Superhost
Encyclopedia
Superhost was a character portrayed by TV personality Marty Sullivan at independent television station WUAB
channel 43 in Cleveland from 1969 to 1989. He wore a baggy suit, cape
and red nose (like a clown
version of Superman
) to host the station's Saturday afternoon monster movie.
The show would begin at noon with Supe's On!, an hour-long warm-up to the movies, with a Laurel and Hardy
short sandwiched between two Three Stooges
shorts. Superhost would appear during commercial breaks, cracking jokes, showing skits, and talking to the TV audience.
Superhost greeted fans with his famous "Hello, dere" and follow with sketches like "The Moronic Woman" (a parody of The Bionic Woman
) "Caboose Supe" (a Boxcar Willie
takeoff), and "Fat Whitman" (a spoof of Slim Whitman
). His most famous sketch was a takeoff on the popular trucker song Convoy
. He was also known for referring to the movies as "flicks" as in "Let's get back to da flick."
After Supe's On was finished, he would host an afternoon of films under the Mad Theater banner. Generally two films were shown, going from 1 to 4 p.m. The movies would be old horror films like Frankenstein
or Japanese monster movies such as Godzilla
.
As the 1980s went along, with WCW Wrestling
and other more contemporary syndicated weekend programming becoming available, the show began getting trimmed.
First to the Supe's On hour (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) plus one movie (12:30 to 2 p.m) in 1985, then in 1987, the entire show was shortened to one hour under the Supe's On! banner, with Superhost appearing during commercial breaks during one episode each of The Munsters
and Batman
from 11 a.m. to noon.
From 1988 until its finale in December 1989, the show was then changed to an hour of Three Stooges
shorts (including a cartoon thrown in to help fill out the hour), with Superhost appearing during commercial breaks, all under the Supe's On with the Three Stooges! banner from 11 a.m. to noon (then towards the end moved to 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
In addition to playing Superhost, Sullivan was a longtime floor director and staff announcer for WUAB, and without the Superhost costume, also occasionally hosted the daily afternoon Prize Movie, when usual host John Lanigan
was off. Even post Superhost, he would continue to fill in for Lanigan until Sullivan retired in 1993.
He also filled in anchoring news breaks during the primetime Star Movie when usual anchor Gary Short was off.
In a story Sullivan likes to tell, he would sometimes be pressed into service on a Friday night when taping the Superhost show, and have to also do the live news breaks. So he'd quickly put on a jacket, shirt, and tie to do the news, while under the desk, he'd still have his Superhost costume on.
He served in this capacity until 1988, when WUAB began their nightly Ten O'Clock News newscast. Sullivan would later joke that "it took an over thirty person news staff to replace me".
In 1991, Sullivan was inducted into the Ohio Radio/TV Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He joined the U.S. Navy because he thought he was going to be drafted.
Marty received the Silver Circle Award from NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).
WUAB
WUAB, identified on-air as "My43 The Block, WUAB", is the MyNetworkTV affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. The station is licensed to the suburb of Lorain, and it shares a studio in downtown Cleveland with sister station WOIO, Cleveland's CBS affiliate. Its transmitter is located in Parma, Ohio...
channel 43 in Cleveland from 1969 to 1989. He wore a baggy suit, cape
Cape
Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...
and red nose (like a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
version of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
) to host the station's Saturday afternoon monster movie.
The show would begin at noon with Supe's On!, an hour-long warm-up to the movies, with a Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
short sandwiched between two Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
shorts. Superhost would appear during commercial breaks, cracking jokes, showing skits, and talking to the TV audience.
Superhost greeted fans with his famous "Hello, dere" and follow with sketches like "The Moronic Woman" (a parody of The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
) "Caboose Supe" (a Boxcar Willie
Boxcar Willie
Boxcar Willie, born as Lecil Travis Martin was an American country music singer, who sang in the "old-time hobo" music style, complete with dirty face, overalls, and a floppy hat...
takeoff), and "Fat Whitman" (a spoof of Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
). His most famous sketch was a takeoff on the popular trucker song Convoy
Convoy (song)
"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
. He was also known for referring to the movies as "flicks" as in "Let's get back to da flick."
After Supe's On was finished, he would host an afternoon of films under the Mad Theater banner. Generally two films were shown, going from 1 to 4 p.m. The movies would be old horror films like Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
or Japanese monster movies such as Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
.
As the 1980s went along, with WCW Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and other more contemporary syndicated weekend programming becoming available, the show began getting trimmed.
First to the Supe's On hour (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) plus one movie (12:30 to 2 p.m) in 1985, then in 1987, the entire show was shortened to one hour under the Supe's On! banner, with Superhost appearing during commercial breaks during one episode each of The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
and Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
from 11 a.m. to noon.
From 1988 until its finale in December 1989, the show was then changed to an hour of Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
shorts (including a cartoon thrown in to help fill out the hour), with Superhost appearing during commercial breaks, all under the Supe's On with the Three Stooges! banner from 11 a.m. to noon (then towards the end moved to 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
In addition to playing Superhost, Sullivan was a longtime floor director and staff announcer for WUAB, and without the Superhost costume, also occasionally hosted the daily afternoon Prize Movie, when usual host John Lanigan
WMJI
WMJI — branded Majic 105.7 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio broadcasting a classic hits format. The station serves Cleveland, Akron and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio....
was off. Even post Superhost, he would continue to fill in for Lanigan until Sullivan retired in 1993.
He also filled in anchoring news breaks during the primetime Star Movie when usual anchor Gary Short was off.
In a story Sullivan likes to tell, he would sometimes be pressed into service on a Friday night when taping the Superhost show, and have to also do the live news breaks. So he'd quickly put on a jacket, shirt, and tie to do the news, while under the desk, he'd still have his Superhost costume on.
He served in this capacity until 1988, when WUAB began their nightly Ten O'Clock News newscast. Sullivan would later joke that "it took an over thirty person news staff to replace me".
In 1991, Sullivan was inducted into the Ohio Radio/TV Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Other Information
Sullivan went to Assumption College (now University of Windsor).He joined the U.S. Navy because he thought he was going to be drafted.
Marty received the Silver Circle Award from NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).