The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ron “The Ghoul” Sweed -- the late-night television horror host whose irreverent shtick, outrageous stunts, crazy get-ups and endless supply of boom-booms entertained a generation of Clevelanders -- has died.
Sweed passed away on Monday, after a five-month-long battle with heart problems. He was 70.
To his many friends, there were few with more heart than Sweed – a Euclid native whose rampage through Cleveland’s late-night airwaves started in the 1970s.
Yup, that was The Ghoul: That madcap maniac who loved to “mangle medulas” and, of course, make a mess with flying Cheez Whiz, pierogis and slime – and, yes, firecrackers.
Story by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Courtesy Ron Sweed
A graduate of Euclid High School, Sweed loved the Beatles and worshipped Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson. Both would play vital roles in shaping his mindset and determining his career.
The Euclid native got his start in showbiz at an early age – 13 -- working as an assistant for Ghoulardi's “Shock Theater.” The pioneering show dominated Cleveland late-night television from 1963 to 1966 on WJW.
Photo courtesy Chuck Schodowski
Sweed opened mail and ran errands for the legendary late-night TV host. He studied and absorbed the irreverent attitude of his hero. And he hoped that someday he could have his shot in the center ring of the circus.
“Ron was this young kid who idolized Ghoulardi,” said “Big Chuck” Schodowski, who served as the show’s producer. “He would do anything for Ernie Anderson.”
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed got his start working as an assistant to Ghoulardi. He is seen here in the Ghoulardi All Stars softball team, standing in the back row, partially obscured, second from the left. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)
Sweed did something crazy to catch Anderson’s eye.
“Ernie was making an appearance at Euclid Beach Park and I figured he'd notice a guy in a gorilla suit, so I wore one,” said Sweed, in a 2006 interview with The Plain Dealer. “When he saw me in the crowd he was like, ‘I don't believe it ova dey. Look at that gorilla, group. C'mon up here, baby.’”
Ghoulardi proceeded to hit Sweed in the chest and knock him off the stage.
“When he asked if I was OK, I grunted like a gorilla and kept the act going,” added Sweed. “So I started doing it on his TV show, and I went from being his gorilla to his gofer.”
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed during his mid-1970s heyday on Cleveland TV. (Courtesy Ron Sweed)
By 16, he was hanging out with the Beatles, when the Fab Four came to Cleveland in 1966 to perform at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
"I wanted to see the Beatles so much and conned my way up to the seventh floor in the old Sheraton Cleveland Hotel with this little camera covered with Channel 8 stickers,” Sweed recalled in a 1997 interview with The Plain Dealer. "I got 12 pictures, three of each of the Beatles and rushed back to the station for the 6 and 11 p.m. news.”
It was about more than just pictures to Sweed, however. The experience left a lasting impression – one built on an attitude he would later put to use.
The Ghoul and his nemesis Froggy. (Brynne Shaw, The Plain Dealer)
“Ernie was like John Lennon,” Sweed said in a 2013 interview with The Plain Dealer. “They had a unique lens to see what was happening around them and used humor to expose [expletive] and it inspired me.”
In 1971, Sweed took on the moniker “The Ghoul” and became an evil darling of the airwaves in his own right with a show on WKBF-TV Ch. 61. He would commute between Cleveland and Bowling Green University, where he was a student.
Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson, left, inspired a generation of Clevelanders -- including Chuck Schodowski, center. Both "Big Chuck" and Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed worked with Anderson and then went on to host their own shows. (The Plain Dealer)
“Ernie had stopped doing Ghoulardi and moved out to Los Angeles to get into acting and voice-overs,” said Sweed. “So I asked him if I could re-create the Ghoulardi character. He thought I was kidding. But he gave me his blessing, as long as I changed the name of the character.”
The show reprised the irreverent spirit and sensibilities of Ghoulardi.
The Plain Dealer
Sweed donned a lab-coat and a frightwig. He mocked the low-rent horror flicks he played. He rolled out an array of cheapjack stunts. And, yes, he destroyed a whole lot of junk with firecrackers and blowtorches.
Toho Studios
"Attack of the Mushroom People" -- or "Matango," as the Japanese film was called -- was one of the low-rent Z-grade flicks The Ghoul would show during his horror heyday.
The original Ghoul logo by Cleveland artist Milan Kecman, dating back to the horror hosts 1970s heyday. (Courtesy Ron Sweed)
His show was derided as “punk rock puke” by some not-too-happy viewers, but Sweed wore derision as a badge of honor. The explosions got bigger and the show became more radical.
“Ernie could be subtle – I couldn’t,” said Sweed. “I was competing with Alice Cooper.”
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed mobbed by fans, 1973. (The Plain Dealer)
From 1971 to 1975, it seemed that Sweed was as big as Alice. "The Ghoul" was syndicated in seven of the 10 largest markets in the country, via Kaiser Broadcasting.
“He was on top of the world,” said Sweed’s first wife, Barbara King, who met him in 1971. “He was making a lot of money and had a big budget show and an art department – and yet he was still doing all this edgy stuff.”
