Editing Garfield Goose and Friends (section)

===Chicago and WBKB===
[[Image:GAR1edited.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Ad for the show before July 1953 when WBBM-TV began to broadcast as Channel 2.]]
In 1951 Thomas and Garfield Goose moved to Chicago and CBS affiliate WBKB-TV, which was then on Channel 4. At first, the goose was a character on ''Petticoat Party'', a variety show hosted by Thomas. Later, when the character was thought to have enough appeal for a show of its own, ''Garfield Goose and Friend'' debuted on September 29, 1952 with Chicago puppeteer Bruce Newton.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}}<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Hollis|2001|pp=92-93}} The actual first puppeteer for Garfield was a WBKB secretary, Lee Ann Prineas, who left her clerical duties while the show was on the air. The show aired directly opposite [[NBC]]'s ''[[Howdy Doody]]''.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=54-56}} In early broadcasts, Thomas hosted the show in a suit and tie, but on October 16, 1952, Garfield appointed him Admiral of his navy and his Prime Minister. making it necessary for Thomas to wear the uniform he is most remembered in.<ref name=TV>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvacres.com/child_frazier_thomas.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120917164339/http://www.tvacres.com/child_frazier_thomas.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 September 2012|title=Frazier Thomas|publisher=TV Acres|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=Thomas/> The uniform is now part of the [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]] collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheptalk.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=304&whichpage=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716053743/http://www.sheptalk.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=304&whichpage=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 July 2011|title=Photo-Frazier Thomas Uniform at Museum of Broadcast Communications|publisher=ShepTalk|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref>

At the time the show began, the American Federation of Radio Artists union began to recognize those working in television, becoming the [[American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]].  This made it necessary for television performers to become members of the union and to receive at least union scale wages for their work, which was above current station salaries in many cases. Those who appeared on camera or who had voice roles were now subject to union regulations. The television station indicated that it was only willing to pay a union-scale wage for one performer on the Garfield Goose program.  This obviously was Frazier Thomas, and it meant that any role played by Bruce Newton would be paid as non-union scale; he had to stay off-camera and could not speak.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=54-55}}

Newton had Garfield Goose communicate with Thomas through an off-screen [[typewriter]] but Newton was soon replaced by [[Roy Brown (clown)|Roy Brown]]; Brown later created the rest of the show's puppet characters.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=54-55}} Newton's own account in an interview for ''The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television'' has him quitting the show and suggesting Thomas contact the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago|Chicago Academy of Fine Arts]] for a replacement. Thomas did just that and became connected with Roy Brown in this way.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=54-55}}
{{image frame|content={{Photomontage
| photo1a = Garfield Goose 1953 book cover.jpg
| photo1b = Garfield Goose 1953 book front page.jpg
| photo1c = Garfield Goose 1953 book young Garfield.jpg
| photo2a = Garfield Goose 1953 book pages 1 and 2.jpg
| photo3a = Garfield Goose 1953 book Garfield relatives.jpg
| photo3b = Garfield Goose 1953 book at home in castle.jpg
}}}}
Roy Brown became the graphic artist for the show; he and Thomas quickly redesigned the Garfield puppet.<ref name=Feder/><ref name=Roy>{{cite web|url=http://bozo-the-clown.info/roy-brown-our-kooky-cook-cooky-from-wgn-tvs-bozo-the-clown-show/|title=Roy Brown Our Kooky Cooky|publisher=Bozo the Clown|access-date=16 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116125042/http://bozo-the-clown.info/roy-brown-our-kooky-cook-cooky-from-wgn-tvs-bozo-the-clown-show/|archive-date=16 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Although Brown was still an art student and had no previous experience as a puppeteer when Thomas hired him for the show, Brown's talents for this type of work were quickly visible.  Years after the program had left the air, Brown talked about his time working with Thomas, whom he described as a perfectionist.  During those years of working together, Thomas granted Brown the ability to be creative with the show's characters; Brown discovered a slight hand movement which made it appear as if Garfield Goose was smiling.  Thomas was able to converse with the show's characters as if they were friends or neighbors, and to talk with his young audience without talking down to them. It was the working chemistry between the two men which made the show memorable and allowed it to become the longest-running puppet show on television.<ref name=Garfield/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|p=56}}{{sfn|Hollis|2001|p=95}}

