Comments on: R.I.P. Russell Scott - Blinky the Clown, Denver TV icon for more than 40 years http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 26 May 2013 09:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: kiptw http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1520464 kiptw Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1520464 My sister emailed to let me know. Scott was also "Cap'n Dooley" on KWGN's "Lunchtime Little Theatre," which I saw a time or two, but it was as Blinky that he made his impression on me. I used to make fun of him all the time in junior high, and a few years later, he was Tom Shannon's chief henchman and torpedo in my (never printed) comic, "Jimmy Cool vs The Creature From Channel 2." Every now and then, I'd look him up on YouTube to see videos of him in his junk shop (out on Colfax, if memory blah blah blah), always cheerful, and always trying to sell something. One place I looked at said he was at his TV gig for forty years, and was the second-longest-running kid show host. Here's to him! Hall of fame. (Should I go look in on the Denver nostalgia thread again? I really liked that one.) My sister emailed to let me know. Scott was also “Cap’n Dooley” on KWGN’s “Lunchtime Little Theatre,” which I saw a time or two, but it was as Blinky that he made his impression on me. I used to make fun of him all the time in junior high, and a few years later, he was Tom Shannon’s chief henchman and torpedo in my (never printed) comic, “Jimmy Cool vs The Creature From Channel 2.”

Every now and then, I’d look him up on YouTube to see videos of him in his junk shop (out on Colfax, if memory blah blah blah), always cheerful, and always trying to sell something. One place I looked at said he was at his TV gig for forty years, and was the second-longest-running kid show host.

Here’s to him! Hall of fame. (Should I go look in on the Denver nostalgia thread again? I really liked that one.)

]]> By: Noctilucent Studios http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1520443 Noctilucent Studios Wed, 29 Aug 2012 01:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1520443 That Denver nostalgia thread is STILL one of my all time favs. from here. So Many Memories! That Denver nostalgia thread is STILL one of my all time favs. from here. So Many Memories!

]]> By: Miss Demeanor http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1520091 Miss Demeanor Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1520091 Got to be on Blinky's Fun Club on my 5th birthday, it was the most awesome thing ever, he was super sweet to the kids- a few years back some of us started a Facebook page for him where folks have left some very sweet remembrances    https://www.facebook.com/groups/33898908273/  Got to be on Blinky’s Fun Club on my 5th birthday, it was the most awesome thing ever, he was super sweet to the kids- a few years back some of us started a Facebook page for him where folks have left some very sweet remembrances   
https://www.facebook.com/groups/33898908273/ 

]]> By: welcomeabored http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519932 welcomeabored Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519932 As long as we're reminiscing about children's shows and including the Seattle/Tacoma area, I might as well mention the Brakeman Bill show.  It was on for 20 years and once held the record for longest running children's program.  As far as I know, Bill is still living. As long as we’re reminiscing about children’s shows and including the Seattle/Tacoma area, I might as well mention the Brakeman Bill show.  It was on for 20 years and once held the record for longest running children’s program.  As far as I know, Bill is still living.

]]> By: LightningRose http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519902 LightningRose Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519902 Heritage Square? Don't you mean Magic Mountain, you whippersnapper? ;) Heritage Square? Don’t you mean Magic Mountain, you whippersnapper? ;)

]]> By: Chris Hartman http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519878 Chris Hartman Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519878 I was on that show as a kid! I was on that show as a kid!

]]> By: fredh http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519755 fredh Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519755 They didn't. We just view them that way now. Well, I'm sure Gacy didn't help matters. They didn’t. We just view them that way now. Well, I’m sure Gacy didn’t help matters.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519719 Paul Renault Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519719 <i>"Dad was incredibly artistic," said daughter Linda...</i> I don't believe it! “Dad was incredibly artistic,” said daughter Linda…

I don’t believe it!

]]> By: DrDave http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519699 DrDave Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519699 I don't doubt there were a lot of factors. The host-selling one came to mind because of a clever/shady way the JPP show thought up to skirt it:  http://www.jppatches.com/page36.htm I don’t doubt there were a lot of factors. The host-selling one came to mind because of a clever/shady way the JPP show thought up to skirt it: 
http://www.jppatches.com/page36.htm

]]> By: Geoduck http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519679 Geoduck Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519679  Ugh. I did know his name, really. Watched the show and everything.  Ugh. I did know his name, really. Watched the show and everything.

