Weekend In Chicago: Day 1-Part 1

The plan for this first day in the Windy City was to visit several of the major tourist attractions. While that was the plan; a big part of this day was spent discovering the reality of what it was like to be in Chicago. It gave us some vital first hand information we would find valuable during the rest of our time there. 

Because we had arrived so late the night before (or would 1:30 AM be considered early?) we slept in and got a late start to our first day in the city. But our plans were to be out until after midnight so getting started after noon was probably to our advantage. 

The first lesson we learned was because of the density and height of the very tall buildings in the downtown area our GPS coverage was, at times, not very reliable. It guided us into downtown but could not get a signal to show us the way to the address of the parking structure we had programmed into it. 

After getting a bit frustrated trying to find our intended destination ourselves, we learned was that there was a strategy to parking in the downtown Chicago area. The key to this was finding one of these signs:

I had been warned by some of my resources about the high cost of parking in the downtown area. I just didn't realize how expensive it would really be. I'm talking $5 to $10 an hour or up to $25 for the day. The alternative to using your car for getting around is public transportation.  

Our original plan was to leave the car in the lot all day, get around downtown using the transit system, and then retrieving the car once we wanted to head Navy Pier, a couple of miles away. Those plans would change. 

Having parked in a place other than where we had originally planned we needed new directions. Fortunately we had a back up plan. Paula had downloaded a travel app from AAA onto her I-phone. This would prove to be an invaluable tool throughout the whole trip. 

But initially it gave us access to map guidance to get from where we parked on Franklin Street, down Wacker Drive and on to our first tourist attraction. 

The Willis Tower Sky Deck

After only taking pictures of it from a distance on my previous 2 trips to Chicago,  I finally got the chance to visit this tallest building in the city with my wife. 

The Willis Tower is mainly leased by businesses for office space. The very large building has it's own post office, several restaurants, and stores and boutiques for shopping. However Paula and I were there to visit their observation area known as the "Sky Deck." 

Our purchase of the city pass paid immediate dividends. It saved us from the 45 minute wait in line; getting us directly onto the elevator within 10 minutes of entering the building. 

The ride to the 103rd floor was fast, taking only about 45 seconds. Once we stepped out onto the Sky Deck we knew this was going to be a cool experience. 

There were windows allowing us to see out over the city in all four directions. Here are pictures I took of the views from each side of Sky Deck. 

North

South

East

West

On the eastern side of the building was a large 8ft X 8ft X 4ft clear glass box known as "The Ledge." It extended out of the side of the building and over the street below. You were able to step out on The Ledge and look out over the eastern portion of the city. 

On a clear day you're supposed to be able to see 5 states. If you look down more than 1300 feet below you is Wacker Drive filled with tourists and traffic. It is very safe but a bit unnerving.

Paula was very reluctant but she managed to get out on the clear glass floor for just a minute or so. Only long enough for her to take a picture with her I-Phone that proved she did it. 

I was fine with standing on the ledge as long as I was looking up, left, right, or forward. When I looked down I lost my nerve. It was very scary. 

Here's the picture of our sneakers that proves our feat of bravery above the city.  Yes, those are tops of other sky scrapers below us.

Standing on "The Ledge"

Once we were finished at the Willis Tower we started making our way to a public transit station with the intention riding a bus to our next attraction. 

Although it was a nice day with the temperature in the 70's we found ourselves tired and thirsty after our time at the top of Willis Tower. 

As we walked down West Jackson Boulevard we unexpectedly found ourselves across the street from Giordano's pizza restaurant. 

I pointed out to Paula that this was on our list of the places we wanted to eat. Their deep dish pizza was recommended as the best in the city. We decided to take a break, sit down to rest and have some lunch. 

We ordered a 10 inch three topping deep dish stuffed crust pizza. The waitress told us it would take 40 minutes to prepare. It seemed a bit long of a wait but we were in Chicago we had to have deep dish pizza. We ordered an appetizer and waited.

We watched as the customers around us, who had already ordered, got their pizza. It looked delicious and we were glad that we ordered the smallest one on the menu. 

While waiting for our lunch we decided to change our plan of attack in regard to how we navigated the city. Both of us agreed that, despite the potential cost for parking, we felt more comfortable having our car just blocks and not miles away from us during the day. We would drive ourselves to each of our destinations and just deal with the cost of parking.   

