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Changes: Teeny Little Super Guy

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{{character|image=TeenySuperGuy.jpg|performer=[[Jim Thurman]]|debut=1983|design=[[Paul Fierlinger]]|designnote=designer}}
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{{performer|Jim Thurman}}
  
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[[image:TeenySuperGuy.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
  
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{{designer1|[[Paul Fierlinger]]|designer}}
  
   
  ⚫
'''Teeny Little Super Guy''' appeared in animated segments created by [[Paul Fierlinger]] for ''[[Sesame Street]]'', beginning in [[Season 15]].<ref>[[CTW Archives]], Season 15 presskit.</ref> Though ostensibly a superhero, Teeny Little Super Guy 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 animation method, wrapping cels around transparent plastic cups, so that a movement cycle could be achieved by simple rotation of 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 Teeny Little Super Guy's childhood. Reruns of these segments carried on until 2001.
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⚫
'''Teeny Little Super Guy''' appeared in animated segments created by [[Paul Fierlinger]] for ''[[Sesame Street]]'', beginning in [[Season 15]].<ref>[[CTW Archives]], Season 15 presskit.</ref> Though ostensibly a superhero, Teeny Little Super Guy 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 animation method, wrapping cels around transparent plastic cups, so that a movement cycle could be achieved by simple rotation of 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 Teeny Little Super Guy's childhood.
  
   
 
The first Teeny Little Super Guy 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]]. {{quote|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.<ref name="fierlinger">Paul Fierlinger. [http://community.livejournal.com/tlsg/11770.html?view=52218 Teeny Little Super Guy Livejournal community comment]. April 11, 2005</ref>}}
  
The first Teeny Little Super Guy 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]]. {{quote|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.<ref name="fierlinger">Paul Fierlinger. [http://community.livejournal.com/tlsg/11770.html?view=52218 Teeny Little Super Guy Livejournal community comment]. April 11, 2005</ref>}}
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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.<ref name="fierlinger"/>
  
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.<ref name="fierlinger"/>
   
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In [[Episode 4196]], [[Luis]] was inspecting [[Leela]]'s troubled washing machine. He managed to extract seven items, including the famous Teeny Little Super Guy. Luis, Leela and [[Elmo]] give a rather befuddled look, indicating they are surprised to see the famous character after more than 30 years.
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Teeny Little Super Guy later appeared in [[Hidden Gems|a cameo]] during [[Episode 4196]], as one of the seven items [[Luis]] manages to extract from [[Leela]]'s troubled washing machine. Luis, Leela and [[Elmo]] give a rather befuddled look, indicating that they're surprised to see the famous character after so many years.
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{{br}}
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[[File:TeenyDisplayCase.jpg|300px]]
  
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Today, one of the Teeny Little Super Guy cups, along with a picture of Firelinger rotating the cups, is actually inside the public display case at the Brooklyn Public Library along with the other Sesame Street contributors. The display also includes another picture of the character with a yellow balloon.<ref name"fierlinger">Phillip Fierlinger. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/phillip/4178259022] February 6, 2010</ref>
  
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<br clear="all"/>
  
 
==Segments==
  
==Segments==
 
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 valign=top
  
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 valign=top
 
|- bgcolor=#eeeeee
  
|- bgcolor=#eeeeee
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! Picture !! Theme !! Earliest Known Appearance !! Description
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! Picture !! Theme / [[Muppet Wiki:Earliest Known Appearance|EKA]] !! Description
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|-
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|-
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| [[Image:TLSG.Swing.jpg|200px|center]] || Sharing a Swing || [[Episode 2363]] || Two boys are fighting over a swing. Teeny Little Super Guy shows them how to share.
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| [[Image:TLSG.Swing.jpg|250px|center]]
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| align=center | Sharing a Swing <br> [[Episode 2363]]
⚫
|-
  
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| Two boys are fighting over a swing. Teeny Little Super Guy shows them how to share.
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|[[Image:TLSG.Alice.jpg|200px|center]] || Baseball<ref>[http://ottawa.awn.com/archives/hamilton86.html Ottawa International Animal Festival program]. 1986</ref> || [[Episode 2481]] || Teeny Little Super Guy notices that his friend Alice wants to join a baseball game. He encourages her to go over there and ask them whether she can play.{{sketchrelease|Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]]}}
  
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|- <div id="baseball" />
⚫
|-
  
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|[[Image:TLSG.Alice.jpg|250px|center]]
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| [[Image:TLSG.sleep.jpg|200px|center]] || The Importance of Sleep || [[Episode 2613]] || Teeny Little Super Guy shows his friend Harry the importance of sleep.
  
