"Madman Muntz" was mentioned in a thread on power supplies in the context of BOM reduction.
His name is synonymous with the elimination of parts to see if something still works.
I remembered seeing his commercials on LA TV in the late 60s and early 70s (when visiting there during the summers, as a little kid). I always remembered his over-the-top commercials, which were parodied by comedians like the Firesign Theatre.
So I read his Wikipedia entry.. His life was pretty interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_MuntzEarl William "Madman" Muntz (January 3, 1914 – June 21, 1987)
[1] was an American
businessman and
engineer who sold and promoted cars and
consumer electronics in the United States from the 1930s until his death in 1987. He was a pioneer in
television commercials with his oddball "Madman"
persona – an
alter ego who generated publicity with his unusual costumes, stunts, and outrageous claims. Muntz also pioneered car stereos
[1] by creating the Muntz
Stereo-Pak, better known as the 4-track cartridge, a predecessor to the
8-track cartridge developed by
Lear Industries.
[2]He invented the practice that came to be known as
Muntzing, which involved simplifying otherwise complicated electronic devices. Muntz produced and marketed the first black-and-white television receivers to sell for less than $100, and created one of the earliest functional
widescreen projection TVs.
[3] He was credited with coining the abbreviation "TV" for
television,
[4] although the term had earlier been in use in call letters for stations such as
WCBS-TV. A high school
dropout,
[5] Muntz made fortunes by selling automobiles, TV receivers, and car stereos and tapes.
[6] A 1968
Los Angeles Times article noted that in one year he sold $72 million worth of cars, that five years later he sold $55 million worth of TV receivers, and that in 1967 he sold $30 million worth of car stereos and tapes.
[1]After his success as a used car salesman and with
Kaiser-Frazer dealerships in
Los Angeles and
New York City,
[1][7] Muntz founded the
Muntz Car Company, which made the "
Muntz Jet", a
sports car with jet-like contours. The car was manufactured between 1951 and 1953, although fewer than 400 were produced.
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