Finally, after about 50 minutes our pizza arrived. We knew that we would only be able to eat 1slice each. The rest was going to have to be taken with us back to the car. 

Here's a picture of us, taken by our waitress, just before our first taste of deep dish Chicago style pizza. (Paula has her eyes closed but that's typical for her because of her sensitivity to the flash)

Eating Deep Dish Pizza At Giordano's

This deep dish pizza was good but not as "amazing" as I had expected. There was a lot of cheese and meatballs but it was the sauce that made it tasty. The thickest part of the crust on the outside of the pizza was a bit dry. I was a somewhat disappointed because I was expecting it to be more like the Sicilian style pizza I used to get in Pennsylvania. Over all though, it was good. Did I mention we especially liked the sauce?

With 4 of the 6 slices of pizza in a "to go" box we headed back to the Franklin Avenue parking garage to pick up our car. Later those leftovers would be an element in one of the most intimate and memorable moments of the entire day. 

Our next destination was the John Hancock Observatory at the north end of Michigan Avenue. To get there we would have to drive through the heart of the downtown Chicago shopping district known as "The Magnificent Mile." 

Getting there and parking would prove to be a rather confusing and somewhat frustrating experience. But would force us to see more of the city than we had originally planned. This was both interesting and geographically educational.  

At this point of my trip report I realize that I've already written a lot and it's still just the middle of our first day. I'm going to stop here for now with a "to be continued" promise for the next post. 

I hope you are finding this interesting and will come back for each and every one of the subsequent posts in this series. I have a feeling it's going to be a bit longer than I had originally anticipated. 

The next post will include a "Ferris Bueller" experience, our discovery of a couple of really cool retail stores, a visit to one of the "happiest stores" on Michigan Avenue, pictures from the John Hancock Observatory. All that and more in my "Day 1 Part 2" post about our Weekend in Chicago. 

Weekend In Chicago

Introduction

In the first week of August I discovered that my favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees, were going to be in Chicago for a 3 game series during the third week of the month. 

I told Paula that, since I hadn't been to see the Yankees play in person in a long time, I would really like to see them play the White Sox. 

Since my wife had never been to a major league baseball game before we decided to make going US Cellular field the centerpiece of our vacation this year. 

Another factor in our decision to go was the fact that the days between the middle of August and the end of September were probably the last chances for Paula to take time off from her job before her busy time of the year begins. 

So our trip became a combination vacation, birthday,and 10th anniversary getaway. We decided on a 5-day extended weekend, Saturday to Tuesday.

With the baseball game as the centerpiece, I researched and planned our trip. It would be a tour of the best attractions, landmarks, and restaurants throughout the Chicago area. I used the Internet, some travel guides, and reruns of the Conan O'Brien show (he spent a week taping in Chicago last June) to help me. 

I booked a hotel room through Priceline.com. Doing this almost derailed our trip before it even started. I'll explain more about that in a future post. 

I also bought a pair of City Passes. This was a discounted bundle of admission tickets to 5 of Chicago's most popular attractions. 

We left our house at 5 o'clock central time on a Friday night, August 17. After stopping for dinner and a couple of other rest stops we made our way up I-65 through Kentucky and Indiana; then over toward Chicago. Once within the city limits, with the invaluable help of NoVA our GPS, we negotiated through the labyrinth of toll booths and freeways and found our hotel near the O'Hare airport. 

Four Points By Sheraton O'Hare

By the time we checked in, unloaded our luggage, and unpacked it was close to 3AM. When we finally settled into our comfortable king size bed and said "good night", I fell asleep excited about our weekend in Chicago. 

The next 5 or 6 blogs posts will be relating the pictures and details of our vacation. While they will be quite lengthy, I will do my best to keep them as concise as I can without leaving out the details vital to conveying our experiences.  

Come back and find out what happened on our first day in the Windy City. 

The Toy Hunter and Big Little Books

This is a set of 35 Big Little Books published by Whitman in 1968. I loved these books. They were the first books I read after I out grew Dr. Seuss. 

While you never really leave  Dr. Seuss behind; you can only "Hop on Pop" and sympathize with Sam I Am's dietary conundrum so many times before you begin looking for more in a story. This happened to me when I was in 2nd grade. 

