August 2008 Archives

As I sit here, re-writing all the notes that I have on my desk blotter calendar page for August onto the page for September,
And lamenting that another summer is on its way out- I thought about all the cool stuff that happened in the world of Sven this summer. So, let’s review:
-    Made another fun appearance in Berwyn…though we occasionally drop in to our fine sponsor Horrorbles on Roosevelt Road for a meet and greet (and watch for another one in the near future)- we did make an official visit, taking the invitation to be a part of Berwyn’s Centennial parade. As always, the folks from this fine town showed how much they appreciate me- even if some of the beloved public officials don’t (and yet- still clamor to be photographed with me)…I also made an appearance in the neighboring town of Cicero, for their 150th anniversary celebration- that started with a lovely crowd who braved the rain at the very start to come see me- and the sun surfaced shortly after that, making it a beautiful evening with the nice folks in Cicero. Seems like all the officials were very kind as well…
-    Made the yearly pilgrimage to the Flashback Weekend Horror Convention, and it was just what I’ve come to expect- great fun, great fans, AND- the historic first meeting- live, on stage- of Sven and Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark! Be watching the show on September 6, at the conclusion of the movie, for a segment with highlights of the convention- and- tune in for our season premiere on September 20, for the video footage of our meeting with Ms. Elvira…we got to converse later on, off camera, and she was as nice off camera as she was onstage- and surprised me with her knowledge of and (blush) respect for yours truly!!!
-    Helped educate people about that nasty upcoming digital broadcast video conversion set for next February, through our on air features with my pal George Blaise, and the live appearances with the “DTV Trekker” at Daley Center and the South Side Best Buy.
-    Hmmm…running out of space for this blog, and I still have more to tally from this past summer…let me labor on a Labor Day blog that continues this subject! See you here tomorrow…

If you like those giant monsters from Japan- we’ve got one of the all time greats coming in October on Svengoolie- but tonight, it’s one of the little ones…literally, a “smaller” monster- the “Monster from a Prehistoric Planet!”
Fortified with Svensurround- this is a fun flick, as a publisher is trying to pull a “Jurassic Park” and have an exciting island amusement park, populated with wild creatures. Wouldn’t a “gappa” be just the thing for it? “Gappa” is not Japanese for a gap clothing store- seems there’s an island where the natives worship the gappa. An expedition finds a huge egg in a hidden cave- and when it hatches, there’s the aforementioned gappa creature. According to the Bad Things to Do in Movies handbook, we know never to uproot a creature like this and bring it to civilization- not even for scientific research, but especially not or some sort of monetary gain. So, what do our ingenious expedition folks do? You’ve got it- it’s brought back to civilization!
Of course, there’s a flaw in the plan- known as the “Gorgo” factor- that is- a giant monster may sometimes have a parental unit or two, and, boy, will they get angry when they notice their kid’s been kidnapped! And- that’s exactly what takes place – as a Mama and Papa Gappa find junior gone, and start tracking him down. As you might guess, this does not bode well for Tokyo and other Japanese cities. It’s action-packed excitement as not one- but TWO guys in rubber monster suits swim and fly- yes, FLY- to the aid of their scaly offspring. The dubbing is typically entertaining, and we’ve added the afore-mentioned Svensurround to help bolster the entertainment factor, especially for the faction of our audience who don’t usually take to these kinds of movies. So, “Monster from a Prehistoric Planet” is the perfect movie for an extended holiday weekend (I have no proof of that, but it’s one of those phrases that people who write promos love to toss around- and, besides, I know Sven fans will indeed enjoy it.)
So, tune in tonight, between barbequing, waiting for Jerry Lewis to ask you for a donation, and going back to a short work week- and enjoy the gappa- at either 9 pm or 1 am on Me-TV…or, Sunday afternoon for our Me-Milwaukee viewers!
You South Bend Sven fans- please enjoy it while you can- when the new ownership takes the stations over-who knows what you’ll be seeing?!

Seeing Mayor Daley on the newscasts the past couple of days, hugging Jesse Jackson Jr., reminded me of a couple things that I thought you might find amusing.
When we were working on the Bernie Mac tribute special (which, for those of you who have asked, will run again in the future- the exact date has not been set up yet- if you haven’t seen it, please take a look- our production staff did a wonderful job in a very short amount of time, and made a truly touching tribute to the Mac Man)- my co-worker George Blaise went to City Hall, to do a brief interview with the Mayor regarding Bernie’s passing. After waiting in the outer office with a whole gaggle of reporters and such (and, getting to see the Mayor before Jay Levine, as George laughingly noted)-he went in to shoot the interview with the Mayor. They had a good conversation, and the Mayor expressed some nice thoughts about the Chicago favorite that we had lost.
After they wound up, George had a little gift bag for the Mayor, with a bunch of “U” and “Me-TV” items, and as they were going over them, mentioned that he would have brought him a Svengoolie t-shirt, but that I had not arrived at work to sign it before George had to head for City Hall. The Mayor got really excited and said something to the effect of “Yeah! Get him in here! Get me a shirt!” George got the idea that the Mayor and his family were fans! So, I’m just waiting until all the convention hubbub is over, so we can send Hizzoner a glow-in-the-dark Sven shirt (hey! Maybe it’ll help him save on the electric bill at City Hall!)
Regarding Jesse Jackson Jr.- I recall being at a Bud Billiken parade a few years ago, and the congressman was standing with some other politicians- and, as we were stopped near him, he looked at me and said- “you’re still on television?!”
I laughed and told him when the show was airing at that time.
I’m always surprised to meet political figures who watch the show- and am even more surprised when they think it’s a big deal to have a picture taken standing next to me! (Will that win over any voters? I wonder…)
Before you ask-no, I have no interest in getting into the political scene- unlike the original Sven, Jerry G. Bishop, who, seriously, when we first talked about me being “Son of Svengoolie”, had decided he didn’t want to dress up as his character anymore, because he thought that someday, he might want to get involved in politics, and didn’t want any future opponent to be able to hold up a picture of him as Sven Sr. and say- “would you vote for a man who dressed like this?”
(And, today- I think a lot of us would answer- “you betcha!”)

