Professor Sparks

Professor Sparks (or Professor Spark) is a character who first appeared in JumpStart 3rd Grade. He is the father of Polly Sparks and the creator of many robots, including Botley, Egbert, Mort, Mrs. Beasley, Buster, Maestro Trombot, Monty Monitor, Bothoveen, and at least 25 others. He has created many incredibly advanced inventions, of which perhaps the most impressive and important is the Time Machine. He lives in Mystery Mountain.

Appearance
Professor Sparks is a somewhat large Caucasian man with black hair and a beard. He wears large glasses with lenses that appear opaque light blue, a white labcoat with lavender buttons, and nondescript grey pants and black shoes.

Personality and Characteristics
Professor Sparks seems to be a world-famous inventor living inside Mystery Mountain, which he fills with countless strange inventions. His wife is never mentioned, although his mother (Polly's paternal grandmother) is. Professor Spark's mother is described, by Polly, as cooking "odoriferous" sausages.

Although Polly seems to be spoiled, Professor Sparks does not appear to be particularly doting. In fact, he is implied to be rather strict, especially with regards to the Time Machine, and he is often evoked to be a mysterious, though benevolent, figure.

JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain (1996)
Professor Sparks only appears in person at the conclusion of the game. During Botley's introduction, Professor Sparks briefly appears on a screen that Botley uses to relay events to the player. A giant portrait of him and Polly can be seen on Mystery Mountain's first floor, which spins when clicked on.

JumpStart Typing (1997)
Professor Sparks is the creator of the Sparks Stadium, the galaxy's first extreme keyboarding stadium. He hires Coach Qwerty to coach his team, the Sparks. He only appears in person at the conclusion of the game.

Trivia

 * Professor Sparks' last name was originally Spark in JumpStart 3rd Grade, but it was changed to Sparks in JumpStart Typing.
 * In the Robot Kitchen activity in JumpStart 3rd Grade, two dishes are attributed to Professor Spark: Professor Spark's Pasta Carbonara and Professor Spark's Fabulous Fried Rice.