Honourable Mentions: Count Von Count

First appearing in Season 4 of Sesame Street, 1972-73, Count Von Count became a firm favourite of kids around the world including me. With his mock Lugosi accent and evening wear he was every inch the stereotyped vampire (based around the stereotype developed through the ’31 Dracula) and, being a kids show, his role was educational.

In some traditions vampires are obsessive compulsive. Some traditions say that if you throw grain on the floor the vampire must stop and count the grains – a device sometimes used in filmic depiction. Count Von Count was no different, he just had to count, and the counting (at least early on) was accompanied by maniacal laughter and thunder. He was also able to indulge in a little eye-mojo to hypnotise other characters.

Of course he didn’t sleep in a coffin, was unaffected by the sun and could not transform into a bat – although he had plenty of pet bats in his cobweb festooned castle. So here’s to Count Von Count, a worthwhile honourable mention.

The imdb page for Sesame Street is here.

One, hah hah hah, two, hah hah hah, three…