Although uncredited, famed comic book artist Joe Orlando (1927-1998), the associate publisher of Mad magazine, figures into the development of this TV series. The unusual designs of the live-action characters in "The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys" are based on fantasy characters created by Orlando for a series of well-remembered 1960s/1970s comic book ads. Sea monkeys are a variety of Artemia (crustaceans such as Brine Shrimp or Seed Shrimps), successfully marketed as a "pet" product due to the appealing underwater fantasies depicted by Orlando in his cartoon ad illustrations. Photos of actress-model Yolanda Signorelli, wearing her crystal "Sea-Bubble", were packaged with Sea Monkey products during the 1960s, and her image was a partial inspiration for Orlando's rendering of the female Sea Monkeys. Orlando's ad art has been reprinted in Susan Barclay's book, "The Ultimate Guide to Sea Monkeys" (2001).