I watched this stone cold sober and through the TV developed an intense craving for brownies. There is no way on God’s green living Earth that in 1969 something wasn’t added to the creative meetings for this show.
I am here to tell you unequivocally… that’s absolutely true. One of the first things any new fan will encounter is the horrible slanderous accusations that this show was influenced by and/or glorifies the use of the marijuana. Until I ended up on the Living Island I thought Witchiepoo was created for that show, and not a tribute to this live action cartoon classic. In the classic Paul Lynde Halloween Special, he is harassed by two witches – one being the original Wicked Witch of the West, and the other being Witchiepoo. My knowledge of this show was so thin, I didn’t realize I was already familiar with the works of one Witchiepoo. A recollection needs not a name, as long as you can consider yourself at home. You might recognize him as the Artful Dodger from Oliver! Or you might think his facial features are very similar to Arya Stark. Jimmy (Jack Wild) sings a song on each episode. HR Pufnstuf is the Mayor of the island and Jimmy’s guide through this new land. Instead the two of them end up on the Living Island, where everything is alive. He has a magic flute named Freddy and the evil Witchiepoo tries to steal the flute by sinking Jimmy’s boat. HR Pufnstuf tells the story of young Jimmy. This is the in between Friends and Seinfeld coveted Thursday night spot. The track hits right in between “Hong Kong Phooey” by Sublime, and “Happy Happy Joy Joy” by Wax. The HR Pufnstuf theme is covered by the Murmurs. Discovering psychadelic television while experimenting with your own HR (hand rolled) came together in Saturday Morning: Cartoons’ Greatest Hits. Because if you fell into that world a little CD covered the HR Pufnstuf theme, along with some more.
Getting into alternative music, late night coffee at Denny’s, and Cartoon Network’s midnight output. That is no touchstone unless you were a huge nerd in the mid 90’s. It popped up on TV Land a few times, but for the most part us children of the 80’s have no touchstone to draw us into not only Pufnstuf but the entire Kroft collection. Yet in those days of a couple channels playing cartoons after school and Saturdays, most of us missed out on these syndicated versions. The show was so popular it stayed in circulation in various forms and bundles for 15 years. HR Pufnstuf lasted a mere 17 episodes way back in the fall of 1969. Not only HR Pufnstuf, but also Sigmund and the Sea Monster, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and their biggest hit – Land of the Lost. With one banana, two bananas of success they created a bunch and many more shows. A combination of live action, puppets, music, and insanity. Sid and Marty Kroft created the currently better known show, The Banana Splits. After just one episode, I’m here to tell you that’s a travesty that needs to be rectified. For most of my generation, myself included, this line from Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the only reference to not only the work of HR Pufnstuf, but the entire legacy that is Sid and Marty Kroft.
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