This is a list of minor characters that exist in the JumpStart series.
This list is meant to acknowledge characters with very small roles in JumpStart media, for which not enough information is available to create a non-stub article about them.
Some characters on this list have only ever been mentioned in text or dialogue, in which case no images of them can be obtained. Some characters on this list have also not been given a name in any official sources. If the name provided for a character is unofficial or not confirmed to be official, it will be italicized.
The All-Star Mouse Band is a group of mice who perform music at the Hole-in-the-Wall Club in the first grade classroom. They appear in the activity Music in the Mouse Hole. The player can listen to mice perform five nursery rhymes, or freely click on the mice to create original music.
Images
Vocals
Violins
Trumpets
Flutes
A workbook illustration of some of the band members
Case artwork of a band member from the Davidson Learning Center re-release of JumpStart 1st Grade
An ape performer who works at the circus will sometimes appear at the Main Fairway screen. Judging from his attire, he is a clown. In one scene, he gloomily wonders what Mel will do next. In another scene, Mel is seen playing a trick on him that causes a beehive to fall on his head. The ape performer briefly appears in the final cutscene with all the other performers. The ape performer also appears in the game's workbook.
The bonus round dinosaurs consist of different dinosaurs (either three, four, or five, depending on the difficulty of the game) that always appear after a level is passed. The dinosaurs want help with their spelling, so CJ will say a word and they will try to spell it, allowing the player to control Perry in order to choose the correct word either dinosaur is holding. The group consists of a purple Brontosaurus, a yellow Parasaurolophus, a blue Stegosaurus, a green Triceratops, and a brown Allosaurus.
The bugs appear in the Spider's Web activity. All of the bugs are shaped like letters of the alphabet, and the player must guide a spider around the web and spell words by collecting the correct bugs. Apparently Madame Pomreeda thinks of these bugs as cute, which the bugs themselves disagree with.
A butterfly appears intermittently throughout the game. He doesn't speak, but acts friendly towards Dee Dee. He is first seen meeting Dee Dee in the opening cutscene, and he also appears in the ending cutscene. He appears in the activities Grandma's Flower Garden, Lily Pond, and ABC Toadstools. In all of these activities, he changes color when clicked on. There is also a sticker of him in the Picture Playtime activity, and he appears in the game's printable workbook.
Images
The butterfly in the game's intro
An illustration of the butterfly from the printable workbook
The cash register is a male-programmed cash register that appears in Adding It All Up, where he tells the player to help him by entering the correct total amount for each customer.
The cavemen are a family of prehistoric people who capture Edison to use him as a light source. There appear to be six family members total - a father, a mother, an older son, a younger son, a daughter, and a baby. At the end of the game, CJ saves Edison from the cavemen by distracting them with a flaming torch.
A group of creatures that consist of a dog, squirrel, chimpanzee, and gopher. They always appear entering the school whenever the player signs in. Inside the clubhouse, they are frequently doing their activities; they will even dance if the Jukebox is turned on.
The earthworms are a trio of pink earthworms with sunglasses and earrings. They only appear exclusively in Cave Writings when the player enters there the first time. They perform as backup singers for Arvin during Caterpillar Blues.
Eleanor mentions her family in a cutscene. She says that her mom works as a spy, and her dad stays home to take care of Eleanor and her sister. During this cutscene, Eleanor's mom and dad can be seen on a poster behind her.
The evil spider appears in the Spider's Web activity, where it appears on harder levels that will cause the player's spider to expire when touched. The player is warned that the evil spider hasn't had breakfast or lunch. Although there is supposed to be one evil spider, which has been mentioned most of the time, when clicking on Flap's icon for the first time in the activity, Flap once mentioned to "watch out for those evil spiders" as if there's more.
Fanny the Frog appears in the aquarium tank in the classroom. When the tank is clicked on, Fanny will hop onto the rock, ribbit once, and then hop out of sight. Fanny's name is never mentioned in-game, but is mentioned in an unused voice file for Mrs. Flores.