This just in to our newsroom- if you consider my desk, full of mail, papers, and various used tapes a “newsroom”…
It looks like the online nun beauty pageant is- OFF! Please try to contain your disappointment…according to the Associated Press (not to be confused with the Dis-associated Press, or the Disgruntled Press…)-the Italian priest and theologist who was planning the Internet contest for nuns has suddenly back-tracked on his plans for the event, originally slated to start this fall.
It seems that he was getting a great many protests from the faithful, who didn’t seem to think that a beauty pageant for the female clergy was appropriate. The priest- Rev. Antonio Rungi- who might have soon been named Blaspheming Bert Parks (for anybody old enough to get that joke- Parks was the perennial host of the “Miss America” pageant on TV for decades- he was the guy who usually sang the “There She Is- Miss America” tune)-felt that his “Miss Sister 2008” contest would have given more visibility to the nuns, and fought the stereotype that all nuns are old. No truth to the rumor that the talent portion of the contest would have included precision knuckle-whacking with a ruler and several dozen song stylings of “Dominique” (another old reference- in the 60s, a sister known as “the Singing Nun” had a hit record –seriously- with a song with that title- and I think the whole thing was done in French! Weren’t the pop music charts a lot more lenient back then?)
Speaking of oldies music, I wanted to thank Danny Lake of 94.7-WLS-FM- the station where you hear my pal Dick Biondi-
for having me do a quick shot on his Saturday night request party show as a guest DJ last week! Danny had the great idea that I should intro the old Guess Who song that featured Wolfman Jack- “Clap for the Wolfman!” I’m sure I made Larry Talbot very proud…I think Danny is doing his final “Cars Under the Stars” event tonight out in Elmhurst, so, if you see him, tell him Sven says hello and thanks!
Here’s some clarification for our Milwaukee Svengoolie fans-
Some of you have been confused by the absence of the show on WMLW…fear not! The show has been given exclusive showings (along with “Stooge-a-palooza”) on Me-Milwaukee-
on Sunday afternoons. I know this comes as good news to the folks who had to endure various pre-emptions for sports events on ’MLW. The Me-Milwaukee station is also a full-power station, so more people will have access to their weekly dosage of Sven now. I appreciate the kind words we get from our Wisconsin fans- many of whom used to pick us up on WFLD back in the “Son of Svengoolie” days!

For those of you who have been sending e-mails- both the “Stooge-a-palooza” and Svengoolie shows are alive and well.
The pre-emption of the Stooges this past Saturday precipitated a flurry of worried e-mails-“Is the show cancelled?” “Is this ‘Flicks on 26’ replacing the stooges?” “Don’t show ‘Joe’ shorts!”
(Oh- sorry- that last one shows up all the time…)
Once again- no. As happens occasionally, we received a movie that, by contract, had to air during a specific window of time.
This happened previously when we aired the great Jamie Foxx movie “Ray.” The Stooges return this Saturday- and will also be here next month- and- the roster of shows WILL include the one new show which recently had some technical problems and did not air correctly, as well as the show we had scheduled that was pre-empted by our tribute encore showing of the “Bernie Mac Stooge Attack” show. So- when you tune on Saturday night at 7 pm- all will be right with the world. The 3 Stooges will be there for you.
I was a little confused by the e-mails I got both this week and last, asking why Svengoolie wasn’t on. But-it WAS on!!! Granted, they were slightly different shows from the norm, being episodes of “Svengoolie’s TV Graveyard”-featuring episodes of “Lost in Space” and “Batman”- and thanks to the folks who wrote to say how much you enjoyed them. Yet, some people said we weren’t on- and then, it hit me- the reason was- they were going by the TV listings, and must not have even checked our station at that time to see if it was a Sven show. As I have said before, for years we have been battling the geniuses who run the listing services- who refuse to title the show as “Svengoolie” because, as they put it, the main content is the movie (or, in the last two weeks’ cases, TV shows.)Hence, they will only list the show as the movie or TV show title. They will not even consent to list it as “Svengoolie: Killer Shrews” or something to that effect. Seriously- I’ve been fighting this battle, with my respective stations, since I started in 1979.
It is an even more difficult fight now, since there are currently only a couple main listing services that provide the TV schedule listings to many various outlets. I always hear from “TiVo” users, complaining that they can’t just set their machine to record “Svengoolie.”
So- don’t just go by the listings- if it says “the Monkees”- it could well be our old “TV Graveyard” with Monkees episodes!
Don’t just assume that it isn’t Sven, or worse- that the show has been removed from the airwaves! Some of you give up on me so quickly!!!

I heard a very funny radio commercial the other day- that made fun of a lot of the clichés used in other radio commercials. It was two women talking, with a narrator interrupting to point out the various clichés. For example, one woman mentions a product, and her friend repeats the name of the product- and the narrator points out that this is a typical tactic in commercials, to get the name mentioned and repeated for recognition purposes!
One thing that made ME laugh- was that the commercials ended with the two women laughing (how many radio commercials have you heard that end that exact same way, with the participants laughing at some lame joke or statement?)-and the narrator saying, “I…have no idea what they’re laughing at, either!” I think it’s a brilliant commercial, and does a great job of pointing out the hackneyed writing that we hear almost every day!
Okay, I’ll admit it- I too have done radio commercials with stuff in them that I’m not proud of, but that’s out of the control of the talent in most commercials- you are hired to do the job the way they want it done, or you just decline to do it- and not get paid. Everybody does what they have to do to make a living. That doesn’t mean that you have to think the writing is perfect…but you just read the script they’ve given you. You can suggest a change sometimes, but usually, you go with the original script- though some times you are allowed to ad-lib and add a line or phrase-it all depends on the producer of the commercial, and, at times, the sponsor. Sometimes, good stuff gets cut just because there isn’t time enough for it, and to get all the hard sell in that the sponsor requires. That weakens the entertainment value of the spot, and, I think, makes it LESS memorable- which means it doesn’t work as well as it should.
One commercial cliché that I really dislike is a line that often will come at –or very near- the end of a spot- when the two people whose conversation we are supposedly “eavesdropping” on has promoted the blazes out of a product or service- and one of the two people says-“say- this is starting to sound like a commercial!” Har de har har. Guess what, folks- NOBODY thinks that’s funny after hearing it hundreds of times- heck, even hearing it once wasn’t that funny.
Is there a commercial cliché you hear all the time and can’t stand? Let me know! svengoolie@wciu.com  …”say, this is starting to sound like a request for more info to make up another blog!” “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha….”

…Yow- Monday and I’m already behind on things this week! For those of you who check early for my blog, my apologies…
and I’ve just got a few random thoughts I thought I’d toss out to you today…
…so, I’m watching part of the wind-up to the Olympics last night, the grand finale starting out with three athletes gazing up at the giant Olympic torch in the Beijing Birds Nest structure. As the pageant progresses, I notice that, in wide shots, they are gazing up at the corner of the screen, where we’d normally be seeing the giant torch in the distance- but, instead, it is blocked by the NBC “bug” –the little identifier they super-impose on the screen, with the NBC logo and the Olympic rings. So, it looks like our trio of Olympic heroes is lovingly gazing up at the NBC logo! After a minute or so, someone must have alerted the director, because they finally faded out the NBC logo, making the torch visible.
Believe me- I often hear from fans who dislike those “bugs” and complain that we, here at our station, have them supered into the movies we run-but, we try to keep our folks alert to what’s on screen, so they can take it out if necessary…
Aren’t nuns hilarious? Well, no, I don’t think so, either- but obviously, there are people who think, by doing a stage show with nuns, it’s a sure-fire laugh getter. Granted, there are shows utilizing the female clergy that truly ARE funny- but, there is often this attitude that, just having someone portray a nun is the laugh-riot of the century…which leads me to a laughable news story I heard today, coming out of Rome- a priest and theologian in Italy wants to do an online nun beauty contest. Yes, it’s “Miss Sister 2008!” seriously. He feels that this would fight the stereotype (possibly perpetuated by the wacky nun shows?) that all nuns are old, scary women. The sisters will be given the option of appearing with either veil or no veil (hey- isn’t that a spin-off program for Howie Mandel?) Fear not, o ye faithful- there will NOT be any swimsuit competitions. The priest who has come up with this online pageant stated that he feels that, eternal beauty is truly a gift from God, and should not be hidden- it should be celebrated.
Okay, all you show producers- now THERE’S a comedic stage show waiting to happen! Instead of your hackneyed classroom presentations- why not trade in the knuckle-busting rulers- for some pageant sashes?   

