Flippo the King of Clowns

Before clowns were only known for crawling out of sewers and terrifying children and adult alike, they used to be prominent features in the media. In Ohio the man known simply as “Flippo, the King of Clowns” was a television star from the early 1950s until 1977 on the Columbus affiliate of CBS. Marvin “Bob Marvin” W. Fishman’s career began at the age of eight where he appeared on a local Cleveland radio show. He spent a short time in the Army and attended the Ohio State University in their music program. After school, he appeared in short musical and dancing comedy sketches for a morning show in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s. Within two years, he created the Flippo persona and starred in children’s shows such as “Flippo’s Big Show”, the “Tip Top Bandwagon” and the “Early Show” on a Columbus news channel WBNS; he would spend almost thirty years on Channel 10. Fishman would also make public appearances to promote his television shows and his image, visiting places such as public swimming pools to entertain the children and their parents in attendance.

As Flippo, Fishman created magic tricks, musical numbers, and dance routines for his television shows. According to the Columbus Dispatch, he was a beloved clown for the many years he spent on the air at Channel 10. While Marvin passed away in 2006, he did leave a lasting memory on those who grew up watching his early morning antics. Flippo was able to beat out a professional clown in an audition for his position on television, who actually never showed up to the date. Fishman successfully grabbed the interest of a sponsor, and his show was soon born. He donated much of his memorabilia to the now Ohio History Connection over ten years ago so he could share his legacy with future generations of television fans, young and old.

Bob Marvin Collection, AV 112; Box 1, Folders 2 and 5, ca. 1960. Ohio History Connection, Columbus, Ohio.

"Columbus Mileposts: Dec. 10, 1953 | Flippo Begins Decades on Columbus Airwaves." The Columbus Dispatch. December 10, 2012.

Loretta Steele, -Teresa Tharan. "View Marvin Fishman's Obituary on Dispatch.com and Share Memories." Obituary - Columbus, OH | The Columbus Dispatch. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?pid=18100225.