Plank

Plank is the imaginary friend of Jonny 2x4 in the form of a plank of wood. Although he is claimed to be alive, he is never heard or seen moving on screen. However, Jonny seems to be able to understand what he is saying, but this is likely just Jonny's imagination. Ed probably also thinks that Plank is alive. It is unknown whether Plank really is alive or not due to hints of Plank moving, such as the scene in "Gimme Gimme Never Ed." Such in the episode, Eddy seems to dislike him for hurting him in various ways. Plank is enrolled in Peach Creek Jr. High and plays on the football team and participated in the annual school spelling bee, which he failed for not speaking.

However, Jonny claims Plank did speak and spelled it right, this caused Jonny to proclaim Nazz who hosted the event a wood hater and seek revenge, but forgave her by the end. Jonny became Captain Melonhead in the episode "Robbin' Ed". Plank became Splinter the Wonderwood in the same episode. Plank seems to be the cause of most of his troublesome predicaments. Jonny even created parents and friends for Plank.

About Plank*
So who exactly is Plank? What is Plank and perhaps most importantly of all why is Plank?

We've all had - or have known someone who has had - that favorite toy that has been toted around everywhere we go and Plank kind of struck me as being familiar in an amusing if indeed weird kind of way.

However, it soon becomes clear that there's a whole lot more to Plank than just that silently smug and undeniably outer woody exterior, beneath the surface it seems lurks something of a force to be reckoned with. Over the show's various seasons Plank's progressed from being a simple prop to what is arguably a fully-fledged character in his own right who's something of a major player too - albeit still with that big dash of mystery about him and his bright blank gaze!

So it would appear that there is more to Plank than first meets the eye, he's not than just a piece of wood decorated with a rather blank smile. Looking at him and how he gets involved in various plot lines we can see that simply by including him in the regular 'cast' Danny Antonucci is making a shrewd observation about one of the many quirks of childhood and thus giving us back a touch of that magic too. Plank is, in essence a little reminder of our own childish pasts and our own special - and often unusual - 'friends.' It's little touches and familiarities like this that go such a long way to proving why EEnE gathers and hangs on to so many fans - both child n adult alike. Why? Because most of us no matter our age have been there and this feels like familiar turf. We may not all have had a buddy like Plank, an extension of ourselves that we never let go of. Even if we didn't we often knew of - or could at least can recall - someone who did have a Plank-a-like, be it a teddy, a blankie, sock with button eyes or even just a hunk of huggable wood!

What is it Double D says when observing Jonny & Plank in the swing? 'See how the animals nurture their young' well Jonny certainly takes care of Plank, they go everywhere together and Plank gets his share of Jonny's yogurt, Kevin's free Jawbreakers, Chunky Puffs from Ed Mart and anything else going free. Plank also participates in all the latest fads from stilt walking to whizz-wazzing, to winning an impressive array of Urban Rangers badges. As the seasons progress he also proves himself to be an all round hero; in possession of a wry sense of humor; a shameless adrenalin junkie and a slyly reliable source of usually two-edged sword style advice to boot!

But he's just an inert chunk of two by four so how exactly does he do it?

As mentioned in Jonny's bio, Plank's little pal Jonny looks like a bit of a lone wolf but in truth he's never really alone because Plank is his constant companion, confidante & sidekick, in fact perhaps it's fairer to say that it's Plank bringing Jonny along for the ride in order to pull his strings. As Edd so correctly observed Jonny may look like a protective mother hen clucking over Plank and trying to save him from Eddy's manipulative grasp, but look closer. Now, look again. Who do you really think is in charge here, maybe Eddy was actually correct in the pilot episode "The Ed-Touchables" after all, Plank really is the brains of the outfit!

