In 'The Funniest Joke in the World', what is the joke writer's name?

In “The Funniest Joke in the World,” the joke writer is named Ernest Scribbler.

Ernest Scribbler appears at the beginning of the Monty Python sketch as a British “manufacturer of jokes.” He writes what is supposedly the funniest joke in the world, reads it, and immediately dies laughing. His mother then discovers the paper, mistakes it for a suicide note, reads the joke herself, and suffers the same fate. The joke is eventually copied, translated, and treated as a military weapon.

The sketch originally appeared in the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, “Whither Canada,” which was broadcast on October 5, 1969. Michael Palin played Ernest Scribbler, while other members of the troupe performed the surrounding characters, including the police officers, soldiers, and officials who try to contain the deadly joke.

The joke itself is never presented as a normal English punchline. Its German version consists of nonsense words designed to sound German, while the English punchline is simply “Awful.” The other options are recurring Python character names: Raymond Luxury-Yacht and Ron Obvious come from other sketches, while Arthur Pewtey is a separate character.