Yes. This is the day that the torch will be extinguished –for another four years- marking the end of the Summer Olympics. How much of it have you watched? Have you been glued to it, or just selectively watching- maybe to catch Michael Phelps, or Shawn Johnson- or, the semi-exciting opening ceremonies with the parade of nations (I love when there is a huge crowd marching, and the nation has exactly ONE athlete!)Or- did you totally ignore it? Either way- it all ends tonight, and NBC’ gets back to a more regular schedule- which will be thrown up for grabs in just a few weeks when the new TV season starts…at least we won’t have to endure Al Roker giving the daily weather forecast for Bejing!
I know you’ve been waiting for me to come up with this, so- why can’t we do a Goolympics? An amazing athletic competition drawing its events from the Sven show! It can be held in various locations, many of them in our beloved Berwyn…and the gold medals, when the foil is peeled off, should be dark chocolate!
Naturally, there will be rubber chicken-centric events- the rubber chicken toss, an obstacle course where you have to avoid being HIT by thrown chickens, a tug-of-war in which a huge rubber chicken is stretched between the two teams.
There can be races in which you have to dart from a coffin-to a door where a hand will appear and hand you a shield, and then you must race back to the coffin and close it in record time. These can be done as sprints, relays, or, as long-distance
races, depending on if we place the coffin in Berwyn, and the door in Cicero…
The utilization of monsters should be a part of it- all aquatic events should have the Creature from the Black Lagoon lurking in the pool to make time trials a little (or a lot) more difficult…another footrace could have the Wolf man chasing the participants, or, for the usual confusion, the Mummy chasing them (lumbering snail-slow, but somehow still catching up with the runners.)
The Goolympic Torch would be just that- a torch, carried by angry villagers, who would light a windmill/castle laboratory that could burn throughout the events (with guest commentator the Frankenstein Monster adding the keen insight- “fire BAD!”) – which would add to the amazing spectacle!
So, let’s start planning- we’ll do it- oh- four years from now.
If you get there first, start without me….  

A quick warning- “Stooge-a-palooza” will be pre-empted tonight, for a special broadcast of “Cinderella Man.” Before the rumors start- YES- the show will return next week.
Meanwhile, on the Saturday night Sven front-we’ve had people asking for an encore performance of this one- so, tonight- same Sven-time, same Sven channel- we bring back “Svengoolie’s TV Graveyard: Dynamic Do-Overs!”
With all the Batmania this summer connected with “The Dark Knight”- it seemed like a good time top bring back the “Dark Knight Lite”- Adam West- in a bunch of “Batman” episodes from the 60s.The thread that connects these is the idea of “do-overs”- remakes of various ideas.
We lead off with what we call a Batman version of “Plan 9 from Outer Space”- in which none other than the Joker (Cesar Romero-with his still-intact moustache slathered over with white make-up) is spooking Gotham with a flying saucer, complete with “alien.” The Caped Crusader (West)and the Boy Wonder (Burt Ward), along with help from the beauteous Batgirl (Yvonne Craig)- put down the Clown Prince of Crime and his UFO!
In a reverse ‘do-over”- we have a couple episodes that were somewhat the basis of the second Michael Keaton “Batman” film- in this story, the Penguin (the great Burgess Meredith)  has suddenly turned over a new leaf- and decides to “aid” Gotham City by running for mayor (hey, Pengie- ever thought of running for Governor of Illinois?) Only one man seems to be the candidate to beat him- batman! Watch for a bunch of old game show hosts and announcers serving as political reporters during this epic!
Then, a real favorite- in a parody of the “Beach Blanket Bingo” style movies that were popular at the time- Batman faces off against the Joker in- a surfing contest! Guys, this one is worth the price of admission just for the shots of Yvonne “Batgirl” Craig in a very cute swimsuit!(Holy male chauvinist, Batman!)
It’s a fun show, and our song for this one has been deemed a classic by many Sven/Batfans…so, tune it in tonight at 9 pm. (Warning: due to our contract that limits the number of times we can show episodes, to conserve some extra runs, we will present a different Sven show- “Cosmic Monsters”- at 1am on Me-TV!) Our thanks to superstar superhero Alex Ross for his help in providing bat-props and costumes!

Yesterday, I listed some of the wacky stuff that I’ve seen in various antique stores this summer…and had too many to fit into just one blog…so- buckle up, kids- here’s some more classic collectibles I’ve seen!
-This one is a true find- something that appears to be from the late 50s or early 60s,complete with cardboard box packaging! It’s called the “Hip-Nip”- and is a plastic “flask” with the cap having a rubber head of a goofy, drunk-looking guy with a reddish nose. On one side of the flask, is a drawing of the guy’s body, with a martini glass in hand…while the back
has a list of various uses printed on it. It reads: “Your ‘Hip-Nip’
can be used for- scotch-bicarb-mouthwash-gin-shave lotion- rye-malted-urine analysis- aspirin-” wait! URINE ANALYSIS?!
Honestly- that’s what it says!! But-really! After listing mostly stuff you’d…?! Ewww! Well, maybe if you were as wasted as the cartoon guy seems to be…but, maybe the wee nip isn’t THAT hip…
- a collectible plate that depicts a cowboy on the back of a horse that is falling straight down off a cliff…with the words “Whoooa, you son of a  $#%*@! I said whoooaaa!” Well, it made ME laugh…
-a small vending machine-well, actually, I don’t think it was actually vending, since there’s no money slot…a “courtesy” machine, about the size of a small shoebox, for disposable eyeglass cleaning tissues. “Save Your Sight!” it trumpets in big letters, with a great cartoon tie-wearing gentleman grinning and cleaning his specs. This little box used to dispense “Sight-savers” tissues-which had some sort of cleaning agent steeped within them- that were somewhat popular in the 60s to clean one’s glasses. I remember our optometrist always handing out little sample packets of those…and, I’m guessing that these little dispensers were either placed in the eye doctor’s office or restrooms, so that you wouldn’t have to use simple water and a paper towel, or your handkerchief to clean those spectacles. Just the artwork and printing on the thing make it priceless…
As I said, a lot of this stuff probably doesn’t fit the title of “antique”- it’s more fun collectible stuff. I certainly don’t have the money or the space at home to pick up every goofy item that appeals to me…but, that just leaves more for YOU! Have you seen any stuff that fits right in with this type of collection?
Let me know about it-  svengoolie@wciu.com  - and maybe we can squeeze another blog out of this topic!  

