Paul Fierlinger, The Creator of Sesame Street's Teeny Little Super Guy

Sesame Street's Teeny Little Super Guy, Created By Paul Fierlinger

Born in Japan as the son of a Czech diplomat, Paul spent his boyhood in Vermont, then moved to Czechoslovakia, where his uncle was that country's first Communist Prime Minister. He later escaped to Holland, and from there made it to the USA where Christopher Robinson picks up the story:

In 1971, Fierlinger found some much needed support in the form of Dave Connell, an executive at the Children's Television Network. Connell commissioned Fierlinger to make a variety of short films for both Sesame Street and the Electric Company. He also created one of the most popular series, Teeny Little Superguy for Sesame Street. "Teeny Little Superguy came out of insecurity. I wanted to make a series. I needed a series. I needed a steady flow of work but Dave said that I was too small and that I couldn't produce fast enough." Fierlinger took a plastic cup, drew on it, and surrounded the character with other household objects. "It's like a cel and you can draw on it. You can pre-fab all the steps. Then we set up scenes with everyday household objects. Connell liked the idea and Jim Thurman (a long time Fierlinger collaborator) wrote the first stories. Then they trusted me." Teeny Little Superguy received some of the highest ratings from test groups and Fierlinger made thirteen installments. Fierlinger was surprised that he was not asked to produce more installments, but in the end the experience at Sesame Street turned out to be a great asset. "It has got me work. Clients don't want Sesame Street but they know you are a good animator if you worked there." Fierlinger continues to animate for Sesame Street to this day and has made films about the alphabet, numbers, concept films (eg. Up and Down), and most recently the problem solving series Alice Kadeezenberry.

UPDATE: More info is now available at Paul's personal website, paulfierlinger.com. Also, Wikipedia now has articles on both Paul Fierlinger and on Teeny Little Super Guy. The TLSG article links back to this very post you are now reading! All together now: "I'm Not Worthy!! I'm Not Worthy!!"

And just a thought: Maybe PBS could use just a tiny fraction of the $100 million Congress just gave it to make a few more TLSG episodes. Are You With Me, America?!?!?!?

Comments

[Floyd Alvis Cooper]

I have a red pencil box.

[The guy that says what's what]

My girlfriend constantly dreams about teeny little super guy and I have to make a suit

[gordie]

At the age of 32, I still laugh thinking about the concept of a superhero on a glass and sing the theme song aloud regularly. Thanks for him!

[Maggie]

I wish there was some sort of TLSG collectors item, like the obvious, a cup perhaps. If there is, someone let me know!

[Tanya]

My son, now in college, loved Teeny Little Super Guy as a child, and while he was home at Christmas we found ourselves singing the song, between the two of us remembering the lyrics. Sure wish you had the theme song on your site so we could listen to it!

Thanks for your help in teaching my child about life making my child smile all these years!

[Kerry Nelson]

recently my memories of teeny little superguy were sparked when a friend found a glass with a little man printed on it. The little man was not teeny little superguy... but...she picture messaged a picture to her sister. The sister then added a little bit of the song as a sound in her phone and then showed it to me. Thanks for the lyrics...but I wish I could hear the song again!

[yum...]

geezaloo, i remember wathching teeny little superguy way back when. i was too little to even know what was happening half of the time (i'm 16 now) but, wow, this one deffinitely ranks up there with "six soccer socks" as one of the best things ever to happpen to sesame street. wow, talk about nostalgic.

[Jack Earwood]

My Family Loves TLSG !

any chance it will come to dvd soon ?