Inside Puppeteer Sid Krofft’s Bawdy Beginnings (Exclusive) [Video]

Puppeteer Sid Krofft gets a kick out of being asked about his “subversive” style that changed children’s programming in the late ’60s.

“I take that as a compliment,” Krofft tells PEOPLE in the video chat from his Hollywood Hills home, adding that when people ask him for career advice he says, “Go left. Because everyone takes the safe path and they’re too frightened to be a little different and take a chance.”

Krofft and younger brother Marty, who died of kidney failure last November at 86, made an indelible mark on the entertainment landscape, earning them the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Their highly stylized fantasy TV programs, including Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, The Bugaloos and Lidsville, featured huge-headed puppets, high concept plots and low-budget special effects. 

At 95, he’s still telling stories on his weekly Instagram livestream show  “Sundays with Sid.” which has featured a number of high profile guests, including …