the fresh ghoul
The Cool Ghoul of Northeast Ohio was played by George Cavender. The show was popular in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s and appeared on several stations in the area. The first was WJAN-TV 17 in Canton, Ohio, WOAC-TV 67, and in Cleveland on WOIO-TV 19.
George had been a fan of classic horror movies since his father brought home his first copy of Famous Monster’s of Filmland magazine in 1960. Cavender studied the careers of Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, and Vincent Price, to name a few. And it was a chance meeting with Vincent Price, while he was on a speaking tour, that led Cavender to revive the show in 1984 on WOAC-TV. One of his favorite mentors was Ghoulardi. Early ’60s horror host in Cleveland, Ohio. George’s father was killed in a car accident in 1965 and he credits horror host Ghoulardi for helping him get through the ordeal.
His fascination with movies didn’t stop with horror. He also developed a love of theater and, with the encouragement of his mother, starred in many stage productions at High School, College, and Community Theater playing roles as diverse as Mathew Harrison Brady in Inherit the Wind, the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard. of Oz and Sherlock Holmes in a play of the same title.
In 1971, at the age of 16, George Cavender got his first chance to play the role of The Cool Ghoul when he made an appointment with the station manager of WJAN-TV. He drew posters of the set, made an outline of the show and gave his presentation. After he finished there was a long silence. Station Manager Don Crump leaned across the desk and said “When can you start?” Surprised by the response, George said, “Give me a week.” With such little time, and having lived in Cincinnati for a few years, he was a fan of The Cool Ghoul in that area, played and created by Dick Von Hoene. He called him at WXIX-TV and explained the situation. Amused by George’s age, he gave her permission to use his personality.
Over the years, the personality has undergone a massive transformation. The only resemblance to the Cincinnati version of The Cool Ghoul is the makeup and hair color, but George has always been very fond of Dick Von Hoene, giving him a start.
The irony continued when George went to work for WOIO-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. As IT manager, he transferred to WXIX-TV in Cincinnati, a sister station to WOIO, and worked with Dick Von Hoene’s brother.
George Cavender’s Cool Ghoul worked with many charities including The Jerry Lewis Telethon, Make a Wish Foundation and Bowling for Kids to name a few.
Cavender is a native of Canton, Ohio. Home of the Football Hall of Fame. He attended Kent State University and the University of Cincinnati majoring in Theater. He recently hosted the show, during the Halloween season, on Northeast Ohio’s Warner Cable and is currently planning a webcast once a month on his site.