Erik J. Meijer

Erik J. Meijer is a Dutch puppeteer who performed Pino on the Dutch co-production of Sesame Street, Sesamstraat from 1980-1984. His most famous line of Pino was "Huuuuh?!" which was used on most of his record albums. Erik has also appeared in several Dutch films like Because of the Cats and The Fourth Man while television landed him in The Machinist and Medical Center West. Meijer could have operated other characters during his time on Sesamstraat. His performance on the series ended in 1984 after arguments with the director. I've read that he took the Pino puppet with him and used it without permission for opening malls. I believe that would be considered copyright infringement since Erik J. Meijer does Pino for other uses without asking. Luckily the real Pino was taken over by two additional Dutch puppeteers. He got to work alongside others like Catherine van Woerden and Bert Plagman, to name a few. Erik is now running his own film production studio alongside his wife, which is probably still open today, otherwise closed down. Meijer is either acting, puppeteering, or filmmaking at his own production studio. I wonder if he ever got caught for performing Pino without permission outside. If he did, he wouldn't be able to have his production studio at all. Erik J. Meijer, you're a strange puppeteer and probably the only puppeteer to be doing something illegal in the past. I hope that you will never do something crazy like that ever again. Nobody should arrest him for doing that. Keep working on screen at your studio Erik. You will never be considered one of the lawbreakers in society by me Meijer!