Jeff Hale, animator of "Sesame Street"'s Pinball Count and the Lenny Bruce short "Thank You Mask Man," dies at 92

Jeff Hale, the England-born animator who created the Lenny Bruce short "Thank You Mask Man" and worked extensively for animation that appeared on "Sesame Street," passed away in February at the age of 92.  Cartoon Brew has the full story, but here is one of his most noteworthy works, a compilation of the "Pinball Count" shorts (with vocals by the Pointer Sisters!) that appeared on "Sesame Street" starting in 1976.  12345, 678910... 11, 12...

Psychedelic Tomato (1969) from "Sesame Street"

Look, I have no idea.  Apparently it aired on "Sesame Street," but it's more like the trip sequence from a drug scare film.

Morning Cartoons: The work of Jim Simon provided a little-seen African-American voice to '70s animation

Jim Simon was one of the few African-American voices in '70s animation, lending his unique style to a number of a great shorts for "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company."  Below are a little over seven minutes of his shorts, which, sadly, seems to be the total of his work available online.  (Doesn't the idea of sending a small child out for groceries seem weirdly antiquated?)  Read more about Simon here.

Watch This Thing - "Cracks," a rare 1975 animated short from "Sesame Street"

"Cracks" (or "Crack Master") is one of the most sought-out of "Sesame Street" shorts, and its notoriety became almost legendary over the years.  The tale of a youngster who images the cracks in his walls are creatures is still pretty great (especially if you can watch it unironically, though that may be tough with those who giggle at the thought of "crack" being every fifth word), and you can read about the history of this oddity here, and you can just watch it below:

Watch This Thing - Start your weekend off right by discoing with Grover!

What better way to practice your ABCs by boogieing with everyone's favorite gangly blue Muppet? Have a great weekend, everyone!