Calling all stations- Clear the air lanes, clear all the air lanes for the big broadcast…
An interview with Rich Koz by Kevin Donlan

May 15th 2004, was quite a day, it was the 10th anniversary celebration of Al ‘N Ann’s Collectibles in McHenry. We had quite the day planned, in past years we had celebrations and guests in, but this year was really special, as anyone who showed up could tell you. This year we had a local celebrity join us, and I was overwhelmed by the response. People drove for upwards of two hours to come to our store just so they could have a chance to meet Chicago television legend (no, that’s not a typo) Rich Koz- Svengoolie. Hundreds of people showed up for the appearance, and Svengoolie did not disappoint them. He was so nice, he even stayed later than promised, to sign some autographs for some of the late comers. I was supposed to be able to conduct this interview with him in person, but due to the overwhelming turn-out, there wasn’t time, so Rich was gracious enough to let me send him my questions so that I could still have my interview, my first honest to goodness celebrity interview.

Kevin: You’ve been at WCIU for almost 9 ½ years now, I remember the promos that ran when you started the network off with Morton Downey Jr. if I remember right, how has your role at the station changed over time? I’ve read in a few places that you are a man of many talents there. How do you find the environment there compared to your initial run with Channel 32, before Fox bought the station, and deemed you beneath the image they were trying to portray, although their current stable of reality shows make your show look like Masterpiece Theater?

Rich Koz: My role here has pretty much been the same since we started- and that is, I get to work on everything- programs, promos, commercials, ideas for print ads, contests, projects, consultant for our other writer/producers, voice talent, etc. It's just expanded as our station group expanded, adding more stations, which naturally adds more work to all of our agendas here. If I had to compare the atmosphere here to 32, I'd have to say it's actually more like 32 when Jerry was there- still developing, more willing to try things out of the ordinary. When I got back there with "Son of Svengoolie"- it still had some of that feel, but not to the extent it had back in the "Screaming Yellow Theater" days.

Kevin: I remember one of the first movies I saw on the old “Son of Svengoolie” shows back when I was growing up, I believe it was a film called “The Mole People”, at the time I found it both fascinating and scary. I had just stumbled on the movie since we never had the best luck getting in the UHF channels, and as I was watching it this guy interrupts it with his antics. I’m sure, not so much now, but back then (kids get hardened a lot younger now), your appearance and humor throughout the movies could have been seen as strangely comforting to a kid who was scared by watching the old Vampire and Monster movies you were showing, was that ever part of your motivation/plan?

Rich: Very honestly, that wasn't something we had in mind when we first started, although it certainly played that role for some folks...our main aim was just to do funny stuff in between parts of the movies. I occasionally hear from people who, while watching as kids, thought I was too scary! I don't quite understand that- guilt by association, I guess...

Kevin: I remember something you did when you were showing “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, if I remember right, you had 7-11 distributing 3-D glasses because you were going to be broadcasting the movie in 3-D. I sent my mom on a search to get me those glasses. Something like that was really kind of innovative back then, have you ever thought of doing something along those lines again, perhaps something involving the internet, like voting from a selection of movies to show, or even trying to do the show live with a small audience for a bit of a challenge?

Rich: We've considered several things, including a live audience- that still may happen sometime- as you've seen, our studio isn't set up with seating, etc, and we'd have to enlist additional staff just to handle the crowd. People often ask if we'd do the 3-D movie again, but I think the novelty of that has worn off enough that it wouldn't be financially feasible. The internet movie choice isn't easy for us to pull off, simply due to the way we do our scheduling and production.(I'm sure some of our cable access friends, after reading this, will attempt it immediately...)
K: (Side note: Rich was gracious enough to invite Al’s family down to watch a taping, and Al was nice enough to let me come along to watch him working on putting together the show for “The Crawling Eye”- Forest Tucker…you complete me)

Kevin: Since you are making an appearance at a comic book store today, naturally I have to ask, have you ever made an appearance at a shop like this before? How familiar with comic books? I know you’ve had Alex Ross on your show and that you were featured in his latest oversized volume JLA: Liberty and Justice, but beyond that, have you ever read or collected them?

Rich: I've done a few comic stores before- the "Comic Collector" in Riverside has had me out a few times. I’ve been a comics fan since I was a kid, and have drifted back into it when I have the chance- still have lots of early- mid 60s DC titles in my basement!
I still read new comics when I can. Not a lot of time is available, especially when it comes to stuff that I'd have to follow from month to month. I’m very honored and happy to have become friends with Alex Ross- he's an amazing talent, a great guy, and has a great sense of humor.

Kevin: First there was Svengoolie, then you were the Son of Svengoolie, eventually you graduated, (or as Jerry G. Bishop said you had grown up) to become Svengoolie yourself, would the next generation be the Grandson of Svengoolie or just revert back to the Son of Svengoolie, or even something along the lines of Svengoolie Mark 3?

Rich: It's pretty much been agreed that I'd be the end of the Svengoolie line.

