Mr. Cartoon
Mr. Cartoon was a television program for children that aired for over thirty years on WSAZ-TV, the local NBC affiliate in Huntington, West Virginia.[1]
The show was hosted by George A. Lewis until 1969[2] and by Jule Huffman until 1995[3] The show aired at four on weekday afternoons for one hour until September 1988, when the show was replaced in its daily time slot by The Oprah Winfrey Show. From then until May 1995, when the show was ultimately cancelled due to Huffman's retirement, Mr. Cartoon was shown on Saturday mornings. [4]
Huffman's Mr. Cartoon was accompanied by an animal sidekick, known as Beeper who joined the show in 1974. Before that, Mr. Cartoon was generally accompanied by one of Hanna-Barbera's "Banana Splits". Beeper was originally known as Mr. Cartoon's "friend," and got the name Beeper following a contest in which kids sent in their suggestions for the creature's name.
The program consisted of cartoons for a studio audience of children, which Huffman had decided to add to the show after Lewis left the program. While cartoons and commercials aired, the children would play off-camera games such as musical chairs. One of the show's daily segments featured a selected audience member attempting to answer a riddle as read by Mr. Cartoon. WSAZ brought back Beeper as a mascot. During winter months a graphic of Beeper now appears on screen when school closing and delay announcements are made.
Jule Huffman died on April 16, 2015, aged 91.[5]
References
- ↑ Heath Harrison (September 19, 2009). "Hey, Cartooners!". Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Article: The original 'Mr. Cartoon' dies at 74". The Associated Press. December 20, 2000. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Time to say goodbye, kids". Lexington Herald-Leader (KY). March 29, 1995. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Jule Huffman profile". Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ Notice of death of Jule Huffman, wsaz.com; accessed April 18, 2015.