Yes, Plank is very much in the driving seat, far more so in fact than your average invisible / imaginary friend who lets himself (or herself) be used to gain an extra portion of dessert or proclaim a strange liking for staying in bed on schooldays. No, not Plank, Plank is the ultimate power behind the throne. Take a look through the seasons and you'll see his influence again and again as he throws his weight around oh so subtly and manipulates the situation to get what he wants. Ever get the feeling it's Plank using Jonny to get what he wants?

Planks has practically become a personality in his own right and though true, at the end of the day he is just an imaginary friend he doesn't stay within the cosy boundaries of Jonny's head but ventures out to give everyone the benefit of his wisdom via Jonny who's then reduced to acting as a sort of helpless medium. And Plank is ruthless in his efforts to get what he wants - not only does he go everywhere and take note of what he sees and use in in evidence later, but he also has privileges, rights and an opinion that simply can not be argued with by anyone who can not hear him. And since only Jonny is acting as the voice of Plank, that of course makes him pretty untouchable. He's a master manipulator too who despite the smear campaign and embarrassing photo dug up by Eddy still manages to get himself elected King of the Cul-de-sac. In "Dear Ed," Plank and Jonny were sitting four seats away from each other but each time when someone past them, Jonny and Plank moved two seats closer. You can see Jonny move one seat each time; but Plank moves a seat closer each time without anyone touching him. Also, in "All Eds Are Off," Plank moves from outside the Library to the Cafeteria, without being touched.

Every so often of course the veil that covers the seething maelstrom of Plank's psyche does slip a bit. Jonny maintains that Plank sees things and knows things and that certainly seems true when you see him in action but Plank never seems simply content with this alone and as the Eds in particular have often found out has a pretty wicked sense of humor. We see flashes of it everywhere, often in direct retaliation to being condescendingly humored or simply treated as an inert lump of wood.

Perhaps most fascinating of all about Plank is his enduring enigma. Over the shows and seasons while we've seen him emerge as a distinct character and been treated to various aspects of his personality, he - according to Johnny, Plank is male - is still a total dark horse. Take that expression for example, the Mona Lisa has nothing on Plank's enigmatic and sometimes slightly sinister smile! And look - she had one too!

[*= All credit goes to Edtropolis.com]

