Albus Dumbledore meets Willy Wonka in Poland
Professor Ambroży Kleks (Ambrose Inkblot) also known as Pan Kleks (Mr. Inkblot) is a character created by Jan Brzechwa and main hero of book trilogy and it’s adaptations. Most of times he is depicted as tall man with long beard and rainbow hair, who can change his size and fly speaking with legendary voice of Piotr Fronczewski.
The series consists of:
- Books:
- Akademia Pana Kleksa (Academy of Mr. Kleks, 1946)
- Podróże Pana Kleksa (Travels of Mr. Kleks, 1961)
- Triumf Pana Kleksa (Triumph of Mr. Kleks, 1965)
- Movie adaptations:
- Akademia pana Kleksa (Academy of Mr. Kleks, 1983)
- Podróże pana Kleksa (Travels of Mr. Kleks, 1986)
- Pan Kleks w kosmosie (Mr. Kleks in Space, 1988)
- Tryumf pana Kleksa (Triumph of Mr. Kleks, 2001, animated)
- Akademia pana Kleksa (Academy of Mr. Kleks, 2023)
Pan Kleks Series provide examples of:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Alojzy/Adolf was a doll, which after being turn alive destroyed Academy. In later books he takes role of antagonist.
- Alliterative List: Academy’s rule is that every student has to name, which starts on letter A. Mr. Kleks is not an ecception, as his name is Ambroży. Only ecception is Mateusz, but he is a starling.
- Become a Real Boy: Doll sent to Academy Shaver Filip is turned by Mr. Kleks into real boy. Unfortunately he is only problem and when Ruler of Living Toys tries to force him to stop, he says that he is no longer under her rule as he is no longer a doll.
- The Bus Came Back: In Triumph Adaś Niezgódka returns as main hero.
- Clap Your Hands If You Believe: How flying works. All you need is to feel lightly.
- Cool Teacher: Principal Ambrose Kleks is essentially a cross between Ms. Frizzle and Dumbledore.
- Doomed Hometown: Mateusz’s kingdom was destroyed by Savage Wolves.
- Dwindling Party: The crew in Travels disappears on many islands because of unfortunate events and at the end Mr. Kleks is alone.
- Fairy Tale Free-for-All: Academy has an easy way to other tales and it’s students are often sent to other tales even for trivial things like matches.
- First-Person Peripheral Narrator: Adaś Niezgódka is the one who narrates book and explains how Academy works.
- Greater-Scope Paragon: Doctor Pai-Chi-Wo. While he is seen only in retrospections, he is responsible for most of events, as he was Kleks’ mentor and saved Mateusz’s life.
- Inkblot Test: Lessons of Inkblotgraphy in Academy are about doing inkblots and trying to figure out like what it looks like.
- MacGuffin: The series has some:
- Button from Mateusz’s hat in Academy
- Ink in Travels.
- Mysterious casket in In space.
- Magical Asian: Doctor Pai-Chi-Wo was doctor of Chinese Emperor and he known many magic secrets which he gave both Mateusz the starlink and Mr. Kleks.
- One-Steve Limit: completelly Inverted, as because of rule that every student has to have name on A names are limited and many students are having same name.
- Phlebotinum Muncher: Common food in Academy are: hair growth pills, colored glass or frecles.
- Planet of Hats: Islands in Travels are mostly based on one thing. For example starting island of Bajdocja is island of fables.
- Real Dreams are Weirder: Dream about seven glasses was mentioned Adaś’s dream which was awarded for this. It starts with Kleks’ riding to China on teapot and ends with him being affected with every weather (for example snow turnes him into snowman and eaten by him thunder fractures him into many lesser parts).
- Savage Wolves: Mateusz as a prince killed King of wolfes, which caused their revenge, which destroyed his homeland.
- Shapeshifter Mode Lock: Mateusz the starling is actually human changed into a bird, because magic hat that changed him had lost a button needed to change him back.
- Shared Dream: In Academy dreams are gathered with magic mirrors and the best of them are awarded.
- Wacky Wayside Tribe: Story of Travels is about Mr. Kleks traveling on many weird islands to find on one of them ink.
- Wizarding School: This is what Academy is.
- Unexplained Recovery: Mr. Kleks despite turning into a button at the end of Academy in next parts goes back with no explanation.
- Youthful Freckles: Freckes are award in Academy for notable achievements.
Movie adaptations provide examples of:
- Adaptation Name Change: Evil doll of Alojzy is named in film Adolf, while Alojzy is name of other character.
- Adaptational Villainy: Shaver Filip after knowing that his doll-son was disassembled in book cut off the lights from christmas tree. In movie from the other hand he pull out the gun to shoot of the Academy.
- Big Bad: Great Electronic becomes one of Travels and In space.
- But You Were There, and You, and You: story of In space is shown with characters played by actors who were shown in introduction.
- Death by Adaptation: In movie the one who turned into a button was no Mr. Kleks but Shaver Filip.
- Decomposite Character: Alojzy Bąbel’s role is divided to Adolf, who is doll created by Shaver Filip and Alojzy Bąbel, who is his assistant and in next part is henchman of Great Electronic.
- Divided for Adaptation: All films are spliced into two parts.
- The Dragon: Alojzy Bąbel is main asistant of both Shaver Filip and Great Electronic.
- Edible Ammunition: Kleks uses overpasta (which means magically inflated pasta) to fight with Great Electronic.
- Framing Device: In Travels and In space movie story is told by either Mr. Kleks himself or robot.
- Helicopter Pack: Students in In space are using them to go into school.
- Mistakenly Attacked Mole: Subverted with Alojzy Bąbel informing Great Electronic that he sunk a Kleks’ ship along with their mole, but is informed that neither a ship sunk nor their mole died.
- Puppet King: In In space Governor Carmello is pawn of Great Electronic, who allowed him to hide on his planet and help him in his plans in exchange for giving him a daughter.
- Roger Rabbit Effect: Some of effects in movies are made of 2D drawings, like lesson of Inkblotgraphy in Academy or ink in Travels.
- Single Sex Offspring: Carmello De Bazar claims that he would have even a tousand of sons like his ancestors, but he only want a daughter.
- Spared by the Adaptation: While in book Mr. Kleks turns into a button in movie this happens with Shaver Filip while Kleks just walks away. Also the crew from Travels avoids their accidents forcing them to stay on islands.
