Get Smart Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This article refers to Starker as portrayed by King Moody in the original series and the "Get Smart, Again!" reunion movie. For the character portrayed by Ken Davitian in the reboot movie see Shtarker (2008).

Starker
Starker
First Get Smart Appearance How to Succeed in the Spy Business Without Really Trying
Affiliation KAOS
Gender Male
Family None known

KAOS agent invariably seen in the company of Siegfried.

Description[]

Starker (also spelled 'Shtarker'), a true-blue KAOS agent, is Siegfried's assistant. However, their relationship goes beyond boss-assistant. Starker worships Siegfried and everything he does. In fact it is this worship of Siegfried that makes him keep Starker around, as he is an incredibly incompetent agent. Even though Siegfried often belittles him as a "sissy" and "dummkopf," Starker remains ever loyal.

In fact, Starker is KAOS' answer to Larabee. Despite constantly being warned by Siegfried that "ve don't do dat here," he can never stop making unusual sounds and proclamations. He greets each assignment and task with great enthusiasm, no matter how evil it may be.

Little is ever revealed about Starker's background, although he must have been attached to Siegfried back in World War II. Starker was the all-time track star of the Third Reich, but still managed to finish behind Siegfried in escaping El Alamein. Perhaps he was afraid of what would happen if he finished ahead of Siegfried.

Siegfried and Starker are still working for KAOS as late as 1989 [TV Movie: "Get Smart, Again!"]. However, with the end of the Cold War their services are no longer required and by 1995 Starker has a small shoe repair kiosk in the Heidelberg train station and is married to a "lovely Chinese girl" [Mentioned, GS95 Episode #6: "Wurst Enemies"].

Appearances[]

Episode #55: "How to Succeed in the Spy Business Without Really Trying"
Episode #67: "One of Our Olives is Missing"
Episode #82: "Spy, Spy, Birdie"
Episode #88: "Snoopy Smart vs. the Red Baron"
Episode #99: "Schwartz's Island"
Episode #111: "The Not-So-Great Escape, Part 1"
Episode #112: "The Not-So-Great Escape, Part 2"
Episode #125: "Ice Station Siegfried"
TV Movie: "Get Smart, Again!"

Note on Spelling[]

Fans often spell Starker's name phonetically (as used by Siegfried), and this spelling ("Shtarker") was used officially in both Get Smart, Again! and the 2008 Get Smart movie. "Starker" is the spelling used in the end credits of the 1960's series (except for the first episode the character appears in - How to Succeed in the Spy Business Without Really Trying). This is how the word 'starker' (stronger) is spelled in German, in most dialects of which it would be pronounced as Siegfried does; in the Yiddish with which Mel Brooks grew-up 'a shtarker' would be rendered in Hebrew characters, and mean 'a strong man' with a strong implication that the man in question were not that bright...

Advertisement