Ron Sweed, the legendary actor known to a generation of TV fans as “The Ghoul,” died April 1 at the age of 70. His late-night horror show was a huge hit among young people in the Detroit area in the 1970s.
A popular TV personality in Cleveland, The Ghoul was later made famous across the country when Kaiser Broadcasting began syndicating his show in several markets, including Detroit, where his late-night show aired on Channel 50 for years beginning in the 1970s.
According to his entry on Wikipedia: “Known for his zany, early-adolescent humor (particularly surrounding his abuse of a rubber frog named “Froggy,” his well-known penchant for blowing up model ships and aircraft with firecrackers, and his habitual smearing of Cheez Whiz over everything in sight), late night monster movies were a unique experience for Cleveland viewers in the 1970s. Catch phrases included “zingy-zingy,” “Overdey!” and “stay sick, turn blue”.
For a look at The Ghoul in action, see the clip below:
