Head Crusher

• 

  Mr. Tyzik

  Mark McKinney • Cast

• 

  Businessman/Victim

  Bruce McCulloch • Cast

Mr. Tyzik, better known as the Head Crusher, is a lonely, resentful man who terrorizes Wall Street businessmen and anyone he deems better looking, more successful, or cool than himself. Using forced perspective, he positions his thumb and index finger to visually crush people's heads while making cracking sound effects and gleefully declaring "I'm crushing your head!" The sketch uses a first-person camera perspective to show the victims appearing between his fingers as he "crushes" them, expressing his frustrations with society through this absurd act of imaginary violence.

• The character was created by Mark McKinney in 1984-85 while writing with Kevin McDonald at a café in Toronto\n- McKinney initially didn't think the character was good; Kevin McDonald had to convince him to include it in their HBO pilot\n- The forced perspective filming technique (first-person POV) was innovative for its time and likely inspired a creative movement\n- Lorne Michaels specifically wanted this character repeated because he recognized its catchphrase potential\n- The troupe adapted the character for live performances using a camera and projection screen\n- Became one of Kids in the Hall's most universally recognized characters\n- The character's glasses were a key element that helped McKinney fully embody Mr. Tyzik\n- The sketch was filmed with a wheelchair instead of a dolly due to production limitations