Sid Krofft, the children’s television producer behind such hits as H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost has died. He was 96.
Krofft worked as a circus puppeteer before moving into television, where he worked closely with his brother Marty, who died in 2023 at the age of 86.
Sid’s death was announced on his official Instagram account by his friend and business partner Kelly Killian, who wrote: “I loved Sid with my whole heart. The last six years of my life were devoted to him, and his to me. In that time, he taught me more than I could ever put into words—about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature.
“I wish so very much that I had more time with him.There is no way I could ever repay the life lessons he gave me, both the beautiful and the difficult. Even now, I find myself instinctively checking in on him, walking into a room ready to ask him a question about a piece of history or a person that no longer exists.
“I didn’t know Sid for his shows—I only knew the man who created them. And that man was extraordinary.
“Last Thursday night, he grabbed my arm and said, ‘Kelly, I need you to know something… I love you.’ Those words will stay with me forever. I will miss his big blue eyes, his cheerful smile with his dimples, and the warmth that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.
“That man embodied love, life, and happiness — right to the very end… I love you more, Sid. Always.”
Sid Krofft was born Cydus Yolas in Montreal, Canada on July 30, 1929. His younger brother Marty was born in 1937.
Sid was the first of the brothers to find work as a puppeteer, and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He created his own one-man puppet show, and adopted the stage name Sid Krofft while still in his teens.
In 1957, Sid and Marty developed the adult puppet show Les Poupées de Paris, and in 1965 they were introduced to a wide television audience when they were featured on the debut episode of The Dean Martin Show.
In 1968, the brothers were hired to design and create the characters for Hanna-Barbera's The Banana Splits, and the following year they ventured out on their own with H.R. Pufnstuf, a show about a human boy who finds himself in a brightly-colored world of puppets.
They produced several more shows throughout the 1970s, most prominently Sigmund and the Sea Monsters which ran from 1973 to 1975), and Land of the Lost, which ran from 1974 to 1976. They were also involved in the 2009 movie reboot of the latter series, which starred Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel.
In 2018, the Krofft brothers won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys, and in 2020 they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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