Marty Krofft, who created a string of otherworldly children’s shows with his brother Sid, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Land of the Lost, has died at age 86. His publicist told reporters the cause was kidney failure.
Krofft also co-produced a string of prime-time adult shows starring A-list celebrities including Donny and Marie with the Osmond siblings, Pryor’s Place with Richard Pryor and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.
The Canadian-born children of puppeteers, the Krofft brothers followed in the family footsteps, developing a risque puppet show for adults in California.
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They broke into TV when they were asked to design costumes for The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. What followed next was the trippy 1970 Saturday morning show H.R. Pufnstuf, set on an island where a dragon was the mayor.
“We screwed with every kid’s mind,” Marty once told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s a Krofft look—the colors. There’s an edge. Disney doesn’t have an edge.”
The pair—Sid was seen as the creative genius and Marty the business brain of the operation—also created a theme park and traveling live shows. Their last production was a Nickelodeon show in 2015.
Sid paid tribute to Marty on Instagram after his death:
“I’m heartbroken over the loss of my baby brother. I really know that all of you meant the world to him. It’s YOU that made this all happen. Thank you for being there with us all these years. Love, Sid.”
