User:Toughpigs/Sesame Street Magazine notes
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This page isn't really an article -- I'm taking notes on my SS magazine collection so that I can assemble it into a big article. -- Danny June 2006
Contents |
1970-1971
First issue: Oct 1970. Four issues planned for the first volume: Oct, Dec, Jan, March. Designed as companions to Season 2. Covers say: "This copy comes to you free, courtesy of Mobil Oil Corporation." Issue #1 -- Inside front cover: "Backstage"
"This is the first issue of Sesame Street's new magazine which will be printed four times during the 1970-71 broadcast season. Its contents are based on materials used in the daily program and are prepared with the same care. Upwards of two million copies will be distributed free as part of the Children's Television Workshop's nation-wide utilization program. The major portion of the cost of printing and distributing these give-away copies is being covered by a generous grant from the Mobil Oil Corporation. The balance of the costs of the publication, which is a non-profit extension of the Workshop, will be borne by income from paid mail subscriptions.
"The Magazine's editor, Jane O'Connor, is also the Workshop's senior curriculum specialist and as such advises the producers of Sesame Street on educational content of the series.
"She began her educational career as editor of the college paper at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She earned a Master's degree in Education from Columbia. Miss O'Connor has taught not only all of the elementary grades, but courses in education to both undergraduate and graduate students in several New York City colleges. Her professional experience also includes developing and writing materials for teachers and consulting on educational projects such as Head Start, Upward Bound and the Elementary Science Study."
Contents include Alice Braithwaite Goodyshoes comic page and board game, Ernie and Bert finger puppets, music and lyrics for "Right in the Middle of My Face".
Issue #2 -- Inside front cover: How to Use the Sesame Street Magazine, Letter from the Editor (O'Connor).
Staff: Jane O'Connor (Editor in Chief), Anna Jane Hays (Managing Editor), Janice Lloyd (Contributing Editor), Brian Cranner (Art Director), Danny Epstein (Contributing Editor).
There are four parts to the magazine: Match-up Wall Poster, Parents' Guide, Cut Out Shapes, Children's Magazine. (The magazine itself is #4!) Parents' Guide is a pull-out.
The magazine is 32 pages. Wall Poster: 8 pages. Parents' Guide: 8 pages. Cut Out Shapes: 4 pages. Magazine: 12 pages.
"In this issue the poster is in two pieces (somebody goofed). But you can take advantage of this by having your child help you trim the edges and match up the pictures. Use transparent tape to hold the two sheets of the poster together. Have fun!" (That's awesome.)
O'Connor's letter is about setting up "Sesame Street Viewing Centers": "For 30 to 60 minutes after each day's program they play and do activities that help them to learn the lessons they taught on the show. How do you set up a viewing center? It's easy. Its location might be your living room, or one of a number of places in your neighborhood such as an empty store front, a school room, a church recreation room... You might want to ask a local organization or business to donate materials. Be creative! Use pillows, place mats and cardboard boxes as furniture. Plastic bottles, egg cartons and milk cartons can become blocks and toys. Borrow children's books and records from your public library. Decorate the walls with the children's art work and posters from the Sesame Street Magazine. Parents, retired persons, high school and college students make excellent volunteer teachers."
"A Spanish language edition of the Magazine is also being published as the result of a grant from the U.S. Office of Education to Jersey City State College and the Vineland, N.J. Board of Education."
Magazine includes one-page comic strip version of Alice Braithwaite Goodyshoes. Piano music for "People in Your Neighborhood". Only 5 pages with Muppets, including the cover! Flip Wilson on the back cover.
Parents' Guide has guide to season 2 shows, with a description of each show. "The guide tells you about four of the subjects which will be taught again and again on the show: The Alphabet, The Neighborhood: People Who Work There & Buildings, Comparing Things, The Child And His Feelings About Himself. For each subject you will find tips about things you can do at home to follow up what your children are learning on the show. We hope what we say about each subject will help you think up your own games and activities."
Issue #3 -- Size changes, 24 pages, becomes more magazine-focused. Art Director is Robert Pierce. Danny Epstein becomes Music Editor. No Letter from the Editor or How to Use the Magazine. Parents' Guide is only 6 pages; the other part of the pull-out is the music to "Somebody Come and Play". The magazine is much more Muppety and cartoony -- 15 pages with Muppets. 2 page cartoon spread with Spanish/English. 2 page Al Jaffee. Bill Cosby on the back cover.
