Edwin Raub

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Edwin Lynn Raub, known on screen as Uncle Ted, was a magician, actor, and TV host who became a beloved horror host in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He was born on May 14, 1921, in Kingston, Pennsylvania, the oldest of two sons of Samuel J. and Margaret Raub. He married Angela Wiffen, and they had three children: Rita, Beth, and Edwin Jr.

Raub served in the United States Army during World War II with the 82nd Airborne Division, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He fought on D-Day and in Operation Market Garden. He earned two Purple Hearts after being wounded by an explosion. After the war, Raub learned sleight-of-hand and magic while recovering from his injuries, which kept him focused and hopeful. He later worked as a copywriter and voice actor, but magic stayed his true passion.

In the mid-1950s, Raub began appearing on local TV in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. He first filled in on WBRE-TV for a character called Mr. Nobody, and then appeared as Professor Feathers. He moved to WDAU-TV and hosted The Uncle Ted Show, then Uncle Ted’s Children’s Hour, a live daily program featuring magic, puppets, and other entertaining bits for kids. He treated children with respect and even incorporated anti-drug and anti-alcohol messages into his act.

Raub’s most famous work came in 1974 with Uncle Ted’s Ghoul School on WNEP-TV, a Friday-night program that mixed film screenings with skits and magic. He created his signature look—a tuxedo, bright red fez, and a bushy white mustache. The show was popular and helped establish him as a local celebrity. In 1984, he began another program, Uncle Ted’s Monstermania, which ran until 1997.

Raub was recognized in 1994 as one of the nation’s longest-running horror hosts by the Society of American Magicians and Scary Monsters Magazine. He was also known for promoting anti-smoking messages due to his own history with cigarettes. Edwin L. Raub died of emphysema on March 10, 1998, in Kingston, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Memorial Shrine Cemetery in Franklin Township, PA. In 2014, Uncle Ted was posthumously inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame.