Cap’n O.G. Readmore: The Sailor Cat Who Made Saturday Mornings Smarter
If you grew up with ABC on a sleepy weekend morning in the mid-to-late 1980s, there’s a good chance you remember a certain seafaring feline popping up between stories. Cap’n O.G. Readmore wasn’t an action hero, a toy commercial mascot, or a glittery pop star—he was something rarer. He was a friendly cat in a nautical outfit whose whole mission was to get kids excited about books. As the puppet host of ABC Weekend Special from 1984 through 1989, he turned “reading for fun” into a legit Saturday-morning vibe.
Part of his charm was that he didn’t talk down to the audience. Readmore felt like a cool older cousin who just happened to love the library. He’d crack a joke, point you toward a good story, and make the idea of picking up a book feel like an adventure instead of homework. His name was a perfect pun, but the character’s message was dead serious: the best worlds you’ll ever visit are waiting on the page.
Behind the scenes, the character was created by Puppet Studio, and his voice in the public service announcements and hosting segments was provided by legendary voice actor Frank Welker. That connection alone is a fun piece of 80s pop-culture trivia, because Welker’s voice is basically woven into childhood memories across decades. In some of the animated Readmore specials, the character was voiced by Neil Ross, giving the cat a slightly different flavor while keeping the same warm, bookish energy.
What really elevated Cap’n O.G. Readmore from “cute mascot” to “full-on character” was the Friday Night Book Club. In animated adventures like Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in Boots, and Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Readmore wasn’t just recommending stories—he was getting yanked right into them. One minute he’s hanging out with fellow book-loving felines like Kitty Literature, Wordsy, and Ol’ Tome Cat, and the next he’s dodging fairy-tale chaos or racing to rescue a friend from a spooky classic.
And then there were the celebrity guest stars during his hosting run, including names like Vincent Price, Pat Morita, and Joan Lunden. That’s such a classic 80s TV move: sprinkle in familiar faces to make the whole thing feel special, like a mini-event you didn’t want to miss. It also helped cement the ABC Weekend Special as something more than just “another kids’ show.” It was entertainment with a purpose.
Looking back, Cap’n O.G. Readmore represents a very specific kind of 1980s optimism—the belief that TV could be fun and still help you grow. He didn’t need lasers, catchphrases, or a toy line to make an impact. He just needed a captain’s hat, a friendly voice, and a stack of stories waiting to be opened. If you ever found yourself reading one more chapter because a cartoon cat told you it was cool, then the Cap’n did his job perfectly. In a world of endless screens, his message still lands: grab a book, set sail, and read more.