Issue #4 -- Similar to #3. Includes two-page text story with illustrations, "A Read-Aloud Story" about an African village. Music for "Special". 2 page Spanish/English. 2 page Al Jaffee. Back cover shows "Behind the Scenes", with cameras filming Big Bird & Mr. Hooper. 13 Muppet pages, plus Ernie on the poster.
"Important Notice: This is the last issue for this season of Sesame Street Magazine, but we'll be back in the fall. Our goal then is to bring you a monthly magazine -- more issues with more for you and your children to enjoy. Until then -- see you on Sesame Street! Jane O'Connor"
1971-1972
Starting with issue #5 (Vol. 2, No. 1) magazine is published 10 times a year, monthly except for August & September. 36 pages.
Staff: O'Connor, Hays, Lloyd (now Children's Section Editor), Pierce. Christopher Cerf credited as Editor-in-Chief/Non-Broadcast Materials Division. Also credited: Jon Stone (Producer of Sesame Street), Jeff Moss (Head Writer), Muppets courtesy Jim Henson.
Parents' Guide is in the back, 6 pages. Doesn't list episodes anymore, just gives activities to do with kids to support the lessons of the show and the magazine. 17 Muppet pages. 2 pages of "Ernie and Bert's Picture Page", with drawings from kids. Three of the pics are of Muppets -- Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie & Bert.
Illustrations: Mel Crawford, Al Jaffee, Jack Davis
1972-1973
Magazine changes size again, becomes more like a glossy type picture book. 32 pages. 10 issues, monthly except Aug/Sept. Subscription is $3.50/year.
Staff: O'Connor, Pierce, Brenda Thomas (Production Editor), Helga Umpierre (Contributing Editor - Spanish). Cerf is now Editor-in-Chief/Trade Materials, Robert Oksner is Editor-in-Chief/School and Day Care Center Materials.
Most of the pages are two-page spreads, full-color and very colorful. Very few words -- many spreads just have a couple words as a title. Many of the words are also translated into Spanish. Some spreads look like children's book spreads.
Illustrations: Mel Crawford, John Johnson, Robert Pierce, Don Leake. Mike Smollin starts in Jan 1973, nice 4-page story in July 73.
Very early Joe Mathieu work: Feb 73 (#19), July 73 (no Muppets).
One-page "Sesame Street Comic Strip" by Cliff Roberts.
No Parents' Guide -- Inside back cover has four activities, in English and Spanish.
Summer Special #2 in Summer 1973. 48 pages, sold at newsstands for 60 cents.
1973-1974
Size stays the same, cover stock changes to thicker, less glossy paper. 32 pages. 10 issues, monthly except Aug & Jan. $4.00/year.
Staff: Brenda Thomas is now Managing Editor, O'Connor now Curriculum Editor. (Ouch!) Henry Wolf is Consulting Art Director, Nina Link is Contributing Editor, Umpierre is Spanish Contributor. O'Connor leaves in spring 1974.
More two-page spreads with few words, pictures bleed to edges. Parents' Guide has become "The parents' page", with 4 activities & how to pronounce the Spanish words. Ad for Electric Company magazine.
Bert and Ernie's Picture Page is now "Children's Picture Page".
Much less Muppet content -- some issues as low as 4 or 5 Muppet pages. Each issue has a two page text story with illustrations about a Muppet character. Covers of June 73 & Oct 73 have no Muppets.
Illustrators: Isadore Seltzer, Don Leake, Bill Charmatz. Larry DiFiori starts in June 74 (no Muppets).
Mike Smollin two page centerfold in Oct 73.
1974-1975
Very similar to previous year. $5.00/yr.
Staff: Thomas, Wolf (Art Director), Gary Schenck (Assistant Art Director), Jocelyn Gunnar and Sheri Lopano (Associate Editors), Link, Umpierre.
Still very little Muppet content, about 5-6 pages, which seems somewhat perverse.
Isadore Seltzer, Larry DiFiori (non-Muppet). Nice Marc Nadel spread in Oct 74, June 75. Nice Mike Smollin stuff too. Joe Mathieu non-Muppet spread in Winter Special #5.
