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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Clare Spaulding

Bill Jackson, creative mind behind Dirty Dragon and the Blob, dead at 86

Chicago California
Bill Jackson sits with his beloved character, the Blob, on one of his shows. Well-known in Chicago children’s television, Jackson died Monday at age 86. | Sun-Times file

In the late 1960s and 1970s, Bill Jackson brought to life out-of-the-ordinary characters such as Dirty Dragon and the Blob on his Chicago children’s television shows.

His beautifully crafted puppets and artistry — he would draw cartoons during his shows to send to lucky viewers — inspired many of his fans to pursue a career in the creative arts.

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