Cinematografica Calderon S.A.
The movie poster for "Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy," one of many low-rent Z-Grade flicks The Ghoul would show during his horror host heyday. Like Ghoulardi, The Ghoul would mock the movies he played. It ultimately got him into trouble with TV stations that carried his show.
Courtesy Ron Sweed
“I remember he did an ad for some kind of pop company and would say, ‘You can pour this on your feet and it’ll get rid of your athlete’s foot or you can also clean your toilet with it,’” added King. “Everyone else on TV would lie in commercials; he was the first person I ever saw that was actually honest and told it like it is.”
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed was syndicated in Detroit on WKBD-TV, Ch. 50 -- where he built a cult of fans that includes Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Bob Seeger and Kidd Rock. (Courtesy Ron Sweed)
The irreverence resonated.
While Sweed never become a national star, he was beloved in his hometown and even more so in Detroit, where he attracted high-profile fans such as Bob Seger and Kidd Rock. There were other members in the Ghoul Power cult, from Drew Carey to filmmaker Sam Raimi to actor Bruce Campbell. He was interviewed by Howard Stern and hung out with Vincent Price.
Courtesy Ron Sweed
A 2001 cover story of the Detroit Metro Times on Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed, who maintained a large following in Michigan going back to the 1970s.
(Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)
Parma City Hall, from back in The Ghoul's 1970s heyday. The late-night host often ribbed Parma as the epicenter of white socks, kielbasa and pierogis.
Courtesy Ron Sweed
“I remember him appearing with Henry Winkler at the Pontiac Silverdome,” recalled King. “One time, he had an appearance and we were almost stampeded by fans rushing into the venue.”
Sometimes, the fans went further.
“I did a book signing in Detroit once, and this guy comes up to me and says his name is Crazy Ray. So I ask, ‘Why do they call you crazy?’” Sweed recalled in a 2006 interview with The Plain Dealer. “And he pulls out a stick of dynamite and throws it at me and says, ‘Here, use this on your show!”’
Ghoul Power" -- a work by Mitch O'Connell that pays homage to Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed.
Television stations were less enamored with Sweed’s punk-rock attitude. His career became mired in run-ins with management over his show's content.
"It started when a general manager told me to stop flushing toilets," said Sweed. "Then they tried to take away my boom-booms. Then you couldn't interrupt and make fun of the movies.”
A 1972 photo of The Ghoul in action. (The Plain Dealer)
By the time he had made a comeback on Channel 61, in the mid-1980s, the Ghoul was a lot less ghoulish. He retuned yet again in 1998, on WBNX Channel 55. It was a brief run.
Times had changed, but not the Ghoul.
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed's 1998 book, "The Ghoul Scrapbook" (Gray & Co.)
Even as his television opportunities faded, he continued doing his thing in rock and punk clubs in the 1980s and ‘90s – where the boom-booms were celebrated by a cult of fans that craved mayhem. He also co-hosted a Saturday Night classic-rock radio show on WNCX FM/98.5 and co-wrote a book about his life -- "The Ghoul Scrapbook," released in 1998.
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed dances along with a marching band while walking in the Wooly Bear Festival parade in Vermilion, in 2002. (Photo by Stephen Cutri/ Special to the Plain Dealer)
In later years, Sweed became more mellow and accepting of his role as the Godfather of Punk Junk and proud of his place in Cleveland history. He was a classic Cleveland icon.
He appeared in St. Patrick’s Day and Wooly Bear parades.
Photo by Stephen Cutri/ Special to the Plain Dealer
Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed dances along with a marching band while walking in the Wooly Bear Festival parade in Vermilion, in 2002. Even as the TV appearances dried up, Sweed continued making appearances at civic celebrations and festivals and in rock clubs and bars.
Mitch O'Connell
In 2016, Ron Sweed was honored by a group of artists that created works based on his career.
Courtesy Ron Sweed
He was even honored by Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson with a 2016 proclamation that celebrated his 45th year in showbiz:
He is a Cleveland native and his contribution to the Cleveland arts community deserves recognition. I invite all citizens to join me in thanking The Ghoul for sharing his talents with the Cleveland community and wishing him continued success.
"I have a lot of Ghoul junk," Sweed told The Plain Dealer in 2016, referring to items such as this bobblehead doll. "But I always have photos that I pass out for free because I really appreciate that people still care about me." (Courtesy Ron Sweed)
In many ways, the congenial Ghoul was more in line with Sweed’s personality. He was soft-spoken and thoughtful and could laugh at himself. He was a nice guy with a big smile; a gentleman; a kid at heart who still loved rock ‘n’ roll and movies.
Mark Hammermeister
“Ron was pretty tame compared to Howard Stern or what you see on cable TV these days -- he didn’t use foul language and wasn’t dirty,” says King. “But in his time, he was edgy. He was honest and just wanted to tell it like it is and make people laugh.”
Sweed is survived by wife, Mary Terese Sweed. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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