Speaking of antiques- now comes word that Ed McMahon is taking OTHER offers for his house, besides that of Donald Trump. Hopefully, he’ll accept one from Publisher’s Clearing House…
Anyway, on to the real topic- antique shop finds. I enjoy looking around in antique shops- not so much because, like former governor James Thompson, I’m a fan of pricey antiques- but, because I like finding odd little items that appeal to me…usually, they are not costly items or extremely valuable …it’s just stiff I like. And, maybe it’s not always antique shops- they can also be resale shops or “junk shops.”
Summer is a great time to drive around and find such places, here in our state, or the nearby states.
Among the cool stuff I’ve seen recently:
- a “Magnus chord organ.” This appears to be a toy organ, from the 50s or early 60s, made of hard bakelite- the stuff telephones used to be made of. You plug it in, turn it on, and a LOUD humming fan noise kicks up- I guess it’s air-powered (which shouldn’t be a surprise, since some fine print on the thing says it comes from the Magnus Harmonica Company.)
Press the keys and it plays notes that sound similar to an accordion. This one had a couple keys that did not produce any sound, but it’s a cool little toy miniature, in the shape of one of those old stand-up organs that folks used to have in their homes.
- I’ve found that bears seem to be a big part of many souvenirs…not Chicago Bears, but- well, you know- the fuzzy kind. There was one small bank-type box with a plastic bear glued to it, with “North Carolina” printed on the wood (which is that sort of varnished light wood that a lot of 50s collectibles seem to be made of)- and the head-scratching poem- “Look at me, but do not stare- for I am a lucky bear.” I have no idea what that means-why should I not look at him- due to the fact that he’s lucky?! Another bear collectible appears to be the figure of a little bear with a bow tie- holding a thermometer, with the words carved in the base “I can bear it- can you?”
Perhaps he’s a lucky bear, since he can bear it…
-A bobblehead of a Shriner, complete with fez and a cigarette dangling from his lip. It must be from the early 60s (when did those bobbleheads first come into vogue?) I loved this just because of the goofy expression on his face, made even more comical by the head movement-like he’s had a few too many (not that Shriners ever do that…)
…come back tomorrow for more junk…I mean, ANTIQUE shop finds!

I’ve written here before about my lack of sympathy for Ed McMahon- who has been crying poor, and unable to pay the mortgage on his palatial home, in spite of DECADES of big money earnings and continuing work as a commercial shill, even during the time he supposedly was “ill” with neck problems.
Now comes word that our old pal, the Come-Over Kid, Donald Trump, is stepping in- he will buy McMahon’s home and “lease” it back to him, so that “poor” Ed will not lose his “humble” abode. The Donald has stated that he used to watch Ed every night on TV while back in college, and felt he had to do something to help him. Jeez, I’m welling up with tears – or is it nausea-right now…
As I’ve stated before, it’s hard for me to muster much sympathy for a guy who has earned more money than most people will see in several lifetimes…and is still making residuals on various projects, including use of his image in various print ads. The fact that he was too stupid to save any money, or could not live within those spacious means, just makes me realize what a sad excuse for a person he is. True, he may have had bad money management, or, as the stories are stating, has his latest trophy wife who spends like there’s no tomorrow-but he also should have been smart enough to keep tabs on his finances. And now, the great publicity-loving billionaire steps in to “save” him. This makes me think of all the unfortunate people who are currently facing foreclosure- the good, honest, hard-working folks who are losing their homes through NO fault of their own, just due to the changing economic circumstances- like the older folks who can’t keep up with rising property taxes that aren’t kept pace with by their fixed incomes. Would that the Donald would help THEM in some way, rather than a perennial TV pitchman who has somehow squandered the vast earnings he accrued over more than forty years!
I’m not going to go over all the ways Ed has made money- did that in a previous blog, and going over it all again would just make me more angry…and you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. Some may say I’m being cruel, and I apologize for that- but I really feel no sympathy for him, or anyone else who is lucky enough to be able to earn a fortune- over and over again- and not be grateful and responsible enough for it.
I’d feel more sympathy for Vince McMahon than Ed McMahon.

Thanks for all the nice comments regarding the Bernie Mac special features this past weekend. We had such a melancholy mix of laughs and sadness around here…
This past weekend, surfing channels late at night, I hit on an infomercial for a Time-Life package of “Oldies But Goodies” tunes on cd- it was hosted by an aging Bowser, formerly of the retro rock group “Sha Na Na.” I guess the move to convert him from his 50s character to a game show host never quite took. It was funny to see him still doing the wide-mouthed muscle pose, but also evident that, instead of his sleeveless black t-shirt, he was wearing a large sweatshirt with most of the sleeves cut-off, which did little to hide his potbelly (hey, I know what that’s like- any longtime Sven fan knows that Mr. Goolie has packed on a few pounds since 1979…)-I liked the infomercial mainly because they had a lot of actual black and white footage of the various 50s stars performing the songs- now, if they made the video of all that available, I might just take my credit card out…
Here’s a fun mis-speak from the past week- channel 5’s Art Norman, talking about the Air and water Show opening- “and comedian Bill Murray will jump out of a parachute.” Thankfully, Bill did not jump out of the parachute- he kept it on, as he jumped out of the plane. I was hoping that they had dug a huge pit in the beach sand, so that when Bill would land in it, they could play the “Caddyshack” sound bite- “It’s in da hole! It’s in da hole!”
Some of you who go by the various printed listings have expressed concern that Sven is not on this week, or that you thought it wasn’t on last week. This is because of our on-going (like, decades) fight with the morons who do the listing services…who refuse to list the show as “Svengoolie” because, as they put it, “the main content is the movie.” They have either NO listing for this Saturday night, or have listed “Batman” episodes- because we are presenting an encore performance of our “Svengoolie’s TV Graveyard: Dynamic Do-Overs” show, which has episodes of the 60’s show that had plotlines that were reworked from various sources. The listings are correct, however, in that the “Stooge-a-palooza” show will NOT be on this week, due to a special presentation of “Cinderella Man”- mush like when our station had the movie “ray” a while back. Fear not, Stooge fans- the boys will return next week- AND- for those asking about the repeat of the show that had technical difficulties last month- it WILL be on again in September!

Yesterday, I wrote about the remake that’s in the works for “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”- the cult favorite made for TV horror film, in which young bride Kim Darby discovers that small demonic creatures live beneath her old family home-
and escape up into the house through a chimney in her missing father’s old study, which was previously bricked up!
Here’s the remake scoop- it’s being remade by none other than Guillermo del Toro, the brilliant filmmaker who brought us the “Hellboy” movies and “Pan’s Labyrinth.” He is adapting the original movie’s screenplay with the assistance of his writing partner on the movie “Mimic”-Matthew Robbins, and a comic book artist and writer- Troy Nixey- will try his hand as director of the film.
There are rumors that, instead of the young bride, the female character may be changed to a young girl who is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend.
With del Toro at the helm, I think we can expect the demon creatures to be a little more complex than those of the made for TV original… we’ve seen the fantastic creatures he created for “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the Hellboy series ( I especially enjoyed the denizens of the “troll market” in the last Hellboy flick.)The original movie had some little people in costumes- including Felix Silla (yes, the guy who was the little robot Twiki on “Buck Rogers” –“beedy-beedy-beedy”- and was “Cousin Itt” in the original “Addams Family” series) and Tamara De Treaux, who was one of the people who spent time in the “E.T.” costume in that famous Steven Spielberg film. I used to think there was some stop-action animation in the film, as well, but, I may be confusing it with something else- in this quickly-produced made for TV film, I doubt there would have been time for any stop-motion special effects.
The new del Toro version will, most likely, be showing up on movie screens in 2011.The old version was available on home video- vhs tape, to be exact- and you may still find it somewhere out there…I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up on dvd before the new version comes out. I think there’s a good chance that the new version will be plenty scary- but-
I also think that fans of the original might not find it as frightening as the old 1973 version…add to that the fact that, like many movies, if you saw it as a child back then, it might have made a bigger impression on your young psyche- and recapturing those early scares never seems to be the same when you view things as an adult.

