November 6, 2001
Joel M. Genung remembers Axel:

Hi. I surfed into your site via Google after looking for "Axel and His Dog." Digging deeper into your website, I was astounded to see your pictures of the 1960 State Fair. I have to tell you my own Axel Story.

I was born in Minneapolis in 1947 and was the son of an Army officer. Although we moved about every 3-4 years until my Dad's retirement in 1960, we always came back to the Twin Cities every summer for his 30-day leave. And I remember watching Axel and His Dog at my aunt and uncle's house on Xerxes Avenue as a kid. Since we didn't have any kind of programs like his in Oklahoma, I was always saddened when I realized I would have to wait another full year until I could view him again.

The highlight of our summer trips was the State Fair, which always coincided closely with our return to Oklahoma, since Labor Day traditionally meant the beginning of another school year. During the 1960 Fair, I was one of the kids in the crowd when the Axel show was broadcast live. In fact, the picture that shows the white WCCO shopping bags brought back instant memories. I remember my bag was filled with all kinds of farm machinery literature from Machinery Hill (my late brother-in-law farmed near Glencoe). But back to Axel...

The things that stuck out in my mind from my 1960 visit were (1) seeing his red and white shirt (color was unknown in those days) and (2) the actual sound of his "live" voice (over the laughter of the kids). For some reason, this still is vivid in my mind even though it's now 41 years later. And seeing this live event also had a later effect on my direction in life. I spent several years in radio and television production and am now a union stagehand in professional theater. Sadly, television today just does not offer the quality of programming (and spontaneity dictated by live production) that Axel (and shows like his) brought to us then.

Many thanks for this collection of memories!

October 18, 2001
Larry Stelter remembers Clellan Card:

When I was 13 I had to spend a few days in Fairview hospital. The days got long and boring and I found myself reading the Minneapolis phone book. I chanced upon Clellan Card and dialed the number. A man answered and I asked if this was Axel. "Yes it is," was the reply. There were three other kids in the room and I said, "I've got Axel on the phone." No way! He spent almost 45 minutes talking to us four kids. Axel had just recently gone off the air. We didn't know it was because of illness. Not long after that he died. I don't remember what we talked about that day. What I do remember was that a very kind and wonderful man in the middle of his own illness and near death took the time to be a friend to four sick kids. I cried when he died. I still miss him.

October 10, 2001
Betty Ziminske remembers Clellan Card and Mary Davies:

I started working for Upper Midwest Broadcasting in 1953. Basically, they umbrellaed smaller radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest and sold radio time as a package deal. We had stations from WDBC, Escanaba, Michigan, KDLR, Devils Lake, North Dakota, WKLK, Cloquet, etc. etc. Standard Rate and Data (SRDS) was our bible and rates were cheaper if a client bought the Umbrella package. It was a good deal for the smaller stations that might not be included in a time purchase. We were especially busy during election time and worked with J. Walter Thompson, Campbell-Mithun, BBD&O, etc. The advertising agency got the first 15% of a sale and we got the second 15%.

In 1954 -- Allied Radio Artist started as a company selling jingles (singing commercials) and saw a perfect fit for entering our market. Louis Knopp had worked in the advertising industry for many years (Have you tried Wheaties - the best breakfast food in the land) was one of his creations. He was brought on board to write the commercials along with a gal from out east. All the jingles had to be based on music in the public domain. Mary Davies was the singer for the commercials and I can't recall the exact name of the band -- something like the Kelsey brothers. She sang with the band on a regular basis. Radio at that time was pretty casual.... I remember one day being at WCCO when Mel Jass was on. (Clellan was still involved in Mel's show). Toby Prin was on with Mel as was Jeanne Arland Peterson. Mel was going to sing "Oh you Beautiful Doll" and decided he needed a gal to sing it to and I was handy. Pretty funny.

In 1954, Clellan Card was starting his show and he and Louie Knopp worked together in our offices actually creating the gist of the show -- together they were really creative and played well off of one another. Some days they really got rolling, especially with the birdie lines. Clellan got to know Mary because we were all in the same area. I understood from them that Mary was divorced, had three girls, I believe, and was striving to make ends meet. Things just kind of fell into place and Mary was the perfect person to fill in for Clellan when he had his throat problem. They always bantered back and forth in the office.

He and Louie also brainstormed lines for the singing commercials. It was kind of a casual mutual agreement, I believe. They were both extremely talented, creative men. Also very nice, compassionate men.

I quit working in March of '57 to have a baby and didn't return.

July 8, 2001
Darrell E. Mulroy remembers Axel:

Axel often advertised products for Superior Dairy and I forced mom to buy everyone of them. As a kid I also got the naughty jokes Axel let slip out at times. Mom often thought the show was a little risque for us kids.

I learned to appreciate the Lil Rascals as well. Later I got into broadcasting and even worked with the folks at WCCO-TV for a short time and many many years after his death they still told Axel stories and now they add those of Dave Moore.

Amazing the impact he had on us kids. And it was all positive. He beat any cartoon ever done on TV and a dead heat with Superman.