Although I only remember owning just a few of these books myself; I had access to every one of them and I read them all. 

When I was 8, my parents were friends with another couple who had 3 kids. On Saturday evenings we would go over to their house and the adults would play board games in the kitchen. 

The kids were banished to the living room or the kid's playroom. After a while, playing bumper pool in the basement or "house" with the other kids became very boring. That's when I discovered that the Tolerico kids had the complete set of Whitman books. 

Once I saw them I wanted to read them all. I would pick out a book when I first got to their house and find a place to sit and read it. Of course I read the series in numerical order. 

The miniature hard cover books were stories about some of my favorite cartoon characters. Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, The Flintstones, Woody Woodpecker, Tom and Jerry, Popeye and Dick Tracy were some of the cartoon characters featured. 

There were also some books about super heroes including: Aquaman,  Batman, and the Fantastic Four. 

Books based on popular TV shows like Lassie, Bonanza; Tarzan; The Lone Ranger;  Gentle Ben; and even the si-fi series "The Invaders" were also part of the series. 

Perhaps most obscure book in the series was based on the Mattel action figure, Major Matt Mason. He was an Air Force pilot turned astronaut. 

Over the years I've thought about this series of books and wished I had held on to those few volumes I had for my own. This series helped me learn to love reading. 

Because of some of the toys I saw on a new series on the Learning Channel called "Toy Hunter" I started thinking of the Major Matt Mason figure I had when I was 7. 

I decided to look on E-bay and found the Major's Big Little Book for sale. The picture of the cover really opened a flood gate of memories about my childhood friends. 

That's when I found this picture. I also found several pictures of the individual volumes. With each one I discovered I said things to myself like: "I remember reading that book", and "I loved this one." What a nice walk down memory lane. 

Tonight was only the first episode of Toy Hunter that I've seen. I've set up a series recording on my DVR so I won't miss a single one. I can't wait to see what other toys the show's star, Jordan Hembrough finds in future episodes and what childhood recollections are sparked from seeing them again.   

Kiddie Show Hosts

This last post for TV Memories week is going to be a tribute to those entertainers who were a part of the children’s programming I watched when I was a kid. They also had a strong influence on my life. And this is just a warning, it's very very long. 

Throughout the 50’s & 60’s, even into the early 70’s TV stations in large cities would have local personalities host their weekday afternoon children’s programming. This basically meant providing a few minutes of comedy or other type of entertainment in between cartoons to keep the kids’ attention.

I was fortunate to grow up in an area almost exactly between New York and Philadelphia. This meant that I could watch the cartoons shows out of two major markets. Weekday afternoons after school until 6 or 7PM were always a great time to be in front of the TV.

Although I never met any of the men I’m about to list they all had an influence on me and had a hand in helping make me who I am today.

Chuck McCann: From the time I was old enough to watch TV until I was in first or second grade; Chuck McCann was an afternoon kid’s show host in New York. He was always on either on WPIX channel 11 or WNEW channel 5. The versions of his program I remember the most were the ones that featured Laurel and Hardy. On one McCann was Oliver Hardy and another had a pair of Laurel and Hardy puppets. As you would guess I liked the puppets the most.

Chuck McCann’ series of programs was my first exposure to sketch, impersonation and character based comedy. The shows were silly and juvenile but their demographic was children ages 4-10. As I watched him each afternoon even before I started school I was drawn to what he did. He made me want to be funny and on TV too.

Bob McAlister: He is mostly remembered by those who grew up in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tri-state area for being the host of the Sunday morning show Wonderama on WNEW Channel 5. He hosted a program that was, for the most part, a children’s game show. I admired and remember Bob McAlister for about the same reasons as I do Chuck McCann.

McAlister started out as a ventriloquist in the 1950’s; Appearing on NBC’s Today Show and winning first place on “Ted Mack’s Armature Hour”. In addition, he was a rather accomplished magician. He eventually used those talents to transition into children’s television.

On Wonderama he handled a studio full of kids in all kinds of situations. Guiding and wrangling a bunch of overly excited children while playing games, dancing to the latest music, participating in songs, and more was all part of his job as host. He handled it like a pro and was always, at least on screen, kind and patient with each and every child.

He was a consummate professional and a nice guy.

He was a multitalented entertainer and always seemed very genuine. The songs, “Does Anybody Here Have An Aardvark” and “Kids Are People Too” both from Wonderama were his most memorable musical offerings.

