The Sesame Street Monsters

[MuppetDude]

I really like the SS monsters (yes, even Elmo and the Monster Clubhouse). Can anybody tell me which monsters have appeared in the first season, or describe them? Here's who I've heard of:

1. The original SS Cookie Monster, with a big jaw
2. Grover, but I don't know if he's gray-green, brown, or what. Can anybody confirm this?
3. Original Herry, with furry blue nose
4. Beautiful Day Monster, with bigger eyes
5. Fred the Dragon--is he the green dragon seen in several early Muppet pics? He has a "wide-eyed" look, curved horns, and nostrils, am I correct?
6. The Snerfs (Can anybody describe what these particular ones looked like?

Am I missing any?

 

[Splurge]

I don't think Herry was in the first season, as Jerry Nelson didn't come on the scene until the second season.

I think that's accurate.

 

[Splurge]

Originally posted by MuppetDude

Am I missing any?

Well, there was a certain full-bodied purple monster with one tooth that made at least one appearance with Kermit the Frog.

 

[dcfboss]

as far as cookie monster goes...

he's gone through some pretty big changes appearance wise. i was just watching the skit where he eats ernie's pillow and the top part of his mouth was smaller than the bottom. then he kind of grew into a flat mouth which was a little crooked on his right side.....but today's cookie monster is the best....not the frank oz one, i forget the guys name who now does him, but he's got the essence of cookie monster down pat, and i think his voice is much more appealing.

 

[MuppetDude]

To dcfboss:

Yeah, you're right about Cookie. I called him big-jawed because the top of his head was smaller. And the other performer of CM is David Rudman.

To Splurge:

Sorry I forgot about you, bud.
And I'm guessing that Herry might've been in the first season, but as an anonymous monster.

 

[furryfella]

ss Monsters

Muppetdude i love these guys!! herry & the Maroon&yellow monster are my two faves

 

[MuppetDude]

Here's an updated list:

1. The original SS Cookie Monster, with a big jaw. (Turns out that Jeff Moss, who co-created him, affectionately called him "Boggle Eyes".)
2. Grover, and I've found out that he's green.
3. Beautiful Day Monster. Two versions of him (the live-hand version and the smallest version) both appeared on the show.
5. Fred the Dragon.
6. The Snerfs. Two were dark brown with orange pear-shaped noses and angry black eyebrows. (If The Count is reading this, their names were Sam and Harry). A blue Snerf with a green nose (Snerk) also made an appearance, as well as a dark green one with a pear-shaped green nose, angry eyebrows, and large pupils.
7. Splurge, but with different eyes.
8. Monster Son (from Ed Sullivan)
9. Scudge (also from Ed Sullivan), but with sleepy pink feminine eyelids.
10. A dark colored, orange-beaked monster with angry eyes and fangs. Is this the "Flute-Snatcher" from a potato chip commercial?
11. A dark colored monster who looked like a smaller version of Splurge.

I took Herry out of the list. Upon second look, he didn't seem like a first season monster, and was probably built for the show, unlike the others.

 

[Censored]

There is a very early version of Herry Monster in which he had a furry blue nose (when he faced the camera, it looked like he had no nose at all). I'm not certain that he goes back to the first season though. Herry Monster is in "The Together Book" that was originally published in 1971. These early drawings of Herry did not have his pink and white pants that would later become his trademark in illustrated books.

Speaking of Herry's nose, the muppet designers don't seem to be able to leave it alone. First his nose was furry and blue. then it turned smooth and blue, later it stayed smooth, but turned purple, and now they have the purple nose mashed into his face.

I've noticed that most of the changes in Bert also had to do with different noses.

I'd like to write and ask them why, but they might think I'm being too nosey.