Kip Rathke

Kip Rathke (Philip Kevin Rathke) is a puppet, toy and graphic designer who started out gluing feathers on Big Bird for designer Kermit Love. He later spent several years with 3/Design Studio, working on Eureeka's Castle and the Howie Mandel film Little Monsters. Returning to the Muppets, he built the original Bear head and Treelo for Bear in the Big Blue House, and designed the controversial Spa'am for Muppet Treasure Island. Kip won a Daytime Emmy 96/97 for Costume Design/Styling (which is what they lump puppets under) as part of the Henson team on the Sesame Street holiday special, Elmo Saves Christmas.

Additionally, he has created graphic materials, set pieces and merchandise for the New York-based theater company, Circus Amok and a line of greeting cards for the legendary foam-haired diva, Orangeena.

He is currently Creative Director at Sesame Workshop, overseeing the design of all Sesame Street licensed toys and themed entertainment. Among these: Palisades' Super Grover Action Figure, Fisher-Price/Mattel's historic line and the ongoing Hasbro line, including the TOTY Award-winning Big Hugs Elmo. In the world of theme parks, he helped develop Sesame's Forest of Fun and Safari of Fun at Busch Gardens, Sesame attractions for Universal Studios Japan and Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase at Universal Studios Singapore.