 Artie is tough and very loyal to Larry, essentially taking on a fatherlike mentor role to Larry.He has a special ability to manipulate people into doing exactly what is best for the show.According to several interviews with both Rip Torn and series creator Garry Shandling, the character of Artie is largely based on long-serving TV and Film producer Fred De Cordova who produced (and eventually executive-produced) "The Tonight Show" for over twenty years, encompassing almost all of Johnny Carson's run as host including his iconic final broadcast.