Captain Pugwash facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash, from the title sequence of the 1974–75 series
Publication information
Publisher	The Eagle, Radio Times
Publication date	1950; 75 years ago (1950)
Main character(s)	Pugwash
Creative team
Writer(s)	John Ryan

Captain Pugwash is a fun and famous pirate character. He stars in British children's comic strips, books, and TV shows. John Ryan created this adventurous pirate. His stories were first shown on BBC TV in 1957. Later, new color series came out in 1974–75 and 1998.

Captain Horatio Pugwash sails the seas on his ship, the Black Pig. He has a crew including Tom the cabin boy, pirates Willy and Barnabas, and Master Mate. His biggest enemy is Cut-Throat Jake, captain of the Flying Dustman.

Adventures on Screen: Captain Pugwash TV Shows

The first Captain Pugwash TV episodes were in black and white. They aired between 1957 and 1966. The show was brought back in color from 1974 to 1975. Captain Pugwash was also popular in other countries. For example, Australia's ABC Television showed it in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2005, an old black and white episode was shown again on BBC4. This was part of a special "Animation Nation" season. You could even get a DVD of the 1974–75 color series. It was given away with the Sunday Times newspaper in 2008.

Meet the Crew: Captain Pugwash Characters

A hand-painted Pugwash puppet from the 1950s TV show.

Captain Pugwash: The Leader of the Black Pig

Captain Pugwash is the proud but a bit silly captain of the Black Pig. He loves to brag about being the "bravest buccaneer." But really, he's quite scared and not very smart. His love for treasure often gets him into trouble. Still, he usually wins the day. This happens either with help from Tom or just by good luck. Even though he's a pirate, he rarely does anything truly piratical.

Master Mate: The Sleepy Sailor

Master Mate is a bit clumsy and often mixes up words. He even sleeps with a teddy bear! It's not clear why he's the mate. He doesn't seem to boss anyone around. In the very first story, he was always sleepy.

Barnabas: The Grumpy Pirate

Barnabas is the most aggressive of the pirates. But he's actually harmless. He can be rebellious and grumpy. He might be a little smarter than Willy or the Mate. He wasn't in the 1997 TV series.

Willy: The Kind-Hearted Crewman

Willy is a simple sailor from Wigan. He seems to be the youngest crew member, besides Tom. He's a gentle person and doesn't like violence. But sometimes he has a great idea. He has even saved the crew, often by accident! He often says, "Just you wait till we get back to Wigan!"

Tom the Cabin Boy: The Smartest Pirate

Tom is probably the most important person on the Black Pig. Without him, Pugwash would have been in big trouble long ago. He's the smartest and most clever crew member. He's the only one who can cook. He's also the only one who knows how to sail the ship. Captain Pugwash would never say it, but Tom's smart plans save the day. Tom is also great at playing the concertina.

Cut-Throat Jake: Captain Pugwash's Arch-Enemy

Cut-Throat Jake is Captain Pugwash's scary main enemy. He is the captain of the Flying Dustman. This name is a funny mix of the "Flying Dutchman" and a "dustman". When he's not planning against Pugwash, he's a better pirate than Pugwash. He always seems to have lots of treasure. You can spot him by his eye patch and huge black beard.

New Faces: Characters from Later Series

• Jonah: This character joined the crew in later series. He replaced Barnabas. His famous line is, "No good will come of this, mark my words!" Jonah seems to be from Jamaica. He's the tallest crew member and often bumps his head. He's also the ship's carpenter.
• Governor of Portobello: He lives in a big mansion on an island. He speaks very quietly. His head guard, Lt. Scratchwood, often repeats what he says loudly.
• Maggie Lafayette: This pirate queen appeared in the second series. She took over Captain Pugwash's ship to escape the police.
• Swine: An Australian pirate who works for Jake. He almost always has a drink in his hand.
• Stinka: A Mexican who works for Jake. He doesn't speak much English. He often repeats what Jake says, which annoys Jake.
• Lieutenant Scratchwood: He speaks for the Governor and is in charge of the town's law. He collects taxes and chases thieves.

Pugwash's Famous Sayings: Pirate Exclamations!

Captain Pugwash is known for his funny exclamations. They are a bit like Captain Haddock's sayings in The Adventures of Tintin. Here are some of them:

• "Dolloping doubloons!"
• "Coddling catfish!"
• "Lolloping landlubbers!"
• "Suffering seagulls!"
• "Staggering stalactites!"
• "Nautical nitwits!"
• "Plundering porpoises!"
• "Kipper me capstans!"
• "Tottering turtles!"
• "Dithering dogfish!"
• "Scuttling cuttlefish!"
• "Stuttering starfish!"
• "Blistering barnacles!"
• "Shuddering sharks!"

