If you're a Portland local, Ramblin Rod is in your vernacular.

You were either a kid who watched it or you were someone who was on it...or both. But, never neither. I was a lucky kid who got a chance to sit in the bleachers, mug for the camera during the Smile Contest and watch all the cartoons dished out. King of da castle, king of da castle! ;)

Rod Anders was one of the main voices of KPTV Channel 12 and took the reigns of The Ramblin Rod Show in 1964. The local kid's program started out as "Popeye's Pier 12," hosted by a man named Bob Adkins. After Rod took over and the 70s hit, it was renamed to what we all know as "The Ramblin Rod (Cartoon) Show."

I remember when my grade school classmates and I were told that we would be attending the program. We were stoked! I mean, not only did we get to be on TV, but we got to meet the man himself, Ramblin Rod!

Rod would pilot himself onto the set (made up in a marine motif) via his single-person tug boat, all animated and happy to be there. So were we!He wore a brown cardigan which seemed to be this huge magnet for buttons that the kids would bring him (before he retired, I actually wondered how he walked under all that weight!). There had to have been a ton of those buttons that he never put on the sweater, otherwise, he would have been invisible! ;)

During the show, we all watched Bugs Bunny, Popeye and Hanna Barbara cartoons (my favorite was Pixie and Dixie). He'd announce, "LET'S WATCH A POPEYE CARTOON!" and all us kids were told to go, "YEA!!," waving our hands over our heads. Rod was a pretty funny guy, too, by kid's standards.

They'd have the daily Smile Contest where the camera man would scan across all our little faces and then a crew member would tell Rod who the "winners" were. There were always 3 and the prize was free Pop Shoppe Pop (the dad of a friend of mine used to own a Pop Shoppe store in Milwaukie, Oregon. Hi, Mike Briggs!).

Now, on this particular time, I do not remember what the question was, but Ramblin Rod Anders lined us all up like a herd of cattle going to slaughter and asked something (I wish I could remember). When it came my turn, he put the mic to my face, I answered the best I could and proceeded to pick my nose! Oh, the humanity of it all!! Now, why do I remember THAT and not the question? Because my dad teased me about it for years to come. Thanks much, old man! I'm still in therapy! ;)

I also remember taking the opportunity while I was standing up there to go over and look "in" his boat. I was shocked to see that it was nothing more than a large piece of cardboard and he was walking it in and out! OMG!! ;)

Although not vividly, I would remember that day in kid-dom for the rest of my life.

Rod Anders continued entertaining children on his show until he retired in 1997. The end of an era. A couple years later, in 2002, Anders died of a stroke. Another sad day in the life of this adult kid.

Check out a couple of the videos above and you'll be able understand what a thrill it was for a young kid to be on The Ramblin Rod Show.