June 29, 2001
Sandy remembers Axel:

As an aging 54 year old baby boomer one of my fondest memories was watching Axel in the Treehouse. I lived in Rice Lake Wisconsin for a few years in the mid 50's. I especially loved the Our Gang shows. One of his sponsors must have been Malt O'Meal because I remember an ad in which he said it was "smooth, creamy and double flavored." I think when he said those words he used his hands to represent the words, smooth being a line drawn with his hand, creamy being an "ok" sign, and double flavored he held up two fingers which we would now call the peace sign. I never thought I would see anything about this show, especially living in San Diego California now. Thanks for letting me remember some of my happiest moments as a child!

May 18, 2001
Marty Vick remembers Axel:

I was delighted to find your web site. I am 47 years old, and watching Axel as a boy counts among my fondest childhood memories. My mom was numbered among the legions trying to discourage "Axelspeak" at the dinner table.

About 20 years ago I was invited to a Halloween costume party. I had been trying to organize an "Axel party" where all males would have to dress as our hero, and all females as Carmen. Couldn't quite get it off the ground. But I went to the costume party as your old pal Axel.

I went to the old Teener's theatrical shop on Hennepin Avenue, where I was waited on by Mr. Teener, who assured me that the mustache I was buying was the same one he had sold to Mr. Card many years before. A radical haircut, black hair coloring, striped shirt and various other accouterments later and I was ready. The response astounded me. When at the party, other guests stared. We went out to the old Tony Jaros' River Gardens about 11:00 PM and the other patrons looked as though they had been poleaxed.

Never underestimate the power of Axel.

February 5, 2001
Laurie Colebank remembers Axel:

I was born and raised in Farmington. I have just moved back after 18 years in Florida and came across your website via The Old Times. I remember coming home from school every day and watchng Axel. I used to feel that he and Towser picked on Tallulah too much -- so I wrote him a letter and told him so -- which Tallulah read on the air. I was absoutely thrilled, and I guess it was my 15 minutes of fame. Axel also appeared at our neigborhood Cloverleaf Dairy, and all the kids in the neighborhood (including myself) rushed to get a glimpse of this television celebrity! It was great!!

Birdie with the yellow bill

Hopped upon my window sill,

Cocked his shining eye and said,

"What do you have in the bag, Smarty -- Pants?"

Bee-Boop!

January 25, 2001
Dave Hazlett remembers Axel:

I grew up in Minneapolis. My dad died when my sister and I were little, and my mom had to work two jobs afterward. We were the original latchkey kids, I guess. Anyway, Axel filled in as my dad when we watched him. I loved every minute of every one of his shows. I remember how Nurse Carmen told us he was on a trip, when in fact he was near death in the hospital. My sister and I were crushed when she finally came on the show and told us the day he died. I only wish we could have known he was so sick while he was still alive; maybe we could have sent a card or picture or something. As it was, he left us without our prayers and love while he was still alive.

I have to say again, he filled a huge void my dad left, and certainly never knew it. It serves to remind me now, as I serve as a cub scout leader and youth sports volunteer for my son and other kids, that we touch so many lives we may never even realize or be aware of. I try not to take that for granted. Also, I feel kind of sorry for my young kids now, not having a live, accessible TV personality like we had with Axel.

I was so pleasantly surprised to see your site on the net. It brought back so many memories of my childhood...

May 5, 2000
Warren Mortensen remembers Axel:

I remember a conversation between Axel and Tallulah that went something like this:

Axel: "Well Tallulah, I was walkin' out in da forest wit' Harry da Skunk today and we saw our first sign of Spring!"

Tallulah: "Oh, and what was that, Axel?"

Axel: "We come around a bend in da path and right dere in da middle was a brand new nest full of horse eggs!"

The other episode must've happened around Christmas. The local cheapskate on Magic Island was Nosecone Needleman, a skunk who owned a warehouse. One year, Axel was complaining to Tallulah about how cheap Nosecone was:

Axel: "Ya know what he did da udder day, Tallul?"

Tallulah: "What's that, Axel?"

Axel: "He vent down to da warehouse and splashed red paint on da wall and den he took a shotgun and shot out one of da windows. Den he brought his kids down to da warehouse and told dem dere wouldn't be no Christmas because Santa had committed suicide."

A couple more little memories (somewhat generic but about the way I remember Axel announcing his appearances):

"Hey kids, tell your mom dat "Old Good Lookin" will be out at da Miracle Mile on Excelsior Boulevard dis Saturday at Noon givin' out prizes and autographed pictures, so make sure she brings you along! Birdee wid da yellow bill...."

Also remember him pushing Canada Dry Gingerale about the time I had my tonsils out. He told us it tickles your nose when you drink it. Since I was recuperating from the tonsillectomy, my dad made a special point to get me a quart bottle of Canada Dry. Wouldn't you know the one he bought turned out to be "flat"?!! Boy, was I disappointed.

I always wondered why Towser suddenly stopped showing up on screen although, according to Axel, he was working the projector. "Poor Towser, he's stuck back in da projection room showing da cartoons. Ya know, da room is so small he can't wag hiss tail sidevays so he hass to wag it up and down like dis." (moved his hand up and down in a chopping motion).

