Svengoolie: The Horror Host with the Most
Just to be clear- I am not a writer, I am a fan, not a super super fan, but probably a super fan. In the beginning I was just a kid who didn't have cable television. However I had WFLD FOX and WCIU The U. As any kid I enjoyed sitting down to watch after school cartoons. It was here I found a corny funny man host on the Fox Kids Club, and a show which may be hooked me in with his own name, the “Koz Zone.” Out of Costume, Rich Koz would do kid based comedy, education, and wholesome content such as a fan mail segment.
Shortly thereafter, Sunday mornings were boring to me as my friends would be at church. So again to the tube(no, not YouTube), TV! On WCIU I would watch 50's to late 80's sci-fi and horror films, most of which were not top tier. I began to notice the ghoulish host named Svengoolie was the Rich Koz, from Koz Zone on FOX. Back then I enjoyed his SvenSurround( a name play with SenSurround home audio theater equipment,) he would dub his voice over clips of the current movie with all the characters talking, he usually voiced certain styles like The Three Stooges, or Jerry Lewis, The Honeymooners, etc. I would laugh my ass off and share my joy of the show with my dad and my good buddy John.
As I got older I figured out Sundays broadcast was the rerun from Saturday night. Now I could catch the first broadcast on Saturday night, and eventually started reviewing the show with my friend John the following day. As a kid, the movies were kinda scary at times, some of which I wouldn't watch, but they were usually cut up with the commercial breaks and Koz and Svengoolie would do comedy skits and songs with show character Doug. Doug would always rip on Sven, but was great on the keyboard as well as trumpet. As a kid I thought the jokes were hilarious, as an adult, it's more of nostalgia and so bad that it's good, but I still laugh.
Now that I'm an adult in my writing I will stay here, but around 2010 I was aware Svengoolie was on the air and airing the classic Universal Monsters from the 30's and 40's, so I would catch the show here and there. I began watching with my friend John as we did as kids, he with Rockford's (BERWYN!)…no Rockford's broadcast, and I with the familiar Chicago broadcast. When the movie was over we would give our 10 scale review of the flicks…I am the harsher critic.
The comedy gags are still there, but now my interests have changed. The actor segment, in which Sven goes over many works where you would see the actors from the film, gives more details of how and why actors got the job, and interesting facts of the actors biography. Let me tell you where I got hooked on this segment, a movie titled “Dr Cyclops”featured actor Albert Dekker. Sven said his death was unconventional, and left many with questions of foul play. In my head I thought auto-erotica asphyxiation…Googled it…BAM!…I was right, and had a good laugh at the man's demise.
Just like with the Koz Zone he has the Mail Segment. Sven shares fan mail from adults and kids, which normally features artwork(some from big time names), and pictures of people wearing the Sven Shirt either at a landmark, or a celebrity. Mark Hamill, big fan, brought me to realize Svengoolie is more popular than ever. As many other horror hosts have died off, ME-TV, which owns WCIU the U, had taken Sven nationwide on syndication.
Easily my favorite segments from the show are “Sven on the Road.” These feature Sven at comic cons, expos, events, etc. As Jerry & Chris met Pinky and the Brain voice actor Rob Paulsen, Sven talked with him at a prior con. Most of the celebs are fairly humble good people, and others I can tell are OUT THERE.
In October Sven is busy as it gets, locally I recommend meeting him at the Volo Auto Museum about an hour drive in the morning. The vehicles alone are worth the trip…bring the kids. I didn't have him sign anything for me, I was starstruck…even though I didn't feel that way waiting in line. He was a very sweet man, much shorter off camera- and as I'm hearing Mr. Rogers music in the background for the Tom Hanks rendition of Fred in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”-a humanitarian for the good in people.
Svengoolie history
Did radio in high school at Maine East in Park Ridge, IL
While attending Northwestern he would send the original Svengoolie(Jerry G Bishop) material for the show via mail. Jerry invited him to write for the show. Jerry's Sven ran from 1970 – 1973.
