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[[Image:Toon-Cracks.jpg|thumb|300px|The girl and the crack animals meet the Crack Master.]]
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[[File:Toon-Cracks.jpg|thumb|300px|The girl and the crack animals meet the Crack Master.]]
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[[File:Cracks - Short|thumb|300 px|The short, posted by the Lost Media Wiki]]
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[[File:Cracks - Short|thumb|300px|The short, posted by the Lost Media Wiki]]
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[[File:Cracks - Spanish dub|thumb|300 px|Spanish dub of the short, aired in the 1990s on ''Plaza SΓ©samo''.]]
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[[File:Cracks 01.jpg|thumb|300px]]
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[[File:Cracks 02.jpg|thumb|300px]]
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[[File:Cracks 03.jpg|thumb|300px]]
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[[File:Cracks 04.jpg|thumb|300px]]
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[[File:Cracks - Spanish dub|thumb|300px|Spanish dub aired in the 1990s on ''Plaza SΓ©samo''.]]
   
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'''"Cracks"''' is an animated musical insert produced for ''[[Sesame Street]]'' in the 1970s.
'''"Cracks"''' was an animated musical insert produced for ''[[Sesame Street]]'' in the 1970s. "Cracks" tells the story of a young girl who has an adventure with the cracks in her wall, including a crack camel, hen, and monkey. They soon encounter the "Crack Master," an angry creature that tries to scare them but ultimately ends up destroying the plaster around it from being too mean. The camel returns the girl to her room and she decides to play with the cracks another day. The CTW archival notes for [[Episode 0979]]Β at the [[University of Maryland]] describe the short as teaching "Divergent Thinking," the process of generating creative ideas using many possible solutions.
 
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__TOC__
 
A young girl is unable to go outside to play because of the rain, and so she imagines the cracks in her wall form a camel. The camel takes her on an adventure through the wall where she meets a hen and a monkey, also made out of cracks. They soon encounter the "Crack Master," an angry creature that tries to scare them but ultimately ends up destroying the plaster around it as a result of being too mean. The camel returns the girl to her room and, seeing the rain has stopped, she goes outside to play while hoping to see the cracks again another day. The CTW archival notes for [[Episode 0979]] at the [[University of Maryland]] describe the short as teaching "Divergent Thinking," the process of generating creative ideas using many possible solutions.<ref>[http://lostmediawiki.com/images/5/50/CTW_archive_crack_master.jpg CTW Archive notes for Episode 0979].</ref>
   
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The segment's earliest known appearance was in [[Episode 0818]] and it remained in circulation as one of the show's recurring animated segments until 1980, its last known appearance being [[Episode 1430]]. However, the insert was later dubbed and aired on several episodes ofΒ [[Plaza SΓ©samo]] in the 1990s.
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The segment's earliest known appearance was in [[Episode 0818]]. It remained in circulation as one of the show's recurring animated segments until 1980, its last known appearance being [[Episode 1430]]. However, the insert was later dubbed and aired on several episodes of ''[[Plaza SΓ©samo]]'' in the 1990s.
   
  +
In the years since its last appearance on the show, "Cracks" gathered a cult following on the internet due to its relative obscurity and the mystery of who created it.
On September 20, 2008, the blog ''Tail O' the Rat'' posted about "The Crack Monster!" The post was an illustrated recollection of the insert by cartoonist Jennifer Bourne. Bourne had been attempting to find the short online for some time and had even made posts on some Muppet-themed message boards and Snopes, but could only find other Internet users who similarly recalled the short but were unable to find it.<ref name>[http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2008/09/crack-monster.html Tail O' the Rat: "The Crack Monster!"]</ref> Soon a small conglomeration of people attempting to find the short formed, although they found little success.<ref name="slate">"[https://slate.com/culture/2019/02/sesame-streets-cracks-video-watch.html How an Internet Obsession Resurrected a Creepy, Long-Lost Sesame Street Cartoon]." Slate.</ref>
 
