Gene Djinn
Nicknames: Gene Genie; Fine-Print Fiend.
Occupation/Role: Trickster wish-dealer.
Segments: Recurring spot character in Signal Fires, Backyard Mythos.
Bio: Gene Djinn isn’t your Disney lamp genie — he’s a slick, semi-slimy wish broker who tells you up front: “Be careful what you wish for.” But humans never listen. His satisfaction isn’t cruelty, it’s amusement — like watching toddlers ignore the hot stove. He’s unnervingly fair: one wish per customer, no do-overs, no sympathy when you screw it up. Think back-alley dealmaker crossed with carnival barker. He scares people, yet they keep showing up.
Quotable:
“Don’t blame me. I told you to be specific.”
Rickles: “He’s basically a lawyer in a bathrobe.”
“One wish, one shot. Waste it on a joke, that’s on you.”
Eko: “Gene’s the only guy who makes capitalism look merciful.”
“The bottle’s not magic. It’s a contract.”
Terms & Conditions: that’s longer than a CVS receipt. “Should’ve read this first.”
Gene Djinn is a wish-dealer who looks like he crawled out of a MAD Magazine panel and never left. But if you get past the unsettling grin and the not-quite-human aura, you’ll find he’s one of the fairest dealers in the Playhouse. He’s not here to hurt you — he’s here to prove, over and over again, that humans are their own worst tricksters. A “Signal Fires” staple, Gene is comic relief — until the wish hits home. Then he’s prophecy with a smirk.