In addition to being host of Wonderama, McAlister had an afternoon show of his own. It was on WNEW on weekdays. The first show aired on my 8th birthday, September 9, 1968. I felt it was a special type of birthday present especially for me. On that show, once again, I learned the versatility of being able to perform a variety of characters.

The characters I remember the most were:

Salamander Dilly: An artist who used a brush and an early version of a common TV special effect. He would start with a blank blue canvas and using broad strokes he’d gradually reveal a picture projected onto the canvas using a technique called “Chroma Key”. For TV of the day it was very visually effective.

Seymore the Snake: A puppet who would make comments and present one liners based on things that happened on the show right before or after the commercial breaks.

Professor Fingleheimer: An inventor with an exaggerated German accent who would sing his catchy theme song at the beginning of his segments. To this day I can sing that song.  After his fanfare, he would present his latest invention, which never worked the way it was supposed to.

I used Prof. Fingleheimer as the inspiration for a character of my own during my early 20’s when I was a children’s church. I put on my high school graduation gown, mortar board, and a Grouch Marx nose and glasses. My helper, usually my sister Peggy, would encourage the kids to sing the Professor’s theme song (to the tune of “On Top of Old Smokey). Von Stuben would enter tell a couple of silly jokes then teach the kids a new song or two. Then he would exit to the kids singing his theme once again.

I really liked playing Professor Von Stuben very much. I think one day soon I will recreate him as a ventriloquist puppet character. But I digress. Let’s get back to Bob McAlister.

Although I wouldn’t have minded the chance to be a kid in the audience; every time I watched Wonderama I wanted to be Bob McAlister. I wanted to play the parts and do the tricks he did on his afternoon show as well. He was one of my TV idols.

Soupy Sales: I include the “ Soup Man” on this list not because of his influence on me during his days on television when I was a kid but how he inspired me as an adult on another form of broadcast media. 

Soupy made a name for himself doing children's television in Detroit and then New York City during the mid to late 60's. His show ran in the afternoon on WNEW TV Channel 5 from 1964 until September 1966.

Of course Soupy was best known for taking pies in the face. That was his trademark. But his show also featured several memorable characters. Black Tooth and White Fang were Soupy's very large dogs. But viewers only ever got to see the paws of these two oversized canines. Pooky the lion was a puppet that pantomimed funny songs and traded jokes with Soupy.

Soupy also had a set of funny bits that he used on his show. The most famous was answering his door and talking with the unseen person on the other side.

I really don't remember watching his show very much. I guess that was because I was so young. I do remember that my dad loved the Soupy Sales show and its humor. I remember the show mostly because dad talked about it so much.

Soupy went on to have other incarnations of his show in other cities. By the time the 70’s came around he started a second career making appearances on many game shows a a guest celebrity.

In the mid 80’s he made a return to the local New York City market but this time on the radio. He became the midday host on one of the city’s top AM stations, WNBC. His 10AM to 2PM time slot between long time morning man Don Imus and afternoon shock jock Howard Stern was one of most coveted in the radio business.

Predictably Soupy’s wasn’t your typical AM radio music show.  It was essentially a recreation of his TV show but on the radio. There were characters, guests, games, and comedy routines.

Soupy would read funny want ads or made up horoscopes from the newspaper. He also read funny program listings from TV guide and gave listeners “Words of Wisdom”.

He had visits from characters including the WNBC’s stereo typical radio program director and Daryl B. Mortacome, the leader of the fictional in-studio WNBC band. All or most of the characters were voiced by Soupy’s radio sidekick, Ray D’Ariano.  I almost admired D’Ariano as much as I did Soupy.

At the time I was a delivery driver for an auto parts warehouse. I was on the road making deliveries every day while Soupy Sales was on the radio. His comedy not only entertained me but inspired me to start writing my own jokes.

The two years the Soupy Sales show was on the air at WNBC (March 85 to March 87) he became one of my idols. The fact that his personality and his comedy were developed on his kids shows retroactively makes Soupy Sales one of my favorite childhood TV hosts.

Paul Winchell: When I was 8 years old if you would have asked me to name my favorite ventriloquist I would without a doubt have said “Paul Winchell”.

