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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2015)
4C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015 PARTING SHOT A weekly snapshot from The Daily Astorian and Chinook Observer photographers Maxx Rauh, 17, jumps over a fence on his bike at the Tapiola Skate Park. Rauh, who moved here from Redding, California, about eight months ago, just started riding BMX again after a year-and-a-half break. Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian ODDITY Surreal, not stoned Trippy, life-size puppet a ‘true child of the ’60s’ By LYNN ELBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES — H.R. Pufnstuf is com- ing back to television, and he’s bringing a few old pals and a 1960s vibe along with him. More than 40 years after the debut of the “H.R. Pufnstuf” children’s series, its title pup- pet character will pay a visit to Nickelodeon’s new “Mutt & Stuff,” the cable channel said Tuesday. Pufnstuf will be joined by Freddy the Flute and Cling and Clang along with that duo’s cool Rescue Racer on a “Mutt & Stuff” epi- sode taping next month. It’s scheduled to air in early 2016. “Mutt & Stuff,” as the title suggests, shares family history with “H.R. Pufnstuf”: Both are IURPSUROL¿FFKLOGUHQ¶V79SURGXFHUV6LGDQG Marty Krofft. Nickelodeon’s series for preschoolers, which debuted in July, features a mix of pup- pets and real puppies in its dog-school setting. Calvin Millan, the 16-year-old son of Cesar Millan of “The Dog Whisperer” fame, joins Robert Voets/Nickelodeon via AP with friend and larger-than-life dog puppet Stuff to provide training tips and lessons on Calvin Millan, left, as Calvin, Stuff, and clockwise at top right, Zippy, Grandma, Giggles and Wiggles in season one of “Mutt & Stuff,” on Nick- elodeon. H.R. Pufnstuf, the title character of the 1969-71 children’s series will appear on an episode of Nickelodeon’s new preschool series. canine loyalty and love. ³0XWW 6WXII´ LV WKH ¿UVW FKLOGUHQ¶V 79 show from the Kroffts since they produced ‘To make another hit “Land of the Lost,” the 1974-77 series about a family’s adventures in an alternate universe at this time in our populated by dinosaurs. lives, I’ve got to give The reason for Pufnstuf’s visit? He’s Stuff’s uncle. Marty Krofft promises that ourselves a pat on Pufnstuf will be the same life-sized, redhead- ed, cowboy-boot-wearing puppet familiar to the back.’ viewers of the show that debuted in the late 1960s. Marty Krofft “We don’t mess with our characters,” Kro- one half of a sibling team of television producers fft, 78, said in an interview, speaking for him- who were influential in children’s television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly self and sibling Sid, 86. throughout the 1970s and early 1980s Pufnstuf is voiced by comedian, actor and activist Randy Credico. Lennie Weinrib was you do?” the Beatle inquired. (Again, Marty the puppet’s original voice. Krofft adds, the answer was none.) Cult favorite The Kroffts have big plans for Pufnstuf Just 17 episodes of “H.R. Pufnstuff” were and crowd, with possible vehicles including created for its original 1969-71 run on NBC, D IHDWXUH ¿OP DQG WKHLU RZQ QHZ79 VHULHV EXW WKH\¶YH OLYHG RQ LQ UHUXQV ZLWK 0H79 And the siblings are busier than expected with “Mutt & Stuff,” since its ratings suc- their current home) and the memories of fans. cess prompted Nickelodeon to double its sea- The show proved so indelible that a 2007 son-one order to 40 episodes. Pufnstuf him- 79*XLGHSROORIDOOWLPHFXOWIDYRULWHVVDZ Robert Voets/Nickelodeon via AP self may return in future episodes. it ranked No. 27, sandwiched between “Mary “To make another hit at this time in our Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Stargate SG- A scene from the television series, “H.R. Pufnstuf.” The title character of the 1969-71 chil- dren’s series will appear on an episode of Nickelodeon’s new preschool series “Mutt & Stuff.” lives, I’ve got to give ourselves a pat on the 1.” back,” Marty Krofft said. Some wags may trace its enduring popular- They have more works in progress includ- ity to the notion that it was a true child of the speculation. Another stubborn idea, that the LSD, were among those who found the show ing “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl,” which ’60s — in others words, that “H.R. Pufnstuf” LQLWLDOV ³+5´ VLJQL¿HG KDQGUROOHG DV LQ intriguing. marijuana joint), was also misguided, accord- The group’s manager, Brian Epstein, originated as part of ABC’s “The Krofft Su- had a certain recreational drug aura about it. ing to Krofft: They stood for Royal Highness, called to request that copies of the show be pershow” in the 1970s and is being rebooted 0DUW\.URIIWÀDWO\UHMHFWVWKDWDVXQWUXH mailed to them in England, Krofft said, a re- with YouTube stars Grace Helbig and Hannah “If we did the drugs everybody thought backward, he said. quest that brother Sid double-checked years Hart. we did, we’d be dead today,” he said, adding, ‘How many drugs did you do?’ Might other producers be resting on their later when Ringo Starr become his neighbor “you cannot work stoned.” The Beatles, themselves fending off in Los Angeles. felt-covered laurels at this point? “What am I He suggests it was the show’s surreal and brightly colored look, in an era marked by claims that their 1967 song “Lucy in the Sky Starr in turn had a question for Sid Krofft, gonna do, retire and watch daytime television hallucinogenic imagery, that prompted such With Diamonds” was a veiled reference to according to Marty: “How many drugs did and be dead in a month?” Krofft replied.