The fleas are a group of insects that mainly appear in the Set Sail! activity. The fleas used to live on Frankie, but after Frankie was shrunk down to be roughly the same size as them, they had to find a new means of transport, and resorted to sailing on leaves down the river. One flea talks to Frankie prior to playing the activity for the first time, and expresses regret that the fleas can't live on Frankie anymore. On the other hand, Frankie seems to be relieved that they've stopped making him itch.
The Freaky Tiki only appears in the Freaky Tiki learning game. In the first part of the activity, the Freaky Tiki plays a drum as the player looks for correct answers. As the timer counts down, the Freaky Tiki's drumming becomes faster. If the timer runs out, Freaky Tiki's drumming will stop, and the player will have to start over. In the second part of the activity, the Freaky Tiki is referred to as "Freaky Tiki the tennis menace", and the player must play a game of ping-pong against him.
The Glop Monster is a sentient being made of food who appears in the Measure for Measure activity if the player makes a mistake while trying to create a recipe with the food machine.
Images
The Glop Monster in the Measure for Measure activity
A goat appears as a recurring minor character in the 3D Virtual World series. In JumpStart 3D Virtual World: Quest for the Color Meister, the goat serves as a temporary obstacle on a mountain path. The goat also appears a background/non-central character in some artwork and online activities associated with the 3D Virtual World series.
The gopher appears in the Log Ride activity. The player helps him cross a river to reach the other side. Four gophers also appeared in a 2001 commercial for the JumpStart series, which was included on the VHS release of The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze. Despite the visual differences, they are intended to represent the gopher from JumpStart 2nd Grade, since the commercial cuts to a clip of the Log Ride activity during their appearance.
The Grim Reaper appears in the Cemetery activity, in which he is pictured on the activity's timer. The player is warned that if the activity isn't completed in time, the grim reaper will come for the Graveyard Ghost.
Images
The Grim Reaper on the timer in the Cemetery activity
A rabbit who is mentioned to be Hopsalot's cousin. He only appears in the short movie "The Lucky Fisherman," which takes place in China. In the movie, he finds a talking fish and complies when the fish begs him to release him. In return, the fish brings him under the water to fetch a chest full of jewels, but he drops and forgets about the chest when rescuing a crab stuck in kelp. However, upon going home, he finds the fish and chest in his house. Jack's design resembles Hopsalot's adult design from the two VHSvideos released in 1999. Possibly he was originally intended to be Hopsalot, but became his own character when Hopsalot was redesigned so he no longer resembled his appearance from the videos.
Teddy's own teddy bear that appears in the closing animation of the game. Though he does not have any dialogue, he is called on by Teddy, who he promptly joins in going to sleep.
A boy appears in the activity The Milk Cap Game. He serves as the player's opponent. He and the player take turns trying to obtain milk caps. He has no dialogue. He can also be seen from the Playground screen, playing the milk cap game with another student. Moving the mouse over him will cause an animation to play where he jumps up and down angrily, presumably from losing to the other kid.
An octopus appears in the Pluck-a-Pearl activity. He never speaks, and appears to be mechanical, since one of his limbs has screws, which is seen when he reaches for a pearl. The octopus will grab pearls that are close to him when the player chooses a correct answer. The octopus also appears in the game's printable workbook, in which he is simply referred to as "the octopus". The workbook seems to depict him as a normal octopus rather than a mechanical one. The name "Mr. Octopus" only appeared in promotional material.[1]
A panda performer who works at the circus will sometimes appear at the Main Fairway screen. He is always seen carrying balloons. In one scene, Mel is seen playing a trick on the panda that causes him to be lifted away with balloons. The panda performer briefly appears in the final cutscene with all the other performers. He also appears in the game's workbook.
Polly Sparks' grandmother is the paternal grandmother of Polly Sparks, and the mother of Professor Sparks. She is only mentioned by Polly, who says that she cooks "odoriferous" sausages.