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| align=center | Baseball<ref>[http://ottawa.awn.com/archives/hamilton86.html Ottawa International Animal Festival program]. 1986</ref> <br> [[Episode 2481]]
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|-
  
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| [[Image:Superguy school.jpg|200px|center]] || School || [[Episode 2621]] || Teeny Little Super Guy reminisces to his friend Eugene, who starts kindergarten tomorrow, about his own first day at school.{{sketchrelease|Video: ''[[Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days]]'' Online:Sesamestreet.org}}
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| Teeny Little Super Guy notices that his friend Alice wants to join a baseball game. He encourages her to go over there and ask them whether she can play.{{sketchrelease|Video: ''[[Old School: Volume 3]]'', Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|df6b1056-1552-11dd-8ea8-a3d2ac25b65b}}}}
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|-
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|-
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| [[Image:TLSG.sleep.jpg|250px|center]]
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| [[Image:Superguy beaters.jpg|200px|center]] || Egg Beater || [[Episode 2628]] || Teeny Little Super Guy 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. {{sketchrelease|Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]]}}
  
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| align=center | The Importance of Sleep <br> [[Episode 2613]]
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| Teeny Little Super Guy shows his friend Harry the importance of sleep. {{sketchrelease|Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|a910f572-155f-11dd-a62f-919b98326687}}}}
  ⚫
|-
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| [[Image:Superguy school.jpg|250px|center]]
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| align=center | School <br> [[Episode 2621]]
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| Teeny Little Super Guy reminisces to his friend Eugene, who starts kindergarten tomorrow, about his own first day at school. {{sketchrelease|Video: ''[[Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days]]'', Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|6efdd47d-156d-11dd-bb51-597ab51d2e81}}}}
 
|-
  
|-
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| [[Image:Superguy beaters.jpg|250px|center]]
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| [[Image:Superguy pet.jpg|200px|center]] || Pet Spoon || [[Episode 2640]] || R.W. Shipshape wants a pet spoon, so Teeny Little Super Guy teaches him the importance of being responsible with a pet.{{sketchrelease|Online:Sesamestreet.org}}
  
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| align=center | Egg Beater <br> [[Episode 2628]]
  ⚫
| Teeny Little Super Guy 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. {{sketchrelease|Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|7c5ad0c0-4231-11dd-8df7-9909703b6a2f}}}}
  ⚫
|-
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| [[Image:Superguy pet.jpg|250px|center]]
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| align=center | Pet Spoon <br> [[Episode 2640]]
  ⚫
| R.W. Shipshape wants a pet spoon, so Teeny Little Super Guy teaches him the importance of being responsible with a pet.{{sketchrelease|Online:[[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|f77163f9-eaeb-49de-9965-ff85cf199a72}}}}
 
|-
  
|-
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| [[Image:TLSG.Danger.jpg|250px|center]]
⚫
| [[Image:TLSG.Reallygoodhat.jpg|200px|center]] || Redhat<ref>[http://ottawa.awn.com/archives/hamilton86.html Ottawa International Animal Festival program]. 1986</ref> || [[Episode 2755]] || R.W. Shipshape gets a "really good 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.<br />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]]''.{{sketchrelease|Online:Sesamestreet.org}}
  
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| align=center | Safety and Danger <br> [[Episode 2675]]
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| Teeny Little Super Guy talks about the time he learned the importance of safety.
 
|-
  
|-
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| [[Image:TLSG.Reallygoodhat.jpg|250px|center]]
⚫
| [[Image:TLSG.Danger.jpg|200px|center]] || Safety and Danger || [[Episode 3039]] || Teeny Little Super Guy talks about the time he learned the importance of safety.
  