 Although I had seen plenty of ventriloquists on several of the popular TV variety shows of the 60’s (The Ed Sullivan show and Hollywood Palace for example) I wanted to be Paul Winchell.

From the time I started Kindergarten until I was in 2^nd grade my favorite weekday afternoon TV show was Winchell Mahoney Time.  The show ran from 1965 to 1968. In the afternoons after school it picked up for me where the Chuck McCann show left off.

After it when off the air it was replaced by the Bob McAlister show.

Winchell Mahoney Time starred Paula Winchell and his ventriloquist puppet pals, Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff. The show’s set was a clubhouse and there was a live studio audience of very excited kids, who very often appeared on camera with the stars.

Like McCann and McAllister, Paul Winchell had his own cast of characters. This included Bonehead Smiff (Knucklehead’s father) and an upside down chin guy (I can’t really explain it here in a concise way. Keep checking back I may revive the trick for my ventriloquist act. If I do I’ll post a picture on this blog).

Winchell was the best ventriloquist I have ever seen. His manipulation of, and interaction with his characters, and lip control was amazing. Not only did he thoroughly entertain me for 3 years; he made me want to be a ventriloquist.

In an effort to fulfill that dream, I sent away for a product from an ad in the back of a comic book, promising to help you “throw your voice.” The ad promised a free “How to become a ventriloquist” booklet. Here’s a picture of that ad.

What I got for my $1 was a flimsy bird call aid that fit in your mouth and “disintegrated” immediately. I never was able to “throw my voice” and don’t even remember getting the booklet. There were only a few genuine sources for learning ventriloquism back in those days. But I had no idea they existed. My failure and disappointment with the “Ventrilo” left me discouraged about ever being like Paul Winchell.

But the dream of being a ventriloquist would come true 40 years later. Some things take time. But I will always be grateful to Paul Winchell for causing the spark that lit passion for ventriloquism within me that burns to this day.

Jim Henson: This final man was not a TV host. But of all I’ve named so far he had, by far, the most success on TV and has left the greatest legacy. He has not only had an influence on my life but on thousands, if not millions, of others as well. Jim Henson was the creator and long time top performer of the world famous Muppets.

I was introduced to Jim Henson’s Muppets by my dad. He was always a big fan. Initially when I was first old enough to understand them the Muppets had very limited national exposure. Whenever they did appear on TV it was a special occasion.

They would make guest appearances on TV variety shows. Whenever they were on my dad would make sure both he and I were sitting together in our living room ready to laugh.  

But the real beginning of the influence of Jim Henson and the Muppets for me came in 1969. That was the year when afternoon television changed for me. All the show’s I’ve mentioned up until now had ended.

I had now moved on to watching Wee Willie Webber’s Colorful Cartoon Club. Bill Webber was the latest kids show host on a new UHF station; WPHL channel 17, out of Philadelphia. He was a good host and I liked him but he was never the reason I watched his show. I watched just for the cartoons: Ruff & Ready, Astroboy, Prince Planet, and Marine Boy.

But as an 8 year old I was more interested in playing with my friends outside after school than watching TV. This left my preschool aged sister, Shari, with access to the TV. Her choice of shows at 4PM each day was the block of educational programs on PBS. Particularly a new one called “Sesame Street”.

This show was amazing. It was like Laugh-In (See You Tube for clips if you don’t know what show I’m referring to) for counting and learning the alphabet. But the great thing about this show was the puppets.

Jim Henson’s Muppets were the puppets for the show.  I was introduced to Ernie, Burt, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch; all characters created especially for the Sesame Street. Henson’s puppet alter ego, Kermit the Frog, was also brought on board to help educate preschool age intercity kids. I didn’t fit that demographic but nevertheless I was crazy about Sesame Street.   

The seeds of my love for puppets were planted when I received my Mr. Wiggle puppet when I was in the hospital. It was nurtured by my fascination with Winchell Mahoney Time; then dampened a bit by my lack of success with my mail order ventriloquist device.

But when I got an Ernie puppet for Christmas in 1970 my lifelong love for puppets was permanently spliced into my DNA.

Of course Jim Henson went on to have a legendary career. He made movies, The Muppet show and many other projects. His sudden death in March 1990 was a very shocking and sad event for me.

