|
Teddy Ruxpin Has been a big
part of my life since December 25, 1986, when I was 2 and a half
years old and recieved Teddy for Christmas. Teddy represents some of
my earliest memories, including seeing a TV commercial and
immediately being awed by the talking Teddy bear. I remember clearly
coming out of my bedroom and seeing Teddy sitting there underneath
the Christmas tree, proped up outside of his box, ready and waiting
to take me on an adventure. I still have the video from that
Christmas, and the majority of my on-camera scenes are me either
paying no attention at all to the camera (something that was a
rarity for me in my younger years) or desperately trying
to get my Dad or Grandpa's attention to turn Teddy's tape back over
to hear "The Airship" again. We lived in a rural part of the country
and in days before the internet brought you a million places to shop
at the click of a mouse, it was hard to find Teddy story books &
tapes. I had only six or seven out of the dozens that were released,
and I remember clearly as a tot wondering what else Teddy did when
he wasn't telling me stories. My questions and prayers were answered
when My mom awoke me one morning to tell me Teddy was on TV. For the
next months, she awoke early every morning to tape the TV series for
me. During one of the first episodes I saw, I remember seeing
"Created by Ken Forsse" and thinking what a cool guy this Ken must
be.
In what was sometimes a difficult situation growing up,
Teddy was always my friend. Weather it was the toy or the TV series
or the Airship & Playmap, most of my playtime in my early years
was spent with my body on Earth, and my mind and imagination in
Grundo. I grew to love the other characers (especially Grubby) as
much as Teddy, and I was also always very fond of
Wooly. So, Teddy was much more than a toy or a TV show, for me
he was really an experience. A part of my everyday life. I can
honestly say I don't think I'd be the same person I am today without
his influence.
As the years grew, my affection for Teddy
changed and I became more interested in the stories than I had been
previously.... and how they were created. Teddy honestly gave me
interest in Children's entertainment to the point I wanted to be
involved in it, even at a young age I knew I wanted to be involved
in it. In 3rd grade I put on a Puppet Show and wrote children's
stories for younger kids in school. With my interest in the stories,
having a lack of "Adventure" series books & tapes yet most of
the 65 episode series on tape, I became increasingly interested
in the TV series and became somewhat of an expert on it. I play my
tapes only once a year or so now as they are becoming very fragile,
but I can still quote episodes and remember in detail most of the
series. This became the original focus of my website when I opened
it in 1998. The idea for the website started in 1997, when after
about three years of Teddy being more at the back of my mind, he
came up front and center again when I watched the old TV series
tapes for the first time in a couple of years. The name Ken Forsse
again popped up and I wondered if my hero had a website- I found out
he didn't, and I found very little other content on the web about
Teddy. Over the course of the next months I would occasionally get
online and pick up a HTML tip or two, intent on making a Teddy site
of my own.
This site opened on August 8, 1998, (see more
info about the history of the site Here)
and within a little over a year, my dream came true when I finally
got in contact with Ken Forsse, who I had wanted to meet at that
point for 13 years. Teddy again became an everyday part of my life,
and something of a focus I needed and was missing at that point in
my life. Through a lot of troubled times, Teddy always seems to come
around when I need him most.
I am very greatful to have had
such an opportunity to be a part of Teddy's history myself, albeit a
small part, when I was asked to help with his re-introduction in
2005. The interview I did with USA Today hangs on my wall as proudly
as any other achievment I have ever accomplished.
In addition
to the whole "World of Grundo" in general, I feel particular
affection for several aspects of the Teddy Ruxpin storyline,
including a particular fondness for Grubby (I have always felt I was
born into the wrong species, as I seem to be an Octopede at heart) I
share Teddy's sense of Adventure, Wooly's protectiveness of friends
and family, and I enjoy the sense of humor of Grubby and L.B.
Storylines that are close to my heart are "Grubby's Romance"
(everytime I have been in an affectionate relationship in my life I
have always wished it were more like Grubby and Karen) and "The Day
Teddy Met Grubby". I also feel Teddy is a big reason why I tend to
want to be friends with nearly everyone I meet, sometimes to my own
detrement.
I am very pleased to have Teddy back to capture
the imagination of a new generation. The world is perhaps more
callous and cold now than ever, and a lot more cynical then when I
was growing up. I'm grateful for the children of the world to have
Teddy available to be the kind of friend to them that he always has
been to me.
|
