John Paragon

Happy September comedy fans -- we have a treat for you this week. You may not know the name John Paragon but you sure know his work. Paragon was part of the Groundlings Improv Troupe that spawned such huge stars as Paul Reubens and Cassandra Peterson. He helped Paul turn into Pee Wee Herman and Cassandra into Elvira, Mistress of the Night. For Pee Wee he also played Jambi the Genie, a character carried over to the television version of the Pee Wee Herman Show. For Elvira, Paragon wrote many of her most famous lines and on her Movie Macabre show he appeared as a phone-in fan called "The Breather." John also had his own comedy special and worked steadily as an actor, writer and director. No wonder his special called him "The Paragon of Comedy." As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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For Pee Wee Herman John played Jambi the Genie who would lead everyone in a very special chant -- all together now! https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/s/45EKQIxFKB

John scored his own special in 1983 called The Paragon of Comedy. We've marked the clip to start with the full Ramon Azteca bit, but the whole thing is worth watching. https://youtu.be/lpL_Svu7o6M?si=76aZwVd2K8N7cmE4&t=2826

John was a close friend of Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, and wrote many great lines as well as playing The Breather on Elvira's Movie Macabre. https://youtu.be/QuLKSXe8Ah0?si=PX0MmEN8-GdYRipm