Plank through the Seasons*
Some examples of how he's made his presence felt.
 * Season 1:
 * "The Ed-Touchables": Plank is subjected to Eddy's drip drip interrogation technique.
 * "Pop Goes the Ed": Plank is included in the guest list at Nazz's sprinkler party.
 * "Over Your Ed": Plank costs Jonny an extra admission fee to see Ed the Great.
 * "Quick Shot Ed": Plank goes mad attacking the Eds as a result of a surprise photo shoot. Horrors! Plank is exposed in the bath wearing just his grin & a shower cap.
 * "Ed-n-Seek": Plank's divining powers find Sarah hiding in a vase.
 * "Look Into My Eds": Plank is turned into a mindless zombie!
 * "Tag Yer Ed": Plank psyches out Double D with his mind-games. Plank is hijacked & swapped for a plumpy imitation! Plank loses the wrestling match thanks to big cheat Eddy.
 * "Vert-Ed-Go": Plank exposes the scam to spend Clubhouse fees on Jawbreakers. Plank gets a memorable whack in on Ed after Eddy throws him. Plank knows, he sees things. Lumber for instance or maybe not.
 * "Who, What, Where, Ed": Plank would prefer not to contribute any sawdust. Plank has no rival when it comes to diving for clams!
 * "Fool on the Ed": Plank apparently falls foul of Prank Master nemesis.
 * "A Boy and His Ed": Lucky Plank gets a whole Jawbreaker to himself!
 * "It's Way Ed": Plank's at the forefront of every cul-de-sac fashion
 * "Eds-Aggerate": Plank is in on the rescue the Eds cake with a file plan.
 * "Oath to an Ed": No wee roach, Plank wears his Urban Ranger uniform with pride.
 * "A Glass of Warm Ed": Plank's tummy gets priority over Jonny's & it needs Chunky Puffs
 * "Flea-Bitten Ed": Plank tells Jonny to 'go fish' whilst they're playing cards.
 * "Avast Ye Eds": Plank tears the Kankers best bed sheet sail - just like Errol Flynn! Plank appears perturbed by Double D's fruit pulp drink. Plank is forced to be a plank & have Jonny walk on his face!
 * "Button Yer Ed": Plank liberates - another - of Rolf's chickens
 * Season 2:
 * "Ready, Set, Ed": Plank feels a little woozy during his trip around the world
 * "Knock Knock Who's Ed?": Plank wears dolls clothes whilst attending a tea party.
 * "One + One = Ed": Plank gets to carry Jonny around for a change … this one is seriously freaky!
 * "Know it All Ed": Plank is subjected to a Kanker-style lipstick n perfume makeover
 * "Dear Ed": Plank and Jonny fall out of friendship - big time!
 * "Hands Across Ed": Plank flunks his big audition by telling a joke only he and Ed get
 * "Floss Your Ed": Plank and Jonny get themselves pickled for 25 cents!
 * "Who Let the Ed In?": Plank is reluctant to advise on dealing with imaginary friends.
 * "Rambling Ed": Plank joins Jonny & Rolf for Eddy's rabble-rousing stance.
 * "Home Cooked Eds": Plank is stolen by May and relegated to a common back scratcher!
 * "To Sir with Ed": Plank is out partying at Eddy's with the Urban Rangers
 * "Key to My Ed": Plank & Jonny partake of their regular afternoon nap on the sidewalk.
 * "Honor Thy Ed": Plank is apparently haunted by an urban myth about a mad logger!
 * "Scrambled Ed": Plank develops a rather embarrassing growth!
 * "Urban Ed": Off-camera, Plank mysteriously goes into Edtropolis without Jonny moving him! The viewer doesn't see what happened...
 * "Stop, Look and Ed": Plank enjoys the anarchy & does a well-positioned streak with Jonny
 * "Rent-a-Ed": Plank spills the beans on Eddy who's up to no good in Jonny's kitchen.
 * "Shoo Ed": Plank & Jonny embark on an Eddy-designed reign of irritation.
 * "Mirror, Mirror, on the Ed": Plank gets to wear Eddy's clothes whilst Ed gets to be Plank!
 * "Hot Buttered Ed": Plank chills out in the sun by the creek wearing his coolest shades.
 * "Fa, La, La, La, Ed": Plank gets to wear a snout though Wilfred is less than impressed.
 * Season 3:
 * "Wish You Were Ed": Plank helps ruin Eddy's plans to grant Rolf's wish to go home
 * "Once Upon an Ed": Plank and Jonny suspect they have wall weasels. Plank enjoys the tale of Conrad the Lonely Stump.
 * "For Your Ed Only": Plank & Jonny tunnel to China where Plank fears being turned into chopsticks. Plank comes to a sticky, gum-covered end.
 * "It Came From Outer Ed": Plank is invited to listen to the giant clam gurgle!
 * "3 Squares and an Ed": Plank & Jonny are bribed for a handful of granola.
 * "Dim Lit Ed": When Jonny is stuck in a tree, Plank goes for help ... slowly. Plank gets stuck with the grease from Rolf's Papa's foot scrapings!
 * "Will Work for Ed": Plank has an apparent hate for broccoli.
