Man Changes Name to Captain Awesome

Here I bet you thought that was Barack Obama's super hero name. Oh wait, that's Captain Kick-Ass. Well, Captain Awesome is the nickname of a character on NBC's "Chuck," and now some sad character has decided to legally take the name.

Eugene-Springfield, meet Captain Awesome.

Not that the former Douglas Allen Smith Jr. is a newcomer to Lane County.

He was born here in 1983. He graduated from Willamette High School in 2002.

But he officially became Captain Awesome only last month, when a Lane County Circuit Court judge approved his name change petition.

And his new first name is no title, he made clear in a recent interview.

“Hi! I’m Captain,” he said, making this story even more fun to write. Journalists refer to subjects by last name only on second and subsequent references. So, that’s Awesome!

Any reader who — like Awesome — watches the television show “Chuck” will not be surprised to know how he chose his new moniker. It was, indeed, inspired by a character on the NBC action/drama series: Dr. Devon “Captain Awesome” Woodcomb.

“I just thought it was really funny that Devon’s father always called him Captain Awesome because ‘a poor nickname builds good character,’ ” said the local Awesome, an out-of-work cabinet installer.

Awesome said he had to jump through an extra hoop to legally change his name. Most such requests are approved in informal “ex-parte” hearings with Lane County judges. In Awesome’s case, however, the judge who considered his name change in that setting balked at granting it.

That judge — whose name Awesome cannot remember and who is not identified in Awesome’s court records — questioned his seriousness. The judge also advised him to hire an attorney to represent him in a formal oral argument for the change.

Clearly, he hasn't got an awesome memory. Yet there's still more awesomeness in store.

Mitchell also allowed Awesome to change his official signature to a right-pointing arrow, a smiley face and a left-pointing arrow. The state Department of Motor Vehicles actually accepted the cheerful new signature. But alas, his bank refused to honor it, Awesome said.

I get the feeling there won't be a Mrs. Awesome in the picture any time soon.