Movie remakes are often something we can do without- how many times have you said “why would they even bother to remake this? The first version was perfect!”
I just saw the trailer for “Death Race”- the remake of the Roger Corman drive-in classic “Death Race 2000”- and, though the original was full of shticky stuff, wonder if it will be more entertaining than this remake. Or- will it be different enough, and take some new directions that will make it just as entertaining, but in a different way?
That’s what I’m expecting for another remake I just read about- and it’s a remake of a film that I constantly get questions about! The original- a made-for-TV movie that aired on ABC back in 1973-which told the story of a young couple who go to live in the old house that her father mysteriously disappeared from years ago. There’s a locked-off room- that doesn’t appear to have been open in years- and, when the young woman finally gets a key and opens it-she discovers that it’s her dad’s old study- and the chimney in the room has been strangely bricked closed.
Fans of this movie no doubt just recognized what I’m talking about- it’s “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”- a true cult classic, which was directed by none other than John Newland- the guy who hosted the episodes of another scary old TV favorite-“One Step Beyond!” The story progresses, revealing that there are small demonic creatures who live beneath the house- and end up causing some malevolent damage as they aim for a certain goal. The original starred Kim Darby, as the young bride who starts noticing the strange little voices and frightening events
created by the sinister creatures. Anyone who has ever seen the movie remembers the chilling scene with the young woman taking a shower- with the creatures lurking right outside!
This made for TV flick was churned out in a little over two weeks- a rush job due to a writer’s strike (sound familiar?)-and there were a few quick changes that occurred- including the recasting of the young husband- Jim Hutton played the part in the film, because the original choice- George Hamilton-wasn’t available (maybe he was booked for a tanning session that lasted longer than the shoot did…)
So- what of the remake? Will it be a better movie- more scary?
I’m sure the fans of the original will agree, that, done fast and cheap or not, the first version is plenty scary, and caused sleepless nights –and blocked-off chimneys-in many homes.
Tomorrow, I’ll give you the lowdown on the new version- and I think it will give you some hope for a successful remake!  

CAN YOU HEAR ME OVER THE ROAR OF THE AIR AND WATER SHOW JETS OVERHEAD???… I SAID- oh- you can. Good.
I hope you’ll tune in to our station before the Sven show this week, as our station pays tribute to Bernie Mac- starting at 5 pm, we have a special one-hour show, produced here at the station, hosted by George Blaise, with countless stars and local personalities talking about Bernie- along with some special footage- as a salute to the Chicago funnyman. That will be followed by some favorite episodes of “the Bernie Mac Show”- and then, Rich Koz will introduce the “Stooge-a-palooza” program that had Stooge fan Bernie as co-host.
Then, at the usual 9 pm time- it’s another Svengoolie TV retrospective- but, this time, it’s something really special. We present the original pilot for the “Lost in Space” TV show- which is somewhat different from the way the show actually aired! We’ll present both the unaired pilot- and the first episode that DID make it to air on CBS back in the 1960s.
The pilot episode is mainly different from the actual first episode that aired because it’s missing two things that actually became trademarked parts of the show- the pilot has NO Dr. Zachary Smith- and, even more noticeably- it doesn’t have the Robot!( I always loved the Robot- in fact, I have a few toy versions of it, ranging from a tiny keychain sized one- to a couple larger versions- and all of them have voice chips in them, so they talk! I can have the phrase “Danger, Will Robinson!” echoing through my house at any time…) We’ll explain why both Smith and the Robot were absent tonight in our program, along with other behind the scenes information- including why the show ended up taking a less serious tone as it went along!
By the way- a special programming note for the folks who usually catch the show at 1 am on our sister station, Me-TV…
Due to contractual limitations on the number of runs we are allowed for “Lost in Space” episodes- we will present a DIFFERENT Sven show at 1 am this week- John Carradine in the Svensurround-filled “Gallery of Horrors!” So- some of you Sven fans can get a double dose of Sven tonight, with two different shows airing between the two stations.
Compare and contrast the two “first episodes” of the “Lost in Space” series-its’ like one of those “alternative reality stories”-like “It’s a Wonderful Life” (can’t you hear Dr. Smith moaning “Zuzu petals”?!)- with all the usual Sven fun- tonight on WCIU!

We’ve all been a little sad around here- with the passing of
Bernie Mac. Talk about a local guy made good- and a guy who made good of his life, in spite of the odds!
I had always enjoyed Bernie’s work- had seen some of his stand-up, had caught him years ago on a cable show on “E!” where that were visiting Chicago and had Bernie help show them some of the cool places to hit in the city, and then followed his career into movies and his TV show. When he came to our studios to do an interview, I wanted to meet him and tell him how much I enjoyed his work- so, I went down to the studio between segments, and introduced myself. Bernie stared at me intently, and then proclaimed, “I know you!” Yep- as a Chicago guy, he had been watching my various shows through the years, which, of course, was very flattering.
He was a huge fan of the 3 Stooges and our “Stooge-a-palooza” show- so, when I invited him to come on the program, he replied “Just call my name, and I’ll be there!”
Before long, we brought Bernie in to record a few different things for the station- and to co-host a Stooges show with us.
He was very excited to get to talk about the Stooges, his favorite shtick that they did, and recall the episodes that he especially enjoyed. Bernie obviously was a fan of classic comedians- and had learned a lot from them, melding it all with his modern comedy sensibilities, and funny observations of the world around him. We had as much fun between segments as we did doing the stuff for air- and could have done enough for three shows easily!
He was a genuinely warm and funny person- and very down to earth. When I would congratulate him on all his success, he would only reply “I have a long way to go.” Bernie felt that you couldn’t just coast through life- you had to keep working, keep growing, and keep achieving.
This Saturday, a public remembrance ceremony will be held- and all of us at WCIU will add our own celebration of the Mac Man- with a special evening of Bernie Mac. At 5 pm, we will present an original hour-long show saluting Bernie, with comments from many of his famous fans and friends- and I’m honored to be a small part of it. Then, we’ll have two classic episodes of the Bernie Mac Show, followed by an encore of the “Stooge-a-palooza” show with Bernie as co-host. I hope you’ll tune in to share the love and laughs that are Bernie’s legacy.
Who you with, Bernie? …I’m guessing it’s some folks with halos and harps who are falling over laughing about now… 

