Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade Township, New Jersey,[3] and graduated from Upper Dublin High School in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1996.
Tartaglia was also a digital puppeteer for the "Elmo's World" segments and performed the character Tingo on Sesame English.
He created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton and Rod in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q, which opened on July 31, 2003.
[11] Tartaglia played Pinocchio, Puss in Boots, and the Magic Mirror, and puppeteered the dragon in Shrek The Musical.
He created and wrote John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean, which ran Off-Broadway at New World Stages from March 31, 2010, to September 4, 2011.
[13] The show, featuring glow-in-the-dark puppets, was nominated for the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.