A rabbit performer who works at the circus will sometimes appear at the Main Fairway screen. It isn't clear what kind of circus act he belongs to. In one scene, he welcomes Frankie back to the circus. In another scene, Mel is seen playing a trick on him that causes a rocket to appear on his back, which sends him zooming around the fairway uncontrollably. The rabbit performer briefly appears in the ending cutscene with all the other performers. The rabbit performer also appears in the game's workbook.
Images
The rabbit performer
The rabbit performer after Mel plays a trick on him
Semimoto's father is a hunchback who is the father of Semimoto. He is only mentioned in Semimoto's dialogue. He is said to live in the Clock Tower with Semimoto, and helps guard it from intruders. He also instructed Semimoto to complete his music lessons.
A shark-like robot is seen with Polly Sparks in Professor Sparks' Secret Chamber in the game's beginning and ending cutscenes. It is always seen hovering in mid-air. It doesn't speak, but occasionally snickers. It also has a very brief appearance in the Jumbo Electro Generator Room when the player goes there for the first time, where it is seen leaving a banana peel on the floor for Botley to slip on.
These are three octopuses who gained telepathic abilities as a result of Dr. X's experiments. Dr. X uses the octopuses to enable his Henchmen to communicate by reading each others' minds. The octopuses must be attached to their heads for this to work, and in many scenes the octopuses take on the appearance of hair. The octopuses primarily appear in the Mind Reading activity. They are also seen in the game's ending cutscene, in which it is stated that they went on to graduate from Hoover University with teaching degrees and teach marine biology.
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The telepathic octopuses in the ending cutscene of JumpStart 5th Grade
The telepathic octopuses in the Mind Reading activity
Tyrannosaurus rex is the King of the Dinosaurs and one of the most famous dinosaurs ever discovered. During CJ and Edison's exploring and traveling in the Land of the Lost Words, T. rex spotted them and gave them a fearsome roar, separating CJ and Edison from each other, resulting the latter getting captured by cavemen and the former (accompanied by Perry) to rescue him. During the game, other T. rex individuals help CJ get to higher ground after completing a spelling tablet.
Images
Tyrannosaurus rex as he appears on the game's cover in blue color.
A friend of Flap's who wasn't always a vampire as he was turned into one and was once a bat. He was hanging around with the wrong crowd (literally), which caused him to be what he is now. He is guided through the Vampire Maze to solve each division equation to return to his casket, while avoiding ghosts.
The vending machine is a female-programmed vending machine that appears in Vending Machine Victory, where she tells the player to please deposit the right number of money for any food or drink Frankie wants.
Alfie Gargle appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. He is characterized as a big strong bully. He and his grandfather live in Hooverville. Many years ago, his grandfather robbed a bunch of people of their jewelry at the Hooverville Hotel, and Alfie works for his grandfather to try and retrieve the stolen loot. Jo's efforts to solve the case lead to both Alfie and his grandfather being apprehended, and Alfie is required to do community service at the end of story.
Corporal Jones appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. He is a huge strong man who works at the police station with Sergeant Smithson. He helps Jo Hammet and her friends break open a heavy box to uncover stolen jewelry inside. He personally apprehends the culprit who had stolen the jewelry, the Hotel Bandit, as well as his grandson Alfie Gargle, who was assisting him, and brings them both to the police station. Corporal Jones later attends a party at the Hooverville Hotel celebrating Jo Hammet's efforts in solving the case.
Deena is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. She is a duck who owns a pet shop. When CJ and Edison visit her, she asks to hear about their trip so far.
A dog causes Pierre to lose his peach after jumping on a spoon which catapults the peach far away. Later, the peach lands near the dog's tail, which is holding a paddle. The dog hits the peach with the paddle, sending it flying away again. The dog noticeably lacks 'human-like' traits that many JumpStart characters have, and behaves more similarly to a normal dog.
In one of the short stories, CJ and Edison go to visit Edison's grandmother one weekend, and they tell her how the schoolchildren have been learning about verbs lately. She exclaims that she loves verbs, and teaches CJ and Edison all about them.
Ernest is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. He is a raccoon who works at a museum in Europe. When CJ and Edison visit him, he shows them around the museum.