 * "Ed, Ed and Away": Plank thinks ahead and special orders his in-flight meal!
 * "X Marks the Ed": Plank & Jonny charge admission to see zit-boy Eddy
 * "From Here to Ed": Plank gets to take a look inside Jonny's own head ... sorta.
 * "Boys Will Be Eds": Plank and Jonny make their own doughnuts!
 * "Gimme Gimme Never Ed": Plank reveals himself as an insatiable white-knuckle ride thrill-seeker. Plank gets in a few good quips plus cash-grabbing revenge on Eddy.
 * "Rock-a-Bye Ed": Plank is a big part of Ed's terrifying nightmare. Plank shares in Jonny's free range soy bean induced nightmare.
 * "Ed, Pass it On": Plank treats Jonny to dinner at the Eds new restaurant.
 * "The Day the Ed Stood Still": Plank falls foul of the rampaging monster in Ed's body!
 * "If It Smells Like an Ed": Horrors again! Plank gets his mouth erased! Plank is forced to advertise the giant Jonny chew.
 * "Don't Rain on My Ed": Plank enjoys a trip to the future. Plank wallows in Jawbreakers & refuses to let Eddy into the candy store.
 * "Once Bitten, Twice Ed"': Plank wearing head protection is shot skywards by Jonny for fun!
 * Season 4:
 * "An Ed in the Bush": Urban Ranger Plank zips about vacuuming up the campsite.
 * "See No Ed": Plank partakes of some very stale cookies.
 * "Is There an Ed in the House?": Speed demon Plank wants to tear up some pavement.
 * "Pain in the Ed": Plank & Jonny are disturbed by Eddy's new pal, Sawtooth Cecil.
 * "Ed Overboard": Plank is eager to win his Freeing of the Fool pewter medallion.
 * "One of Those Eds": Plank & Jonny create havoc with their gum-secured quarter.
 * "They Call Him Mr. Ed": The shameless Plank passes out photocopies of his butt!
 * "For the Ed, by the Ed": Plank heroically saves Jimmy from the Kanker Sisters. Plank's 'dodgy' photo unearths some skeletons in his closet! Plank is voted King of the Cul-de-sac' by a sizeable margin!
 * "Little Ed Blue": Plank is put in jeopardy as Ed wigs out but luckily knows how to save the day.
 * "Your Ed Here": Plank & Jonny are covered in melted crayons to make a life-size statue. Plank - via Jonny - gets in a poke about Eddy's middle name.
 * "The Good Ol' Ed": Plank gets swallowed alive by a dinosaur ... kind of.
 * "Thick as an Ed": Plank & Jonny are reduced to crayon drawing format in Ed's dream - cute!
 * "Sorry, Wrong Ed": Plank needs to use the bathroom, Jonny waits outside ... Plank's a popular guy, just look at all those phone calls he gets.
 * "Robbin' Ed": Plank - aka Splinter the Wonderwood - joins Capt Melonhead's crusade for justice.
 * "Stiff Upper Ed": Plank is rich enough to join Sarah's exclusive club, much to Eddy's chagrin.
 * "Here's Mud in Your Ed": Horror of horrors, Plank is tossed into a puddle and swells up horribly!
 * "Stuck in Ed": Plank & Jonny reveal their Penny dance scam which is scorned by Eddy.
 * "Postcards from the Ed": Plank's parents visit and wear poor Plank & Jonny out. Plank's parents fall foul of manipulative Eddy & lose their heads literally! Plank's extended family visits the Eds with revenge in mind.
 * "Take This Ed and Shove It": Plank shares in Jonny's ideal career as a gopher. The old age Plank seems to have lost his left eye & part of his mouth!
 * Specials:
 * "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle": Plank gets a tongue to help him catch snowflakes! Plank transforms into Mister Snowflake for the holidays.
 * "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Hanky Panky Hullabaloo": Plank goes to school with Jonny - even to gym class. Plank joins with Jonny to deliver the school Valentines day cards. Plank is paired up with Eddy courtesy of some errant cupids' arrows!
 * "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw": Plank becomes the horrifying FrankenPlank and now he can move too!
 * "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show": Plus, Plank AKA Splinter the Wonderwood return alongside Captain Melonhead. The mystery of Plank is deepened when he drags quite literally Jonny to the bus stop and then proceeds to drive a large passenger bus halfway across the country after having disposed of the previous driver in an unknown manner.
 * "Cartoon Network Invaded Specials": Plank is shown to be an agent (Agent 314) for the Alien Werewolves at the finale of the last special. (Information on the card; Codename: Plank, Location: Cul-de-sac, Rank: First class, Years of service: 25, Weight: 8 lbs., Special notes: An expert in the field of Chinese literature, File status: Closed.)

