Witchy Poo is a beloved character from the children's animated television series "H.R. Pufnstuf." The show aired from 1969 to 1970 and follows the adventures of a young boy named Jimmy, who finds himself on the magical Living Island. Witchy Poo, a witch with a green face and a big, pointy nose, is one of the main antagonists of the show. Witchy Poo is portrayed as a bumbling and comical character who is constantly scheming to steal Jimmy's magical talking flute.

Tag: Witchy Poo

I wasn’t old enough to catch the first run of this but I caught the show reruns in the mid-seventies. It was so colorful and intriguing. I always loved this show. Jack Wild did a great job as Jimmy who sails his ship to this God forsaken island. Talking trees, flute, mushrooms, and Witchiepoo always trying to nab Jimmy’s gold talking flute. The mayor of the island was H.R. Pufnstuf…a dragon type creature I think.

The character HR Pufnstuf was created for the 1968 World’s Fairin San Antonio, Texas. The show lasted one season…1969-1970. They made 17 episodes and replayed them over and over. The show was an immediate hit, so NBC renewed it for a second season, but it had become such an overwhelming money pit for the producers that they declined and the network was forced to air reruns.

It’s long been rumored that the Krofft brothers were deeply influenced by marijuana and LSD when they were making H.R. Pufnstuf…uh…”Hand Rolled Puffin’ Stuff.” Despite these obvious parallels, the brothers deny using drugs – at least during work hours.

Marty Krofft: “We screwed with every kid’s mind,”such as H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville and Land of the Lost — that he created with brother Sid in the early 1970s. “There’s an edge. Disney doesn’t have an edge.”

Marty Krofft: “No drugs involved. You can’t do drugs when you’re making shows. Maybe after, but not during. We’re bizarre, that’s all.”

On a side note… The Kroffts sued McDonalds for copyright infringement because Mayor McCheese and Big Mac bore a strong resemblance to H. R. Pufnstuf. They also noted similarities between the living trees and apple pie trees…McDonalds clearly did borrow from H.R. Pufnstuff.

H.R. Pufnstuf
Who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can’t do a little ’cause he can’t do enough

Once upon a summertime
Just a dream from yesterday
A boy and his magic golden flute
Heard a boat from off the bay
“Come and play with me, Jimmy
Come and play with me
And I will take you on a trip
Far across the sea”

But the boat belonged to a kooky old witch
Who had in mind the flute to snitch
From her broom-broom in the sky
She watched her plans materialize
She waved her wand
The beautiful boat was gone
The skies grew dark, the sea grew rough
And the boat sailed on and on and on and on and on and on

H.R. Pufnstuf
Who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can’t do a little ’cause he can’t do enough

But Pufnstuf was watching, too
And knew exactly what to do
He saw the witch’s boat attack
And as the boy was fighting back
He called his rescue racer crew
As often they’d rehearsed
And off to save the boy they flew
But who would get there first?

H.R. Pufnstuf
Who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can’t do a little ’cause he can’t do enough

But now the boy had washed ashore
Puf arrived to save the day
Which made the witch so mad and sore
She shook her fist and screamed away

H.R. Pufnstuf
Who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf
Can’t do a little ’cause he can’t do enough

H.R. Pufnstuf, Witchiepoo, Joy the Bugaloo, and me

The recent passing of H.R. Pufnstuf puppeteer Van Snowden brings a tinge of sadness. I was fortunate to interview him in 2008, as part of an article on the history of Sid & Marty Krofft’s television shows, of which Pufnstuf was one.

From 2007 to 2009, I sold articles to Toy Collector Magazine, a high-quality Internet monthly publication. Working for Toy Collector Magazine was fun – I actually won two national writing awards for articles associated with the publication, and my association with Toy Collector is something I treasure.

Especially since Toy Collector Magazine helped me fulfill a long-time wish.

Spin the clock back to at least 1969. Among the bevy of Saturday morning cartoons available on the three local television stations – 6, 10 and 13 – there were several live-action children’s programs that also held a ton of interest for me.

Those programs were “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “The Bugaloos.” Okay, we can add “Land of the Lost,” but really the first two were the big winners for me.

In 2008, with the big-screen remake of “Land of the Lost” about to debut, I pitched an idea to Toy Collector Magazine about doing a piece on collecting memorabilia from the shows of Sid and Marty Krofft, producers of “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “The Bugaloos” and “Land of the Lost” and a dozen other programs.

Toy Collector Magazine quickly agreed to the idea.

