (Jan. 1966).
Ding Dong Daddy is based on legendary hot rod enthusiast/painter/pinstriper Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.[1] Further evidence of this is shown by DDD's minions, the Gremlins, who strongly resemble some of Roth's creations.
Fictional character biography
The President's Commission on Education asked the Teen Titans to help deal with the problem of high school dropouts. In the town of Harrison, the young heroes discovered dropouts being hired by Ding-Dong Daddy Dowd, proprietor of a custom hot rod and bike shop. Uncovering evidence that Dowd's operation was a front for criminals, the Titans went undercover as would-be high school drop-outs and exposed his schemes, and persuaded his teenage employees to return to school. This was a morality issue to stay in school.[2]
Ding Dong Daddy later steals the Arrowcar from Speedy after Green Arrow allowed the young hero to borrow it.[3]
In other media
Television
- Ding Dong Daddy appears in the Teen Titans TV series voiced by David Johansen. In his appearances in the series, Ding Dong Daddy makes use of a customized hot rod equipped with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry, including liquid nitrogen sprayers to ice up the roads, a flight power neutralizing laser, and front-mounted snapping jaws. He also employs a pit crew of gremlins that follows him around on what is essentially a giant rolling pit stop, repairing his own vehicle and sabotaging competitors. He first appears in the episode "Homecoming, Part 2" as part of the assembled villains gathered by the Brotherhood of Evil to fight the Titans. In "Revved Up", he steals Robin's most prized possession and challenges Robin and the Titans to race, winner take all. Besides racing the Titans, Ding Dong Daddy ends up racing against Red X, Dr. Light, Johnny Rancid, Mumbo, Kitten and Fang, Puppet King, Mad Mod, Gizmo, Control Freak, and Adonis. Red X disables the other cars as a way to pay Robin back for saving his life, allowing Robin to beat Ding Dong Daddy and win back his prized possession. Ironically, Robin shows the other Titans what is in the case, but the viewers never learn what is in the case. In the episode "Titans Together", Ding Dong Daddy is inside the Brotherhood of Evil base as one of the villains battling the Titans that escaped the Brotherhood. Ding Dong Daddy drives his car at them, but Kole and Gnarrk arrive and destroy it, sending Ding Dong Daddy flying. He is later frozen upside-down.
