Fungus: Is that his real name or a nickname?

[mintygreen]

Does anyone know?

I'm just wondering because the other monsters seem to pretty much all have names that are just like the names humans have.

Fungus is different and certainly more 'monster-like' I guess you could say. Because of that though I sometimes wonder if it's a nickname he has.

The reason why I wonder this is I actually went to school with a "Fungus" back in high school. No joke, and this was back in the late 90's already....before MI even came out. The guy in my class, his last name was Fung and people would call him Fungus. And he didn't mind being called this. He would also get called Fungi and Fungasaur sometimes.

I think I called him Fungus too. It's what pretty much everyone called him.

Someone else in my class who was named Marcus....his nickname was Marcus the Carcass. lol. XD

[pitbulllady]

I have read a FAQ on IMBd-don't know how accurate it is since anyone can edit-that according to Pixar, Fungus's real name is "Jeffrey Frungus", with an "r". Of course, since monsters and humans are so much alike, you can guarantee with a last name like that, by the time he was in first grade the other kids would have started calling him Jeffrey FUNGUS, so he would have been stuck with it for the rest of his life. Like you, and everyone I know, I had classmates who had odd nicknames for whatever reasons, and they wound up being known by those names even now well into middle age. I went to school with a guy who actually had a distinct greenish coloration to his skin, for no known reason. He was healthy as can be, very much an athlete who played every sport the school offered, so if there'd been a health reason for his skin tone, it would have kept him from playing sports as soon as a doctor found out out what it was. Everyone called him "Grinch" because he was green, and to this day, that's what his friends call him! I also had a "Sid Slagpipe" in the same class, who is now a lay minister in our church circuit, and guy with the last name of Thigpen, who was of course, known as "PIGpen".

pitbulllady

[RandallBoggs]

Thingpen must be a little better off being named after one of The Peanuts.

I recall seeing Fungus was named "Fungus Oz" somewhere, but that may be just a lazy variation since his voicer is Frank Oz (if I recall).
Jeffrey Frungus...I don't...remember hearing that...but it does ring a bell....just that that bell is in a steel box locked in an attic somewhere.

[mintygreen]

Dec 18, 2011 10:56:37 GMT -5 pitbulllady said:

I have read a FAQ on IMBd-don't know how accurate it is since anyone can edit-that according to Pixar, Fungus's real name is "Jeffrey Frungus", with an "r". Of course, since monsters and humans are so much alike, you can guarantee with a last name like that, by the time he was in first grade the other kids would have started calling him Jeffrey FUNGUS, so he would have been stuck with it for the rest of his life. Like you, and everyone I know, I had classmates who had odd nicknames for whatever reasons, and they wound up being known by those names even now well into middle age. I went to school with a guy who actually had a distinct greenish coloration to his skin, for no known reason. He was healthy as can be, very much an athlete who played every sport the school offered, so if there'd been a health reason for his skin tone, it would have kept him from playing sports as soon as a doctor found out out what it was. Everyone called him "Grinch" because he was green, and to this day, that's what his friends call him! I also had a "Sid Slagpipe" in the same class, who is now a lay minister in our church circuit, and guy with the last name of Thigpen, who was of course, known as "PIGpen".

pitbulllady

Wow you knew someone who had green tinted skin? That's fascinating really. I would find that kind of cool....my favourite colour is green.

Anyway, that doesn't surprise me at all about Fungus, it's just like the guy in my class who had a similar last name and ended up being called that.

I don't think he mind being called Fungus but some people really do have some last names that lend themselves to a lot of things people might not wish to be called. I've seen some people with the last name Butt before and I can say I really would not want that last name....it would end up being a constant joke. If I married someone with that last name I would definitely keep my last name(although I'm honestly probably going to do that anyway since my last name is a short name and my first name is long enough already). Even though my last name is short people do often spell it incorrectly and mutilate how to pronounce it.....which is kind of annoying....but eh, at least it's not something that gets turned into a running joke.