Okay- no excuses- new blog tomorrow! But, I was just remembering an idea I had- based on the annual “Air and Water Show” we have here in Chicago.
Every year, we can tell when its coming- because it sounds like our studio building is being dive-bombed by various aircraft in the days before the show, when the pilots are practicing! And, when one of those ominous shadows flashes over our skylight windows- you feel like you’re in a scary movie!
Actually, we could make our own horror air and water show, with some of the various creatures we’ve encountered- the air portion could include any number of airborne menaces from our films. Among the aircraft could be the spiffy flying saucers that floated perilously on wires in Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” We could also bring in some of those wacky buzzing, spark-spurting space sleds from the old “Flash Gordon” serials. Also flying by could be the giant praying mantis who will be appearing soon on the Sven program in “the Deadly Mantis.” The Japanese contingency could include Mothra, Rodan and the ever-popular Gamera the flying turtle,
Flying in formation over the lakefront! (Just don’t invite Godzilla, or we’ll be missing a few high-rise buildings…)
Instead of the Thunderbirds- why not just go Hitchcock and have-“the Birds?!” Imagine them flying into view from across the lake- and dive-bombing the crowd on the beach!
Now, on to the water part of our show- oh, okay, Godzilla can surface there briefly if he behaves himself. Gorgo could even come in as an opening act for Godzilla…also appearing would be the Creature from the Black Lagoon (who will also be on Sven very soon!) who will no doubt pick up a few bathing-suited beauties during his portion of the show. That would lead us to the “Humanoids from the Deep”- who would no doubt come up on Navy Pier and create havoc just the way they did at the pier side amusement park in their film! Stay away from the Ferris Wheel! Some extra excitement could be provided by the giant leeches from “Attack of the Giant Leeches”- maybe they could snag a few patrons from the refreshment stands to be…refreshments. I like it- the Svengoolie Monster Air and Water Show- I’m sure Mayor Daley would go for that idea. Since he loves Halloween, he can add it to the city’s October calendar…right after he eats some of the fish from the Chicago River…   

I was talking to some nice people about ghosts the other day…
I guess I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of there being real ghosts, though I know many people are skeptical. These folks were telling me that there is a ghost at the radio station they work at-and that everyone there has a ghost story of their encounters with it! Personally, I don’t have much of a story- in a house that I was renting once- there would occasionally be a huge loud “BANG!” from the second floor- as if a huge dresser or cabinet had fallen over. But then, when I’d go upstairs- there was nothing out of place! It wasn’t the wind moving something on the outside of the house, either. There was no rational explanation for the big bang…and yet, it would happen, at different times, again and again. There were also some kind of eerie paintings of weird looking children in several rooms. It was kind of weird, but, certainly not a full-fledged ghost story!
I love to watch the cable shows with various investigations of haunted places- I’m pretty sure I’ve told you about the “Most haunted” one, where a goofy blonde woman and her crew spend the night in supposedly haunted places. They always bring a psychic along to act as an ambassador to the “spirits” who live there (is “live” the right word?!) The funny thing is- the woman is really spineless, and at the least noise, she runs crying, screaming, and swearing (they bleep a lot of what she’s saying out!) and trying to get out of the place! Why be host of this kind of show, if, as soon as something interesting happens- you’re going to bail out?!
Then, there’s that other ghost hunter show, which usually involves some guys that you’d run into at the corner tavern, running around houses, arguing with each other, and constantly turning to each other and saying in a “Sout’ side of Chicaga” type way- “Didjou hear dat?” They find “things of interest” and then the head of their organization pretty much tells them its nothing. Now THAT’S entertainment.

Okay, enough is enough- while I’m on special assignment (which shouldn’t last too much loner)- we reran some guest blogs of other cast members, but- enough is enough! Does everybody have to complain about me?
I’ll locate a few more palatable old blogs to entertain you…I promise!!! Thanks for putting up with  my splintered schedule here!  

All right, this is getting further out of hand- recently, we discovered the company by-law that said the other Svengoolie cast members were entitled to have equal time writing these blogs. We heard from Tombstone and Durwood- and now, the one flesh-and-blood member of our cast- my musical director and sidekick Doug Graves- has decided to throw his porkpie hat into the ring and write more than music- he’s going to write today’s blog! Let’s hope he’s as good with the computer keyboard as he is with the musical one- ladies and gentlemen- Doug Graves!

Hey. It’s about time Sven let me write one of these- after all the years of my having to put up with his (ahem) “vocal stylings.”
I’ve worked with some amazing singers- and Sven isn’t one of them. It IS amazing that he sings on television every week- what other show, other than the “American Idol” program, showcases someone whose voice is so awful, he needs a license to carry his vocal chords, since they’re a deadly weapon? I’ve known Sven since our high school days- we were in the band together. I played trumpet, and Sven played around with a flute player. No, actually, he played trombone- no doubt, getting set for his horror career by playing the only instrument with BONE in it. The band director always asked Sven to play solo- play SO LOW, nobody would be able to hear him. I joined Sven on his first show –back at WFLD- where we actually had an upright piano. At least, it was upright until Sven accidentally knocked it over. Eventually, I began to arrange and play fully-orchestrated tracks for Sven to sing along with…and we did many more ambitious musical numbers.
The funny thing is- as the music got better- Sven didn’t. His vocalizing has remained the epitome of tone-deaf torture.
Also, he doesn’t pay me much…I don’t consider a CTA pass and the boxed set of the first season of “Girlfriends” to be a
typical living wage. It’s a good thing that I do gigs with several bands in the Chicago area, or I’d probably have to eat some of those rubber chickens he carries around with him.
Don’t get me wrong- I like working on the show- I like everything about it- except Sven. I always said I’d like to work with a chick singer- not a rubber chicken singer. Thanks to everybody who digs what I do…and even more thanks to anybody who would bury Sven…

…oh, why did we start this?! Last week, we had a blog by Tombstone- now Durwood, the famed ventriloquist dummy whose roots go back to the original Svengoolie (actually, his roots probably go back to an oak tree…) has demanded his crack at equal time in the blog universe- and , if he’s got a crack, maybe some wood putty would be beneficial…anyway, get set for another blog by an inanimate cast member of the Sven show- Durwood!

Well, hello there, kind viewers of the Svengoolie program-for once, nobody is putting words in my mouth (I know, I’m a ventriloquist dummy- people are SUPPOSED to put words in my mouth…)…yes, I go back to the original Svengoolie show,
with Jerry G. Bishop, back at WFLD- back then, my green hair was so full and luxurious- now, look at it! Mere wisps of green…seems like both Tombstone and I have had follicle changes since working with “Son of”- now known as Svengoolie…I’m not too fond of him, either- keeping me in the same coffin carrying case that I’ve been in for over 30 years- not doing my high-pitched voice nearly as well as Sven Sr. did- and, recently, using me wrapped in toilet paper for his Mummy gags! Is THIS how a show biz veteran, representing a classic wing of entertainment- ventriloquism- should be treated? I have to slave under the hot studio lights, risking sweating and warping (Sven: Why don’t you wear deodorant under the lights?”)...I dunno, Sven, why don’t YOU wear deodorant under your ARMS?!…anyway, my performances have always been a benchmark of the Svengoolie shows…actually, my uncle used to just…be a bench… and you’d think that I’d get more respect, but , no!!!?
Ladies and germs, I appreciate you reading this blog…and your many years of fandom for this humble hardwood harbinger of hilarity. Request that Sven use me more on the program! And now, I’m finished- with some lovely shellac that brings out the ivory sheen of my face (Ivory Sheen- isn’t that Charlie Sheen’s new wife? Goodnight, everybody!)  

