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Hey all! Merry Christmas! I was falling asleep last night and low and behold, who came down my chimney? No, not Santa Claus. Rex Tarkleton. Sort of like Santa, but with more swear words.
--B
The character first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong as a carpenter named "Jumpman", more commonly called "Mr. Video Game" in Japan. During localization of the game for American audiences, Nintendo's warehouse landlord Mario Segale confronted Nintendo's Minoru Arakawa, demanding back rent. Following a heated argument in which the Nintendo employees eventually convinced Segale he would be paid, they opted to name the character in the game Mario after him.