SYRACUSE -- The man who played "Verry Hairy," the sidekick to Mike Price's "Baron Daemon" character on channel 9 decades ago, has passed away. Dennis Calkins, who primarily worked as the ABC affiliate's first art director from 1962 to 2003, died earlier this week after fighting prostate cancer. He was 86.
According to his obituary, the Fulton native had recently graduated from Syracuse University when his freelance art projects gained the attention of the late Phil Markert, who brought him on board just prior the 19062 launch of "Colorful Channel 9" as WNYS-TV in the former Shoppingtown Mall.
Starting out with camera-ready graphics in the years before computer graphics came along, Calkins stayed with the ABC affiliate for more than 4 decades, until retiring in 2003.
In addition to designing station logos and promotional materials, Calkins is credited with designing various studio sets, and the legendary "broadcast center" (which staffers affectionately called "the hut") channel 9 used for its live broadcasts just outside of the dairy building at the New York State fair for 30 years.
Outside of work, Calkins was an avid runner, completing the Boston Marathon the day after he turned 50. According to his obituary, he also "ran the Mountain Goat in Syracuse every year for decades, and created the graphics for several of that event's t-shirts."
In this "Picture of the Week" from 2013, broadcasters gathered to celebrate the launch of the book, "The History of Syracuse Television." Dennis Calkins is standing on the far left.
Calkins is survived by his wife, five children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A celebration of life is scheduled for this Saturday at 3pm in the University Room at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse.