Marty Krofft was a writer, puppeteer, and television producer who co-created an array of popular children’s shows with his brother, Sid Krofft, including “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost.”
- Died: November 25, 2023 (Who else died on November 25?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of kidney failure at the age of 86.
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Marty Krofft’s legacy
The children’s television empire created by Sid and Marty Krofft began simply enough, with a one-man live puppet show called “The Unusual Artistry of Sid Krofft.” Krofft used his brother’s old puppets to stage his own productions in New York while Sid toured with the show throughout North America and Europe.
In 1968, the pair got a job designing characters and sets for the Hanna-Barbera show “The Banana Splits,” then took center stage the following year after creating “H.R. Pufnstuf.” Tapping into the brothers’ often bizarre imagination, the show featured wild characters, vivid colors, and a rich fantasy world. The show ran for just 17 episodes but was popular enough to remain in reruns for many years afterward. It has since become a cult classic.
One show was not enough to contain their imagination. In the years that followed, the Kroffts produced “Land of the Lost,” a show about a family trapped in an alternate reality where dinosaurs ruled; “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl,” a live action superhero show that has since become a cult nostalgia favorite; and such shows as “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters,” “Wonderbug,” and “The Bugaloos.”
Over the years, Krofft and his brother dabbled in all-ages and adult programming, too, such as the 1980s puppet-driven political satire show, “D.C. Follies,” though their legacy primarily rests on children’s programming. The pair earned several honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys, a Pop Culture Award from the TV Land Icon Awards, and a Life Career Award at the 29th annual Saturn Awards. The Kroffts’ television legacy is being carried on by their children.
Notable quote
“If somebody tells you to give this idea up that you really believe in, I say get rid of them. They have no business doing that. Just never give up. I have a slogan that says, ‘If you give up on Tuesday, there is no Wednesday. And Wednesday could have been the day and you missed it by one day because you gave up.”—from an October 2023 interview for Nerds & Beyond
Tributes to Marty Krofft
Full obituary: The New York Times