So that's Plank, and on the whole, life seems to be good when you're made of wood and as you can see from the list above Plank certainly gets around and makes his presence felt one way or another in the majority of episodes. Unfortunately though it's not all sunny skies and plain sailing for him. After all, his best friend is pretty gullible it has to be said. Even with Plank at the helm, Jonny seems oblivious of all tricks n traps and despite his buddy's guidance the duo have fallen foul of the Eds and other kids, getting the rough end of the stick - no pun intended there Plank on more than just several occasions! They always seem to bounce back though. Plank at least is certainly no sap.

[*= All credit goes to Edtropolis.com]

Old Plank
Old Plank, seen in "Take This Ed and Shove It", seems to have rotted over the years and still stays with Jonny. Half of his paint seems to have been rubbed off and had been bleached white, plays chess with Jonny a lot. Still old, Jonny and the 2X4 have not yet parted.

Plank's Family
Plank's Parents appeared in "Postcards from the Ed". They appear to be very hyper tourists and carry a camera and a Hawaiian T-shirt. Eddy tries to give them a tour around the cul-de-sac but ends up losing their heads on the monkey bars in the playground. In the end of the episode, the Eds are tied up to a tree surrounded by wooden pirates and thugs, possibly the bad side of Plank's family.

Alias

 * Chunk of Wood
 * Chunk of Termite Food
 * FrankenPlank ("Ed, Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw")
 * Timber the Dark Shard ("Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show")
 * The Wood (By Rolf)
 * Splinter the Wunderwood

Splinter the Wonderwood
Splinter the Wonderwood is Plank's superhero alter-ego, which is Captain Melonhead's sidekick. Splinter can become a transport for Melonhead and is also Melonhead's weakness. If the sidekick is captured and threatened, Melonhead gives up. A prime example is in "Robbin' Ed", when Eddy (Professor Scam) threatens Splinter with water. Water is Splinter's only weakness (he's wood, after all). He appears in the episode "Robbin' Ed", and also in Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, along with Captain Melonhead.

Timber the Dark Shard
Timber the Dark Shard is Plank's supervillain alter-ego, which is The Gourd's evil cohort. It is possible he retains all abilities from when he was Splinter (i.e. mode of transportation), and is probably still weak against water.

He appears in the epilogue of The Movie, where Captain Melonhead and Splinter the Wonderwood escape, badly beaten, and become The Gourd and Timber to get revenge on the Eds and their new friends. However, their schemes are cut short when Timber reminds the Gourd that the movie is over.

Living Being?
Fans often question if Plank is a living organism, due to how he appears to move and speak for himself. Danny Antonucci confirmed Plank is an inanimate object in an interview on the season two DVD. This leads the fans to believe that Jonny is the voice behind Plank, and uses Plank to express his rude feelings and do bad deeds. In the movie, he is shown being able to drive a large passenger bus. In another episode, however, he is seen reading a book about mind control, while Jonny sits there with a blank expression, implying that Plank is alive and is controlling Jonny's mind. However, this is more likely to be a joke. He is also able to grow a twig with leaves on which Jonny treats like an ailment. Note: He'd need to be a living organism to grow the twig but then again this is just a cartoon.

Trivia

 * There are three different characters that resemble Plank: Bob, Salty Sam, and Sawtooth Cecil.
 * In the game FusionFall, while Plank isn't in the game, there are two "planks" guarding the Fort. You also have to make a Fusion Plank so you can enter Fusion Edd's lair.
 * Although, he seems to be driving the trunk in Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, if you notice how he is "driving", it is possibly he wasn't driving at all.