The program was popular enough with Chicago area children in 1953 to inspire Frazier Thomas and Roy Brown to collaborate for a book, ''Garfield Goose Memory Book'', with Thomas writing the story of Garfield Goose and Brown doing the illustrations for it. In it, Thomas detailed information such as the names of Garfield's parents, Georgia (born in the state), and Godfrey, that he had a sister, Gloria, a brother in law, Gilbert, and a young nephew, Christmas.  This branch of the Goose family spent summers in Goosejaw, Saskatchewan, and wintered in Goose Bay, Florida.  Thomas and Brown also provided a picture of Garfield's average day in his castle along with information about his younger years.  The book was also able to be used as a coloring book.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRchAQAAIAAJ&dq=personality+features+garfield+goose&pg=PA499|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1953: July-December|date=9 November 1953|author1=Library of Congress|author2=United States Copyright Office|access-date=12 November 2011}}</ref>

The first addition to the cast came when the show was just over a year old.  The storyline was that Garfield had hired a butler without the knowledge of Frazier, who learned of it through a phone call from the employment agency. He arrived on [[Thanksgiving|Thanksgiving Day]] 1953, and was a [[capuchin monkey]] named Geronimo. Geronimo was with the show even after it moved to WGN-TV.<ref name=TV/> The next new cast member appeared on [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] after some confusion.  Garfield gave Frazier a note saying he would be having Christmas Goose for the holidays.  Thomas was aghast at the thought of roast goose being served. Garfield's hastily typed reply said that Christmas Goose, his nephew, was staying with his uncle for the holidays.<ref name=TV/><ref name=Thomas/>

[[File:Garfield and butler thanksgiving 1953.JPG|thumb|left|220px|Geronimo, the butler, arrives: Thanksgiving Day, 1953.]]
WBKB-TV was sold in February 1953 and became [[WBBM-TV]], the [[CBS]] owned-and-operated station, which moved to Channel 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotelevision.com/channels1XX4.htm|title=Changing Channels Part IV|publisher=Chicago Television|access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotelevision.com/channels1XX5.htm|title=Changing Channels Part V|publisher=Chicago Television|access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref> The initial sale contract for WBKB to CBS called for a one-year period where the new ownership agreed to keep all present programs on the station.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZEUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=garfield+goose&pg=PA6|title=News Capsules Coast to Coast-Ken Craig Directs WBBM-TV Operations|date=21 March 1953|magazine=Billboard|access-date=12 March 2011}}</ref>  Before the transition period was over, ''Garfield Goose and Friend'' moved to the new WBKB-TV, an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] owned-and-operated station which jumped to [[WLS-TV|channel 7]]. During this period, the show was briefly carried nationally on the ABC network. At the time, Chicago did not have a Thanksgiving Day parade to usher in the beginning of the Christmas holiday season. The State Street Council produced a television show instead, featuring popular local children's shows.  Shown on both WBKB and WGN-TV in 1954, Garfield Goose was part of the broadcast.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LiMEAAAAMBAJ&dq=garfield+goose&pg=PA10|title=Thanksgiving Parades To Feature TV Names|date=27 November 1957|magazine=Billboard|access-date=12 March 2011}}</ref> On the show's last day on WBKB in 1955, Garfield said he would drive the castle away, while Thomas tried telling him it was impossible. The castle then rolled out of camera range, thanks to [[caster]]s installed by the stage crew. The show began airing on its permanent television home, WGN-TV, the next day.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}}