ALF, that endearing alien hatched in Greater New Haven, might get a statue

The TV sitcom "ALF." The TV sitcom "ALF." Photo: NBC Photo: NBC Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close ALF, that endearing alien hatched in Greater New Haven, might get a statue 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — ALF — yes, that’s short for alien life form — may get his day again in Greater New Haven.

A local resident is raising money to erect a statue of Alf, the brainchild of a native son of the greater New Haven area, in a city park.

ALF, a puppet representing an “alien life form,” with a poor attitude and a penchant for cats, was the star of a sitcom that aired on NBC in the late 1980s.

The character was created by Paul Fusco, a graduate of and former audiovisual teacher at Hamden High School.

Now, Ray Willis would like to honor this contribution to the legacy of greater New Haven.

Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Connecticut's strange attractions 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

He’s raising funds to have a bronze statue of ALF created, which would then be placed in one of the city’s parks.

“For far too long we have ignored this cornerstone of our cultural heritage. I say that ends now. I have spoken to the Parks Department & other organizations who manage public land & got a quote for a life sized bronze ALF sculpture to commemorate our galactic savior,” said Willis as part of his FundRazr campaign. “With enough public support it’s entirely feasible for us to erect it in one of our city parks, and can be manufactured for the extremely reasonable price of a cool $10,000.... This is an incredibly feasible dream that we can make a reality.”

Willis began his campaign Tuesday. Thus far, one contributor has put forward $5 toward the goal.

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william.lambert@hearstmediact.com