Feder: Bill Jackson, creative genius behind 'Cartoon Town' and 'Gigglesnort Hotel,' dies

As the creative genius behind such beloved children's shows as "Cartoon Town" (aka "The BJ and Dirty Dragon Show") and "Gigglesnort Hotel," Bill "BJ" Jackson will always hold a warm spot in the hearts of countless fans who grew up in Chicago in the '60s and '70s.

Jackson died Monday at his home in Paso Robles, California, after a recent illness. He was 86.

"He was the most creative and versatile person ever in Chicago kids' TV and certainly one of the most creative people I have ever known myself," said Jim Engel, children's television curator at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications.

In 1965 Jackson came to Chicago to host "Clown Alley" and "Here Comes Freckles" for CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

Three years later he joined independent UHF upstart WFLD-Channel 32, where he created "Cartoon Town," presiding as mayor over a menagerie of puppets including Dirty Dragon, Weird and Wally Goodscout, Mother Plumtree, The Old Professor and The Blob. Later renamed "The BJ and Dirty Dragon Show," it moved to former Tribune's WGN-Channel 9.

Jackson then went on to create "Gigglesnort Hotel" for ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 in 1975. That show ran for three years.

After leaving Chicago TV in 1978 Jackson moved west to join California Institute of the Arts, where he taught TV production until he retired in 1990.

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