"The Muppets" Movie Merchandise Sneak Peek

Muppet fans are awesome, you know that? Even before we saw the first trailer for The Muppets online, one Muppet fan, Julian Kleibeler, was scouring the innards (gross) of Amazon.com searching for upcoming merchandise that will be tied-in with the release of the film this fall. And boy, did he strike gold! Thanks to Julian, we now have detailed release information for not one, not two, not even four--but seven books being released this coming September and October all about the Muppets (as opposed to only The Muppets) (I don't get it either).


Anyway... check out the seven books below! You're welcome to follow the links and pre-order them if you'd like. Most of them are on sale on Amazon currently. Unfortunately, no pictures of the books have been released yet... so I hope you like walls of text!

The Muppets: Reader 1 [paperback, 32 pages]
Price: $3.99   EUR 2,99
Publisher: LB Kids
ISBN: 978-0316182973
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: Read all about Kermit the Frog and his zany friends in this illustrated early reader. © Disney
Author: Ray Santos is the author of numerous licensed children books including Power Rangers, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Super Hero Squad and Transformers. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

The Muppets: Reader 2 [paperback, 32 pages]
Price: $3.99   EUR 2,99
Publisher: LB Kids
ISBN: 978-0316182980
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: Meet all of the Muppet characters in this illustrated early reader. © Disney
Author: Ray Santos is the author of numerous licensed children books including Power Rangers, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Super Hero Squad and Transformers. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

The Muppets: The Muppet-tacular Ultimate Sticker Book (The Muppets Movie Tie-In) [paperback, 96 pages]
Price: $12.99    EUR 9,99
Publisher: LB Kids
ISBN: 978-0316182997
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: This giant sticker book includes tons of fun stickers to use as you help the Muppets put on a show. Use the section of reusable stickers with The Muppets: The Muppet Show Stage Set: A Punch Out-and-Play Model Book for even more fun! © Disney
Author: Alexis has written over 30 books for children. She lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband and little fluffy dog named Ernie.

The Muppets: The Muppet Show Stage Set: A Punch Out-and-Play Model Book (The Muppets Movie Tie-In) [paperback, 12 pages]
Price: $8.99   EUR 6,99 

Publisher: LB Kids
ISBN: 978-0316183000
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: Punch out all the pieces and put together your own Muppet Theater stage set, complete with curtain and backdrop! Includes Muppet standees so you can put on your own show! No other materials are required for assembly. Works with the The Muppets: The Muppet-tacular Ultimate Sticker Book for even more fun! © Disney

Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet [hardcover, 240 pages]
Price: $12.99   EUR 9,99 (currently about $ 14.05)
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0316183024
Release date: September 5, 2011
Description: On a scale of one to ten, sixth-grader Danvers Blickensderfer's life is a solid minus two. But he really hits rock bottom when he auditions for the local talent show: his death-defying hula-hooping-ninja tribute to Gonzo the Great is beat out by the world's most obnoxious middle school boy band, Emo Shun. With his daredevil dreams dashed, Danvers goes to bed... and wakes up feeling a little fuzzy-literally! He's turned into a Muppet! Fortunately, there's an internship open at the Muppet Theater and Danvers has a chance to meet his long-nosed, stunt-lovin' hero! All aboard The Electric Mayhem bus as this misfit makes good and joins the zaniest crew ever: The Muppets! © Disney
Author: Kirk Scroggs is one quarter Muppet by birth. As a child, he used his Pigs in Space lunch box for so long, his mom finally declared it a rusty, toxic health hazard and gave it to his little brother. Originally from Austin, Texas, Kirk now lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys doodling, spray tans, and writing important literature like Wiley and Grampa's Creature Features: Hair Ball From Outer Space.

The Muppets: The Movie Junior Novel (The Muppets Movie Tie-In) [paperback, 144 pages]
Price: $5.99   EUR 4,99 

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0316183031
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: Based on the new movie, this junior novelization features an 8-page insert of movie photos! © Disney
Author: Katharine Turner lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Frogs Are Funny: The Most Sensational, Inspirational, Celebrational, Muppetational Muppets Joke Book EVER! [hardcover, 208 pages]
Price: $14.99   EUR 10,99 (currently about $ 15.46)
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0316183116
Release date: October 11, 2011
Description: A bright and fun collection of some of the best jokes, one-liners, and comedy bits ever spouted by your favorite Muppet characters, illustrated with full color photos of the Muppets. A must-have for Muppets fans of all ages!

So... exciting, right? I'm pretty excited about the joke book, the stage display, and the sticker book. On the other hand, I'm beyond confused by the sixth-grader Muppet book... but hey, whatever works, right? Gotta have something for the kids!


Speaking of having things for niche markets... there is one other piece of merchandise we know of currently: Muppet-themed nail polish. The nail polish is being released by OPI (which is apparently a nail polish company). No price point is set as of yet, but they did release the names of all the various colors, so... here's that:

• Animal-istic
• Meep-Meep-Meep 
• Wocka Wocka! 
• Pepe’s Purple Paassion 
• Designer…de Better! 
• Warm & Fozzie 
• Rainbow Connection 
• Excuse Moi! 
• Gone Gonzo! 
• Fresh Frog of Bel Air 
• Divine Swine
• Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It!

Well, this piece of merchandise definitely isn't my scene. But, there are a few notable things about this release. For one, there's a color for Pepe. A lot of fans have been worried about his involvement in the film, so this might be a good sign that he is in the movie in some capacity. Granted, a nail polish color in a random merchandise release does not guarantee anything at all... but it might? Also... how awesome is that image of all the Muppets just hanging out? Floyd strumming his guitar, Scooter and Fozzie, Zoot and Janice talking, Statler and Waldorf, Kermit and Piggy, Gonzo and Camilla... LOVE IT!

And that's all we have so far. I'm keeping my eyes open for more Muppet stuff popping up online to tie-in with the movie. If you find anything, Muppet fans, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or by emailing Ryan Dosier at ryguy102390@gmail.com.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier