Mr. Cartoon
Encyclopedia
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
. The show was hosted by George Lewis
until 1969. and by Jule Huffman until 1995 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 September 1988 until May 1995 Mr. Cartoon was shown on Saturday mornings.
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.
Recently 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.
WSAZ-TV
WSAZ-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia. This area is the second-largest market in terms of area east of the Mississippi River consisting of 61 counties in Central West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeastern Ohio. It broadcasts a high...
, the local NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. The show was hosted by George Lewis
George Lewis
George Lewis may refer to:*George Lowys or Lewis , mayor of Winchelsea*George Lewis , track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago*George Lewis , New Orleans jazz clarinettist...
until 1969. and by Jule Huffman until 1995 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
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. From September 1988 until May 1995 Mr. Cartoon was shown on Saturday mornings.
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
Banana Splits
The Banana Splits were four comedic animal characters who featured in a late 1960s children's variety show made for television. The costumed hosts of the show were Fleegle , Bingo , Drooper and Snork .The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was an hour-long, packaged television program that featured both...
." 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
Musical chairs
Musical chairs is a game played by a group of people , often in an informal setting purely for entertainment such as a birthday party...
. One of the show's daily segments featured a selected audience member attempting to answer a riddle as read by Mr. Cartoon.
Recently WSAZ brought back Beeper as a mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. During winter months a graphic of Beeper now appears on screen when school closing and delay announcements are made.