The Human Fly: Two Stunts And A Comic Book Series

The Curious Story of the Human Fly

The video tells the quirky and intriguing story of the Human Fly, a Canadian stuntman persona created in the mid-1970s. This character emerged amid a cultural backdrop of disco, Evel Knievel’s fame, and a fascination with sci-fi.

Origin and Persona

The Human Fly was a mysterious daredevil who claimed to have survived a horrific car accident that left him mostly steel-reinforced after dozens of surgeries. Wearing a costume and mask, he performed dangerous stunts to raise money for disabled youth, cultivating a superhero-like image.

Major Stunts and Career

Despite his bold claims, the Human Fly completed only two major stunts:

• Riding on the back of a DC-8 airplane During this stunt, he was once knocked unconscious by 250 mph rain.

• Jumping 26 buses This was an attempt to beat Evel Knievel’s record. Unfortunately, he crashed badly and never appeared publicly again.

His stunt career was short-lived, but his persona lived on through a 19-issue Marvel comic book series. The comics were critically panned and appeared to exist mainly to capitalize on a licensing deal rather than genuine creative enthusiasm.

Behind the Scenes

The Human Fly was a fabricated character masterminded by the Ramachieri brothers, Joe and Dominic, who invested heavily to blend stunt performance with disco fashion and sci-fi elements. The stuntman portraying the Human Fly, Rick Rojat, had questionable credentials and may have been a con man or delusional, as no evidence supported his backstory or stunt expertise.

Rojat’s public revelation of his identity may have been a ploy to secure his position, but it ultimately undermined the character’s mystique.

Later Developments

An odd twist in the saga was the Human Fly’s brief reincarnation as a musician in the early 1980s. Guitarist David Wolff donned the costume for performances, but this failed to revive interest.

Financial troubles, lack of public appeal, and the failed bus jump stunt led to the end of the Human Fly’s stunt career. The character was relegated to an obscure footnote in Canadian pop culture—a mix of ambitious dreams, questionable reality, and a gaudy business experiment.

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Notable Highlights

• The Human Fly’s dramatic origin story involving a tragic accident and extensive steel body replacements.
• His two major stunts: the dangerous DC-8 airplane ride and the ill-fated bus jump.
• The Marvel comic series that outlasted the actual stunt career but was critically weak.
• The behind-the-scenes revelation that the character was a manufactured persona with a possibly unreliable stuntman.
• The bizarre attempt to revive the Human Fly as a rock musician.
• The overall tone blending fascination with a tragicomic, almost surreal business venture.

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Personalities Featured or Mentioned

• The Human Fly (Rick Rojat) – The stuntman behind the persona.
• Joe and Dominic Ramachieri – Brothers who created the character.
• Jim Shooter – Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief.
• David Wolff – Guitarist who performed as the Human Fly musician.
• Cindy Lauper – Mentioned as partner of David Wolff.
• Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi – Mentioned in relation to a TV movie appearance.