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Chicagoans are mourning the death of children’s TV legend Bill Jackson. He is known for such classics as “Cartoon Town,” “BJ & the Dirty Dragon,” and “Gigglesnort.” Jackson was 86 years old at the time of his death.
The Chicago legend also made characters such as Mother Plumtree, Dirty Dragon. the Professor, Weird, and The Blob come to life for many individuals.
His shows were a mainstay on numerous Chicago television stations including WGN-TV. Many of his fans were saddened to hear that Jackson passed away.
His puppets and props can be seen at the Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC). After news of his death broke, MBC tweeted, “Chicago children’s TV legend and friend of the MBC, Bill Jackson has died at age 86. His shows & characters entertained generations of fans in Chicago including Cartoon Town, BJ & the Dirty Dragon, Gigglesnort Hotel & the ’Blob’. He was a proud supporter of MBC from the start.”
Daniel Cotter replied to their tweet, “Great shows and sad to see this news.” One of his fans, Jamski replied, “Oh no! And I am just now reading a wonderful book about the best days of Chicago Children’s Television, and Bill Jackson is of course quoted extensively. BJ and Dirty Dragon were as big a part of my childhood as Ray Rayner and Bozo.”
Edison Girard tweeted the legend “was a big influence on me as a young artist and cartoonist. I sent in drawings and he showed them on air, twice! My mom took me to see him (and Dirty Dragon) live a couple of times. He drew huge crowds. A brilliantly creative one-man show. BJ did it all.”
He will be missed by his loved ones, friends, and fans. May he rest in peace.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Stories Trends: Bill Jackson dead and obituary, Chicago TV legend cause of death? By Matthew
WGN Radio: Remembering Chicago children’s television legend Bill Jackson
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Christopher’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by 995577823Xyn Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
