Pee-Wee's Playhouse

Come in, and pull yourself up a chair (like Chairry)!

This was designed and sized to match to the NECA toys Pee-Wee Herman figures, the Chairry by Abisai Elizondo, and the Mattel Cindi Lauper.

There were no clear images online of the Playhouse, so I had to take some screen captures and piece things together.  The wall behind Mr. Window was taken from the 1980's Matchbox Playset.  The floor design had to be completely recreated as there were no good images of that floor.  The walls were recreated as well, but the door was taken from the last stage show Pee-Wee did before he passed away.

Johnny the Worm: Winner, Richard Wright Literary Award

Written by June Stephens Griffith when her kids were little, her children Tricia and Ed reached out to me to do the illustrations for the book.  Published in a limited quantity, Johnny the Worm is the story of a little worm who doesn't listen to his parents and finds himself in a dirt load of trouble.

As part of the book layout, the title and ending pages contain Ms. Griffith's own handwriting from her journal where the story was written.  

In summer 2026, the book was nominated for a Richard Wright Literary Award for the text, and it won for "Best Children's Fiction 2026!"  Ed Griffith, who was the videographer and editor for both of The Muley and Friends Show TV Specials, accepted the award for his mom, and invited me onto the stage.

For the group picture at the end, I drew a picture of Johnny so he could be included as well.  Both the award and the drawing are home with the Griffith family.

This isn't the first award shared with Ed Griffith, as our 48-Hour Film Festival short "The Spy Who Fleeced Me" won best in show, then went on to the regional competition.

Fisher Price Sesame Street Playset #938

The box that the playset came in has some really great designs.  There is something special about vintage packaging.  

Fisher-Price Little People 938 - Sesame Street Playset

Reaching into the archives, and not far because I love this playset, comes the 1970 Fisher Price #938 Sesame Street Playset.  This came with many, many great accessories and characters.  I have the original box (see the next post) and a spectacular version of the playset.  

But, the interior walls were just plain.

The right-hand wall lithograph needed to be recreated.

I wanted the front walls to have design to them, so I went to work.  Screen captures of Bob's apartment, Ernie and Bert's apartment, Gordon and Susan's apartment, and Hooper's Store helped me recreate the scenes.

The windows needed to be "window-y" so I took flat pieces of plastic and glued them over the window frames.

I printed the images I created in my computer, mounted to thin cardboard, and pushed them into place.  It required a photo like the above, and measuring the walls, to create these new walls to slide into position.

New right-hand wall litho is added.

Background images created from the show, including the 

open window, and Mr. Hooper's portrait in the top right corner.

I used the portrait of Ernie and Bert from the show,

including their lamp and curtains.

The wall and curtains came from the TV show.

Here are some items in process, including Big Bird's nest.  Oscar's area is from the TV show.

The brick wall* of Big Bird's nest is from the show. The little brick wall is by me from a wall of my house, the ground completely designed in my computer.  

*The tall wall is made from composites from the show, but through the window, you see into Gordon and Susan's kitchen as it is on the toy.  

The doors were borrowed with permission from the artist whose father worked on Sesame Street.  The artist is Jordan Orlando.  More images will follow the next two 'in process' images.

I recreated the Big Bird wall on the left with bits

from the TV show.

Oscar's can area was recreated from the TV show.

Two props were added to this, Ernie's painting of Bert with a beard and the children's television Workshop sign.