…oh, why did we start this?! Last week, we had a blog by Tombstone- now Durwood, the famed ventriloquist dummy whose roots go back to the original Svengoolie (actually, his roots probably go back to an oak tree…) has demanded his crack at equal time in the blog universe- and , if he’s got a crack, maybe some wood putty would be beneficial…anyway, get set for another blog by an inanimate cast member of the Sven show- Durwood!

Well, hello there, kind viewers of the Svengoolie program-for once, nobody is putting words in my mouth (I know, I’m a ventriloquist dummy- people are SUPPOSED to put words in my mouth…)…yes, I go back to the original Svengoolie show,
with Jerry G. Bishop, back at WFLD- back then, my green hair was so full and luxurious- now, look at it! Mere wisps of green…seems like both Tombstone and I have had follicle changes since working with “Son of”- now known as Svengoolie…I’m not too fond of him, either- keeping me in the same coffin carrying case that I’ve been in for over 30 years- not doing my high-pitched voice nearly as well as Sven Sr. did- and, recently, using me wrapped in toilet paper for his Mummy gags! Is THIS how a show biz veteran, representing a classic wing of entertainment- ventriloquism- should be treated? I have to slave under the hot studio lights, risking sweating and warping (Sven: Why don’t you wear deodorant under the lights?”)...I dunno, Sven, why don’t YOU wear deodorant under your ARMS?!…anyway, my performances have always been a benchmark of the Svengoolie shows…actually, my uncle used to just…be a bench… and you’d think that I’d get more respect, but , no!!!?
Ladies and germs, I appreciate you reading this blog…and your many years of fandom for this humble hardwood harbinger of hilarity. Request that Sven use me more on the program! And now, I’m finished- with some lovely shellac that brings out the ivory sheen of my face (Ivory Sheen- isn’t that Charlie Sheen’s new wife? Goodnight, everybody!)  

Tonight at 9 on WCIU (and 1 am on Me-TV) we present a Sven classic -“Phantom Planet!” Astronauts find a planet that can propel itself through space- and, after a brush with a meteor shower- one of them ends up on the planet, shrunken –and ends up at odds with some of the tiny dwellers of the sphere- who have their own problems with a monstrous race! There’s plenty of Svensurround, too- so- tune in for some fun!
I’m still on special assignment- but I’ll put some fun blogs in until I’m back in the blogging saddle!

We’ve been writing a daily blog since October 1, 2006. During that time, I have been the only person writing this blog. Well, this came to the attention of some of our other cast members- and they seem to feel that THEY should get a crack at it. I disagree, but someone  (and I think I know who) discovered a clause in the company by-laws that indicates that we must give equal time to other cast members, even if only in small dosages- so, with that said, I reluctantly turn the keyboard over to- Zalman T. Tombstone, also known as Mr. Tombstone, also known as Tombstone the talking skull, also known as a major pain in my- wait a minute, he’s a skull- how is he going to TYPE?!

Whoa, mind your own business, you black-eyed baboon! Greetings, Tombstone fans near and far! I’m honored to be given the chance- finally- to address you via the Internet!
It’s about time, too- you’ve been reading that Goolie propaganda too long! Don’t you want to hear what a hard-working cast member like me has to say?
I’ve been working with that top-hatted twit since 1979- back then, I had a lovely green moustache, and smoked a panatela the size of one of the Olson Twins’ forearms. I was an immediate hit, and got scads of fan mail. Much like the original Svengoolie’s female skull, Zelda- who was a distant relative of mine (notice the resemblance? We both look like skulls!)- I was kept out of the limelight by the alleged “host” of the show- who couldn’t carry a tune in a Ziplock bag. Sven has always been jealous of my talent- when he won any of his Emmy awards, did he ever thank me? No. When he gets interviewed, does he ever allow the interviewer to speak with me? No. When he makes his t-shirts does he ever put MY picture on them? Well…yeah, okay, he did that a couple times- but now- look! He’s too busy putting some pullet with a pituitary problem and some sort of greenish eye emanations
on his shirts to include the benevolent bonehead who has contributed so much to his lackluster programs. I’ve worked so long and hard, my hulkish-green moustache has become a golden orange- and he stopped buying me those expensive cigars- although, actually, I stopped smoking them- you know, those things can kill you! Wait-I’m already dead. Well, now you know why.
So, I implore you- let Sven know how much you love me! Tell him we want “Bonuses for Boneheads!” This is Tombstone signing off from the blogisphere…because my chin can only take so much of this banging against the keyboard!

Our fine sponsor, Horrorbles, the horror collectibles store, is very special – not just because they are firm supporters of the Svengoolie show, who put their money where their mouth is,
and go above and beyond what a sponsor would do for us…
but, also, because they are big supporters of the classic horror genre. They respect the history and contributions of the film makers and all those involved in the horror films- because –they’re fans of it, just like you and me!
They want to bring very special things to fellow horror fans, and have done just that with a big event coming up at the Portage Theater on Milwaukee Avenue here in Chicago. This Saturday night, they will present- on the big screen- the original “creature from the Black Lagoon.” Sure, that’s pretty cool, but, get this-also appearing that night- a very special guest- Ricou Browning!
I’m sure the jaws of most Sven fans just dropped- because they know that Ricou was the man inside the Creature suit for all the underwater scenes in the Creature flicks! If you watched our presentations of the Creature trilogy and/or read my blogs, you know the story…Ricou was born in Florida, and made a name for himself in diving shows-including producing shows for the fabulous mermaids at the old Weeki Wachee attraction! He got the job of playing the Gill Man in the underwater scenes in the Creature flicks- and could hold his breath for really long times-which was what the original director wanted, so no air bubbles would be visible coming from the Creature’s mouth! They never gave any actual billing in the films to Ricou…but his work helped him move on to being behind the scenes in various productions. He worked with producer Ivan Tors on the original “Flipper” series, and also did some work on Lloyd Bridges’ “Sea Hunt.” He’s worked as a director, stunt man, and even a writer! He’s also been part of the crew for a few James Bond films that involved a lot of underwater work.
It’s very cool that Ricou is coming to the Chicago area to meet his fans- he’ll be at the Portage Saturday night, and do a special signing at the Horrorbles store in Berwyn (yes, Berwyn!) on Sunday. If you want all the information, go to
www.horrorbles.com  …hope you’ll come out and support this event- after all, how many chances do you get to meet the real
“Creature from the Black Lagoon?” …in a good way, I mean!