Jim Henson’s influence is evident in my life even today. First of all I am subscribed through I-Tunes to a weekly podcast called “The Muppetcast.” Each week I get the chance to share my love and admiration for Jim Henson and the Muppets with others like me for about an hour.

In my puppet collection I have: 3 Kermit the Frogs, an Ernie, and a pair of What Nots. Those are puppets with interchangeable eyes, noses, hair and other accessories enabling me to create a character for any situation. All are products of the creativity of Mr. Jim Henson; who for me is the most influential TV personality of all time.

As was true with the other posts in this series, you can find information and video about my favorite TV show hosts on Googel and You Tube. See what you can find. It may help you understand this post a little more.  

Thus ends “TV Memories” week on this blog. I realize and apologize for the length of these posts. I didn’t start out to write such long and detailed articles; but that’s how it happened.  I needed to present the components of each day’s list with details in regard to their inclusion.

Before I end this series of special posts I want to make sure that I acknowledge the importance of something that I’ve occasionally included throughout this series.

Interwoven within the fabric of all stories about the shows, products, commercials, and personalities I’ve written about during this TV Memories week is influence of my dad. With maybe one or two exceptions part of every item on my lists is the fact that it was somehow or some way part of my relationship with my father.

Whether it was a show we liked to watch together, a host we thought was funny, or a cereal he brought home for me from the grocery store; it’s among my most precious TV memories is because I shared it with my dad.

He’s been gone for 13 years this month. I still miss him terribly and I can’t wait until I see him again in heaven one day. But taking the time to write about memories like I did this week makes him seem not so far away.

Thank you for being a part of my TV Memories week for taking the time to read what I’ve written and remember. Although I’ve done a lot of reminiscing it’s not so that I can get stuck in the past. It’s to express an understanding of where I’ve been and how I’ve gotten to be who I am today. This will help make me ready to face the future with an understanding of just who I am.

Now I believe I hear the national anthem playing in the living room and soon the test pattern will appear on the screen. That can only mean one thing; TV Memories Week is over.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

As I was growing up there were many many different Saturday morning cartoon shows. Bugs Bunny and all his Looney Tunes pals were a perpetual presence as well as probably a dozen versions of Scooby Doo and the gang. These franchises are iconic; and continue to be on TV today.

Perhaps the most popular Saturday morning cartoon ever was not even a 30 minute show. It’s the ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock. It started out with Multiplication Rock and Grammar Rock then later expanded to include American history and other subjects. Nearly everyone who grew up in the 70’s knows at least one of the Schoolhouse Rock songs.

I could go on and on about Saturday morning TV shows. I’m sure with your help I could make a list of the most popular ones as well. But now it’s on to my personal obscure list.  These are the ones that I really liked but not many remember.

Deputy Dawg: This was one of my favorite cartoons when I was a preschooler. My dad and I would watch this together on Saturday mornings.

Deputy Dog was a deputy sheriff who tried his best to keep Muskie the Muskrat and Vince the gopher from stealing his produce. As I watch it now I realize that it really doesn’t hold up. But I liked it when I was 4. Here’s a link to an episode on You Tube. See what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85BCzo1F_8

The Mighty Hercules: Watching this cartoon was my first exposure to Greek mythology, though I didn’t realize it at the time. Again, I remember watching this before I started school or while I was in kindergarten or maybe even as late as first grade. I was especially fascinated by one of the characters.

The premise of the cartoon has the Greek god, Hercules, come down from Mount Olympus to the fictional kingdom of Caledon. He’s there to rescue its citizens from whatever pressing threat or danger there might be. Usually that danger was caused by “Herc’s” arch enemy, Daedalus.

Whenever Hercules was in serious danger he would remove a ring from inside his belt, place it on his finger, and raise it in the air. Lightening would come down from the heavens empowering it’s wearer with his amazing strength.

I didn’t admire the mythological star of the show (although I wouldn’t have minded having one of those rings). I wanted to be one of the supporting characters, Newt the centaur. The half man/half horse was Hercules’ best friend on earth.

His high falsetto voice and habit of repeating himself (“Hurry Herc, Hurry Herc” or ”There’s trouble in Caladon. Trouble in Caledon”) made him unique. I remember hearing my mother complain to my dad about annoying and nerve racking she thought Newton was.  