Sometimes, Cut-Throat Jake also says, "Scupper me skull-and-crossbones!"

The Catchy Tune: Captain Pugwash Theme Song

The show's famous song is the "Trumpet Hornpipe". This is an old folk dance tune. It has been around since at least the early 1800s. No one knows who wrote it or where it came from.

For the first black and white Captain Pugwash episodes, an accordion player named Tom Edmondson played the tune alone. He recorded it at his home in 1954. The BBC later chose his recording as the theme song.

For the color Captain Pugwash episodes, a new recording was made in 1973. This version used an accordion, bass, and acoustic guitar. It was called "Shipshape".

Reading Adventures: Captain Pugwash Books

There are many Captain Pugwash books! They are full of exciting pirate stories. Here are some of them:

• Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story (1957)
• Pugwash Aloft (1960)
• Pugwash and the Ghost Ship (1962)
• Pugwash in the Pacific (1963)
• Pugwash and the Sea Monster (1976)
• Captain Pugwash and the Ruby (1976)
• Captain Pugwash and the Treasure Chest (1976)
• Captain Pugwash and the New Ship (1976)
• Captain Pugwash and the Elephant (1976)
• The Captain Pugwash Cartoon Book (1977)
• Pugwash and the Buried Treasure (1980)
• Pugwash the Smuggler (1982)
• Captain Pugwash and the Fancy Dress Party (1982)
• Captain Pugwash and the Mutiny (1982)
• Pugwash and the Wreckers (1984)
• Pugwash and the Midnight Feast (1984)
• The Secret of the San Fiasco (1985)
• The Battle of Bunkum Bay (1985)
• The Quest of the Golden Handshake (1985)
• Captain Pugwash and the Pigwig (1991)
• Captain Pugwash and the Huge Reward (1991)

These books were usually 32 pages long. They had full-color pages mixed with black, blue, and white pages.

TV Episodes: A Look at the Series

The Original Black and White Series (1957–1966)

The first Captain Pugwash episodes were made by Gordon Murray. Many of these early episodes were shown live! Only a few of them still exist today.

• Series One (1957): Five untitled episodes.
• Series Two (1958): Seven untitled episodes.
• Series Three (1959): Six untitled episodes.
• Series Four (1960): Seven episodes, including "The Firework Party" and "Surprise Attack."
• Series Five (1961): Seven episodes, like "A New Ship" and "The Cuckoo Clock."
• Series Six (1962): Eight episodes, including "Night Attack" and "Ghost Ship."
• Series Seven (1963): Nine episodes, such as "King of the Barbary Pirates" and "Arctic Circle."
• Series Eight (1964): Six episodes, including "Black Pepper" and "Home Grown."
• Series Nine (1965): Twelve episodes, like "The Secret of the Stinkas" and "The Submarine."
• Series Ten (1966): Eight episodes, including "The Cruise of the Flying Pig" and "The Man in the Iron Mask."

The Color Series (1974–75)

This series brought Captain Pugwash to life in full color! There were 30 exciting adventures. Some popular episodes include:

• Down The Hatch
• Cannon Ball
• Monster Ahoy
• Mutiny on the Black Pig
• The Great Bank Robbery
• Wedding Bells
• Pirate of the Year
• The Plank
• Island of the Dodos

The Later Series (1997)

A new animated series was made in 1997. It featured new voices and adventures. Some episodes from this series are:

• The Stowaway Sheep
• The Portobello Plague
• The Doubledealing Duchess
• The Emperor's New Clothes
• The Boat Race
• The Dingly Dangly Crab
• Chest of Drawers
• The Vanishing Ship
• Hot Chocolate
• The Fat Cat
• The Pandemonium Parrot
• The Brush With Art
• A Hair-Raising Day
• Fiddle De Diamonds
• The Melodious Mermaid
• The Titanic Teapot
• The New Cabin Boy
• Treasure Trail
• Peppercorn Pistols
• Sticky Moments
• Muddling Monsters
• The Megamango Monkeys
• King Pugwash
• The Devil's Dog
• Perfumes of Arabia
• The Admiral's Fireworks

Captain Pugwash on the Big Screen: A Movie!

In 2017, there was news about a live-action Captain Pugwash movie! John Hay was set to direct it. Nick Frost was chosen to play Captain Pugwash. The story would follow Captain Pugwash on a trip to Botany Bay. He would then lead the Black Pig to rescue Tom the Cabin Boy's father. Tom's dad was stuck on a volcanic island!