BIG JON AND SPARKY or BIG JOHN AND SPARKIE

    OLD TIME RADIO - 2 CD-ROM - 160 mp3 - Total Playtime: 29:00:02

Jon Arthur was the professional name of Jon Arthur Goerss. As Big Jon Arthur he was the host of the Saturday morning children's radio series, Big Jon and Sparkie. Sparkie, "the little elf from the land of make-believe, who wants more than anything else in the world to be a real boy,” was actually the recorded voice of Jon Arthur played at a fast speed.
From his home in Pittsburgh, Jon Arthur went to radio school and then began his broadcasting career at radio station WJLS (Beckley, West Virginia), signing on two weeks after the station went on the air in 1939. Arthur later left Beckley for Ogdensburg, New York and soon headed for the West Coast. Arthur died in California in 1982.
At WSAI in Cincinnati, Arthur began the Big Jon and Sparkie show, carried daily on 181 ABC stations beginning in 1950. ABC also aired his two-hour Saturday show, No School Today, heard weekly by 12 million listeners on 275 stations. The show's theme song was "Teddy Bears' Picnic" as sung by Ann Stephens. Cincinnati's Don Kortekamp, who was an editor at WSAI, teamed up with Arthur to become the scriptwriter of Big Jon and Sparkie.

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 adventures and a local businessman in the novelty business produced a Sparkie puppet. Kortekamp drew on his memories of his childhood in Cheviot, Ohio 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 to continue its ABC radio broadcasts.

The Saturday morning No School Today usually featured Sparkie's recounting of the last serial episode of Captain Jupiter, which he and his friend Rabbit Ears McKester saw at the movies. Reference was often made to Captain Jupiter's arch enemies, Montmorency Clutchrider and Ivan Crusingspeed, who seemed to be featured in name only.

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 Family Radio Network. At one point, Kortekamp had plans to try remarketing the characters and their new adventures.
The radio program was adapted into the comic book, Big Jon and Sparkie, published by Alden Getz for Ziff-Davis. Getz also published The Daily Weekly, a promotional newspaper giveaway based on the No School Today radio program. The comic book ran for four issues.

The radio characters were also among the first media personalities satirized in Mad when Harvey Kurtzman wrote "Big John" and "Sparkie" into "Robin Hood!" in the fourth issue of the comic book.

During the 1960s, Jon Arthur broadcast middays at WKRC in Cincinnati. Arthur's life story was featured on the radio show Unshackled.

He should not be confused with the Pensacola talk radio host Jon Arthur.