This Hercules cartoon was my earliest memory of being pulled into a world of action and adventure while watching TV. All the other cartoons I watched were light hearted and silly. It opened the door for my future admiration of Johnny Quest, and Marvel super hero cartoons. Both of those cartoons are still remembered today but “The Mighty Hercules” is not mentioned often if at all.

You can watch full episodes of this forgotten childhood favorite on You Tube. Just search for it by name.

The Mighty Heroes: This cartoon ran for less than a year on CBS on Saturday mornings. I was 6 at the time of its initial run but would watch it in syndication in the afternoons probably up until I was 9 or 10. There were only 21 episodes made.

The best way to describe this cartoon is the Justice League meets the Three Stooges. The Mighty Heroes were a group of 4 men and a baby who are, as Wikipedia states, “clumsy accident-prone bunglers” with superpowers.

They protect the city of Good Haven from a variety of super villains. The fact that the city’s name was similar to my last name I’m sure was a draw for me.

Each of the heroes had secret identities until they were called to duty. They were summoned into action when a massive patriotic themed fireworks show was launched into the Good Haven sky. There was: Strong Man, Tornado Man, Rope Man, Cuckoo Man and Diaper Man. Strong Man and Diaper Man both had super strength, Tornado Man could turn himself into an actual small tornado, Rope Man was a man made of rope. Cuckoo Man’s powers were bird-based (he could fly but had to flap his arms) but he was not very “super”. Each of them also had their own catch phrase as they flew through the air.

These guys were their own worst enemies. They always messed up their initial attempts to capture the villain and ended up getting captured themselves. Eventually they would get out of the dangerous predicament, heroically capture the bad guy, and save the city.

The combination of humor and heroes in this cartoon really appealed to me. In addition to finding it very funny, I would also venture to say that I learned something very important from this cartoon. The Heroes showed me that if you try your best and mess up , keep trying and you’ll be able to make it right. Therefore, don’t quit.

You can read all about this cartoon, its history and creators on Wikipedia. Also there are several episodes available on You Tube. Here’s a link to one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4zVHSE5ngs

Peter Potamus and Friends: This is a show that included 3 of my favorite Hanna Barbera cartoons. Peter Potamus was a talking hippo who, ironically, traveled the world in a boat lifted by a hot air balloon. His friend and traveling companion was So So, a monkey. This is the cartoon that first showed me the life truth that everything is more fun if there’s a monkey.

When Peter and So So found themselves in a situation, dangerous or otherwise from which they needed to escape Peter would employ his secret weapon, the hippo hurricane holler. It was a loud yell backed with a strong tropical storm strength wind (all from his own lungs) that usually blew the problem away or got them out of the situation.  

The Peter Potomus program was the companion show to Magilla Gorilla and his friends (Ricochet Rabbit and Droop A Long & Mush Mouse and Punkin Puss)

The “and Friends” on The Peter Potamus show were also two more of my favorite cartoons.

Breezly & Sneezly: Breezly Bruin was a polar bear who lived in the Arctic near an army base called “Camp Frostbite”. He was a con artist who was always trying to sneak his way onto the base for a variety of reasons. His buddy was Sneezly naive little seal with perpetual cold. He had a habit of sneezing at the most inopportune times. This cartoon was my dad’s favorite of the 3 on this show. It was my least favorite.

Yippie, Yappie and Yahooey: This cartoon has a premise very similar to that of “The Mighty Heroes”. It is set in medieval times and features 3 bungling dog characters who are the royal guards to the king. They are essentially the 3 musketeer stooges. The “Curly” type character of the group, Yahooey, is voiced by Daws Butler, but sounds and acts like Jerry Lewis.

The appeal of this cartoon for me is also similar to that of “The Mighty Heroes”. The guards may be dimwitted but their heartfelt desire to do their job and serve the king is honest and pure. That’s what gives them their character and makes them likable. That plus they were very funny.

You Tube is the place to see these charming canines once again as well.

Wacky Races: Although I was a fan of all the cartoons I’ve mentioned so far I have to say I was crazy over this last one. The Wacky Racers were a group of 11 different types of vehicles, only 3 of which even closely resemble an actual race car, and their stereo typical drivers. I’m not going to list each of them individually but here’s a You Tube link to the show’s introduction that reviews the roster of Wacky Races drivers.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3cLSnzN-p0&feature=related  

Each episode of the show featured a race in a fictitious place set in a real area of the US. The main plot of each episode revolved around the villainous driver, Dick Dastardly’s (full name: Richard Milhous Dastardly) attempts to win the race by cheating any way he can.

