|
Yakking with the Kratt Brothers
Christopher shows his hermit crab to Chris Kratt at the 56 WTVS Store of Knowledge at Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan. Chris and Martin visited the store to sign books and talk with kids. (Photo by Tahra Makison-Sanders) Unless you've been living in a cave, you probably know Martin and Chris Kratt, the hosts of "Kratts' Creatures," the PBS show. In fact, if you lived in a cave you might just run into the Kratts, who travel the world introducing viewers to amazing creatures. This month, Martin and Chris launch a new Web site and fan club. The Kratts' Creatures Web site is online now. Check it out at www.pbs.org/kratts We yakked with them about their adventures: Did you ever dream you'd be doing this? Martin: We always knew we wanted to work with animals, but we had no idea we'd end up on TV. Chris: All the shows about animals were S-L-O-W and boring. We wanted something fast, fun - we wanted to share the adventure of being out there with the creatures.
How did you get started? Martin: The idea for a TV show just came to us it probably happened on the phone. We were both in college and we talked a lot on the phone about what we wanted to do. We don't remember the exact moment, but we decided to try to make a TV show about animals. Somehow we ended up in Costa Rica for three months with a tent and a camera. Chris: Every morning we went out and filmed whatever we saw - jaguars, sloths We brought the video back and edited it in our basement. Martin:We took the first film around to schools and got advice from real critics - kids - they told us what they liked and didn't like and what they wanted to see more of. They gave us great advice. (The Kratts went on to make another show and PBS decided to produce it.) What's the coolest thing about your job? Martin: Meeting the creatures out there in the wild and finding out how they live we hang out with them to find out what they are really like. Chris: We do a lot of crazy stuff, like taking mud baths with elephants, or tasting flowers We're willing to do what the animals do so we can find out what it's like to be one. Another cool thing is that we are constantly learning. Kids ask us great questions and sometimes we have to go research the answers. The other day, a kid asked me if spiders see in color. We just get such imaginative questions. Were you creature lovers when you were kids? Martin: Oh sure, every summer we lived in a tent. Our parents took us to Vermont camping for three months. We wandered around looking for snakes, bugs, frogs, moose, that's when our creature adventuring started. And back home in New Jersey, we'd watch raccoons in our backyard. Chris: One of my early animal memories is bringing home three baby ducklings for the weekend from my kindergarten class. We put them in a crib to sleep and got a kiddie pool for them to splash around in. The whole family played with them. Did you have any pets? Martin: We had a few dogs. When we were little we had Heidi, our Saint Bernard. She was like our nanny. We'd lay on her, ride her. She was great. Does your mom worry about you? Martin:: No, she wants to come with us. What's your favorite spot for creature adventures? Martin: The Amazon is a creature hot spot, but any place where the animals still have their habitat. Chris: There are so many places, but I love the Amazon, too, and Tasmania, and don't get me started. If you could bring back one animal from extinction, which one would you pick? Martin: That's a hard question, but I'll say the Tasmanian tiger. There is a tiny possibility that there could still be a few Tasmanian tigers. Chris: I'd love to see a giant ground sloth. Do you take any thing special from home? Martin:We take energy bars. We don't take a lot, but we always talk about what we're going to eat when we get home. What was at the top of your list? Martin:A big bowl of fetuccine or spaghetti. Chris:: Pizza. By Janis Campbell, (To join the Creature Club, ask an adult to send a check for $10.95 to Kratts' Creatures Fan Club, 23852 Pacific Coast Highway, Box 755, Malibu, CA 90265. Members get a T-shirt, poster, washable tattoos and newsletters filled with creature facts.) |
Content © 1997 Detroit Free Press. All
rights reserved.