Grinsalot is a shark who is characterized as a mean bully. He chases CJ and Edison during their exploration of an underwater lost city. At one point, he is seen working with two hammerhead sharks to try and sabotage CJ and Edison. Then Grinsalot and the hammerhead sharks are scared away by a swordfish that CJ and Edison befriended.
Henry is an ordinary dog who appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. He belongs to a woman named Mrs. Green. Jo Hammet takes Henry for walks for Mrs. Green for much of the story. Henry is described as short, fat, and lazy. However, he plays an essential role in uncovering some stolen jewelry that was buried near an old abandoned house. At the end of the story, Jo acknowledges Henry's helpfulness in solving the case, and dubs him a "real detective".
The Hotel Bandit is the nickname of a robber who appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. In Jo Hammet's present day, he is a very elderly man who requires a motorized wheelchair to get around. In the past, he once robbed a bunch of people of their jewelry by holding them at gunpoint at the Hooverville Hotel. When he tried to flee from police, he accidentally ended up colliding with a milk wagon, which caused him to be severely injured. He couldn't be charged for his crime due to a lack of evidence. In the present day, Jo is able to deduce his identity, and he is arrested.
Jill is a human who runs a snack bar called Jill's Place at a beach. While Frankie and Floyd are at the beach, they stop at Jill's Place to get food and beverages. She is described as a hard worker.
Max is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. When CJ and Edison go to his house to visit him, they find a map that leads them to a lake where Max has gone fishing.
Mehitabel Green is a woman who appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. She is the daughter of a woman who was robbed by the Hotel Bandit at the Hooverville Hotel many years ago. She laments that her mother lost a precious star-shaped pin in that incident. Jo Hammet helps her out with various chores throughout the story, such as walking her dog Henry. At the end of the story, after Jo is able to deduce the identity of the Hotel Bandit, which leads to his arrest, all of the stolen jewelry is returned to the rightful owners, and Mehitabel Green gives Jo her mother's star pin as a reward.
During a hike near a lake, Frankie and CJ encounter four friendly mice. The mice take a ride on a kite, which ends up stuck in tree near a beehive. Frankie uses a rake to reach the mice and help them get down from the tree. Then Frankie and CJ share a cake with the mice, and the mice are seen riding beside Frankie and CJ as they bike back from the hike.
In one of the short stories, Ms. Goodhart is depicted as a health teacher at the JumpStart 2nd Grade school. In the story, CJ and Edison come to investigate a mystery in her classroom, in which it appears something bad may have happened to her. Ms. Goodhart turns out to be alright, and briefly comes into the classroom to retrieve the remains of her birthday cake.
Penny is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. She is a rabbit who is a Hollywood movie actress. She tells them about her time in Hollywood. At age 20, she was a waitress. At age 22, she had her first audition. At age 23, she got her first acting job in a commercial. At age 24, she met a movie producer. At age 25, she made her first movie. Finally, at age 26, she became a star.
Rex is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. He is a dog who was stranded on an island for five years. During that time, he built a house, befriended a monkey, fixed his telescope, and encountered pirates. CJ and Edison rescue him.
Rita is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. She is a human who works as a park ranger. She and her animal friends give advice for how to keep the planet clean.
Sergeant Smithson appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. He works at the police station. Jo visits him semi-frequently to get information. Sergeant Smithson is able to provide her with photographs of the Hotel Bandit, which helps Jo identify him. At the end of the story, Sergeant Smithson attends a party celebrating Jo Hammet's efforts in solving the case of the Hotel Bandit.
Sheila is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. She is a turtle who has sailed around the world. She tells CJ and Edison about an adventure she had in the Pacific Ocean.
Sir Seahorse is a friend of CJ and Edison. They visit him at his residence at 203 Underwater Lane while on an exploration to find an underwater lost city. Sir Seahorse introduces CJ and Edison to some of his friends. Then he explains that some of his pearls have gone missing, so CJ and Edison set out to find them. After retrieving the lost pearls, CJ and Edison return them to Sir Seahorse, and he gives them medals as sign of his appreciation. Sir Seahorse then waves goodbye to CJ and Edison as they leave to return to their clubhouse.
