How did Paul Reubens Come up with the Character of Pee-wee Herman?

I am really looking forward to the new Pee-wee Herman movie. How did Paul Reubens come up with his character?

—Andy H., Sarasota, Fla.

A: Reubens, 63, created Pee-wee Herman as a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles in 1978. “I could never remember punch lines to jokes,” he says, “so my character was a bad comic you would never expect to make it.” That comic morphed into the spastic man-child known as Pee-wee, whose first film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, marked its 30th anniversary last year. After its premiere at the South by Southwest film festival, the new movie, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, will stream on Netflix beginning March 18.

Phil Hartman Penned Pee-wee’s Big Adventure