Frank Hoover

Officer Frank Hoover, known simply as Hoover, is a character and secondary antagonist in Slapstick Culture. He appears in the first act of the story, and then in flashbacks during the second and third acts.

Background
Hoover is a member of the Slipknot City Public Justice system, working as a police officer in the Southwest and Ursa Major quadrants. He is the longtime partner of Reef and an established enemy of the Underground Justice, particularly of the Short Pier cast.

Hoover has been working in the two southernmost quadrants of the city for decades as a cop. Though his affiliation with Reef has lasted for several years, it is still relatively recent in terms of his career. Hoover is a veteran detective bent on uncovering the secrets of the Monocromatico, and has been a valuable player in the many investigations surrounding them.

However, Hoover has a dark history of his own. Early on in Act One, Skitster reveals that Hoover has a shady history involving sexual abuse and possible pedophilia. It is later confirmed by Tahiti that he does, in fact, have a criminal record of his own (although it isn't clear whether Skitster's accusation is true, or if his criminal record is related to something else.) This discovery causes the Short Pier cast to avoid them as well as they can, now frightened of the man.

Personality
Hoover is, on the outside, the polar opposite of Reef. He appears to be a docile, simple-minded man, being mistaken by many to be Reef's comic relief sidekick. In reality, he is quite cunning, having singlehandedly arrested at least twenty-five high-ranking members of the Monocromatico. He is a much more competent investigator than Reef, but retains his goofy, bumbling facade as a form of deception (much like Spoony.)

Trivia

 * Hoover is one of the oldest characters, appearing to be in his late forties/early fifties.


 * Unlike Reef, whom she merely dislikes, Sydney is terrified of Hoover. A conversation that she has with Radley, Skitster and Maude indicates that he may, at one point, have been trying to pursue a sexual relationship with her.


 * If Kingsley's unbroken ear is not counted as a part of his height, Hoover is the tallest character. He is also the largest in general, being approximately four times the size of his partner.