Now it was time to move mountains. Through every contact I could find, I was able to secure an interview with Marty Krofft, the co-producer of these shows. He was very gracious and answered as many questions as possible.

But there were three people I really really REALLY wanted to include in this article.

One of them was Billie Hayes, who stole every scene in H.R. Pufnstuf as the evil over-the-top Witchiepoo; one was Van Snowden, who was one of the puppeteers for not only H.R. Pufnstuf, but for several other characters in the Krofft universe; and Caroline Ellis, who was one of my first TV crushes when she played Joy the Bugaloo in the series The Bugaloos. I thought if I was able to land an interview with any of them, I would be on Cloud 9.

It took several connections and contacts – but I was eventually able to secure a phone interview with Billie Hayes. We talked about what the program has meant for her career as an actress (before H.R. Pufnstuf, she was best known for playing Mammy Yokum in the stage and film versions of Li’l Abner), as well as her continued work in Sid and Marty Krofft productions (in addition to playing Witchiepoo, she was also Weenie the Genie in Lidsville). From my original article:

“I loved doing every minute of the show,” said Hayes. “It gave me a chance to do things as an actress that you wouldn’t ordinarily do in your real life. I could get away with just about anything in that character. Sid and Marty Krofft were wonderful – as far as my interpretation of the character, they told me, ‘Take Witchiepoo wherever you want to take her.’”

She also wanted to make sure to let people know about her charitable work, including her involvement in local animal rescue charities. I included this information in the article.

I then spoke with Van Snowden, who has worn the H.R. Pufnstuf costume and appeared as H.R. Pufnstuf for years. What a great guy. He told me some great stories about his relationship with the Kroffts and his co-stars, and how he continued to use the H.R. Pufnstuf costume in television shows from “CHiPs” to “My Name Is Earl” to “The Drew Carey Show.” From my article:

In 1972, Snowden took over as the main puppeteer for the H.R. Pufnstuf character after the death of Roberto Gamonet, the original Pufnstuf. “He died right soon after we finished the Pufnstuf movie,” said Snowden. “The Kroffts initially wanted me to play Pufnstuf, but I couldn’t do it at the time, I was working in a Krofft show at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park. The Kroffts eventually brought me to California and I learned how to play Pufnstuf. I was in that costume from 1972 to 2007, appearing on shows like The Drew Carey Show and My Name is Earl – with several new heads, and several new bodies over time.” Snowden still has several props and scenery from his years as a Krofft puppeteer. “I have some of the Pufnstuf pieces, I had the sign that was outside Pufnstuf’s cave, and one of the clocks from the show.”

Interviewing anyone from the Bugaloos, however, was a more difficult proposition. Martha Raye, who played the antagonistic Benita Bizarre, had passed away, and the four Bugaloos actors/singers – John McIndoe, Wayne Larea, John Philpott and Caroline Ellis – all returned to England after the original 17 episodes of The Bugaloos were taped. They never came back for any other Hollywood productions, and finding any of them for an interview would be daunting at best.

Thankfully, one of my contacts, a person running the Bugaloos tribute page Tranquility Forest, said he had Caroline Ellis’ e-mail and would send my questions to her.

A few days later, I received an e-mail from Ellis herself. All the way from Spain.

I might have sprouted wings and flew around the room the minute I saw that e-mail.

We corresponded via e-mail, and she recalled several great memories from the show and her interactions with the fans, who still remember her today and who still send her fan mail via the Tranquility Forest website.

“It was for me, a dream come true, to be working in Hollywood doing what I loved best and being paid for it,” said Ellis. “As a cast and team, we all got on very well. We were there to do a job and a lot of money had been invested in us. We all wanted it to be successful. Martha Raye, who played our nemesis Benita Bizzare, was outrageous, as you would expect, and often had us in fits of laughter even on the set. We would then be told off by the director for wasting time. ‘Time is money!’ was his favorite expression.

Billy Barty [who played the firefly Sparky] was sweet and a real professional. It was a great atmosphere both with the cast and the ‘behind the scenes’ team, i.e. hairdresser, makeup, lighting, everybody. We saw Sid and Marty Krofft a lot on the set of The Bugaloos. Sid was much quieter and was the creative one, whereas Marty was more the business organizer and much more outgoing. They were completely different characters.”

If you’d like to read the original Toy Collector Magazine article, click on this link.

Sadly, the news yesterday that Van Snowden has passed away means that yet another icon of my childhood will no longer provide smiles for a new generation of children. Rest in peace, Van Snowden – and thanks for all the great memories.

