By Lou Musmeci
"Beep ...Beep ...Beep."
As
Toby the Robot, those sounds were uttered by Parkland resident Charles
"Charlie" Folds thousands of times on South Florida television for 20 years.
As
"Charlie Reads the Comics," hosted by Charlie Baxter, had a simple premise:
Baxter read the comics section from the Miami Herald. Garby the Robot,
played by Folds, was introduced and performed on the show. Just prior to
Baxter leaving the show in 1969, Garby the Robot became Toby the Robot.
Wayne Chandler was named host of the show, now known
as "Sunday Funnies." Toby the Robot became co-host and continued until Folds
retired from the show in March of 1984.
"I
actually hid behind the character," Folds said. "I was very screen shy as
a kid. I had the ability to create a character and I would work to make the
character believable. I created all the sound effects for the show. Toby
never talked. He beeped, and the kids felt they understood Toby."
When
Folds created Toby, he never thought about the character's potential
longevity --- or his comfort.
"It
is a very cumbersome, hot costume created out of a garbage can," Folds
said. "I never dreamed it would run for 20 some-odd years, but I've always
loved kids."
Following
his retirement from TV, Folds accepted a
position as Director of Community and Public Relations for WSVN-TV in 1989.
He continued as a liaison to the South Florida community until his
retirement in January.
But what about Toby?
During
Toby's "retirement," he was placed in a corner of Folds' garage and
made a few special appearances for family and friends. Toby did make
somewhat of a comeback, though. In 1999, during the 10th anniversary of the
Dade County Youth Fair, the costume was featured in a huge glass case with
Folds at its side to greet fans of the show.
"I
was worried that nobody would know who the robot was, but it was
amazing," Folds said. "I showed people Herald comics and rare copies of
photos from the show. There were also tapes of the show running. It was a
huge success."
Folds
said he was delighted to see people who were kids on the show and are
now parents. He also sees a correlation between his show and Parkland.
"Toby
helped these current parents learn how to read and they enjoyed the
antics of the character," Folds said. "The show brought families closer
together. Now many families are scattered. Parkland is more unified. There
is a lot of unity with
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great people in a quiet place."
Folds
has been living in Sable Path since 1997 with his wife, Vicki, a
professor at Broward Community College and an author. The couple has two
grown boys, two grown girls and five grandchildren. Folds met his future
wife when she was a model in Miami and appeared as an extra on the show.
"She's
an extremely organized, tall, statuesque blonde," Folds said, "and
now we're grandparents."
And
it is the grandchildren who are the next generation of Toby-ites.
"They
know who Toby is," Folds said. "And they are totally captivated."
Folds
continues to be very active during his retirement, concentrating on
writing children's books with Vicki.
"I
could wear the costume any time, but I just want to
concentrate on educational efforts," Folds said. "We won't make a lot of
money, but we will make a lot of people happy."
Although
the Folds family spends a few months per year in Murphy, N.C. "on
top of a mountain," Folds said there is no place like Parkland.
"The
city of Parkland offers everything for everybody,"
he said. 
Lou Musmeci is a freelance writer who lives in Margate.
E-mail him at musmeci@theparklander.com
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