Colorado Comedy Legend John Paragon Has Died

A standup and improv comedy legend from Ft. Collins, Colorado, John Paragon, has passed away at the age of 66.

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While many of his credits were as a writer, he is known to many as Jambie the Genie from Pee Wee's Playhouse.

According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Paragon died in April, the Riverside County Coroner's Office confirmed. His cause of death is not clear at this time.

Grew Up In Colorado

Paragon was born in Anchorage, Alaska, but grew up in Ft. Collins. He graduated from Ft. Collins High School

Why Are We Only Now Hearing About This?

While Paragon died on April 3, 2021, news didn't go public until yesterday, June 17, 2021. The news was announced on The Groundlings official Facebook site.

Career Highlights

In the 1970s, Paragon was a member of the Los Angeles based comedy improv group The Groundlings. With that organization, he performed alongside other famous entertains such as Paul Ruebens (Pee Wee Herman), Phil Hartman, and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark).

In the early 1980s, Paragon was a writer and occasional performer on the television show Movie Macabre, starring Elvira.

On a personal note, I would strongly recommend you check out a movie from the 1980s in which Paragon appeared. While hard to find, the movie Echo Park, starring Susan Dey and Tom Hulce, is an excellent film, receiving strong reviews and critical praise. I would encourage you to set aside an evening and watch the film.

Amazing Entourage Of Friends

I first heard the news from a Facebook post from Cassandra Peterson earlier today.

I truly enjoyed John Paragon's work. Over the years I've become something of a fan. While I never met him, everything suggest he was a loyal friend to his fellow Groundlings, and a strong contributor to their success.