Dick Martin (comedian) was an immediate hit, becoming the #1 American television program within two months of its debut. It was the top-rated show in its second and third seasons. "Laugh-In" had a kaleidoscopic format, with what was then a uniquely fast-paced stream-of-consciousness style of blackout gags, double entendre, topical satire and catchphrases, much of it delivered by a cast of then-unknowns such as Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, and Arte Johnson. At the center of the maelstrom stood the veterans Rowan and Martin, who bemusedly made no effort to slow down the program. Martin later said, "We designed it so that we are
S. Carlisle Martin having the Weatherbird comment on current events, and set the standards of six words maximum for the "birdline" (the Weatherbird's comments). Assisted by reporter Carlos Hurd (who helped write the birdlines), Martin drew the Weatherbird until his death. He was succeeded by Amadee Wohlschlaeger (then just out of his teens), who went on to draw the strip for a half century. Martin married Lynn Shackleford on October 30, 1897. They had a son, Samuel Jr., and a daughter. Martin died on August 17, 1932, in St. Louis. S. Carlisle Martin Samuel Carlisle Martin (1867–1932) was an American newspaper cartoonist and