   
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==The Search for the Missing Short==
Voiceover actor Jon Armond had also been searching for the short for several decades, and at one point contacted [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]] itself but was told the studio did not know anything about the insert. Eventually, Armond received a fax from an untraceable number offering to send him a copy of the short on the condition that he not share it with anyone, nor could he release it to the public. Armond agreed, and shortly after received an envelope containing a DVD with the short. Although he showed the recording to Bourne and some fans and even screened it at a public event, he kept his contractual obligation. Nonetheless, Armond made a 2009 audio documentary describing the short in detail with a recreated soundtrack.<ref name="slate"/>
 
 
On September 20, 2008, cartoonist Jennifer Bourne posted about "The Crack Monster!" on her blog ''Tail O' the Rat''. The post was an illustrated recollection of "Cracks," which Bourne had been trying to find for some time but could only find other internet users who also remembered it.<ref>[http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2008/09/crack-monster.html "The Crack Monster!"] Tail O' the Rat.</ref> Soon, a small conglomeration of people trying to find the "Cracks" short formed, although they had little success.<ref name="slate">"[https://slate.com/culture/2019/02/sesame-streets-cracks-video-watch.html How an Internet Obsession Resurrected a Creepy, Long-Lost Sesame Street Cartoon]." Slate.</ref>
   
 
One of them, voiceover actor Jon Armond (who had been searching for "Cracks" for several decades), eventually received a fax from an untraceable number offering to send him a copy of the short on the condition that he not share it publicly. Armond agreed, and shortly after received an envelope containing a DVD with the short. Although he privately showed the recording to Bourne and some fans, and even screened it at an event, he kept his contractual obligation and did not release the short to the public. Nonetheless, Armond made a 2009 audio documentary describing the short in detail with a recreated soundtrack.<ref name="slate"/>
Daniel Wilson, the founder of the Lost Media Wiki (a website dedicated to finding lost material), continued his search for the short for several years afterward so it could be released to the public. He had little success until in December 2013 when an anonymous email sent him a message that simply included the "Cracks" short. Wilson subsequently posted the video on YouTube.<ref name="slate"/> Bourne confirmed the copy Wilson had was different from Armond's, noting Armond's tape appeared to have been taken out of an episode due to a short 2-second appearance of Bert and Ernie right before the clip (possibly [[Episode 0848]]), whereas Wilson's recording seemed to have come from a film archive due to it having a title card.<ref>"[http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2013/12/come-visit-cracks.html Come visit the Cracks...!]" Tail O' the Rat.</ref> The title card sports the production code "06-0431," suggesting it was produced for [[Season 6]].
 
   
 
Daniel Wilson (founder of the Lost Media Wiki) continued his search for another copy that could be released to the public, ultimately receiving his own recording of "Cracks" in December 2013 via an anonymous email. Wilson subsequently posted the video on YouTube.<ref name="slate"/> Bourne confirmed the copy Wilson has is different from Armond's, noting Armond's tape appeared to have been taken out of an episode due to a short two second appearance of [[Bert]] and [[Ernie]] right before the clip (possibly [[Episode 0848]]), whereas Wilson's recording appears to come from a film archive due to it having a title card.<ref>"[http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2013/12/come-visit-cracks.html Come visit the Cracks...!]" Tail O' the Rat.</ref> The title card, which confirms the segment's title, sports the production code "06-0431," suggesting it was produced for [[Season 6 (1974-1975)|Season 6]].
Although the short had been found, the questions of who created the short and why it had become so obscure remained unanswered. In 2019, ''Studio 360'' producer Kurt Andersen began an investigation into the creation of the short. He spoke directly with executive producer [[Benjamin Lehmann]], who showed him the insert was in fact in the digital archive. Lehmann could not give an official explanation as to why the short was phased out, but noted the start of the War on Drugs coincided with when the short was taken out of circulation – the insert's liberal use of the term "crack" was a possible concern. He also suggested the insert, which describes a house with cracks all over the walls, was seen as insensitive during the New York housing crisis in the 1970s.<ref name="studio360">[https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-21/crack-monster-mystery-behind-creepiest-cartoon-sesame-street The Crack Monster: The mystery behind the creepiest cartoon on β€˜Sesame Street’]. Studio 360.</ref>
 
