Slim Goodbody ("the Superhero of Health", also known as Mr. Goodbody) is a recurring character created and performed by John Burstein. Burstein created the character in 1975. He performs wearing a sometimes white, sometimes peach colored unitard with various tissues, organs and organ systems painted in biologically-accurate locations and sizes. Each costume costs $4,000. and grew up in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York. While working at The Floating Hospital in New York City he began writing songs and skits to entertain the children there and to teach them about anatomy and the workings of the human body. He eventually added an organ-painted body suit to the design, dubbing his alter-ego "Slim Goodbody".
Burstein lives with his wife, Chrissy, in a lakeside home in Lincolnville, Maine. They have two sons, Devin and Luke.
Slim Goodbody eventually received his own television series in 1980, Inside Story, on PBS. The program mainly consisted of Burstein's live-show Slim Goodbody sketches, though other children's show celebrities such as Captain Kangaroo would sometimes make guest appearances. The show soon became the station's second-highest rated program, and Burstein landed roles on other stations, including Nickelodeon. Since then, Slim Goodbody has featured in several other series, as well. At one point, Slim Goodbody began making educational shorts on such subjects as the fear of visiting a hospital, amongst others. One of these shorts featured Burstein's son, Devin, as a child learning about hospitals as he overcomes his fears of an upcoming operation.
Beginning in 1982, the character has also appeared in books published by McGraw-Hill, Putnam, and Fairview Press. A series of educational shorts featuring Burstein's character were produced in 1985. Titled, Well, Well, Well! with Slim Goodbody, these were aimed for school children grades K-4.
In 2014, Slim Goodbody appeared in a Radio Shack commercial advertisement during the Super Bowl XLVIII.
Over the years, Slim Goodbody has also addressed child obesity, bullying, personal safety, self-esteem, literacy and environmentalism.
, Burstein tours the United States and Canada dressed as Slim Goodbody and performing in Bodyology.
Television appearances
- Captain Kangaroo (1976-1980)
- The Adventures of Slim Goodbody in Nutri-City (1978)
- The Inside Story with Slim Goodbody (1980)
- RadioShack: "The '80s Called" (2014)
- Kids Guide To COVID-19 (2020)