FROGGY THE GREMLIN PLUNK YOUR MAGIC TWANGER

[thehooning]

My old man would talk about this show when reminiscing about old tv shows. It's crazy how Pee Wee more or less had some inspiration from these types of shows. They should release a DVD set, I love old tv. Also I saw the Twilight Zone episode "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" featuring Andy Devine before realizing he was Andy of Andy's gang.

[lindaw6111]

Yes! Everyone thought I was crazy when I talked about Froggy and Andy! I was beginning to think so myself. I admit, the whole thing scared the hell out of me--this fat guy and his frog who sounded like he smoked cigars. The frog always made Andy look like an idiot. I never understood what was funny about it then, but now I like the frog.

[spahjrp]

@lindaw6111 do NOT ever lose that thought. The whole thing was for adults at the time and that makes it all that much more hysterically funny.

[connboy12]

what a great show and loved froggle the gremlin

[umlabs]

That was really stupid and immatALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTWANGER.

[connboy12]

I sued to love this show thanks

[TheFrontrowkid]

Plunk your magic twanger was not what you thought it was. There was a metal mouth organ that you would hold in your mouth, and pluck the metal vibrator with your finger to produce a sound. Froggy's twanger sounds like a tightly wound spring that has just been broken.

[TheFrontrowkid]

Yes, Andy's Gang was originally Smiling Ed's Buster Brown Gang. Sponsored by Buster Brown Shoes (the dress up and Sunday school shoes for kids) Smilin' Ed McConnell played the piano, sang and read stories to the kids on radio. He went on TV circa 1950 and was there until he died in mid Fifties. Andy Devine (Wild Bill Hickock) took over and it became Andy's gang

[madmusette]

Thank you for clearing that up spooky! :<)

Yes, I remember feeling slightly disturbed by it!

[madmusette]

That's weird, I remember Froggy being somebody's upside down chin...is that somebody else?

[spookylorre]

@madmusette

That was Paul Winchell's Oswald. Winch painted eyes on his chin, wore a mask that was shaped like a stout body, and was filmed upside down. You could actually buy a mask like that, and it came with mirrors so you could watch yourself talking like a bald-headed guy. Yes, pretty disturbing, it was it was.

[JailhouseRN]

@madmusette I think you are thinking of Sir Graves Ghastly.

[oldcodyjr]

I had a rubber Froggy the Gremlin with a squeeker in his back until the rubber finally disintegrated a few years ago. Wasn't Froggy also with Smilin' Ed's Gang?

[diptwares]

I had a friend in the Marines who would do that bit, always got a laugh, now they would probably arrest him.

[1952kid]

You.ll go blind ,if you play with your twanger .

[Tigermoon1950]

When I was a kid, I, too, plunked my magic twanger. It only brought me trouble. :(

[aintwaitin]

How lovely. Almost as good as a fix.

[looselatigo]

Watch this again, you will you will.

[Adam19822000]

I gotta go plunk my magic twanger

[zonkton]

Its nice to go back in time .i am 60 and watch andy when i was 5.. I guess when you move on in years you think of your childhood.I wish i could plunk my magic twanger like in the old days .

[Draconis888]

This was before my time, but I heard the term, "Plunk your magic twanger, froggy" from buckner & garcias pacman fever album and never understood the reference until recently. It's a shame that characters like froggy, topo gigio, beany & cecil, sr. wences (sp?) aren't given some sort of classic children's theater channel.

[Intellinja]

too all the oldies trying to defend their history.

thanks to capitalism this show was made - and thanks to capitalism you can watch it again on youtube. the 60's and 70's are dead and they failed.

to all the youngins' who have no idea what the hell is going on here and have no idea what this people are talking about - Don't trust anyone over 30.

[onebaud]

Before Andy's gang it was, It's Saturday and Buster Brown is on the air, then at the end of the song, Plunk your magic twanger Froggy. Then you would get a movie about Sabu the Indian boy. I used to listen to it in 1950 when I was ten. Good stuff. Oh yes, it was Froggy the Gremlin. He isn't a frog.

