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| Marty Krofft shares the stage with H.R. Pufnstuf |
Marty Krofft—who, along with his brother Sid—produced some of the most imaginative kids shows ever seen on American TV, has died at the age of 86.
Most of my Saturday mornings during the late 1960s and early 1970s were spent on the living room floor in front of my family's TV, where I eagerly watched Krofft offerings such as H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and my favorite, Land of the Lost.
Krofft shows were colorful, wildly creative, and highly original—unlike so much modern children's fare, they weren't based on preexisting toys or games. They were also never mean-spirited or cynical.
Long before I was reading comic books or watching genre movies, Saturday morning shows by people like Sid & Marty Krofft (along with Joe Barbera & Bill Hanna) really helped to fuel my young imagination. I know my childhood would have been much poorer without them.
Writer Mark Evanier, who worked on several Krofft projects over the years, published a nice piece about his former boss at his blog, where he also recommends a Variety obit for Marty that's a good overview of a remarkable career.
Marty Krofft (1937-2023) R.I.P.
There's more to come in the next dispatch.
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