Spooky Nostalgia Comes to Life at the Center for Puppetry Arts with Cereal Saturday Night

Spend a nostalgic evening with Count Chocula and the gang.

Kick off spooky season at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, with a nostalgic mix of puppetry and cereal that’s sure to spark childhood memories.

What’s Happening:

  • On September 27, 2025, the Center for Puppetry Arts will host Cereal Saturday Night, a one-night-only event that will give guests a first look at the collaboration between the Jim Henson Company and General Mills’ iconic Monster Cereals.

  • Guests attending the event will be among the first to see the puppets of Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry, featured in a special pop-up exhibition celebrating the Jim Henson Company’s 70th Anniversary.
  • Get ready to snap photos of the new Monster puppets, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how they are made, enjoy a cereal bar stocked with your favorite Monster cereals, and retro 80s-90s tunes.
  • Tickets are $25 for non-members of the Museum for Puppetry Arts and $20 for members and can be purchased via the Center for Puppetry Arts’ website.
  • Please note this event is designed for attendees 18 and over.

History of the Jim Henson Company and Monster Cereals:

  • General Mills introduced its Monster Cereal line in the early 1970s. The first two cereals were Count Chocula and Franken Berry (1971), followed by Boo Berry (1973). The Jim Henson Company, then known as Muppets Inc., was hired to create live-action puppet versions of the Monster Cereal mascots for TV ads.
  • Jim Henson and his team built the puppets and provided the performances. Larry Kenney did many of the voices, while Muppeteers like Frank Oz performed the physical roles.
  • The puppets were built in the same style as early Sesame Street and The Muppet Show characters, with expressive faces and exaggerated movements to bring the mascots to life.
  • These puppet commercials stood out from typical animated cereal ads, giving the Monster characters a unique, tangible personality.
  • The ads helped cement Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry as enduring icons of breakfast culture.
  • Though later ads switched back to animation, the early puppet spots remain fan favorites and are often cited as a quirky part of Henson history.

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