Here’s a blog I particularly liked from last year- dealing with Vincent Price:

Back at WFLD, they had the rights to a whole load of the Roger Corman/Edgar Allan Poe films that Vincent made- and they’d often make me run them one after another, which aggravated
some viewers the way that our continuous runs of, say, Abbott and Costello movies do nowadays. Nevertheless, Price’s films are always a good time- like “the Pit and the Pendulum”- or, among my very favorites- “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” and “Dr. Phibes Rises Again!” I always felt that “Theater of Blood’ which we’ve run a few times on Sven, has the same sort of feel as the original “Phibes” flick- with a man thought to be dead, committing themed murders -and, back at 32, I believe I showed his movie “Madhouse”- in which he played a horror actor who returned to kill various people who’d done him wrong…again, kind of like the “Phibes/Theatre of Blood” plot.
We’ve shown him in the gloriously-gimmicky “House on Haunted Hill” and “the Bat”- and even had him in historical movies like “Tower of London.” Every horror film fan HAS to love him for “House of Wax”-in scary 3-D, kids! Of course, fans of the Caped Crusader remember him as ‘Egghead” in the 60s “Batman” series- while pop music fans put him on the charts for his voice work on Michael Jackson’s epic “Thriller.”
Some of you might recall a show that ran on WFLD for a short time, that was actually a Canadian production- “the Hilarious House of Frightenstein”- that Vincent did some work on- it was actually mainly a one-man show, with Billy Van dressed as various horror creatures. His final film role, of course, was his bittersweet performance in “Edward Scissorhands”- his role was supposed to be much more involved, but Vincent was far too ill to handle much at that time- and, sadly, could only
appear in two of the scenes that had been planned for him.
In doing some research, I was amazed at how much television he did- everything from “the Red Skelton Hour” to “Columbo” to (sigh) “the Brady Bunch.”
Do any of you recall that, in the late sixties or early seventies, Vincent was tied in with sears, and promoted a line of “fine art” that they were pushing at the time? How incongruous are those three things- Price, Sears, and “fine art?!” Not only was Vincent an appreciator of art- but he also loved gourmet cooking. A friend gave me a huge cookbook written by Vincent and his first wife- and no, none of the recipes utilized “eye of newt.”
One of my favorite stories is how, at Bela Lugosi’s funeral- Vincent and Peter Lorre stood before Bela’s coffin, and Vincent whispered- “do you think we ought to drive a stake through his heart- just to be sure?” No wonder we love Vinnie!

Okay, kids- yours truly is on “special assignment”- so the blogs may have to be reprints and/or short – I’ll try to drop a few new ones in along the way…
I saw a bumper sticker on a car in our local parking garage-
It said- “my dog is smarter that your honor student.” I was really tempted to make on and stick it on their bumper under it, saying- “Yes, but my honor student doesn’t relieve himself on other people’s lawns.”
Anyway, please bear with me- everything is fine, I just have some special projects to handle. I’ll dig up some old blogs for your enjoyment!  

Yesterday, in honor of the birth date of Jerry G. Bishop, the original Svengoolie, I thought I’d recount the story of a little of his career-when I ran out of room, he had just come to Chicago, and joined WCFL- where he first used the name “Jerry G. Bishop.” Chicago audiences really loved hearing Jerry in the mornings- his show was funny, had great rock music, he’d sing songs himself accompanying himself on his guitar- and he made a famous name of his audio engineer, the man at the controls, Sheldon Post, known on the air as “Sheldon the Engineer!” Jerry would ask various questions, and the famous sound effects (some of which I still use!) would answer him, under the guise that it was Sheldon answering him. People would “enter” the studio to sound of an old store’s door- with a bell attached to alert you that someone was entering or exiting. That was a sound effect that Jerry got from a team of deejays in Cleveland, and it became his own here in Chicago.
Eventually, Jerry was also doing television- right next to where WCFL’s studios were in Marina City, in what is now the House of Blues, were the studios to WFLD-channel 32. Before long, Jerry was doing all sorts of shows there, including “What’s Happening”(many years before the show with Rerun and Raj)-a public affairs show- and the afternoon movie “Dialing for Dollars”- where he’d make calls to people, and ask if they knew the “count of the day”-which, by the way, was never Count Dracula. It was whatever random number, up or down, they would count on slips of a phone book they had cut up, to determine what name they’d call. Jerry used to laugh about the fact that, in the early days of the station, he’d call people, and they didn’t even get UHF on their televisions (and you think you’re going to have trouble with the digital transition!)
Jerry was also a staff announcer, alongside broadcast veterans like Del Clark, Bud Kelly, and- yes, Chet Coppock!
Okay- here’s the part you’ve been waiting for- when Channel 32 started running horror flicks on Friday nights- Jerry was the announcer on duty. He started doing the announcements in breaks with a Transylvanian/Hebrew accent- and eventually- Svengoolie was born!
For more information, please check the great book by Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw- “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows- from Shock Theatre to Svengoolie!” You might just find out how I got into the Svengoolie business, as well….

Today, August 3rd, is an honored day in the Svengoolie family history- it’s the birthday of the original Sven himself, Jerry G. Bishop!
Jerry is, of course, my mentor, and truly is the guy who generously opened the door to broadcasting for me. Jerry was born right here in Chicago, and spent many years in the Rogers Park area- he even did some of his college work at Navy Pier, which, I think, was where the University of Illinois Chicago location was for a while! After working at a radio station in Evanston, Jerry went on the usual career path of broadcasters- away from his home town, doing radio in Washington D.C. (where he made a point of broadcasting a message to President John F. Kennedy’s daughter Caroline every morning to be a good girl and eat her oatmeal!)
He then ended up doing both radio and television in Cleveland, Ohio. He was actually on the air opposite another guy who made it big in Chicago radio- Ron Britain! On television, he did an “American Bandstand” type show- that was on opposite another pivotal figure in our story- Ernie Anderson, who was playing horror host “Ghoulardi” at the time!
Finally, Jerry got to return to his home town- when WCFL brought him here to be a part of the great WCFL. Though he was known in Cleveland as just “Jerry G.”- the radio station manager, a creative radio guy named Ken Draper, felt that was too “teeny-bopperish” for Chicago, and told Jerry to come up with a last name. (Brief explanation- he called himself “Jerry G.” –because his last name began with the letter “g”-and Jerry felt it was hard for people to spell- the whole name, not just the letter…)As it got closer to his arrival in Chicago, the boss called him and asked if he’d come up with a name yet- and Jerry had not. The boss threatened that, if he didn’t come up with it soon, he’d dub him “Jerry G. Michael!” Jerry wasn’t too fond of that- so he says he actually took out the phone book and started going through the alphabet, adding the last name to his (starting with, he claimed at one point, “Jerry G. Aardvark!”)When he hit “Jerry G. Bishop”- he liked the sound of that, and went with it. However, that did have a tendency to confuse some duller folk, who thought he was comedian and “Rat Pack” hanger-on Joey Bishop!
I’ll continue the story tomorrow here in the blog- but, happy birthday, “Dad”- I know I can NEVER fill your shoes (or sandals, as the original Sven wore!)