1975-1976
Staff changes with September: Rae Paige (Editor-in-Chief), Jocelyn Gunnar (Editor), Henry Wolf (Consulting Art Director), Gary Schenck (Art Director), Nina Link (Contributing Editor), Helga Umpierre (Spanish Contributor).
New Editor-in-Chief, and there's some changes. The format looks the same for the first half of the year, from Sept 75 to Dec. But there's more Muppet content -- about 11 pages. Oct 75 is "Special Ernie Issue!" Still two-page text story with illustration. 2 page Smollin spreads.
By Jan/Feb? there's a new Art Director, Richard Weigand -- Wolf and Schenck are out. Content becomes more like a magazine, less like a children's book. More words and activities -- there's no "art pages". A lot more Muppets -- 17-20 pages.
For the first time in years, the content of the magazine matches up with the content of the show. Feb 1976 (issue 49) is "Sesame Street Goes to New Mexico!" with photo cover of Big Bird in NM. Editor's Note talks about the NM week of shows (broadcast week of Dec 22): "The shows focus on how the city folk from Sesame Street adapt to new surroundings. Preschool children are often confronted with the problem of entering new situations. It is extremely helpful for them to see people they 'know' and respect try various strategies for coping with unfamiliar places and people. Three features in this issue of Sesame Street Magazine are directly related to the New Mexico shows." Some pages have photos of the characters, including to page spread of photos from the NM shows, with Big Bird and Gordon. Still two-page text stories.
March 76 has two page Joe Mathieu fold-up book about Cookie Monster. More of the storybook illustrators: Mathieu, Smollin, Peter Cross, Larry DiFiori, Marc Nadel. Rick Brown and Georganne Deen start in 76. No more Schencks after 77.
Roosevelt Franklin in Sept 76.
1976-1978
October 76, George M. Dillehay (Publisher) is added to Staff list, Rae Paige becomes Managing Editor. Gunnar still Editor, Weigand becomes Design Director. This staff stays essentially the same for two years.
Continues trend of more Muppets. By now, the magazine has become the recognizable format that will be the dominant style for most of the run. Still two-page text stories. Starting in Oct 78, one-page photos of Sesame human cast: "It's Bob!" "It's Luis!"
Illustrators start to change. Peter Cross ends in late 76, Smollin ends his run in Oct 1977. Starts to be a lot of Rick Brown and Larry DiFiori, also Robert Dennis. Ruth Marten begins in March 77 (two-page spread on Ruth in Oct 77). Joe Mathieu still in the mix.
Nov 76 has centerfold poster of 20 Muppets, incl. Granny Fanny Nesselrode, Herbert Birdsfoot, Guy Smiley, Mumford, Prof Hastings, Lefty, Sherlock H and Roosevelt F. Two-page spread of Linda's sign language in Sept 77, May 78.
Beginning with Feb 77 (#59), Parent's Guide goes to front of magazine -- much more detailed, two pages on inside front cover and page 1. "Starting with this issue, we are putting the section for adults in the front of the magazine instead of the back. This makes the information available to you before you start working with your children. The Sesame Street Magazine Research Department field tests each feature in each issue before and after publication. The comments on these pages are based on this research. They are intended to help you help your children use the magazine. Sesame Street Magazine, like the TV show, can be enjoyed by children on their own. However, when you watch the show with your children, you automatically add to their understanding by answering questions, pointing out things they may not have noticed, etc. The same thing is true of the magazine. Read this section, then go through the magazine with your children."
Another note in March 77: "Children, in the end, are the editors. For example, if the Magazine Research Department finds that most preschoolers do not understand how to 'cross out' but do understand how to 'circle', the directions are changed. If a task proves to be far too difficult or too confusing, it is simplified."
July 78 has three-page photo spread on Hawaii trip, with pics of Big Bird, Snuffy, Bob and Buffy.
1979-1980
Starting in Jan 1979: Nina Link (Publisher), Deborah Kovacs (Editor), Richard Weigand (Design Director), Patricia Relf (Associate Editor). Dillehay and Paige are gone.
January 1979 "Winter Book" celebrates Sesame's 10th anniversary on the cover, and there's a fold-out poster of the cast.
Lots of Brown, DiFiori. Also Marten, Herbert, Art-so-fine, Deen, Mathieu.