  +
| align=center | Redhat<ref>[http://ottawa.awn.com/archives/hamilton86.html Ottawa International Animal Festival program]. 1986</ref> <br> [[Episode 2755]]
  ⚫
| R.W. Shipshape gets a "really good 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.<br />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]]''.{{sketchrelease|Online: [[Sesamestreet.org]] {{SSvideo|bcdd706d-1562-11dd-a62f-919b98326687}}}}
 
|-
  
|-
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| [[Image:HiddenGem4196.jpg|200px|center]] || Grouch Messing Machine || [[Episode 4196]] || Luis pulls the Teeny Little Super Guy out of the broken washing machine.
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| [[Image:HiddenGem4196.jpg|250px|center]]
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| align=center | Grouch Messing Machine <br> [[Episode 4196]]
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| During the street story, Luis pulls the Teeny Little Super Guy out of the broken washing machine.
 
|}
  
|}
   
 
==Credits==
  
==Credits==
  +
[[File:TeenyDisplayCase.jpg|thumb|300px|Teeny Little Superguy as part of the display at the Brooklyn Public Library]]
 
*'''Executive Producer:''' [[Dave Connell]] & [[Dulcy Singer]]
  
*'''Executive Producer:''' [[Dave Connell]] & [[Dulcy Singer]]
 
*'''Producer:''' [[Lisa Simon]]
  
*'''Producer:''' [[Lisa Simon]]
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*'''Engineer:''' John Avarnese
  
*'''Engineer:''' John Avarnese
 
*'''Editor:''' Patrick McMahon
  
*'''Editor:''' Patrick McMahon
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*'''Music Composer:''' [[Larry Gold]]
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*'''Theme song vocals:''' [[Essra Mohawk]]<ref name="fierlinger"/>
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
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<References/>
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<references/>
 
[[Category:Animated Characters]]
  
[[Category:Animated Characters]]
 
[[Category:Sesame Street Characters]]
  
[[Category:Sesame Street Characters]]
 
[[Category: Sesame Street Animated Segments]]
  
[[Category: Sesame Street Animated Segments]]
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[[Category:Superheroes]]

Revision as of 20:05, 3 July 2015

TeenySuperGuy
PERFORMER Jim Thurman
DEBUT 1983
DESIGN Paul Fierlinger designer

Teeny Little Super Guy appeared in animated segments created by Paul Fierlinger for Sesame Street, beginning in Season 15.[1] Though ostensibly a superhero, Teeny Little Super Guy 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 animation method, wrapping cels around transparent plastic cups, so that a movement cycle could be achieved by simple rotation of 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 Teeny Little Super Guy's childhood. Reruns of these segments carried on until 2001.

The first Teeny Little Super Guy 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.[2]”

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.[2]

Teeny Little Super Guy later appeared in a cameo during Episode 4196, as one of the seven items Luis manages to extract from Leela's troubled washing machine. Luis, Leela and Elmo give a rather befuddled look, indicating that they're surprised to see the famous character after so many years.

Segments

Picture Theme / EKA Description
TLSG.Swing
 Sharing a Swing
Episode 2363 		Two boys are fighting over a swing. Teeny Little Super Guy shows them how to share.
TLSG.Alice
 Baseball[3]
Episode 2481 		Teeny Little Super Guy notices that his friend Alice wants to join a baseball game. He encourages her to go over there and ask them whether she can play.
TLSG.sleep
 The Importance of Sleep
Episode 2613 		Teeny Little Super Guy shows his friend Harry the importance of sleep.
File:Superguy school.jpg
 School
Episode 2621 		Teeny Little Super Guy reminisces to his friend Eugene, who starts kindergarten tomorrow, about his own first day at school.
Superguy beaters
 Egg Beater
Episode 2628 		Teeny Little Super Guy 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.
Superguy pet
 Pet Spoon
Episode 2640 		R.W. Shipshape wants a pet spoon, so Teeny Little Super Guy teaches him the importance of being responsible with a pet.
TLSG.Danger
 Safety and Danger
Episode 2675 		Teeny Little Super Guy talks about the time he learned the importance of safety.
TLSG.Reallygoodhat
 Redhat[4]
Episode 2755 		R.W. Shipshape gets a "really good 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.
HiddenGem4196
 Grouch Messing Machine
Episode 4196 		During the street story, Luis pulls the Teeny Little Super Guy out of the broken washing machine.

Credits

TeenyDisplayCase

Teeny Little Superguy as part of the display at the Brooklyn Public Library

Sources

  1. ↑ CTW Archives, Season 15 presskit.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Paul Fierlinger. Teeny Little Super Guy Livejournal community comment. April 11, 2005
  3. ↑ Ottawa International Animal Festival program. 1986
  4. ↑ Ottawa International Animal Festival program. 1986
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