Marty Krofft, “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost” co-creator, dies at 86

Along with his brother Sid, Krofft helped revolutionize children's television in the 1970s with their trippy, oversized puppets.

Marty Krofft, who with his brother Sid helped revolutionize children's programming in the 1970s, earning him the nickname "King of Saturday Mornings," has died. According to his family, Krofft died in Los Angeles from kidney failure at age 86.

Known for their large-scale, vividly colorful puppets that found a following among adults with a fondness for LSD, Sid and Marty Krofft created iconic shows such as H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Land of the Lost.

The brothers also expanded into primetime television with the camptastic variety shows Donny & Marie, The Brady Bunch Hour, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. In 1976, they opened their indoor amusement park, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, in Atlanta, which closed only after six months.

Born Marty Yolas on April 9, 1937, Krofft began working with older brother Sid (eight years his senior) in the 1950s. In 1967, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera approached Sid and Marty Krofft to create the costumes for their The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. This led to the Kroffts' own show, H.R. Pufnstuf in 1969, though it ran for years afterwards in reruns, becoming a cult classic.

Throughout the '70s and '80s, the Kroffts created popular, inventive children's shows including The Bugaloos, Lidsville, Land Of The Lost, Sigmund & the Sea Monsters, Pryor’s Place (starring Richard Pryor), Far Out Space Nuts, Lost Saucer, The Krofft Supershow, Wonderbug and Bigfoot, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Dr. Shrinker, and Bigfoot & Wildboy.

In 1987, the brothers tried their hands at adult puppet fare with D.C. Follies, starring Fred Willard as a bartender dealing with puppet caricatures of celebrities and politicians. The Kroffts also created stage shows for musical acts like Earth, Wind & Fire. In 2000, the Kroffts built 25-foot-high puppets for *NSYNC's American Music Awards performance.

Sid and Marty Krofft returned to chilren's programming with 2015's Mutt & Stuff for the Nick Jr. Channel and also rebooted some of their older shows as web series for a younger generation. In 2018, the Kroffts were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys and two years later they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Marty Krofft is survived by his brothers Harry and Sid, three daughters, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

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