Gailard Sartain was a proud Tulsan whose life reflected the humor, creativity and generosity of the city he called home. The son of Tulsa Fire Chief Gailard Sartain Sr., who served from 1956 to 1964, Gailard graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1962, where he was active in sports and art.
He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tulsa in 1969, and TU later honored him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1989. After college, he pursued illustration in New York City in the studio of fellow Tulsan and internationally known artist Paul Davis. He also worked at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City as a writer and illustrator before returning to Tulsa to pursue a master’s degree in art at TU.
To support himself during graduate school, Gailard took a job as a cameraman at KOTV. When a late-night program was cancelled, he stepped in and created Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi’s Uncanny Film Festival, a freewheeling mix of sketches, improvisation and offbeat comedy that aired from 1970 to 1973. The show became a Saturday-night staple for Tulsa viewers and later reached cult status among devoted fans.
During the third year of Mazeppa, Gailard was noticed by impresario Jim Halsey and, after much persuasion, joined the cast of Hee Haw. He became a regular on the long-running program and remained with it until production ended in 1991. His acting career eventually included more than 60 films and numerous television appearances.
He retired from acting in 2005 after completing his role in Elizabethtown, directed by Cameron Crowe.
Through every chapter, art remained Gailard’s deepest passion. His visual work ranged from album artwork for Leon Russell and Roy Clark to poster art for Mayfest, the Tulsa State Fair and the Tulsa Christmas Parade. Whether on screen, on stage or on paper, he brought playful intelligence and unmistakable style.
In 2001, Gailard and Mary Jo permanently returned to Tulsa, where they delighted in being back home and remained engaged with the community. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mary Jo; his children, Sarah, Esther, and Ben; his granddaughter, Chloe; and his great-grandson, Theodore.
Above all, Gailard Sartain was a storyteller, artist, performer and community treasure whose legacy remains woven into Tulsa’s cultural memory. It lives on in every frame of film, every brushstroke of art and every smile Mazeppa still brings to those who remember.
