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He's Everywhere! He's Everywhere! The caped crusader, winged warrior, and day time shoe salesman. For those that heard it, you never forget it. Larry Dunham remembers the series:
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Chickenman began in the fall of 1966 as a
feature on the Jim Runyon show, on a station I spent many hours listening to
as a young'un--WCFL, Chicago. It was the brainchild of the station's public
affairs director, Dick Orkin--who has become one of the most recognized
voices in radio commercials over the last 35 years--anyone remember the
Kemper Bugler? Orkin was asked to produce a few features--a superhero spoof,
to capitalize on the popularity of the then-new Batman TV show. Originally
they produced a few days worth, but Chickenman was so wildly popular, they
stretched it into a few weeks. The station was then approached by a
syndicator who wanted to 'go national' with the show. WCFL formed a separate
production company just to do Chickenman. Orkin bought the rights to the
show when he left WCFL in 1970.
Chicago was badly in need of some light-hearted humor at that time. When Chickenman debuted, it had only been a few months since Richard Speck had killed eight student nurses in a South Side Chicago apartment building in one of the most infamous crimes of my lifetime. In fact, it was Jim Runyon's newsman, Joe Cummings who had broken the story for WCFL. He was the second outsider on the scene (the first being a young beat cop who collapsed in hysterics when he realized he knew one of the victims), and had actually walked through the crime scene before the homicide investigators got there and closed the scene down.
Chickenman helped lighten the atmosphere in Chicago that year. For those who
may not have heard Chickenman, there is a clip at--
http://www.manteno.com/wcfl/wcflfiles/bat.rm |
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An inquirey to the Radio Ranch about tapes of the series got this response from Dick Orkin:
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(01/2001) If you're interested in 90 episodes on 2 cassettes, the cost (including shipping) is $130.00.
Send Visa or MC card information, including full name, card number, Be sure and include your return address. |
| I would suggest contacting the Radio Ranch before sending an order just to be sure that the offer still stands. |
Other references:
Sandy Orkin
Info for radio stations on series.
http://www.manteno.com/wcfl/orkin.html
A 1985 interview with Orkin by Bill Schenold
A picture of the studio where Chickenman was created may be found at--
http://www.manteno.com/wcfl/wcfl3.html