Super Grover



Super Grover is Grover as a superhero, one of his many jobs. His true identity in these sketches is Grover Kent (referencing Clark Kent), a doorknob salesman in Metro City. Super Grover uses his super powers to help others, though generally he ends up not helping at all.

Origins
Originally appearing in an ongoing series of sketches devoted to his super heroic feats, Super Grover would crash through a wall bearing his logo whilst being introduced in narration by an announcer (voiced by Jerry Nelson). In later sketches, the title was upgraded to "The Adventures of Super Grover" and included an updated version of his superhero theme, originally written by Sam Pottle. His appearances usually involved trying to help someone in trouble by doing something ridiculous such as saying "Wubba, Wubba." In most cases, the distressed individual would solve their dilemma when he wasn't looking -- and Grover, oblivious, thinks that he has saved the day.

On Sesame Street, Super Grover's attire consists of a cape, with ropes tied around Grover's wrists, a helmet, and a patch with the letter G on his chest. However, in most illustrations, his attire consists of a shirt with the letter G on it, shorts, a cape, and a helmet (supplied by Grover's dad). When he appeared in animated form for The Street We Live On, he wore only a cape and helmet, with no emblem on his chest. In most situations, Grover requires a phone booth to change into his costume. One exception, such as in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, enables him to spin himself around until his costume appears, à la Wonder Woman.

According to the Associated Press, writer Jerry Juhl originated the character of Super Grover. At a 2006 panel, Bob Payne revealed that he built a helmet for the Palace Guard in Tales of the Tinkerdee, which was later used to build Super Grover's costume. The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover reveals "The Origins of Super Grover," by which it is explained that Grover took on super powers the first time he wore the Halloween costume his mommy had made.

Outside of the titled sketches, Super Grover has appeared in many episodes, books and specials taking on a featured role. In Follow That Bird he joins the efforts being made to search for a missing Big Bird, ultimately by teaming up with Gordon and Olivia. In 2004 he played a lead role in What's the Name of That Song?, while Season 36 marked the opening of his own superhero school.

Popularity
Super Grover's popularity has stretched out to include a number of events and attractions outside of just Sesame Street. In 1998, Sesame Place opened a Super Grover themed roller coaster, the Vapor Trail. The ride invites visitors to enter by way of a telephone booth, to "help right wrongs and do good things." The area near the ride is even decorated with a flower and shrub sculpture in the super monster's likeness.

In February of 2002, the Stage Deli in New York City created a sandwich which was named in Super Grover's honor. In celebration of Episode 4000, Sonia Manzano and Super Grover made an appearance to introduce the sandwich, which is made with turkey and brisket topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and horseradish sauce, and served on a sesame hero.

From Season 33 to Season 37, Super Grover could be seen in the beginning of each show's opening sequence, holding the episode number title card (he is also featured in the opening and closing credits for Season 38). In 2003, he made an appearance on Martha Stewart Living and his likeness was immortalized as a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. Two years later, Vee Corporation extended Super Grover's reach to a touring capacity when it produced the live Sesame Street stage show, Super Grover! Ready for Action.

Merchandise
Super Grover has graced the cover of Sesame Street Magazine through the years, including the April 1988, October 1993 and August 2005 issues. He's also been the subject of, and has appeared in several Sesame Street books. Merchandising for Super Grover has included a number of t-shirts, figurines (by Tyco, Applause, Enesco, Tra-la-la, and Colin), a puzzle, and a limited edition action figure made by Palisades Toys. For Palisades' action figure, comic book artist Alex Ross was commissioned to create a portrait of Super Grover for the packaging, which was later produced as a limited poster print direct from the company. Previously, a Super Grover action figure had been attempted by Fun 4 All, but the license never came to fruition. His likeness has been produced in various forms of plush dolls (including playsets by Soft Play and Gund), as a scented, bobble head pen, a jack-in-the-box, a plush bookmark, and a coffee mug. Within the Sesame Street universe, his popularity can be evidenced by secret decoder rings and life-sized door posters as seen in the books What Did You Bring? and Spring Cleaning, respectively. Even Grover himself asks his mommy to read him Super Grover books on two occassions in The Sesame Street Dictionary.

"Presenting the further adventures of everybody's favorite superhero, the man who is faster than lightning, stronger than steel, smarter than a speeding bullet... it's Super Grover!"

Book appearances

 * The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover (1978)
 * The Amazing Mumford Forgets the Magic Words! (1979)
 * The Sesame Street Library Volume 15 (1979)
 * The Sesame Street Dictionary (1980)
 * The Count Counts a Party (1981)
 * Sesame Street ABC (1986)
 * Grover Takes Care of Baby (1987)
 * Alice's First Words (1989)
 * Smile for Elmo (2002)
 * The Adventures of Super Grover activity pad (2004)
 * Hooray for Our Heroes! (2005)
 * S is for School! (2006)
 * Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time (2007)
 * We're All Superheroes! (2007)
 * Super Grover to the Rescue! (2008)
 * Sesame Street Online Stories
 * "Elmo Goes to the Doctor"
 * "Goodnight Grover"
 * "The Nick of Rhyme"