Fictional Characters from Kansas Quiz

Answer: Smallville

Superman was born on the planet Krypton to Jor-El and Lara. Before Krypton was destroyed, Superman's parents put him on a spaceship and he landed in a small rural Kansas town called Smallville where he was renamed Clark and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Superman's early life is depicted in the television series "Smallville" where is portrayed by Tom Welling. Superman himself debuted in 1938 in "Action Comics #1". Superman is often considered the first superhero, although there were many before him.

Answer: Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon was portrayed by William Conrad on the radio series and by James Arness on the television series. Matt Dillon was a U.S. Marshal who served as sheriff of the Wild West town of Dodge City, Kansas. The radio series of "Gunsmoke" was far calmer than the television one.

Initially, Dillon was a peaceful sheriff whose emotions would run the gamut whenever a particularly difficult event arose. On the television series, however, he was far more prone and quick to use violence. Miss Kitty, played by Amanda Blake, was a possible love interest of Dillon's but the sheriff was reluctant to enter a romantic relationship because of the high risk of his job.

Answer: The Wilsons

Hank Ketchum created "Dennis the Menace" in 1951. The main character was Dennis Mitchell, a young boy who was rambunctious and liked to play tricks on people. His favorite target was his elderly next door neighbor Mr. Wilson. Most of the time, Dennis would purposely anger or annoy Mr. Wilson and he believed to two are best friends. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wilson is a sweet old woman who loves Dennis and treats him like one of her grandchildren.

Answer: True

Sam and Dean Winchester (played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) were born in Lawrence, Kansas. When they were young children, their mother was killed in a fire by a demon. Sam's girlfriend Jessica dies in the exact same way in the premiere episode. Dean is a rambunctious and carefree young man while Sam is initially hard-working and studious. Dean and Sam team up to find their missing father and eventually wind up hunting different demons and creatures in every episode. Over the course of the series, the brothers traveled around the world, across dimensions and time and even to Hell, hunting monsters.

Answer: Muriel and Eustace

Muriel and Eustace Bagge (really Muriel) are Courage's owners. Courage, despite his name, is terrified of almost everything. Eustace hates Courage and tries to scare him frequently. Muriel is a sweet old woman who is often totally ignorant of the bizarre and supernatural happenings that frequent Nowhere. In each episode, some kind of unusual and mysterious being pops up in Nowhere and usually kidnaps Muriel and/or Eustace and Courage must rescue them.

The trio live in a farm house in a town called Nowhere. They are literally the only people who live in Nowhere and another building cannot be seen for miles around them.

Answer: Bus Stop

"Bus Stop" is a 1955 play by William Inge set in a rural Kansas diner. A blizzard has forced a bus carrying five passengers to spend an impromptu overnight stay at Grace's diner. While there, several characters begin romantic relationship aware of the fact that they will likely never see each other again once the storm lets up and the bus can continue on its journey to Kansas City.

The 1956 Marilyn Monroe film "Bus Stop" is very loosely based on this play and is not set in Kansas.

Answer: Sarah

"Sarah, Plain and Tall" is set in rural Kansas where widower Jacob Witting lives with his two children. Sarah Wheaton is a woman from Maine who answers an advertisement to help raise Jacob's kids. Sarah is adored by Jacob and the kids but Sarah misses Maine and does not really enjoy living on a farm.

Her love for the kids and for her home give her agony as to whether she will stay in Kansas or not.

Answer: Mary Ann Summers

Dawn Wells portrayed Mary Ann Summers on "Gilligan's Island". Mary Ann was on the Minnow because she won a vacation to Hawaii in a contest. She is portrayed as the typical farm girl who is very domestic, kind and attractive but not glamorous like Ginger. Mary Ann often talked about her home life in Kansas was which sometimes sounded exactly like Dorothy's from "The Wizard of Oz".

Answer: Paul Bunyan

Johnny Kaw is a mythical hero in Kansas who is said, among other things, to have created sunflowers. Johnny Kaw had two pets, a wildcat and a Jayhawk who are said to have created the Dust Bowl that devastated the prairie states in the 1930. The Wildcats and Jayhawks are the mascots of the two largest universities in Kansas.

Answer: Aunt Em and Uncle Henry

In L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series, Dorothy is raised on a Kansas farm by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Not much is revealed about Dorothy's parents and her life before the books begin is vague and sometimes contradictory. It appears Uncle Henry is her mother's brother. Dorothy has a small dog named Toto who is transported with her to Oz during a tornado. While in Oz, she meets a series of strange characters who each need her help and the help of the Wizard of Oz.

In the later books in the series, Dorothy is made a princess of Oz and eventually brings her aunt and uncle to Oz.