John Paragon, PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE Star and Elvira Scribe, Dead at 66
I’m sad to report the passing of John Paragon. If you didn’t know, or didn’t notice, Paragon was part of a lot of the great things in the 80’s and 90’s. Jambi the genie in Pee-Wee’s Playhouse? That was Paragon. Co-writer of Elvira? That was Paragon. The childish son of R.J Fletcher in comedy cult classic UHF? Paragon.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1954, John Paragon first found success in 1986 as Jambi the genie in Pee-Wee’s Playhouse alongside Paul Reuben’s Pee-Wee Herman. He would go on to do 41 episodes as an actor, 25 episodes as a writer, and 20 episodes as director. His biggest role, by far, was as collaborator and writer with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Over 27 years, he would have a hand in almost everything Elvira-related.
Elvira released a statement earlier today:
John Paragon passed away in April, with the official announcement not coming until today. I enjoyed Paragon’s work. I hope that future generations will continue to enjoy what he did, and what he built. The media of the 80’s is such a huge piece of formative bedrock for horror fans. I hope that moving forward, Paragon’s work is remembered fondly.
Related: Cassandra Peterson’s New ELVIRA Memoir Coming This September
No matter what you knew John Paragon from, it’s always sad to lose any piece of the horror community. We are known for being tight knit. Losing any part of the community is a huge blow. Luckily, part of Paragon will always be around through his extensive body of work.
Do you have John Paragon memories to share? Did he take part in things that informed your horror experience? Join the conversation in the comments. We’re on Instagram and Twitter @DreadCentral. We’re also on Facebook. I’m Jans and I write news. You can come talk to me on Twitter @HorrorPlayed
Categorized:News