[gzombie38]

i remember(vaguely)watching this and really enjoyed seeing it again!

[jpriveterre]

What you enjoy is sending and encouraging sexually-explicit emails from a married man-- something to titilate your 51 year old wrinkled, worn-out Idaho self.

[monkeyguitarist24]

I'm so happy to find this! This was before my time -- slightly-- but I remember a friend of mine telling me about once, and the sheer bizarreness stuck with me. Several years ago I ran across another internet reference, but saying that no video remained. A very happy evening to find that Magic Twanger!!!

[reneedenise9]

As a little kid, I loved to watch "Andy's Gang" even though I found it weird, to say the least. As an adult, it strikes me as beyond perverse--but in a good way. I like to think it opened my mind to "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," Mad magazine, National Lampoon, The Firesign Theatre, "Valley of the Dolls," Pee-Wee Herman, and all else that is twisted and good.

[slinky460]

I always thought of this show and Buster Brown shoes together. So when I went to the shoe store with my mother, I would freak out when seeing Buster Brown shoes. The whole Andy / frog concept was odd. Andy Devine was ok, but the frog thing was creepy.

BTW Buster Brown shoes were painful to wear, but they were cheap. (and creepy too)

[1952kid]

1955-1960 with host Andy Devine, this was a very strange show,i think i watched it at 5 or 6 years old. It wasnt funny at all,just creepy, i did enjoy the stories with the two guys from india. I have seen a few original Froggies on ebay, and he is a gremlin not a frog. I hated BusterBrown,skuff tip shoes. Nice old late 1950's memories.

[rickoshaycomics]

This frightens and confuses me

[ehcmier]

The catchphrase "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggie" was a spoken line in Buckner & Garcia's song, "Froggy's Lament", on the "Pac-Man Fever" album. My father told me where the phrase originated. :)

[all66books]

Some years back, a close friend of mine got sick, and couldn't take care of her pet frog anymore, so she gave it to me. I named it "froggie". I used to pass by her tank and say "plunk your magic twanger, froggie!"

Funny nothing ever happened. Anyway, she was a cool frog.

[jimmyratz]

I luv the boing, springlike noise a lot. PLUNK YOUR MAGIC TWANGER, FROGGY!

[lboltman]

Thank God someone can prove this was really on air! When I tell my friends I remember a TV program where the guy talked to a frog and always said, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" they think I'm crazy. Thanks for giving me some credebility!!!

[spahjrp]

@lboltman Damn...there's two of us left!

[lboltman]

Thank God someone can prove this was really on air! When I tell my friends I remember a TV program where the guy talked to a frog and always said, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" they think I'm crazy. Thanks for giving me some credebility!!!

[ChausvicMo]

ERRR@

[speaksgerman]

and as a member of andy's gang always buy Buster Brown shoes kids! and tell em Andy sent ya!!

[cartoonsonfilm]

plllllllunk your magic twanger, froggy!

[speaksgerman]

hi ya kids hi ya hah ha hha hhhahha!!!

[Wildflowers60]

I remember froggy.Only on You Tube! I love it!

[shabaash]

Froggie was the original subversive in the 1950's. He is responsible for the huge generation of rebels of the 60's. Its all his fault, and we need him to reincarnate again. Plunk your magic twanger again, please, Froggie.

[Juliaflo]

I wish this was on DVD, I do, I do.

[shabaash]

A number of the Andy's Gang programs are available on VHS and probably on DVD too. Do a web search and you will find the people selling them.

[Juliaflo]

I will, I will. Thank you.

[whizbang47]

You're absolutely correct! My sentiments exactly! I'm still a '60s rebel and I never thought Froggy was creepy like some yuppie young fogeys do.

[shabaash]

Fortunately none of my friends ever thought Froggie to be anything other than 100% excellent. Those yuppie fogeys you mention were the straight types during the 60's and 70's who never "got it," supported the war, thought American capitalism was just wonderful etc.

[baydriver7]

that was froggy the gremlin!

[Djclyve]

the hell was that!!!???