   
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==''Studio 360'' Investigation==
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Lehmann found that the insert was produced by a studio called "P Imagination," but could not find any information about it. The only lead Andersen could find was a studio called "Imagination, Inc.," run by ''Sesame Street'' animator [[Jeff Hale]]. Unfortunately, Andersen could not follow up on this: Imagination, Inc. closed in 1979 and Hale passed in 2015.<ref name="studio360"/>
 
 
In 2019, following the internet's reaction to the discovery of "Cracks," ''Studio 360'' host Kurt Andersen began an investigation into who created the segment. He spoke directly with ''Sesame Street'' executive producer [[Benjamin Lehmann]], who showed the insert was easily accessible in ''Sesame Street''’s digital archive. Lehmann did not know why the short became so obscure, but suggested the liberal use of the term "crack" could have been viewed as inappropriate during the War on Drugs in the 1980s.<ref name="studio360">[https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-21/crack-monster-mystery-behind-creepiest-cartoon-sesame-street The Crack Monster: The mystery behind the creepiest cartoon on β€˜Sesame Street’]. Studio 360.</ref>
   
  +
Lehmann found a studio called "P. Imagination" animated the insert, but could not find any further information. Andersen noted the name was similar to "Imagination, Inc.," the animation studio run by ''Sesame Street'' animator [[Jeff Hale]], but privately doubted the short was Hale's work. He could not follow up, however, as Imagination, Inc. closed in 1979 and Hale died in 2015. After some further investigation, [[Joe Hennes]] gave Andersen the credits for the music: saxophonist Mel Martin, radio producer Peter Scott, and vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz, the former lead singer of the experimental rock band The United States of America.<ref name="studio360"/>
Undeterred, Andersen decided to find anyone else who could have contributed to the short. After some investigation, [[Joe Hennes]] gave Andersen the credits for the music: saxophonist Mel Martin, radio producer Peter Scott, and vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz, the former lead singer of the experimental rock band United States of America. Andersen was able to contact Moskowitz, who was stunned to learn of the short's cult infamy. She was able to provide information on the recording of the short, which she dubbed "the most goddamn strange recording session I ever attended": Moskowitz performed the vocals by improvising music where she felt it was appropriate in the text, and Martin added music to her narration. Moskowitz could not tell Andersen who animated the short, but remembered a woman whose name she could not recall (besides being "vaguely hippy-ish") was present at the recording session. She suspected the woman was either the animator or someone from the animation studio.<ref name="studio360"/>
 
  +
 
Moskowitz, who now works as a music teacher in California, was unaware of the short's cult following until Andersen contacted her for an interview. She provided information on the recording of the music, which she dubbed "the most goddamn strange recording session I ever attended": Moskowitz performed the vocals by improvising the melody where she felt it was appropriate in the text, and Martin added music to her narration. Moskowitz could not tell Andersen who animated the short, but remembered a woman whose name she could not recall (besides being "vaguely hippy-ish") was present at the recording session. She suspected the woman was either the animator or someone from the animation studio.<ref name="studio360"/>
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==Who Made It?==
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As of 2019, it is still not known who or what studio animated "Cracks." Animators who confirmed the short is not their work include the following:
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  +
* Cosmo Anzilotti<ref>[http://lostmediawiki.com/images/e/ee/Cosmo_anzilotti_letter_dycaite.jpg Letter from Cosmo Anzilotti to Daniel Wilson, founder of Lost Media Wiki].</ref>
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* [[Cathryn Aison]]<ref>Private correspondence with Muppet Wiki co-founder Scott Hanson.</ref>
   
 
==Sources==
 
==Sources==
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<references />[[Category:Sandbox]]
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<references />
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__NOWYSIWYG__
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[[Category:Sesame Street Animated Segments]]

Revision as of 11:53, 18 December 2019

Toon-Cracks

The girl and the crack animals meet the Crack Master.

Cracks_-_Short

Cracks - Short

The short, posted by the Lost Media Wiki

Cracks 01
Cracks 02
Cracks 03
Cracks 04
File:Cracks - Spanish dub

Spanish dub aired in the 1990s on Plaza SΓ©samo.

"Cracks" is an animated musical insert produced for Sesame Street in the 1970s.

