Bonnie Erickson

Bonnie Erickson studied at University of Minnesota and Art Students League of New York. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is puppetry. Employment is recorded with Jim Henson and The Jim Henson Company Los Angeles. Works named in the authority record are Miss Piggy and Phillie Phanatic.

• Name — Bonnie Erickson • Born — 20 September 1941 • Birthplace — Anoka, Minnesota, U.S. • Education — University of Minnesota, Art Students League of New York • Children — Christopher Wisedell Lewis • Occupation — designer of puppets, costumes, toys, and graphics

Erickson began her career with a background in theater and art, having studied at the University of Minnesota and the Art Students League of New York. After working in legitimate theater as assistant to costume designer Patricia Quinn Stewart, she was hired by Jim Henson in 1970 to provide costumes for the Muppet characters in The Frog Prince. She continued with the company, specializing in puppets made from carved foam like Miss Piggy and Statler and Waldorf. Erickson served as Head of the Muppet Workshop for Jim Henson Associates, and set up the original London workshop for The Muppet Show in 1976. In 1983, Erickson served as Design Consultant and Workshop Director for the Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock. In 1986, Erickson returned to The Jim Henson Company as Vice President of Creative Projects in which she worked on productions such as The Tale of the Bunny Picnic and The Christmas Toy. Erickson served as a Creative Director for the product division of The Jim Henson Company and Children's Television Workshop from 1987 to 2000. Among the many products she art directed was the popular children's toy Tickle Me Elmo.

In 1977, she and husband Wayde Harrison established Harrison/Erickson, Inc., a design studio and marketing resource for national sports teams, television production and the advertising and toy industries, with Jim Henson Associates becoming one of their first clients. Erickson designed many professional sports mascots, including the Phillie Phanatic and Youppi!, now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Harrison and Erickson are trustees of The Strong Museum of Play. In addition to domestic commercials, Harrison, Erickson, Inc. produced designs and provided production casting and performance for international clients in France, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, and Japan. A series of Budweiser Taste Bud ads were created by Erickson exclusively for Saturday Night Live. She created characters for both Burger King and McDonald’s and created the first talking Happy Meal.

Erickson's work has been featured in The Warrior Ant, a multimedia production for The Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1988, and in the nationwide Bette Midler The Divine Miss Millennium Tour in 1999. In 2012, Erickson oversaw "Jim Henson's Musical World," a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall featuring the New York Pops and characters from The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock.

• Year — Character(s) — Production — Designer — Builder • 1972 — Caleb Siles, Mean Floyd, Mordecai Sledge, and Lardpork — The Muppet Musicians of Bremen — Yes — Yes • 1973 — Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson caricature puppets — The Dick Cavett Show — Yes — Yes • 1974 — George the Janitor — The Muppets Valentine Show — Yes — Yes • 1974 — Mildred Huxtetter — The Muppets Valentine Show — Yes — No • 1974 — Miss Piggy — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — Yes • 1974 — Statler and Waldorf — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — Yes • 1974 — The Muppet Newsman — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — Yes • 1974 — Dr. Julius Strangepork (originally “Dr. Nauga”) — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — Yes • 1974 — Gene Shallit caricature puppet — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — Yes • 1974 — Zoot — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes — No • 1974 — Animal — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — Yes (co-designed with Jim Henson) — No • 1974 — Janice — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — No — Yes • 1974 — The Swedish Chef — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence — No — Yes (co-built with Jim Henson) • 1975 — Vazh from The Land of Gorch — Saturday Night Live — No — Yes • 1976 — Fozzie Bear — The Muppet Show — No — Yes • 1983 — Espinete — Barrio Sésamo — No — Yes • 1983 — Kippi Ben Kippod — Rechov Sumsum — No — Yes

• Mascot — Team/company — Years active — Image • Phillie Phanatic — Philadelphia Phillies — 1978-present — • Youppi! — Montreal Expos/Canadiens — 2005-present — • Sharpo — Sharp Electronics — 1979-1982 • Big Shot — Philadelphia 76ers — 1979-1996 • Hoops — Philadelphia 76ers — 1979-1983 • Dandy — New York Yankees — 1979-1981 • Ribbie and Roobarb — Chicago White Sox — 1981-1990 • Duncan the Dragon — New Jersey Nets — 1982-1991 • Hugo — Charlotte Hornets — 1988-present — • K.C. Wolf — Kansas City Chiefs — 1989-present — • Booster — Houston Rockets — 1989-1993 • Stuff the Magic Dragon — Orlando Magic — 1989-present — • Pirate Pete — Delaware River & Bridge Authority — 1995-present • Slyly — Hiroshima Toyo Carp — 1995-present — • Jaxson de Ville — Jacksonville Jaguars — 1996-present — • G-Wiz — Washington Wizards — 1997-present • Phred — Philadelphia Phillies — 2000-present

• American Dairy Association • AT&T • Budweiser • Burger King • Cadbury • Flik Flak (Switzerland) • H-O Oats • La Pie qui Chante (France) • Lysol • McDonald's • Nutella • Perwoll (Germany) • Procter & Gamble • Sharp Corporation

• Applause, Inc. • Axlon • Enesco • Fisher-Price • Hasbro • Knickerbocker Toy Company • Colorforms for Maurice Sendak • Mattel • Kurt S. Adler

Bonnie Erickson is recorded as costume designer and fashion designer.