Ken Forsse
Born
Earl Kenneth Forsse

(1936-09-17)September 17, 1936
Bellwood, Nebraska, US[1]
DiedMarch 19, 2014(2014-03-19) (aged 77)
Laguna Woods, California, US[2]
OccupationInventor
Known forCreator of Teddy Ruxpin[3]
Spouse(s)Wendy Forsse (m. 1964 – her death in 1984);
Jan Forsse
​
(m. 1987)​

Earl Kenneth Forsse (September 17, 1936 – March 19, 2014) was an American inventor, author, and producer who created the toy Teddy Ruxpin and the subsequent animated series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.[4][5]

After working for The Walt Disney Company, Sid & Marty Krofft Entertainment and other entertainment companies, he founded Alchemy II, Inc. One of Alchemy II's first projects was building the animatronic characters used on the television show Welcome to Pooh Corner. Forsse and his team then brought Teddy Ruxpin to the marketplace.[6] Teddy Ruxpin became the top selling toy of 1985 and 1986[7][8] and was made by Worlds of Wonder.

In 2005, Alchemy II made an agreement with toy manufacturer BackPack Toys to have Teddy Ruxpin back on the shelves yet again and the toy made a return in 2006 before being discontinued again in 2010. In addition, the animated TV series was released for the first time on DVD in 2008.

Forsse died from congestive heart failure on March 19, 2014, aged 77.[9][10]

Forsse was not only one of the co-creators of Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction, but was also contracted by the Sid & Marty Krofft organization to design a haunted house attraction for their (short-lived) theme park in Atlanta.[11]

In other media

Independent filmmaker Billy Tooma spent four years researching and making Ken Forsse: Come Dream with Me Tonight, a nine-part docuseries on the man behind Teddy Ruxpin. It was produced by Grundo Gazette's Vincent Conroy and debuted on January 3, 2022.[12]

The Toys That Built America’s second season’s seventh episode, “80’s Tech Toys,” covered Forsse’s creation of the Teddy Ruxpin animated talking toy, with British actor, David Brooks, portraying the inventor.[13]

References

  1. ^ Martin, Douglas (9 April 2014). "Ken Forsse, Who Brought a Toy Bear to Life, Dies at 77". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Ken Forsse dies at 77; Teddy Ruxpin creator brought toy bear to life". Los Angeles Times. 14 April 2014.
  3. ^ Bates, James (January 19, 1988). "Problems of Toy's Producer Leave Its Creator in a Bind". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  4. ^ Goldstein, Alan (November 24, 1985). "Alchemy II Makes Technology Cuddly Company Tries to Conjure Up Cash With New Talking Bear". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  5. ^ Lovable Teddy Ruxpin evolves from toy to animated star of his own half-hour program thanks to Crawley Films, Toronto Star - October 31, 1987
  6. ^ "Teddy Ruxpin Online - Interview with Ken Forsse".
  7. ^ Teddy Ruxpin Earns Top Spot in 2006 Toy Awards, PRWeb, September 21, 2006. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  8. ^ Barmash, Isadore. "Talking Deals", The New York Times, March 19, 1987. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  9. ^ "Teddy Ruxpin's Creator, Ken Forsse, Passes Away". NBC News. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Ken Forsse, inventor of Teddy Ruxpin talking toy bear, dies at 77". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Last December 28th, 2013, my wife Zahava and I got the opportunity to visit…". Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  12. ^ Ken Forsse: Come Dream with Me Tonight (PART I), retrieved 2022-01-05
  13. ^ 80's Tech Toys, The Toys That Built America, 2022-12-04, retrieved 2022-12-26

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