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when creating new characters and the plots for the program. Mayor
Plumpfront, the Krausers, Clyde Pillroller, and Eukey Butcha were all based on people he knew while growing up. However, in 1951, the station did not renew its contract with Arthur and the program then moved to new Cincinnati studios
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Arthur originally created the character of
Sparkie as a young scamp who would interrupt him while he was on the air. WSAI's station manager asked Kortekamp and Arthur to expand this into a radio program. Arthur voiced all of the various characters while Kortekamp provided the scripts for their
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adventures and Donald
Poynter, a local businessman in the novelty business, produced a Sparkie puppet. Kortekamp drew on his memories of his childhood in
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While the program was not able to make a successful transition to television, it found a new life for 20 years (1962 to 1982) on the
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During the 1960s, Jon Arthur broadcast middays at WKRC in
Cincinnati. Arthur's life story was featured on the radio show
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to Rev. Daniel
Friedrich Goerss, a Lutheran minister, and Esther Eleanor Leverentz. His parents were both from
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Network. At one point, Kortekamp had plans to try remarketing the characters and their new adventures.
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show, carried daily on 181 ABC stations beginning in 1950. ABC also aired his two-hour
Saturday show,
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wrote "Big John" and "Sparkie" into "Robin Hood!" in the fourth issue of the comic book.
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and soon headed for the West Coast. Arthur died in
Alameda County, California in 1982.
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The radio characters were also among the first media personalities satirized in
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usually featured
Sparkie's recounting of the latest serial episode of
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393:"Matinee Theater:CBS Forges a Saturday Date With Daytime Drama"
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U.S., Social
Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007
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Episodes of Big Jon and
Sparkie at the Internet Archive
333:. TV-Radio Mirror. May 1957. p. 20. Archived from
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Big Jon Arthur and Sparkie Leave WSAI, Cincy, July 1
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Big Jon Arthur singing "I Bought Myself a Parakeet"
282:. Cincinnati Magazine. October 1982. pp. 12–13
172:radio program. The comic book ran for four issues.
156:The radio program was adapted into the comic book,
168:, a promotional newspaper giveaway based on the
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231:On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
45:(June 14, 1918 – February 24, 1982), known as
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500:Radio personalities from Cincinnati
372:. Billboard. 9 June 1951. p. 9
211:California, Death Index, 1940-1997
49:, was an American entertainer. As
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525:American people of German descent
259:1910 United States Federal Census
255:1900 United States Federal Census
233:. Oxford University Press, 1998.
98:in Cincinnati, Arthur began the
16:American entertainer (1918–1982)
279:Bringing Sparkie Back to Earth
160:, published by Alden Getz for
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395:. Old Radio Times. p. 1
62:New Kensington, Pennsylvania
25:John Arthur (disambiguation)
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510:People from Cheviot, Ohio
391:Cox, Jim (August 2007).
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34:Arthur and Sparkie from
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164:. Getz also published
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78:Beckley, West Virginia
43:Jonathan Arthur Goerss
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19:For other people, see
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126:The Saturday morning
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82:Ogdensburg, New York
327:Saturday's Children
158:Big Jon and Sparkie
112:Big Jon and Sparkie
108:Teddy Bears' Picnic
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70:Pittsburgh
47:Jon Arthur
436:Listen to
466:Archived
447:Archived
423:4 March
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38:, 1957.
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