EPISODES LIST

Disc 1

Big Jon And Sparky 001 Over Falls In An Airplane
Big Jon And Sparky 002 Begining Of A Long Voyage Home
Big Jon And Sparky 003 Long Voyage Home
Big Jon And Sparky 004 AMysterious Speck On Far Horizon
Big Jon And Sparky 005 A Surprise Awaits Mayor
Big Jon And Sparky 006 A Surprise Awaits Mayor
Big Jon And Sparky 007 Daffodil Dilly Strikes Again
Big Jon And Sparky 008 Prisoners Of Love
Big Jon And Sparky 009 Yukie Shows Us How
Big Jon And Sparky 010 Yukie Butcha To Rescue
Big Jon And Sparky 011 Sparky In Control
Big Jon And Sparky 012 Mayor Tells Of His Wedding Plans
Big Jon And Sparky 013 Yukie Gets Ready For Wedding
Big Jon And Sparky 014 Yukie Unvails An Invention
Big Jon And Sparky 015 Mayor's Wedding Day
Big Jon And Sparky 016 An Interruption In Mayor's Wedding
Big Jon And Sparky 017 Miss Dilly Kidnapped From Church
Big Jon And Sparky 018 Great Kidnap Mystery
Big Jon And Sparky 019 A Telephone Mix Up
Big Jon And Sparky 020 Detectives
Big Jon And Sparky 021 Stakeout
Big Jon And Sparky 022 Detectives Sparky Yukie Go To Work
Big Jon And Sparky 023 Detective Sparky Gets An Idea
Big Jon And Sparky 024 Kidnappers Double Back Triple Back
Big Jon And Sparky 025 Even Detectives Make Mistakes
Big Jon And Sparky 026 Jailed
Big Jon And Sparky 027 Kidnapping Case Continues
Big Jon And Sparky 028 Kidnapping Case Continues
Big Jon And Sparky 029 Who's Who
Big Jon And Sparky 030 Who's Who Continued
Big Jon And Sparky 031 Kidnapped Car Is Sighted Fragment
Big Jon And Sparky 032 Sparky Tracks Down AClue
Big Jon And Sparky 033 Sparky's Private Detective Agency
Big Jon And Sparky 034 Back To Normal-IHope
Big Jon And Sparky 035 ASurprise For All Concerned
Big Jon And Sparky 036 Kidnappers Escape Again
Big Jon And Sparky 037 Where's Yukie Now
Big Jon And Sparky 038 Al Old Cloths Is Good Clues
Big Jon And Sparky 039 Am So Close To Forest To See Trees
Big Jon And Sparky 040 Prodigal Returns
Big Jon And Sparky 041 Return Of Yukie Butcher
Big Jon And Sparky 042 Yukie Looks For ALawyer
Big Jon And Sparky 043 Yukie Sues City
Big Jon And Sparky 044 Look Who's ALawyer
Big Jon And Sparky 045 Yukie Takes Stand
Big Jon And Sparky 046 Peace And Quiet Again Almost
Big Jon And Sparky 047 Sparky Has Plans For Yukie
Big Jon And Sparky 048 ASudden Change In Climate
Big Jon And Sparky 049 Not Even ATeam Of Horses
Big Jon And Sparky 050 Goodbye My Dilly
Big Jon And Sparky 051 ALetter From Yukie
Big Jon And Sparky 052 AMystreious Man In Shack
Big Jon And Sparky 053 AMystreious Man In Shack
Big Jon And Sparky 054 AMystreious Man In Shack Part 2
Big Jon And Sparky 055 Who's Fooling Whom
Big Jon And Sparky 056 Trouble In Ranks
Big Jon And Sparky 057 Sparky's Telephone Troubles
Big Jon And Sparky 058 AProposed Solution Serious Problem
Big Jon And Sparky 059 Twelve Down Two To Go
Big Jon And Sparky 060 Not Much Doing
Big Jon And Sparky 061 Pane In Mrs Two Hill's Window
Big Jon And Sparky 062 Tickets Tickets Who's Got Tickets
Big Jon And Sparky 063 Opening Day 1953
Big Jon And Sparky 064 Canine Mutiny
Big Jon And Sparky 065 What's Wrong With Bunny
Big Jon And Sparky 066 Where Oh Where Have Little Dogs Gone
Big Jon And Sparky 067 Dogs Get Organized
Big Jon And Sparky 068 Dogs Get Together
Big Jon And Sparky 069 Someone Make Up His Mind
Big Jon And Sparky 070 Want Ads Get Results
Big Jon And Sparky 071 Mayor's Plan Begins To Work
Big Jon And Sparky 072 Almost Captured
Big Jon And Sparky 073 Dognappers Get Caught
Big Jon And Sparky 074 Mayor Shows m How
Big Jon And Sparky 075 Return Of Yukie Butcha
Big Jon And Sparky 076 Yukie Makes ADecision
Big Jon And Sparky 077 Surprise In Barn On Yukie's Farm
Big Jon And Sparky 078 Surprise In Yukie's Barn
Big Jon And Sparky 079 Sparky Drives ARacing Car
Big Jon And Sparky 080 More n One Way To Catch AFish
Big Jon And Sparky 081 AQuiet Day On Yukie's Farm
Big Jon And Sparky 082 Yukie Hits Jackpot
Big Jon And Sparky 083 Yukie's Radio Station
Big Jon And Sparky 084 Big Broadcast
Big Jon And Sparky 085 Ratings Are In
Big Jon And Sparky 086 Sparky Finds ABug
Big Jon And Sparky 087 Sparky's Mysterious Butterfly
Big Jon And Sparky 088 Professor Speaks
Big Jon And Sparky 089 THe Day Butterfly Flew
Big Jon And Sparky 090 Off To Races
Big Jon And Sparky 091 Yukie Tries Out His Racing Machine
Big Jon And Sparky 092 Yukie Cracks Up
Big Jon And Sparky 093 Big Little Race
Big Jon And Sparky 094 Big Jon Gets AScreen Job
Big Jon And Sparky 095 Big Jon Recuperates
Big Jon And Sparky 096 Cheer Up Sick Boy
Big Jon And Sparky 097 Big Jon Takes Plunge