Billie Hayes – Witchiepoo of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’ and Orgoch of ‘The Black Cauldron’ Dead at 96

Billie Hayes, who played Witchiepoo in H.R. Pufnstuf has passed away at the age of 96. Hayes also voiced Orgoch in The Black Cauldron. Her lineup is stacked with a ton of incredible voice work on shows that horror hounds are sure to be familiar with.

Hayes passed away April 29 from natural causes. The announcement of her death came from her family.

The actress spent a lot of time on Broadway before moving onto film and TV. Following a role on an episode of The Monkees, she found her role in Sid and Marty Krofft’s H.R. Pufnstuf, a kids TV show, where Hayes played the memorable character of the cackling Witchiepoo from 1969 to 1970.

While going through Hayes’ IMDB page, you see that she was known for her voice work and particularly she was known for her voice work as many witches in a variety of animated series. She voiced a variety popular series, including Darkwing Duck, The Real Ghostbusters, Scooby-Doo, Transformers and a lot more. Each of which, she was chosen for her witchy voice, which was taken from the same tone as Witchiepoo from her time on H.R. PufnStuf.

She left us with a lot of memorable roles and definitely has a place on the list of greatest witches of all time, with her iconic Witchiepoo role.

Sid and Marty Krofft took to Twitter to share kind words for their friend.

Demon Slayer took out Mortal Kombat at the box office over the weekend. Check the details out here.

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HR Pufnstuf’s Celebrates 50 Years of Entertaining Children

HR Pufnstuf Celebrates 50 Years of Entertaining Children and the Legacy of Programs that Followed With A Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame To Sid & Marty Krofft and a Pending Exhibit at The Hollywood Museum.

50 years ago this week, “HR Pufnstuf, who’s your friend when things get rough?” joined such child endearing lyrics as “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” “Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street,” and then more recently “I love you, you love me, were a happy family.”

HR Pufnstuf is an iconic character to generations of young Saturday morning TV viewers, who fondly recall childhood memories, including celebrated personalities such as …

“HR Pufnstuf shaped my creativity and imagination. I will be forever grateful to the artists behind this inctedible show and mostly to Sid and Marty Krofft – thank you! Here is to 50 more years.” – David Arquette (Captain Barnabus/Sigmun and the Sea Monsters)

“Pufnstuf and Lidsville, along with a bowl of cereal, were my Saturday morning ritual growing up” – Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson/Little House on the Prairie)

“I remember the first time I saw Pufnstuf and my mad crush on Jack Wild was instantaneous. However, I recall being drawn to Witchy-Poo and Benita Bizarre of The Bugaloos, as well as every other amazing villains that came out of the minds of Sid& Marty Krofft. Thank you for a wonderful young adulthood.” – Carolyn Hennesy (Diane Miller/GH)

“Pufnstuf made the world a lot more magical for children all over the globe.” – Anson Williams (Potsie Weber/Happy Days)

“I loved every show that Sid and Marty Krofft created during my childhood, but I was especially fond of Billie Hayes because she played a witch on HR Pufnstuf. I also have fond memories of working with Johnny Whitaker, who was on ‘Sigmund and the Sea Monster,’ because he played Jack in the Beanstalk on “Bewitched” with me.” – Erin Murphy (Tabitha/Bewitched)

” I was the first generation/demographic to enjoy HR Pufnstuff. To say they don’t make em like they used to is an understatement. From the characters, to the music, to the stellar cast both on camera and voice over, Sid and Marty gave the world this magical, colorful place called Living Island. Along with Lidsville, The Bugaloos, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, just to name a few, The Krofft’s have delighted and entertained generations. But it all started with Pufnstuff, once upon a summertime, just a dream from yesterday.” – Bob Bergen (Voice of Porky the Pig)

“I can barely remember how I old I am and I don’t do nearly as much puffin and stuffin as HR.” – Bruce Vilanch (Writer/Comedian)

“Im very grateful to HR PufnStuf. Had he not been a success, Sid & Marty Krofft may not have gone on to create the “Donny and Marie Show,” which led to one of the greatest moments of my career – Dancing with Donny Osmond.” – Kate Linder (Esther Valentine/The Young & the Restless)

“I loved His Royal Puf’NStuf from the beginning. At 9 years old, I was working on Family Affair Monday through Friday and on Saturday mornings my father would wake all 8 of us up and make breakfast and we all watched the Saturday Morning Lineups. Puf ‘N Stuf was a major part of those Saturday mornings. Little did I know then that 4 years later, I would be in the offices of the great Sid & Marty Krofft discussing starring in their next show, “Sigmund & the Sea Monsters.” All my 9 year old dreams had come true. I got to work with these great creators and 45+ years later we’re still good friends.” – Johnny Whitaker (Sigmond & The Sea Monsters/Family Affair)

As part of the celebration, Pufnstuf creators, Sid & Marty Krofft, who recently received a Lifetime Emmy Award for their work, will be getting their Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Dec. 2019.

