“I was just naive enough to think, ‘Oh, I can do this,’” Mr. Griggs said. “I look back on it and think, ‘How did I ever decide I could do something like that?’”

His “Sailor Bob” character became much more than simply a host to introduce the next “Popeye” cartoon. He grew into a beloved, even iconic figure for children within reach of the Channel 12 signal. He was a familiar face for kids from the Shenandoah Valley to Southside Virginia at a time when most localities had only three television stations.

The show debuted Monday morning, Jan. 12, 1959. He got through that show, breathed a sigh of relief — and remembered he had another one to do that afternoon. For much of its run, the show was broadcast twice each weekday and performed live with no scripts. Its homespun humor and amusing spontaneity carried the day, as did Mr. Griggs’ genuine kindness.

Dressed in a sailor’s cap and denim shirt, Mr. Griggs would sit at his drawing board, his marker hovering over his sketch pad as he contemplated his next stroke. He would draw as music played or while he bantered with a puppet named Gilly Gull that poked its head through a porthole and was brought to life by the voice of Dave Davis, a station announcer. They managed to entertain their audience on different levels, leaving children laughing and parents chuckling.