Kevin: Kind of a follow up on the generational thing; What do you think the likelihood would be that once you decide that you have done this long enough, that someone else would be able to follow in your footsteps, both from the ability to engage the audience as long as you have, but also in the current local television environment? Do you see shows like your own being relegated to fewer and fewer channels due to the economics of production? Do you foresee something like you’ve built over time being able to survive on something like a cable access channel?

Rich: Unless things change radically, which I doubt, you won't see this kind of thing on broadcast TV. The economics of broadcast TV have already brought shows like this, in major markets, to the endangered species list. People in broadcast TV who do stuff like I do will have to tailor it to "magazine" shows, or being part of a wacky morning news show...or, got to the coasts to be part of regular network or cable network TV in some form. I’m sure there will be hosted horror shows on cable access as long as people want to do them.

Kevin: Regarding local celebrities, Bozo T. Clown has his annual charity ball to raise money, have you ever thought of doing something along those lines, perhaps, the obvious, a Halloween bash?

Rich: Anything is possible- but it takes an organization with deep pockets (i.e., Tribune) to pull it off. It's interesting that WGN axed Bozo but still uses him as a shill for their charity work. Ol' Boz deserves better...

Kevin: What is your favorite part of being Svengoolie?

Kevin: Do you find the worse the movie is, the easier it is to come up with material? Have there ever been any movies that were so horrible that you watch them and just don’t know what you can do to make it salvageable?

Rich: Actually, the worse "ridiculous" the movie is, the easier- if a movie is just bad- dull, boring-bad- it's no fun for me to try to revive it. We have had a few movies in a lesser group of films that were SO bad, we never ran 'em- they looked like weak student films that had been padded out (in one case- with endless footage of bus riders!) to make them seem like features.

Kevin: How long does it usually take you to put together a show? Does the quality of the movie have anything to do with it?

Rich: It's tough to quantify, since it's always an on-going process- most weeks, I'd screen and make the paper edit of the movie (divide into segments, write down things to cut, etc.) on a Monday -think about it while writing and recording the Stooges on Tuesday and Wednesday, touching base with Doug "Graves" Scharf on what song we'll do- write the whole show Thursday, get props and pre-production ready, and tape on Friday. And that's really simplifying how it works. Post-production then leaks over to the next Monday, after which it goes to the editors. Quality of the movie has some effect, but it's more what spurs ideas in the movie, good or bad.

Kevin: How often do you have guests on your show, do you ask them to come on or do they approach you?

Rich: It pretty much works both ways- we only have guests occasionally because we don't have anyone whose specific job is to set up guests- and, since many of the shows run a long time, we limit anyone plugging something too current (that's why we often have to pass on comics and performers who are coming into town for a couple nights- they only get in right before, and the show would air after their event is over..)

Kevin: Doug Scharf-is he ever going to become the next Elton John, he’s been teetering on the brink for as long as I can remember. Tombstone could be his Kiki Dee.

Rich: I think he'll stay right at the level he's at now. He's actually done some incredible stuff- worked with Thomas Dolby, done movie work, was in the band of the Fox "Joan Rivers" show.

Kevin: How is it working with Zollomon Tombstone, is he really down to earth or is he along the lines of the high maintenance stars you hear about today? You know the kind that has to have a trailer, personal assistants and a never ending supply of moustache wax?

Rich: His lawyers will not allow me to discuss him without himself or a representative of Mr. Tombstone present.

Kevin: They have been flying as long as I can remember, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine why- what is with the chickens? I know that the chickens originated with Jerry Bishop but do you have any idea why? Was it a fit of divine inspiration, or did you guys just happen to have a couple of dozen lying around?

Rich: The rubber chickens are an old low comedy prop- not quite sure why Jerry decided to use 'em, specifically...I just continue the family tradition.

Kevin: How does it feel to think that in one way or another, you will soon be celebrating 25 years as a Chicago television icon, with the Emmys to back up that status?

Rich: It's pretty amazing- it was all kind of summed up when I got the national TV Academy "Silver Circle" award this past June- given to people who have spent over 25 years in TV and have made (their words) "outstanding contributions to Chicago television.” It’s overwhelming and I'm very proud of what I've done. Somebody has said- and I don't know who would be the right source to confirm it- that, with that award and my seven (so far) Emmys, I may be the most highly-awarded horror host of all time... even though some of the awards were for work other than just Svengoolie. It's kind of a nice legacy. To be thought of in the same way I thought of guys like Ray Rayner, Bill Jackson, Jerry, etc., is a truly humbling experience.

Kevin: Final question, lets say you were walking down the street and you come upon a fight between a dog dressed like a cowboy (doggy six guns a-blazing) and a monkey with a knife, who would win?

Rich: NEVER bet against the monkey. 'Nuff said

Rich helped us celebrate another successful anniversary at Al ‘N Ann’s. Again, I would like to thank Rich for taking the time to stop by the store and taking part in this interview for me (and letting us come down to the studio- that was cool). It was quite a memorable experience (thankfully not the emotionally scarring kind).