▁educational ▁and ▁appeal ▁to ▁young ▁children , ▁as ▁John ' s ▁B li ppi ▁character ▁is ▁port rayed ▁with ▁a ▁child like , ▁ener get ic ▁and ▁curious ▁persona ; ▁always ▁dressed ▁with ▁his ▁blue ▁and ▁orange ▁be anie ▁cap , ▁blue ▁sh irt , ▁orange ▁susp enders ▁and ▁a ▁bow ▁tie . ▁G ross man ▁was ▁also ▁revealed ▁as ▁a ▁former ▁gross ▁out ▁com ed ian , ▁known ▁as ▁Ste e zy ▁G ross man . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Ste vin ▁John ▁grew ▁up ▁" s urr ounded ▁by ▁tra ctors , ▁c ows ▁and ▁horses ", ▁in ▁Ell ens burg , ▁Washington , ▁and ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁he ▁wished ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁lim ous ine ▁driver ▁and ▁a ▁f ighter ▁pilot . ▁ ▁Military ▁service ▁Ste vin ▁John ▁served ▁active ▁duty ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁as ▁a ▁load master ▁for ▁the ▁C - 1 7 ▁G lob em aster ▁air plane ▁at ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁Airl ift ▁Squadron ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁military ▁veter an . ▁His ▁duties ▁were ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁calculations ▁and ▁planning ▁cargo ▁pla cement ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁aircraft ▁within ▁perm iss ible ▁center ▁of ▁gravity ▁limits ▁throughout ▁the ▁flight . ▁ ▁B li ppi ▁The ▁idea ▁for ▁B li ppi ▁came ▁to ▁Ste vin ▁John ▁after ▁moving ▁back ▁to ▁Ell ens burg , ▁and ▁witness ing ▁his ▁then ▁two - year - old ▁nep hew ▁view ing ▁low - quality ▁videos ▁on ▁YouTube . ▁B li ppi ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ,