J. P. Patches

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J.P. Patches (full name Julius Pierpont Patches) is a clown who appeared on the Seattle television station KIRO channel 7 from 1958 to 1981, after appearing for a few years on Minneapolis station WTCN channel 11 starting in 1953. He was hugely popular among viewers in the Puget Sound area and southwestern British Columbia, not only with children, but with their parents, too, who enjoyed J.P.'s frequent use of double entendre.^[1] At a peak of its 22-year run, the Emmy-winning program had a viewership of over 100,000 in its local markets. When it was ended in 1981, the show was the longest-running, locally-produced children's program in the U.S.^[2] The show was live. With intense barrage from off-camera crew, the show was unrehearsed, masterful improv.^[3]

Chris Wedes took up the character in 1955 when Daryl Laub, the character's creator, left WTCN for KSTP-TV channel 5 in St. Paul.^{[citation needed]} Wedes (pronounced WEE-dus) played the character from that point on, bringing him along with his move to Seattle where he became the KIRO News floor director.^[1] He continues to make his living portraying J.P. at public events and private parties,^[4] and by licensing J.P. Patches merchandise.^[5]

The primary conceit of the program was that J.P. was the "Mayor of the City Dump", and he lived in a shack at the dump, surrounded by his cast of stock characters: Sturdley the Bookworm, Esmerelda (actually a Raggedy Ann doll), Ketchikan the Animal Man, Boris S. Wort (the second meanest man in the world), Ggoorrsstt the Friendly Frpl, and J.P.'s girlfriend, Gertrude. Virtually the entire supporting cast, male and female, human or non-human, was played by the versatile Bob Newman.^[1] The city dump was the actual Montlake Landfill (1926-66), 1972-present athletic fields, car park, and the Union Bay Natural Area of the University of Washington in the University District.^[6]

Fans were called "Patches Pals." Bill Gates was one of those kids. So was former Governor Gary Locke, NW comedian John Keister, and KOMO-TV anchor Kathi Goertzen.^[7] J.P. would celebrate birthdays of selected Patches Pals by "viewing" them on his "ICU2TV" set (actually a cardboard prop that created the appearance that J.P. was looking at you from inside your television). He would predict with amazing accuracy where a gift might be hidden in the child's house.^[1]

Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, was a Patches Pal, having grown up in the Pacific Northwest. Along with Portland, Oregon clown Rusty Nails, J.P. was the partial inspiration for Groening's Krusty the Clown.{{Citation needed}}

Prior to moving to Seattle, Wedes appeared on multiple programs at WTCN-TV in Minneapolis. Other than playing J.P., he most notably played Joe the Cook on that station's Lunch with Casey program.^[1]

Research: Character name search of the Internet Movie Database
"The character 'j. p. patches' (using whole word searching) has been played by: Nobody found with character name 'j. p. patches'".^[8] Two videos exist:

• Towey, Joe, director; in association with KIRO Television. (1993). J.P. Patches. [Vol. 4, J.P's magic house] [VHS]. Seattle: City Dump Productions.
  Retrieved on 21 April 2006.
  Other authors: Wedes, Chris; Towey, Joe; Newman, Bob.
  Performers: Chris Wedes, Bob Newman.
  B&W with color sequences, remaster of rescued original recordings c. 1960s–early 1970s.
• Towey, Joe and Jones, Rich; directors; in association with KIRO Television. (1992). The J.P. Patches Show. [Vol. 1, Gertrude reveals Superklown] [VHS]. Seattle: City Dump Productions.
  Retrieved on 21 April 2006.
  Other authors: Towey, Joe; Jones, Rich; Wedes, Chris; Newman, Bob.
  "Performer(s): Chris Wedes, Bob Newman & cast of thousands." [Catalog data.] Remaster of rescued original recordings c. 1970s.

Note that content dates and chronology are independent of convention.

Contents 1 See also 2 References 3 Bibliography 4 Further reading

[edit] See also

Union Bay Natural Area

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Stein
2. ^ Beck
3. ^ (1) "OlyBlog, Evergroove Trivia pt. 37". OlyBlog.net (2005-11-13). Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
   Verifiable attribution is needed.
   (2) Wedes & Johnston; Hobson (ed.)
4. ^ For example, second half 2005: Bellevue Strawberry Festival June 25, 2005; Yakima Fruit Market October 15, 2005; Seattle Aquarium October 29, 2005; [and private engagements].
   J.P. Patches.com.Co.Inc.Ltd.International (1647 [sic]). "J.P.'s Appeareances" [sic]. JPPatches. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
5. ^ JPPatches (2005). "J.P. Patches". Home > Pacific Northwest Shop > J.P. Patches. Channel 9 Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
   J.P. Patches.com.Co.Inc.Ltd.International (1647 [sic]). "Patches Pal News". 2006 appearances, inclusive.. JPPatches. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
6. ^ (1) Phelps, pp. 207–208.
   (2) Center for Urban Horticulture
7. ^ Paynter
8. ^ "Character name search". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.

[edit] Bibliography

• Beck, Dave (2001-01-04, 10:00 am). J.P. Patches and Gertrude. Weekday. KUOW-FM. Retrieved on 2006-06-27.
  Link to RealAudio archive of interview on local morning program on KUOW-FM 94.6, Seattle.
  Host talks with local Seattle stars from the J.P. Patches Show, 54m 56s.
  RealAudio link: "http://128.208.34.90/ramgen/archive/weekday/wkdy010104-b.rm?start='00:01:59.000'&end='00:56:05.048'"
• "HISTORY @ UBNA". Union Bay Natural Area. Departments, University of Washington (n.d., 1999 per "Montlake Landfill Information Summary, January 1999" on page). Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• "Character name search". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• J.P. Patches.com.Co.Inc.Ltd.International (1647 [sic]). "J.P.'s Appeareances" [sic]. JPPatches. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• J.P. Patches.com.Co.Inc.Ltd.International (1647 [sic]). "Patches Pal News". JPPatches. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
  2006 appearances, inclusive.
• Johnston, Bryan, Wedes, Chris (2002). Hobson, Tom J.P. Patches, Northwest icon. Seattle: Peanut Butter Publishers. ISBN 0-89716-799-6.
  Chris Wedes holds the copyright, Bryan Johnston is the author.
• JPPatches (2005). "J.P. Patches". Home > Pacific Northwest Shop > J.P. Patches. Channel 9 Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• Paynter, Susan. ""This clown truly deserves a statue"", Seattle Post-intelligencer, 2006-02-17. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• Phelps, Myra L. (1978). Public works in Seattle. Seattle: Seattle Engineering Department. ISBN 0-960-1928-1-6. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
• Stein, Alan J. (2003-03-02). "Patches, Julius Pierpont". HistoryLink.org Essay 5344. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
  Stein referenced Jack Broom, “The J.P. Generation,” Pacific Magazine, The Seattle Times, 4 April 1993, pp. 6-11,14-17;
  Bill Cartmel, “Hi Ya, Patches Pals,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11 April 1971, pp. 6-7;
  Erik Lacitis, “Patches Understands – and Survivies,” The Seattle Times, 23 February 1978, p. A15;
  [no title], The East Side Journal, 31 May 1962, p. 3; Ibid. 14 May 1969, p. 19.
• stevenl (2005-11-13). "Evergroove Trivia pt. 37". OlyBlog. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
  Source is nebulous. Verifiable attribution is needed.

[edit] Further reading

• Beck, Dave (2001-01-04, 10:00 am). J.P. Patches and Gertrude. Weekday. KUOW-FM. Retrieved on 2006-06-27.
• "J.P. Patches". home page. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.