Sid Krofft, the inventive puppeteer and producer behind a string of offbeat children's television hits, died at age 96 in his sleep Friday at the Los Angeles home of friend and business partner Kelly Killian, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Krofft's younger brother and longtime collaborator, Marty Krofft, died in November 2023 at 86.
Working as a duo for decades, the Kroffts built a distinctive brand of television that leaned into bold colors, unusual characters, and surreal worlds. Sid Krofft described their creative dynamic simply in a 2000 interview for the TV Academy Foundation: "I get a dream, and Marty gets it done."
Their work stood apart from other children's programming of the era. Marty Krofft later summed up their style in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"We screwed with every kid's mind," he said. "There's a Krofft look — the colors. There's an edge. Disney doesn't have an edge."
The brothers first gained national attention with "The Banana Splits Adventure Hour," which aired from 1968-70.
Hired to design costumes for the show's live-action segments, they created a band of costumed animal characters — Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky — that quickly became a Saturday morning staple and continued to draw audiences in reruns.
NBC soon asked them to develop their own series, leading to "H.R. Pufnstuf," about a shipwrecked boy named Jimmy, played by Jack Wild, who lands on a magical island. The title character evolved from an earlier dragon the Kroffts had created for a 1968 World's Fair event in San Antonio.
Although the network wanted another season, the brothers turned it down over financial concerns, and the show ended in 1970. Despite its short run, "H.R. Pufnstuf" found a wider audience, particularly among college viewers drawn to its psychedelic visuals.
The Beatles even requested copies of the episodes. Rumors about drug use followed, but Marty Krofft dismissed them to The Hollywood Reporter.
"You can't do a show stoned," he said.
The Kroffts continued producing a range of series through the 1970s, including "The Bugaloos," "Lidsville," "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" and "Land of the Lost." Many of these shows remained popular in syndication, keeping their work in circulation for years.
Their influence extended beyond television. A lawsuit against McDonald's over similarities between the company's McDonaldland characters and the Kroffts' designs ended in a reported seven-figure settlement in 1977.
They also ventured into themed entertainment, opening The World of Sid & Marty Krofft in Atlanta in 1976.
The indoor amusement park drew around 600,000 visitors but closed after six months due to financial difficulties.
Outside of children's programming, the brothers produced variety shows including "The Donny & Marie Show" and "The Brady Bunch Hour," and their puppets appeared alongside performers such as Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.
They remained active into later years, with the Nickelodeon series "Mutt & Stuff" debuting in 2015.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.