I also remember all these bigwigs who would come up to the treehouse to announce special events during the Aquatennial or what-have-you. They always had to come up the ladder of the Treehouse to get on camera. I'll bet there were a few of them who had a time of it duck-walking up to the point where they could get up in camera range and look like they had climbed up the steps. They probably really DID have to exert themselve a bit to get up that last step.

April 8, 2000
From Noel Holston's TV column in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Depending on the seriousness of your "Casey Jones" nostalgia, you might want to finagle a cable-connected friend's house in St. Paul or its eastern suburbs. Tony Ducklow, a schoolteacher nostalgic for the days when Casey, Clancy and Axel -- not Maury, Montel and Judy -- were the big names in daytime TV, does an old-style kiddie show, "Captain McCool and Friends," on cable access there.

Roger Awsumb, who played Casey for years on Channel 11, recently gave Ducklow permission to use some of his old clips, such as the legendary "Walking in My Winter Underwear." They're included in the "McCool" episode that's shown at 4 p.m. today on Channel 15 of the Suburban Community Channels (White Bear Lake, Oakdale, Maplewood, North St. Paul). In St. Paul, SPNN's Channel 32 will show the episode at 4:30 p.m. on April 17.

December 22, 1999
Captain McCool remembers Axel:

Really love your Axel site! I NEVER missed his show in the morning. He was a magical man.

I was on Clancy a few years after Card's death, and I was shocked to see the treehouse was only made of cardboard and sitting on the floor! He had made it all seem so real. I cried when he died, and would even get choked up when they ran ads on TV for that cancer fundraiser in his name for a while after his death. I can still hear the music that they played for it.

I'm a school teacher, and it really saddens me that there are no Axel or Casey or Clancy programs for children today. I had a sixth grade class tell me a few years ago that their favorite show was Jerry Springer. They weren't kidding.

I've developed my own program that should start airing on community cable in January or February. It's called "Captain McCool and Friends" and it takes place on my spaceship. I'm going to try to bring back some of the fun and innocence from yesterday.

Read about the Gold Star awards that Captain McCool won here!

Read the article about Captain McCool in the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch here!

December 23, 1999
Doug Gray remembers "The Night Before Xmas":

You probably have plenty on Axel's "Night Before Xmas," but just in case . . .

I ran across a printed version of it in a bound collection of five pamphlets on "Minnesota Folklore and Scandinavian Humor" (actually mostly fairly tired Norskie jokes, including some truly embarrassing ones involving other ethnic groups such as Indians) by a "Mister Mox" published between the Minnesota Centennial in 1958 and the mid-1960s. I gave the bound version to some friends for Xmas, but copied down Axel's fractured poem.

November 21, 1999
Daryl Fredine remembers Clellan Card:

One of my fondest childhood memories is listening to Clellan on the radio telling jokes. When I was in 7th grade, a friend and I got up at about 5 am to take the bus downtown to watch his radio program. He was on WTCN radio at the time. He wound up giving us passes to the Radio City Theatre to see Ma and Pa Kettle.

Would that we could return to those days of innocence.

 Jimmy Valentine remembers working with Clellan at KSTP radio (located in the Radio City Theatre during the mid-1940s):

We used to get guys from Washington Avenue up there, looking for a warm place at seven o'clock in the morning [to] somehow get rid of the hangover from the cheap wine they'd had the night before. And we got a few solid citizens who wanted to see Clellan Card in person, and we did the show in front of them... Now, we had a little stage and this studio ­ I'd say it held under a hundred people. And we had uniformed page girls, à la NBC pages ­ and one was enough to handle an audience that size ­ they ushered them down the hall from the lobby which was common to the theater lobby, but not accessible. They had a door that they could come in right past the box office and go directly up to KSTP on a staircase, down the hall all the way to the studio where [the audience was] seated.

[Musician] Bobby Grunenfelder had a muted trumpet solo on one of the musical numbers, all of which were live, no recordings... A muted trumpet reduced the trumpet's pure "wang" tone to a "zzzz" tone; not very audible at any distance, so in recording the trumpet player with a mute, it had to be blown right into the microphone, you know, within a couple of feet of it. You couldn't sit back in the trumpet section and play a muted solo and expect to be heard. We had a boom mike over the orchestra, and [Grunenfelder] got up, stood up, with his trumpet pointing up at about a forty-five degree angle while he was standing, and he [began playing] his muted trumpet solo... Card dashed off a quick note at his desk, and he signalled the page girl over and whispered in her ear "Show this to Bobby Grunenfelder." And she walked up and she held it [at] shoulder height where he could [see] it. At which point, he doubled in the middle and backed up to his seat in the trumpet section, and of course the rest of the solo was lost to the audience at home. The note said, "Your fly is open." Which of course it wasn't! Picture yourself with your belly thrust forward, your back bowed, standing in front of a small audience, and somebody saying "Your fly is open." He kept playing, but... [laughs]