Count von Count: 8 Fun Facts about the Sesame Street Vampire
Count von Count
What is the name of the vampire on Sesame Street? No, it’s not Count Dracula. Count von Count. Or just the Count. NOT Count Dracula.
The Count is undoubtedly Kevin’s favorite character. He h as been for quite a few years. Kevin met The Count several times at Sesame Street character Meet and Greets. Oscar is a close second.
He has a Count doll that he just adores. We take it everywhere. He sleeps with it and he goes with him to school most days.
His bedroom is all decorated with Sesame Street room decor.
The Count on Sesame Street
Recently we had a Count crisis.
We were at my other son’s basketball game, and somehow, we left without the Count. Of course the game was on a weekend so I couldn’t reach anyone at the school until Monday.
When Monday came, all kinds of school personnel were looking for it. The teachers even pulled out all the bleachers in the gym and looked. No luck.
Several people sent me Count von Count dolls, but it wasn’t exactly the same. You know how it is–for some kids, it has to be exact.
Thankfully a cousin was able to replace the doll. I saved the tag that was fastened to his hand, because it had the sku number on it. That sku number helped me order a whole case of new Count dolls. Yes, really.
Because he does have other Count dolls, but he’s very particular about this one.
I couldn’t care less about what people think about my child carrying around a doll, it makes him happy and comforts him. But I have learned that there is a ton of misinformation about there about Count.
What is the name of the Vampire on Sesame Street?
Since we take Count with us everywhere, we hear lots of comments about him.
I have had dozens of people call him “Count Dracula.”
Gasp!
Even a few “Count Chocula” references. What is wrong with you people?
His name is Count von Count.
I thought I’d share some fun facts about our favorite counting vampire.
The Count-Sesame Street Character
If he’s not a vampire, what do we call him?
- His name is Count von Count.
- The Count’s love of numbers isn’t exactly just a play on his name. Vampires are supposed to have arithmomania — a strong need to count surrounding objects. (from Huffington Post)
- On official Sesame Street websites and PR materials, there is never a reference to him calling him a vampire.
- The “ah ah ah ah” thing that he does after counting disappeared in the mid-1970s as it was thought to frighten children.
- He has had multiple girlfriends over the series of the show, all of them referred to as a Countess.
- Count was performed by one man, Jerry Nelson, for 40 years. Mr. Nelson also did the Amazing Mumford and several other characters until his death in 2012.
- Count has an uncle named Uncle Uno.
- There are several references to the Count being Romanian, including his accent and how he names his cats.
Sesame Street The Count: Dolls and Toys
Sometimes I feel like we have every Count von Count doll that there is. Then I go to a consignment sale or something and I find more. Ebay and Amazon are also great places to look. Or etsy.
Bonus Count Von Count tip:
The Count does not appear in the 2018 traveling performance of Sesame Street Live. However while we were there, cast members assured me that he will be in the 2019 production.