• LIDSVILLE – Airdate in 1971. BUTCH PATRICK, BILLIE HAYES (American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.)
• LAND OF THE LOST — Pictured: (l-r) Wesley Eure as Will Marshall, Kathy Coleman as Holly Marshall, Spencer Milligan as Park Ranger Rick Marshall
• MUTT AND STUFF SEASON 1 GALLERY: Pictured: Calvin (Calvin Millan), Cesar (Cesar Millan), Stuff (Meegan Godfrey), Zippy (Jumpy), Grandma (Kuma), Giggle (Tater Tot), Wiggle (Tegan) in MUTT AND STUFF SEASON 1 on Nickelodeon. Photo: Robert Voets/Nickelodeon. © 2015 Viacom International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Vanities: Kendra Krofft – Key Make Up Paula Truman – Costumer Trainers: Sarah Clifford – Lead Animal Trainer Omar Van Muller – Zippy Animal Trainer

In addition, discussions are underway for an exhibit at the Hollywood Museum (Formerly The world famous Max Factor Building) off of Hollywood Blvd. The museum hopes to exhibit many of the now legendary Krofft creations including Pufnstuff, Witchy-poo, Freddie the Flute, the Bugaloos, Lidsville characters, Electra Woman and Dina Girl, Sigmund the Sea Monster (both the 1973 and current series), Mutt & Stuff, to Sleestaks from the Land of the Lost and even the DC Follies characters as well as items from their Variety Show successes such as The Donny & Marie Show and Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sister.

Sid & Marty Krofft Website (How many theme songs can you remember fondly?): http://www.sidandmartykrofft.com

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Witchy Poo is portrayed as a bumbling and comical character who is constantly scheming to steal Jimmy's magical talking flute. She resides in her castle on Living Island, which is filled with various magical creatures and wacky contraptions. Despite her nefarious intentions, Witchy Poo often fails in her attempts to outsmart Jimmy and his friends with her spells and tricks.

The character of Witchy Poo quickly became a fan favorite due to her unique appearance and humorous personality. Her green skin, wild hair, and exaggerated features make her instantly recognizable. In addition, her catchphrase "Oh, I'm so bad!" has become iconic and is often quoted by fans of the show. "Witchy Poo" is a term that has since been used to describe any witch-like character in popular culture, often used to refer to a comical or bumbling villain. Witchy Poo's influence can still be seen in modern animated shows and movies featuring witches or magical characters. Overall, the Witchy Poo cartoon and character have left a lasting impact on popular culture. Children who grew up watching the show have fond memories of Witchy Poo's comedic antics, and her distinctive appearance continues to be recognized by fans of all ages..

Reviews for "Witchy Poo's Spellbook: Unraveling the Secrets of the Cartoon's Success"

1. Bob - 2 stars - I found the "Witchy poo cartoon" to be quite dull and uninteresting. The characters lacked depth and the storyline was predictable. The animation style was also outdated and didn't captivate my attention. Overall, I was disappointed with this cartoon and would not recommend it to others.

2. Sarah - 1 star - I couldn't stand watching "Witchy poo cartoon". The humor was juvenile and lacked sophistication. The voice acting was grating and the music was annoying. The plot was nonsensical and seemed to lack any coherence. I found it to be a complete waste of time and would advise others to avoid it.

3. Alex - 2 stars - The "Witchy poo cartoon" failed to engage me in any way. The dialogue was cheesy and the characters were one-dimensional. I also found the animation to be subpar and it didn't add anything to the overall experience. It felt like a lazy attempt at creating a children's cartoon and left me unimpressed.

4. Karen - 2 stars - I was not a fan of "Witchy poo cartoon". The storyline was unoriginal and seemed to rely on tired tropes and clichés. The characters were forgettable and lacked any depth or development. The overall pacing was slow and it failed to hold my interest. I would not recommend wasting your time on this cartoon.

5. Mike - 1 star - I have to say, "Witchy poo cartoon" was a disappointment. The animation was choppy and the character designs were unappealing. The humor was forced and I didn't find any of the jokes funny. It felt like a poorly executed attempt at creating an entertaining cartoon. I would not recommend this to anyone looking for quality animation.

Witchy Poo: The Quintessential Cartoon Witch