| Shrinkel & Stretchel | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Shrinkel & Stretchel |
|
First Appearance |
Pak-Nit Shrinkel and Stretchel commercial (1965) |
|
Original Publisher |
Compax Corporation |
|
Created by |
Jim Henson |
Origin[]
Shrinkel & Stretchel are boy and girl muppets that appear in Shrinkel & Stretchel made for Pak-Nitproducts in 1965 which spoofs the Hansel and Gretel story.
A narrator tells the story, and in a spoof of the "Tom Swift" radio narrative style, provides interjections whenever a character speaks, e.g., "Said Shrinkel." The plot involves Shrinkel and his sister Stretchel, who have been lost for years in the woods only to come across a gingerbread house inhabited by a witch. Naturally, she instantly shoves them into an oven for dinner. But to her surprise, the two emerge unharmed as they reveal their true names: the "Pak-Nit RX Twins."
The product has a twin effect, as it prevents both shrinking and stretching to fabrics in the dryer. It would appear to the witch that our heroes are named simply as a front. The film concludes on a happy note, as the witch discovers that she too can benefit from shape control.
Notes[]
- The Pak-Nit Muppet commercials did not have copyright notices.
- Pak-Nit is a long-defunct brand, and as such does not have a trademark.