]]> By: latelatelateshow http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519675 latelatelateshow Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519675 There's more reasons than that, DrDave - obviously the FCC regulations of which you speak didn't quite take, because pre-teen TV these days is nothing but crapola(dolls, mp3 players, shoes, etc) being sold to them under the guise of education and entertainment. I would say that the charming and cute "clown-hosted" children's TV shows of the late 1950s and 1960s collapsed because they couldn't sell ENOUGH crapola to kids in a timely manner. I think once advertisers tasted blood, they wanted the whole shebang. Not from the kids, but from their hard-working parents TV has always been about selling. Anything and everything, especially via children. It didn't stop in 1969. It's still here. There’s more reasons than that, DrDave – obviously the FCC regulations of which you speak didn’t quite take, because pre-teen TV these days is nothing but crapola(dolls, mp3 players, shoes, etc) being sold to them under the guise of education and entertainment.

I would say that the charming and cute “clown-hosted” children’s TV shows of the late 1950s and 1960s collapsed because they couldn’t sell ENOUGH crapola to kids in a timely manner. I think once advertisers tasted blood, they wanted the whole shebang. Not from the kids, but from their hard-working parents

TV has always been about selling. Anything and everything, especially via children. It didn’t stop in 1969. It’s still here.

]]> By: latelatelateshow http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519671 latelatelateshow Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519671 I was in front of the idiot box for at least a couple of years with PJ Patches It's interesting reading about or seeing "rare" video of local children's TV hosts and almost without exception one can see why these numerous local TV "legends" never made it out of the narrow confines of their small slice of the local Nielsen Ratings. Recently, PBS did a long, cute segment (of a larger history of TV) regarding regional children's TV hosts with the requisite "Gosh, I don't know what I would be without (insert host here) to keep me company after school" by now-aged followers of the various kid's shows It's also interesting to note how many of these bright and shiny kids TV stars ended up hitting the bottle or worse. Others like HOBO KELLY in Los Angeles just up and walked away from their shows and characters, never to be seen much again I was in front of the idiot box for at least a couple of years with PJ Patches

It’s interesting reading about or seeing “rare” video of local children’s TV hosts and almost without exception one can see why these numerous local TV “legends” never made it out of the narrow confines of their small slice of the local Nielsen Ratings.

Recently, PBS did a long, cute segment (of a larger history of TV) regarding regional children’s TV hosts with the requisite “Gosh, I don’t know what I would be without (insert host here) to keep me company after school” by now-aged followers of the various kid’s shows

It’s also interesting to note how many of these bright and shiny kids TV stars ended up hitting the bottle or worse. Others like HOBO KELLY in Los Angeles just up and walked away from their shows and characters, never to be seen much again

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519654 Jake0748 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519654 When exactly,  did clowns go from being funny and likeable (like I remember from kid-hood) to being scary and psycho? When exactly,  did clowns go from being funny and likeable (like I remember from kid-hood) to being scary and psycho?

]]> By: kobresia http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519636 kobresia Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519636 Wow...now that brings back memories. RIP, Blinky. Wow…now that brings back memories. RIP, Blinky.

]]> By: dreadpiraterobert http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519634 dreadpiraterobert Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519634 J.P. Patches.  And yeah, he just died last month too.   J.P. Patches.  And yeah, he just died last month too.  

]]> By: DrDave http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519633 DrDave Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519633 It was J.P. Patches (for Julius Pierpont), played by Chris Wedes.  http://www.jppatches.com/ The demise of most live, local kids TV shows coincides with the introduction of codes and FCC regulations banning or limiting "host selling": having a host or character market items to kids in a way that doesn't distinguish between show and commercial. Sponsorships became harder to come by. But I miss the spontaneity they had. It was J.P. Patches (for Julius Pierpont), played by Chris Wedes. 
http://www.jppatches.com/
The demise of most live, local kids TV shows coincides with the introduction of codes and FCC regulations banning or limiting “host selling”: having a host or character market items to kids in a way that doesn’t distinguish between show and commercial. Sponsorships became harder to come by. But I miss the spontaneity they had.

]]> By: MikeKStar http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519586 MikeKStar Tue, 28 Aug 2012 02:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519586 Well, there goes another lit piece of my childhood.  RIP Blinky.  "Hap-py...birth-day...to...YOU! Well, there goes another lit piece of my childhood.  RIP Blinky.  “Hap-py…birth-day…to…YOU!

]]> By: mtdna http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519578 mtdna Tue, 28 Aug 2012 01:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519578 I'm more of a Willie Whistle man, myself. I’m more of a Willie Whistle man, myself.

]]> By: Geoduck http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/r-i-p-russell-scott-blinky.html#comment-1519550 Geoduck Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178389#comment-1519550 His Seattle equivalent, PJ Patches, passed on a short time ago. Kids today are missing out on something.. His Seattle equivalent, PJ Patches, passed on a short time ago. Kids today are missing out on something..

]]>