Merrick here...


When we think about Muppets and SESAME STREET, names like Jim Henson and Frank Oz instantly (and understandably) pop to mind. But, as with many technical endeavors, there are numerous other folks behind-the-scenes whose names aren't as quickly connected to their creations.

One such person is Kermit Love (full name Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love), who was claimed by congestive heart failure on Saturday. He was 91.

Among his chief contributions to Muppet mythology, Love was instrumental in the creation & fabrication of characters like Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Oscar the Grouch. His work on SESAME STREET ultimately continued into THE MUPPET SHOW, THE MUPPET MOVIE, and the SESAME STREET spin-off film FOLLOW THAT BIRD.

But Love's career transcended Muppets. He brought us the La Choy Dragon...

...and Snuggle Bear.

He was a costume designer for Orson Welles' Mercury Theater, and collaborated with dance gods like George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp.

You can learn much more about Love's career and creations in THIS LA TIMES ARTICLE, or THIS NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE.

Love never had children of his own, but acknowledged his indelible connection to countless families in a 1991 interview with Newsweek. "I have a million children."