Marty Krofft, half of iconic TV duo behind H.R. Pufnstuff and Land of the Lost, dies

Last Updated on November 29, 2023

Marty Krofft, one half of the legendary team behind H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost and so many more, has passed away at the age of 86. The cause of death was kidney failure.

Sid and Marty Krofft left an indelible mark on pop culture – despite their most famous works only really ever having a small selection of episodes to them: H.R. Pufnstuf had a mere 17, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters had 25 and Land of the Lost (a favorite here at JoBlo.com) had 43 across three seasons, their highest. Still, their works, which often felt like fever dreams and acid trips, remain some of the most visually arresting and – whether they ever fully realized or not – drug-friendly works of their generation. Sid and Marty Krofft, too, remained faithful to their creations as they were adapted for different generations, serving as producers on the Will Ferrell-starring Land of the Lost and playing key roles in the Sigmund and the Sea Monsters web series.

But nothing will ever capture the authentic magic that Sid and Marty Krofft brought to the screen. In addition to the aforementioned classics, the duo also introduced Saturday morning viewers to The Bugaloos (think The Monkees but bug-things) and Lidsville (with talking hats). Their mainstream breakthrough came in 1968 designing costumes for Hanna-Barbera’s The Banana Splits. Prior to this, Sid and Marty Krofft honed their craft on the stage and truly showed off their developing puppeteering and design skills with the show Les Poupées de Paris, which leaned into more adult fare. The show toured across the world, giving the brothers just the exposure they need to advance their careers.

Sid and Marty Krofft also dabbled in variety shows like Donny & Marie, The Brady Bunch Hour and their own namesake programs The Krofft Supershow and The Krofft Superstar Hour. In later years, the brothers would be honored with a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sid is still alive at the age of 94.

Pay your respects to the late Marty Krofft below by giving us your pick for the brothers’ best work.