Full-page photos have finished w human cast, start doing Muppets: "It's Barkley!" "It's Sam the Robot!"
Regular Linda sign language features.
Sam the Robot gets a push in April 1979: Three appearances, over 5 pages. Also Biff, Sully, Guy Smiley.
Dec 79 has Frazzle, Rodeo Rosie.
1980-1982
Starting early 1980: Link (Publisher), Kovacs (Editor), Dina Anastasio (Contributing Editor), Paul Richer (Design Director), Anne Lloyd (Associate Editor). Sept 80: Kovacs leaves, Anastasio becomes Editor.
Pretty much the same. Maggie Swanson, Tom Leigh join mid-1980. Normand Chartier starts March 81.
Dec 80 has Two-Headed Monster, July 81 has Deena.
By mid 81: Brown, DiFiori, Swanson, Leigh, Chartier.
1982-1984
Link (Publisher), Andrew Gutelle (Editorial Director), Anastasio (Editor), Richer (Art Director), Aury Marrero (Managing Editor), Lloyd (Associate Editor).
Normand Chartier joins in 81, does some covers. Maggie Swanson & Tom Leigh join in 82. Brown, DiFiori, Tom Herbert, Mathieu. Tom Cooke joins in late 82. Mary Grace Eubank joins in 84.
Issues are themed -- Sept 81 is School, Oct 81 is Country, March 82 is Magic, May 82 is Friendship, March 83 is Games.
Starts to include some minor characters -- Sept 81 has Judy, Oct 81 has Deena, Rodeo Rosie, Forgetful Jones. Nov 81 has one-page picture from Mr. Rogers' visit. Nov 81 has intense two-page spread: "Meet the Muppets" with 17 characters and a legend! incl. Dr. Nobel Price, Warren Wolf, Countess Dahling von Dahling and Masha, Pearl, Deena, Herry, Elmo, Forgetful Jones, Buster, Clementine, Poco Loco, Honkers, Telly. Two Headed Monster and Little Bird are in the issue too. They're obviously trying to open up the character family in the magazine much more than before. May 82 says "It's Aristotle! Meet Telly's new friend, Ari." Sept 82 has one-page photo of Ferlinghetti Donizetti.
Linda has some sign language spreads.
Dec 82/Jan 83 has five-page spread on Big Bird in China. June 83 issue has three-page spread on Big Bird's trip to Camp Echo Rock, with photos from the episodes.
Dec 83/Jan 84 is full issue celebrating Don't Eat the Pictures, w three pages of photos from the special.
Mona appears in Oct 84.
1985
From Jan? 85 to Aug 85.
Link (Publisher), Gutelle (Editorial Director), Marge M. Kennedy (Editor), Richer (Art Director), Marrero (Managing Editor).
Magazine now has a "Behind the Scenes" column (three paragraphs) on page 1, plus "On the Set" paragraph about what's happening on the show this month.
Richard Brown, Normand Chartier, Mary Grace Eubank, Tom Leigh, Maggie Swanson
1985-1988
From Sept 85: Link (Publisher), Kennedy (Editor-in-Chief), Richer (Art Director).
Magazine now has a full-fledged "Parents' Guide" in the back third of the magazine -- 16 pages out of 48. Guide has articles for parents -- "Easing Your Child's Starting-School Jitters". Also "Ideas for extending this issue", two-page spread with extension ideas for every feature. "Behind the Scenes" has become two-page column, explaining what's going on on the show. It also has advertising -- Kraft macaroni and cheese, diapers, apple juice.
Inside front cover has "Sesame Street Family Album", photograph of Sesame character with caption.
Tom Brannon and Ellen Appleby join. Also: Richard Brown, Mary Grace Eubank, Tom Leigh, Maggie Swanson. Ajin Noda does some paper illustrations.
Celebration of Luis and Maria's wedding in May 1988, promoted on the cover.
1988-1990
Still Link, Kennedy, Richer.
Oct 1988: Parents' Guide gone -- spins off into separate magazine?
Start to have centerfold posters as of Oct 88.
1990-1991
Link, Ira Wolfman (Editor-in-Chief), Richer.
March 1991: promotes Big Bird's 6th birthday: ("Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake" on March 15, 1991)