| Kenner Gooney Bird | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Kenner Gooney bird |
|
First Appearance |
1962 |
|
Original Publisher |
Kenner Toys company |
|
Created by |
Jim Henson (Muppet) |
Origin[]
The Kenner Gooney Bird was the mascot of the Kenner Toys company from 1962 to 1974. He appeared on most Kenner products on a small postage-stamp sized square surrounded by the company logo: "It's Kenner -- It's Fun!"
The Gooney Bird was a small, squat yellow bird with orange head and tail feathers, beak, and feet. He had a strangely sardonic smile as well as a bug-eyed stare that seemed to look directly at the viewer.
He was used in many Kenner trade ads with the logo "This bird means business." He appeared in animated segments of many of the TV commercials -- usually doing some bizarre stunt like increasing his height or removing his head from his body while chanting the company slogan.
In 1968, Jim Henson produced television commercials with a Muppet version of the character, Two variants of the puppet were built; a normal hand puppet and a marionette enabling the bird to fly.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- Kenner Products Co. - Cover of a box called "Give A Show Projector" (1962)
- Kenner's Easy Bake Oven commercial (1968)
Notes[]
- The Gooney bird would be recycled a year later as Little Bird for Sesame Street.
- The Trademark for the Kenner bird had been considered dead since Sep. 15, 1985.