Disc 2
Big Jon And Sparky 098 Big Jon Gets Company Again
Big Jon And Sparky 099 Sparkys Big Decision
Big Jon And Sparky 100 Sparkys Big Decision 2
Big Jon And Sparky 101 Too Many Cooks Spoil the Cake
Big Jon And Sparky 102 Sparky Changes His Mind
Big Jon And Sparky 103 Sparky Keeps His Word
Big Jon And Sparky 104 Where Has Sparky Gone
Big Jon And Sparky 105 Sparky Is Found-Almost
Big Jon And Sparky 106 Search for Sparky Continues
Big Jon And Sparky 107 Search for Sparky Continues 2
Big Jon And Sparky 108 Yukies Magic Travel Machine
Big Jon And Sparky 109 Yukies Magic Travel Machine Works
Big Jon And Sparky 110 Tell It To the Judge
Big Jon And Sparky 111 Yukie Meets the Boss
Big Jon And Sparky 112 Yukie the Elf
Big Jon And Sparky 113 Yukie the Elf 2
Big Jon And Sparky 114 Yukies Supreme Sacrifice
Big Jon And Sparky 115 Yukie Throws Down the Gauntlet
Big Jon And Sparky 116 Yukie and Big Jons Rivalry
Big Jon And Sparky 117 Yukie and Big Jons Rivalry 2
Big Jon And Sparky 118 Rivalry Gets Serious
Big Jon And Sparky 119 Swords or Pistols at Sunrise
Big Jon And Sparky 120 Duel Is Fought
Big Jon And Sparky 121 End of the Romance
Big Jon And Sparky 122 Big Let-down
Big Jon And Sparky 123 Big Jon Disappears
Big Jon And Sparky 124 Yukies Moment of Truth
Big Jon And Sparky 125 Bachelor Party
Big Jon And Sparky 126 Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
Big Jon And Sparky 127 Shock in Yukies Head 1
Big Jon And Sparky 128 Shock in Yukies Head 2
Big Jon And Sparky 129 Shock in Yukies Head 3
Big Jon And Sparky 130 Yukies Long Lost Mother
Big Jon And Sparky 131 A Number in the Mayors Blue Book
Big Jon And Sparky 132 Whose Little Boy Are You
Big Jon And Sparky 133 Yukie Butcha Mystery Continues
Big Jon And Sparky 134 Off to Lake Michigan
Big Jon And Sparky 135 Adventure on Lake Michigan
Big Jon And Sparky 136 Yukie Butcha Mystery Continues
Big Jon And Sparky 137 John Paul Jones to the Rescue
Big Jon And Sparky 138 Rescued from the Storm
Big Jon And Sparky 139 Not So Welcome Guests
Big Jon And Sparky 140 Boy What a Sandwich
Big Jon And Sparky 141 Back Home Again in Cincinnati
Big Jon And Sparky 142 Castle on Yorrick Hill Road
Big Jon And Sparky 143 Up a Tree
Big Jon And Sparky 144 Alas Poor Yorrick I Knew Him
Big Jon And Sparky 145 Much Ado about Something
Big Jon And Sparky 146 Strange Goings On
Big Jon And Sparky 147 Big Jons Plan to Catch the Ghost
Big Jon And Sparky 148 Secret Passageway
Big Jon And Sparky 149 Some Light on the Mystery
Big Jon And Sparky 150 Mystery Is Solved
Big Jon And Sparky 151 Lost and Found
Big Jon And Sparky 152 Last Day of Vacation
Big Jon And Sparky 153 Trip to East Cantankerous
Big Jon And Sparky 154 East Cantankerous for Real
Big Jon And Sparky 155 Who Is Yukie Rustlaw
Big Jon And Sparky 156 Wart on Yukies Neck
Big Jon And Sparky 157 Back Home in Cincinnati
Big Jon And Sparky 158 Why the Mayor Gets Gray
Big Jon And Sparky 159 Back to School for Sparky
Big Jon And Sparky Little Red Caboose

THESE ARE MP3 RECORDINGS

THEY WILL NOT PLAY IN REGULAR CD PLAYERS

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT mp3

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

We guarantee delivery of your item. If your item doesn't get there or is damaged, please notify us and we'll reship for you.

FULL REFUND IF NOT SATISFIED