20 October 2018

EARLIEST MONSTER MEMORIES

Do you remember the first time you saw a monster?

I don't, but I'm guessing it probably happened on Sesame Street.




Like most kids, I adored that magical show and watched it all the time.  The exploits of Big Bird, Oscar and the rest of the endearing bunch were full of charm and warmth.  Those strange animated segments were wildly imaginative, sometimes mesmerizing . . .




Sesame Street  had quite the cast of lovable monsters . . . 


Herry, Cookie Monster, Grover and Friends


The Two-Headed Monster


Telly


The Martians


Probably the First LP I Ever Owned


Two delightful creatures were even a bit spooky.

First, there was Sesame Street's resident cryptid . . . 




Mr. Snuffleupagus was a sweet and gentle fellow, but also rather mysterious.  Somehow, Big Bird was the only one who ever managed to see him.  The grown-ups, denied even a glimpse of the elusive beast, believed he was nothing more than Big Bird's imaginary friend.




Where did this strange, lumbering creature come from?  Why could no one ever catch sight of him?  Poor Big Bird was never able to convince his friends that Snuffy really existed.





The Count was a vampire who lived in an eerie, gothic castle adorned with grand windows, candelabra and lots of cobwebs; he lived there alone with his bats, seemingly far removed from the rest of the cast (I don't remember him interacting with the other characters very much.)






He looked a little sinister, but he was a friendly, benevolent monster.




High-spirited and passionate, the Count was always fully himself, despite his peculiarities.




He never missed an opportunity for a boisterous counting spree, laughing elegantly as a chorus of thunder and lightning rang out.




In a way, the Count was my introduction to Bela Lugosi . . .




Sesame Street's enchanting vampire was  essentially a Muppet version of Bela's immortal Count Dracula.




I don't remember feeling especially drawn to my first monsters (I loved the Sesame Street  cast pretty much equally.)  Nevertheless, those charming creatures made a big impression on me and remain treasured characters to this day.

2 comments:

  1. Probably my first memory of monsters. too. Man, now that counting song is going to be stuck in my head the rest of the day! 12345! 678910! 11! 12!

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