Dastardly’s dog, Mutley (a reincarnation of the character Precious Pup from Hanna Barbera created Atom Ant show), best known for his wheezing and sarcastic laugh, is seemingly an accomplice in these devious plots. However, his “help” usually foils his owner’s efforts for victory. Whether it’s Mutley or other elements that are responsible Dastardly never wins a race. To which he always ends up exclaiming: “Drat and Double Drat”.

Dastardly was voiced by one of my childhood idols, Paul Winchell. His voice over career included many characters. But he’s probably best known for being the voice of Tigger in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh features and cartoons. But I idolized Winchell for a different reason. More on that in my next post.

While seeing Dick Dastardly defeated was the main reason I loved the Wacky Racers there were a couple of others. I loved the unique and wide variety of the cars and characters. I had a “crush” on the charming southern belle, Penelope Pitstop. You might say that was an ironic foreshadowing of what my romantic future held for me.  

Because of my admiration for Miss Pitstop, I wanted to be like her Wacky Racer suitor, Peter Perfect. I also liked “Perfect” because he drove the #9 car the same number as my birthday. I believe that was the beginning of 9 being my favorite number.

Penelope Pitstop was such a popular character she was spun off to her own show: The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. A cartoon with a format that mimicked the old movie serials of the 40’s & 50’s. The heroine was constantly being chased by an evil villain known as “The Hooded Claw”. He was voiced by comedic actor Paul Lynde. Like Mutley, he too had a signature sarcastic laugh. His efforts to capture Ms.Pitstop were always defeated;. mainly by Penelojpe's ingenious and sometimes athletic escapes.

Ironically Penelope’s protector in this show was not Peter Perfect. It was “The Anthill Mob”; a group of short gangster characters from the Wacky Races. Paul Winchell was the voice of the leader of this little group (pardon the pun). I didn’t watch this show very often. But if I was in front of the TV and it happened to be on I watched.

There is no doubt that Dick Dastardly was the break out star of the Wacky Races cartoon. He and Mutley also went on to have their own show.

They were moved from the sport of road racing to the military air service in “Dick Dastardly and Mutley in their flying machines” show. The show made them part of the “ Vulture Squadron”  a group of planes flown by four pilots whose mission was to stop the Yankee Doodle pigeon from getting messages through to the army. They attempted to do this with a series of planes designed with interesting gimmicks. Only in the world of cartoons would these planes have been able to fly.

The other two pilots were Zilly and Klunk. Both were unusual characters with unique and strange personalities. You can read about them by searching for Dick Dastardly on Wikipedia.

If anything is remembered about this cartoon show it would be its catchy and mind numbing theme song. It repeats the phrase “Stop The Pigeon” over and over again. Here’s a You Tube link to an episode with the show’s opening which includes the theme song and explains the series’ premise.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSnzOOtHfDo

As stated before I loved the Wacky Races and really enjoyed the Dick Dastardly spinoff. I watched both faithfully throughout their run. But whenever a discussion of classic Saturday cartoon shows comes up among other baby boomers and me they are rarely mentioned. 

That’s the reason I chose to mention them in this special Saturday morning cartoon post.

The cartoons I just mentioned are not, by far, a complete list of the forgotten ones I watched as I was growing up. If you remember them and want to see them again, head to You Tube. They are all there.

I didn’t mention the Secret Squirrel cartoon on my list but I have to give it an “ honorable mention” before I end this post.

Secret Squirrel had the honor of being my first ever character meet and greet. I liked this cartoon so much that when he made a “personal appearance” in the toy department in the basement of Laubach’s, a local department store in downtown Easton, my dad took me to see him.

I don’t know how old I was but it was way before I started school. The memory of that first character encounter is not crystal clear. In fact to me it’s more like a movie in my mind. But I do remember it. Thanks Dad.

So there you have my favorite cartoons that I watched on Saturday morning while sitting in front of the TV eating my favorite cereals when I was a kid. Did I bring back any memories for you? I hope so.

The next post will be the final one in the series and will feature a list of those real live TV show hosts who have all had an influence on my life. Come on back and see how my lists and stories about these people compares to yours.