It was 1970 when the original Svengoolie would hit Chicago airwaves and the Windy City hasn’t been the same since! The “vampire hippy” with his quick wit, projectile rubber chickens, and hilarious commercial/song parodies made for a side-splitting night of entertainment in a region that had been devoid of a horror host since the departure of “Shock Theatre’s” Marvin in the late 50’s. Before the current, and most prolific, Rich Koz Svengoolie would bring the name to a national audience, his familiar coffin was filled by professional broadcaster, Jerry G. Bishop. Bishop had worked at a Cleveland TV station during Ghoulardi’s (Ernie Anderson) run and brought back to Chicago many of his influences – including the habit of routinely poking fun at a local town…in this case “Berwyn.”
What started as voice-overs on WFLD’s “Screaming Yellow Theatre” would eventually lead to “live” hosting and the further development of his character. Bishop’s Svengoolie would enjoy rock star like fame in Chicago during his, alll too brief, three year run. He’d even manage to bring in visiting celebrity guests such as Bette Midler, Neil Sedaka, and Barry Manilow to name but a few. So much more than a mere TV show, Svengoolie’s “Screaming Yellow Theatre” would become a weekly “event” for the Chicago party crowd.
Unfortunately, a change in station management would lead to his being replaced overnight by Ohio’s “The Ghoul” – ironically, another off-shoot of Ghoulardi. While Chicagoans, not surprisingly, would end up rejecting the new host it would be the last they’d see of Jerry G. Bishop’s Svengoolie. A few years later, his friend and protege,’ Rich Koz, would become the “Son of Svengoolie” and later, with Bishop’s blessing, simply “Svengoolie.” Koz would become synonymous with the character for the next 33 years and the name that Bishop created is now shared by the most successful, active commercial TV host operating today.
Bishop relocated to California in the 1970’s where he has remained a successful businessman ever since. Although accomplishing many great things in his life, he has stated that he’d never had more fun than when he played Svengoolie. He has well deserved his place in The Horror Host Hall of Fame.