A young girl is unable to go outside to play because of the rain, and so she imagines the cracks in her wall form a camel. The camel takes her on an adventure through the wall where she meets a hen and a monkey, also made out of cracks. They soon encounter the "Crack Master," an angry creature that tries to scare them but ultimately ends up destroying the plaster around it as a result of being too mean. The camel returns the girl to her room and, seeing the rain has stopped, she goes outside to play while hoping to see the cracks again another day. The CTW archival notes for Episode 0979 at the University of Maryland describe the short as teaching "Divergent Thinking," the process of generating creative ideas using many possible solutions.[1]

The segment's earliest known appearance was in Episode 0818. It remained in circulation as one of the show's recurring animated segments until 1980, its last known appearance being Episode 1430. However, the insert was later dubbed and aired on several episodes of Plaza SΓ©samo in the 1990s.

In the years since its last appearance on the show, "Cracks" gathered a cult following on the internet due to its relative obscurity and the mystery of who created it.

The Search for the Missing Short

On September 20, 2008, cartoonist Jennifer Bourne posted about "The Crack Monster!" on her blog Tail O' the Rat. The post was an illustrated recollection of "Cracks," which Bourne had been trying to find for some time but could only find other internet users who also remembered it.[2] Soon, a small conglomeration of people trying to find the "Cracks" short formed, although they had little success.[3]

One of them, voiceover actor Jon Armond (who had been searching for "Cracks" for several decades), eventually received a fax from an untraceable number offering to send him a copy of the short on the condition that he not share it publicly. Armond agreed, and shortly after received an envelope containing a DVD with the short. Although he privately showed the recording to Bourne and some fans, and even screened it at an event, he kept his contractual obligation and did not release the short to the public. Nonetheless, Armond made a 2009 audio documentary describing the short in detail with a recreated soundtrack.[3]

Daniel Wilson (founder of the Lost Media Wiki) continued his search for another copy that could be released to the public, ultimately receiving his own recording of "Cracks" in December 2013 via an anonymous email. Wilson subsequently posted the video on YouTube.[3] Bourne confirmed the copy Wilson has is different from Armond's, noting Armond's tape appeared to have been taken out of an episode due to a short two second appearance of Bert and Ernie right before the clip (possibly Episode 0848), whereas Wilson's recording appears to come from a film archive due to it having a title card.[4] The title card, which confirms the segment's title, sports the production code "06-0431," suggesting it was produced for Season 6.

Studio 360 Investigation

In 2019, following the internet's reaction to the discovery of "Cracks," Studio 360 host Kurt Andersen began an investigation into who created the segment. He spoke directly with Sesame Street executive producer Benjamin Lehmann, who showed the insert was easily accessible in Sesame Street’s digital archive. Lehmann did not know why the short became so obscure, but suggested the liberal use of the term "crack" could have been viewed as inappropriate during the War on Drugs in the 1980s.[5]

Lehmann found a studio called "P. Imagination" animated the insert, but could not find any further information. Andersen noted the name was similar to "Imagination, Inc.," the animation studio run by Sesame Street animator Jeff Hale, but privately doubted the short was Hale's work. He could not follow up, however, as Imagination, Inc. closed in 1979 and Hale died in 2015. After some further investigation, Joe Hennes gave Andersen the credits for the music: saxophonist Mel Martin, radio producer Peter Scott, and vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz, the former lead singer of the experimental rock band The United States of America.[5]

Moskowitz, who now works as a music teacher in California, was unaware of the short's cult following until Andersen contacted her for an interview. She provided information on the recording of the music, which she dubbed "the most goddamn strange recording session I ever attended": Moskowitz performed the vocals by improvising the melody where she felt it was appropriate in the text, and Martin added music to her narration. Moskowitz could not tell Andersen who animated the short, but remembered a woman whose name she could not recall (besides being "vaguely hippy-ish") was present at the recording session. She suspected the woman was either the animator or someone from the animation studio.[5]

Who Made It?

As of 2019, it is still not known who or what studio animated "Cracks." Animators who confirmed the short is not their work include the following:

  • Cosmo Anzilotti[6]

Sources