Teeny Little Superguy
From Muppet Wiki
Teeny Little Superguy appeared in animated segments created by Paul Fierlinger for Sesame Street, beginning in 1982 for Season 14. Though ostensibly a superhero, Teeny Little Superguy was actually more of a practical problem solver. Writer Jim Thurman provided the character's gravelly voice, and scripted the segments. The segments were distinguished by Fierlinger's unique method, wrapping cels around transparent plastic cups, so that a movement cycle could be achieved by simply rotating the cups. This also allowed Fierlinger to use a kitchen counter and assorted dishes and kitchenware as props, inside his own kitchen. Some segments featured flashbacks to when Teeny Little Superguy was a kid.
The first Teeny Little Superguy cartoon took two months to create. Fierlinger spoke at length about the character and production process in a 2005 Livejournal post. He initially pitched the idea to producer Dave Connell.
| It was his [Connell's] idea that the character be a super hero, which made me hate him for that for about a week. I couldn’t understand people who couldn’t come up with anything more original for an animated character than yet another super guy. But Jim Thurman started playing him down and I dropped my resentments. We all followed Sesame Street’s curriculum of topics and I was given a contract to develop the series. I had a couple of months to create the hundreds of cups that were needed to play out any possible scenario and create the sound tracks.[1]
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A total of 13 segments were produced. The theme song and background score were composed by Larry Gold, with lyrics by Stuart Horn. Essra Mohawk sang the vocals, recorded to create the illusion of four-part harmony.[1]
Individual Segments
| Picture | Theme | Earliest Known Appearance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Sharing a Swing | Episode 2363 | Two boys are fighting over the swing; Teeny Little SuperGuy shows them how to share. |
 | The Baseball Game | Episode 2608 | Teeny Little Superguy notices his friend Alice wanting to join a baseball game. He gives her the idea to go over there and ask them if she can play.
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 | The Importance of going to school | Episode 2621 | Teeny Little Superguy explains to his nephew Eugene, who is supposed to be going to kindergarten tomorrow, about going to school for the first time for an education. |
 | Crossing the street | Episode 2755 | R.W. Shipshape gets a hat for his birthday, and it blows into the street. R.W. remembers not to cross the street without an adult; Teeny Little Superguy helps him across. Note: The pet spoon that appears in this cartoon is given the name "Arthur J. Cronk", a reference to a character from The Electric Company. |
 | The Importance of Sleep | Episode 3008 | Teeny Little Superguy shows his friend Harry the importance of sleep. |
 | The Importance of Safety and Danger | Episode 3039 | Teeny Little Superguy talks about the time he learned the importance of safety. |
 | Egg Beater | Episode 3357 | Teeny Little Superguy finds his friend Janey giving up on learning how to ride an eggbeater (as one would ride a bicycle) because she keeps falling off. Teeny Little Superguy tells her that it takes practice to be good at something, and gives her a set of training beaters to help keep her balance.
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 | Pet Spoon | RW wants a pet spoon, so Teeny Little Superguy teaches him the importance of being responsible with a pet. |
Credits
- Executive Producer: Dave Connell & Dulcy Singer
- Producer: Lisa Simon
- Supervising Producer: Edith Zornow
- Director: Paul Fierlinger
- Writer/Voices: Jim Thurman
- Engineer: John Avarnese
- Editor: Patrick McMahon
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paul Fierlinger. Teeny Little Super Guy Livejournal community comment. April 11, 2005
