Remembering David Lander, TV's Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley

David Lander, who gained fame for playing Andrew "Squiggy" Squigman on the mega-popular Happy Days spin-off Laverne & Shirley, passed away Saturday at the age of 73. Above is a clip of some of his beloved comedy work from that show, which ran from 1976 to 1983.

Squiggy's partner in crime on Laverne & Shiriley was Lenny Kosnowski (Michael McKean), and they were characters that the duo had developed on their own long before the show, as Lander explains in the clip below. The character was originally named Anthony Squigliano. Lander also notes that he and McKean were writers on the show, which put them in charge of how their characters "spent their stupidity."

In tribute to his friend and writing partner, McKean posted a picture of himself with Lander from those days, thanked fans for their well-wishes and offered his own.

pic.twitter.com/G804z4F5bR

— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) December 5, 2020

Thanks for all of the kind condolences on David Lander's passing. You know this is a loss shared by all of us, not just those who had the joy of knowing him. If he made you laugh, he was your friend, too. Peace.

— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) December 6, 2020

Lenny and Squiggy were reluctantly considered friends and "last ditch dates" by Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams), but were so weird and annoying that their entrances alone became running-gag punchlines.

The show was so successful that it allowed them some novelty crossover success as musicians, as well. Here's a rare clip from American Bandstand in 1979, at the height of the show's fame, where Lander and McKean performed as "Lenny & The Squigtones."

Of course, Lander wasn't only Squiggy. The comedy troupe where he and McKean developed the characters, The Credibility Gap, had other notable sketches, including this one featuring Lander and Harry Shearer doing a '70s rock version of the Abbott & Costello routine "Who's On First?" 

Finally, here is a classic "Lenny & The Squigtones" Christmas carol:

Andy Hunsaker has a head full of sitcom gags and nerd-genre lore, and can be followed @AndyHunsaker if you're into that sort of thing.