Resurrection of the show began Rich Koz run as Son of Svengoolie while Jerry moved to San Diego. Sven brought on Doug for music and took over voicing on other characters such as Tombstone and Durwood the Dummy. The show ran from 1979 – 1986.
Koz did nearly all artwork for the show and set. Sven always started the show in his upright casket which had a 60's looking Sven on the face of it. The casket was replaced and donated to The Museum of Broadcasting Communications in Chicago.
In 1994 WCIU brought Koz back, and at this time Jerry told Rich he was all grown up, and could just be known as Svengoolie. Syndication from Milwaukee, WI to South Bend, IN.
In 2011 Sven went nationwide.
In 2012 Koz suffered a serious Heart Attack.
The Sven Set was given a major overhaul in 2014 by ACME Design.
Lately Sven has done a song with 50's artist Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon titled Svengoolie Stomp. A music video featured many celeb fans of Sven stomping a rubber chicken.
Svengoolie was drawn in MAD magazine.
A special four-part crossover story in two-page parts featuring Svengoolie with various DC Comics superheroes will run throughout the month of October 2019. DC Comics editor Dan Didio said the idea for this was a "fun mash-up" featuring the Justice League alongside elements of the show
BERWYN! Origination
When Jerry G. was starting his show, "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" and Johnny Carson were making small town jokes about "beautiful downtown Burbank." Also, famous Cleveland horror host Ghoulardi, who was on TV opposite Jerry when he was there in the early '60s, made fun of local suburb Parma.
Jerry discovered the little town that had a parade in honor of mushrooms every year, and decided it would be a good target for his jokes. I continue this tradition, and it's all in fun - Berwyn and its people have always been very kind and supportive!
As I have written, Svengoolie is more popular than ever. He has taken over the prime time slot on Saturday night ME-TV, 7-9pm. This year was Rich Koz's 40th year as the Svengoolie. The Chicago City Council honored him with a resolution, “a symbol of esteem and respect.” Initially, I had bought the 4 limited release t-shirts leading up to the occasion. Also, a special 40th Box. Which had a t-shirt, hat, playing cards, tumbler, window decal, sticky notes, enamel pin, Kerwyn character socks, fridge magnet, and an autographed rubber chicken.
What kills me is that fact that the Rich Koz is not as ageless as Cassandra Peterson (Elvira). When and if he retires, will there be another to take the torch? Or will this programming be gone forever? I certainly hope not, not for me, but the next generation. I have the memories. The memory of meeting Sven is burned into my brain. The memories from being a kid watching is nostalgic. The fact that my friend John, his family, his kids, even I have been on the show via pictures, film, and mail; as well as my nephew on the website in Svengear has brought joy to my soul. Streaming may be the end of this type of television. I for one feel this programming is what is going to keep the air waves/cable television alive. It has the human connection, and is done with professionalism(cough YouTube sucks).
This has to be in the top 5 of longest texts I have ever written. I could keep going. It must be the passion, and passion is something Snarf Comics / Snarf Talk is bringing to future generations, even older generations(i e Tank). I have to commend Snarf for that, and I do via donation on Patreon.com/SnarfComics. To End, I highly recommend sitting down with the kids on a Saturday Night 7pm, ME-TV, and watching Svengoolie. Visit svengoolie.com to checkout what movies are ahead, usually many familiars due to broadcast rights.
My favorites are of the Hammer Film Productions horror collection, The Invisible Man Claude Rains out of the classic Universal monsters, Bela Legosi, Lon Chaney Jr, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and of course the horror hotties(would have to name nearly all).
I now understand lengthy podcasts, I prefer and hour, but I also sat down to write less than 1 page. Thanks for taking the time to read this story/biography. A special thanks to Chris and Jerry for assigning me homework. One of these days I'll join a podcast, but o-so-late to be driving back to Morris—BERWYN!
