I admit this doesn't have much to do with local radio or TV, but I was really saddened to learn of the death of the great Arte Johnson on Wednesday. Some are way too young to remember the impact he made on NBC's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," with a host of indelible characters. 

There was the German soldier Wolfgang, who always smoked a cigarette and said "very interesting." He also closed out almost every show by saying "Goodnight Lucy," a reference to the comedy on opposite him on CBS.

Then there was the now politically incorrect dirty old man Tyrone F. Horneigh, who stalked Ruth Buzzi's Gladys Ormphy in a local park. The most famous exchange, still quoted today by some, had him sidling his way up to her on a park bench and saying, "I just want to ask you a question - do you believe in the hereafter?" 

When she said yes, his response was, "Well then you know what I'm here after!" At which point she conked him on the head with her purse and he fell over. 

He was also the voice of a number of cartoon characters and a frequent guest on game shows like The Hollywood Squares and The Match Game. He'd been suffering from cancer and succumbed to the disease at age 90. A pretty good and "very interesting" run.

Variety: Arte Johnson, Laugh-In Star, Dead At 90