Hey, I learned a new word today!
What the
hell is a
Prügelknaben?
Let's start by meeting the least-likable man alive, spoiled heir Charles Stuebonne:
Yeah, he treats the servants well.
Fortunately, German has a
perfect word for this situation (of course it does!).
Kids--
always trust comics!! That's actually a pretty good translation!! Comics--is there nothing they can't teach us?
Of course, telling "
Master Charles" about the concept of the
Prügelknaben probably wasn't a good idea...
After getting daddy to promise to buy him a
Prügelknaben, Charles has a chance encounter with Airboy...
Holy crap!!
Well, of course Charles isn't used to taking "
no" for an answer.
So he makes daddy buy the company where Airboy's father is chief engineer--for three times its value!! Then they kidnap him, and frame him industrial espionage and treason!
Of course, this all has an ulterior purpose:
So, being a good son, Airboy accepts.
And Charles just can't wait to see his
Prügelknaben punished!
Man, this job
sucks...
And it turns out that everyone gets to abuse him!
Fortunately, Airboy stumbles onto the evidence of the frame-up...
But Charlie decides to
kill the evidence!!
After a plane chase and crash...
But...
Well, that kind of sucks!
But fortunately, distraught daddy fesses up!
Everyone--use the word
Prügelknaben at work today!!
From Airboy Vol 4 #7 (1947)