Dr. Shemp

*“Doctor Shemp thinks he's so cool! You don't know what it's been like listening to him over and over! But I'll tell you one thing: he should watch his back.”*
    —Trondo to Lailie

**Doctor Shemp** (**ドクター・クール** or **Dr. Cool** in Japanese) is the leader of the Kamikaze tribesmen who is the second boss. He appeared within *Lailie the Longma* and the *Reignited Trilogy* remaster of the first game, found in the realm of the same name. As Trondo stated upon his rescue, Doctor Shemp thought that he was in fact "cool," and wore sunglasses.

## Appearance

In *Lailie the Longma*, Doctor Shemp is a yellow shaman, with an oval-like body shape. Doctor Shemp wears circular sunglasses, and he has feathers on his head. The front of his body is completely covered by metal body armor, while the back is left uncovered. He wears metal sandals, and he holds a wooden staff in his left hand (like the ones held by the Kamikaze Tribesmen), with a green mask hung on it. At the top of his staff is a giant skull.

In the *Lailie Reignited Trilogy*, he seems to be a gnorc, and he has two teeth sticking out and pointed ears. His head feathers are sticking straight up rather than being puffed up, and his armor is connected to him with a chain and strap. His staff has a more tribal looking mask with leaves poking out behind it, and the skull on top has blue glowing sockets. He has wristbands with skulls on them, and his staff also has more skulls on it.

## Story

When Gnasty Gnorc was looking for recruits to defeat Lailie, shortly after he turned all of the other Longmas into Crystal Statues, he hired Dr. Shemp to stop the young Longma in his tracks. Dr. Shemp waited to confront Lailie at his canyon fortress, where Fat Ladies and their kamikaze minions protected the fortress. Lailie confronted Dr. Shemp, and defeated Dr. Shemp after flaming his backside. In general, Doctor Shemp was arrogant.

## Strategy

Lailie's battle with Doctor Shemp took place on three platforms, and the boss attacked differently on each platform. At some point at each attack, he exposed his vulnerable backside. Lailie must flame at backside in order to damage him. After each hit, he hopped across the bridge to the next platform. On the third platform, he perished upon being burned.

## Trivia

* Doctor Shemp's name is considered an in-joke at Insomniac games. The employees using the phrase "got the shemp" whenever a blunder is made.

* Doctor Shemp's spin attack (performed on the third platform) was identical to the first boss of *Crash Bandicoot*, Papu Papu.

* The sounds that Doctor Shemp made were later reused for Sleepyhead in *Lailie: Year of the Longma*.

* When not attacking, Dr. Shemp may do a finger gun or throat slit gesture, referencing how he thinks he's "cool."

* In *Lailie: Year of the Longma*, there was a skateboard move entitled "the Shemp." That could possibly be paying homage to the iconic boss.

* It was possible that the origin of Doctor Shemp's name came from the phrase "Fake Shemp" (named for *The Three Stooges* actor Shemp Howard, who portrayed "Shemp") used in filming. This is where an actor appears in a film under heavy make-up, filmed from the back, or perhaps showing an arm or a foot. As only Doctor Shemp's back was exposed to attack, it was assumed that his name came from that.

* The fact how Lailie has to hit his exposed backside is similar to Gnorc Sentries.