Twelve years have passed since the death of Johnny Carson, the undisputed king of late night television. One of this country's most popular entertainers, Carson's massive nightly audience was estimated to have reached as many as 15 million, according to his obituary in The New York Times. Yet, if you've been waiting for the Carson bobblehead, the Carson shower curtain, or other such memorabilia that make some celebrities worth more dead than alive, you might have to wait awhile.
At least as long as Jeffrey Carson Sotzing has anything to say about it.
The man seated in a small, nondescript office in Fullerton is Carson's nephew, protégé, and president of Carson Entertainment Group. He shows off a framed poster of his uncle, and a framed photograph of himself with the TV icon taken in 1982 when they visited the Nebraska town where Carson grew up. Sotzing started working for his uncle when he was 24, and ended up becoming one of the producers of "The Tonight Show" and, later, Carson's business partner. He now handles the licensing of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," and fields pitches about myriad Carson-themed possibilities.
He points to a vintage Rolodex stuffed with yellowing cards. Buddy Hackett's name and phone number are visible. "I thought you might want to see this," says Sotzing. "Johnny knew everybody. It's a real Who's Who." He also shows off one of the coffee mugs Carson cradled at his desk while chatting up guests. Like the Rolodex, it's an original, not a newly minted knickknack.
Sotzing acknowledges that Carson lent his name to a number of things. A clothing line. A cologne. Some burger stands. "But he wasn't really comfortable with that kind of stuff, and finally stopped it. What he loved most was to stand on that mark and deliver his monologue. He used to say, 'Let the work speak for us.' That's what he loved to sell. And that's what I'm selling."
That conservative and respectful approach might end up leaving untold millions of dollars on the table, but Sotzing is determined to proceed with care. "I had a meeting with the guy who's worked with the Elvis Presley estate. And it was very interesting. But you know, I just can't see Johnny's face on a lunchbox."
In today's world of multiple media platforms and mind-boggling technology, it takes a scoreboard to track the comings and goings of the many talk shows and their hosts. But despite having been off the air for 25 years, Johnny Carson remains "the gold standard," reminds Sotzing, who has been helping the Fullerton Museum Center assemble an exhibition.