Thaddeus is one of the pen pals that CJ and Edison visit. He is an alligator or crocodile who is a scientist at a university. CJ and Edison help him make special lemonade.
Willy is a young boy who appears in the short story Jo Hammet, Kid Detective, Solves the Great Jewel Robbery. He is six years old, and the younger brother of Tom Zimmer. While Jo Hammet and Bernie are trying to figure out how to keep Alfie Gargle from digging for stolen jewelry, Tom helps them form a plan to get Alfie to visit Willy, who is sick with chickenpox, so that Alfie will catch the chickenpox too.
Boo Boo Bunny's mother is briefly heard offscreen in the Stop Look and Listen song sequence. She warns Boo Boo Bunny about a bowl of soup being too hot to eat, then tells her when it's cooled off enough.
Bug is mentioned multiple times by Polly Sparks, but never seen. In a letter that Polly writes to him, she refers to him as a friend, and alludes to him being interested in math when she asks if he will join the Math Olympics.
Jack's mother is briefly seen at the very beginning of the video. She calls out to Jack as he is about to board the school bus and asks if he remembered to bring his snack. He replies yes, and she says she'll see him when he gets home.
Mrs. Speck is mentioned multiple times by Polly Sparks, but never seen. Some dialogue indicates that she is a teacher, since she gives instructions and assignments.
Sergeant Picnic's Marching Ant Band debuted in JumpStart Preschool: Who Left the Juice in the Caboose?. They are a musical band of ants apparently conducted by an ant called Sergeant Picnic. They never seem to speak or sing, but are seen performing music. They mainly appear in the Responsibility song sequence, during which they slip on some spilled juice, and Eleanor helps them out. They also appear in the Band Stand Sing-Along activity in JumpStart ABC's and JumpStart Learning Games Phonics. They are not named in most media, but certain box art and promotional content for JumpStart ABC's gives them the name "Sergeant Picnic's Marching Ant Band".
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The band in JumpStart Preschool: Who Left the Juice in the Caboose?
The band after slipping on spilled juice
The band in JumpStart ABC's and JumpStart Learning Games Phonics
The band mentioned by name on JumpStart ABC's box art
Minor Characters from Web Content[]
David[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online promotional material
David is a green dinosaur who appeared in promotional art for the JumpStart Academy series that was posted on official JumpStart social media accounts circa 2018. Unlike many other characters who appeared in promotional art around this time, David never appeared in any games or other media.
Images
David's likeness used for a fossil, from a "National Fossil Day" post from JumpStart's social media
Frankie's siblings[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online biography
Frankie's siblings are a group of five dachshunds who are the older brothers and sisters of Frankie. They were only mentioned in an online biography for Frankie that appeared on the Knowledge Adventure website during the late 90s. Frankie mentions that he loved to romp and wrestle with his siblings.[2]
Images
N/A
Hildegarde von Weinerhund[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online biography
Hildegarde von Weinerhund is a female dog character who is the mother of Frankie and his siblings, and the wife of Ludwig von Weinerhund. She was only mentioned in an online biography for Frankie that appeared on the Knowledge Adventure website during the late 90s.[2]
Images
N/A
Kisha's parents[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online biography
Kisha's parents are two koalas who used to live in Australia. Kisha describes living in her mother's pouch for months after she was born. Her parents were only mentioned in an online biography for Kisha that appeared on the Knowledge Adventure website during the late 90s.[3]
Images
N/A
Ludwig von Weinerhund[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online biography
Ludwig von Weinerhund is a male dog character who is the father of Frankie and his siblings, and the husband of Hildegarde von Weinerhund. He was only mentioned in an online biography for Frankie that appeared on the Knowledge Adventure website during the late 90s.[2]
Terry[]
Appearance(s)
Description
Online promotional material
Terry is a turtle who appeared in promotional art for the JumpStart Academy series that was posted on official JumpStart social media accounts circa 2018. Unlike many other characters who appeared in promotional art around this time, Terry never appeared in any games or other media.
