Muppet Comic Mondays: Fraggle Rock #2

Fraggle Rock Comic Book #2

James Gannon - I have to be brutally honest here, due to the fact that Fraggle Rock was a cable show, a premium station no less, it took me almost 20 years to finally see it on DVD. Looking at it with a more critical adult eye, you can pick apart things you can truly appreciate and see how deep the program really is. And those same great things, I feel, are in these Fraggle Rock comics by Archaia Comics. As I said last time, there is just no comparison between these and the admittedly weak Marvel Comics series. I almost wish it was possible to send a copy to my childhood self so I could really get the Fraggle experience. These seem to capture the series even better than the pretty good but not the same thing cartoon series I had to make do with.

The first issue started with a bang, and the second one continues with it. This comic series does something that the last one didn’t: Doc appears fully drawn in the first story. Doc did appear in the other comic, but similar to his animated counterpart, his face wasn’t shown. Yeah, just like Nanny in Muppet Babies. Doc takes in a stray kitten until he can find the owner. A fight between the cat and Sprocket breaks out, causing the cat to flee into the Rock. Naturally, the monster from Outer Space causes panic, especially since it seems to hang around Wembely. And each Fraggle deals with getting rid of it their own way, leaving Mokey to get distracted and start writing poetry. This is really a story line that could very easily have been lifted from the show itself, featuring dead on character personalities and great painterly art.

Rounding out the issue, we get two more short comics. In the first story, Gobo gets a postcard from Uncle Matt where he encounters garbage and recycling trucks for the first time. I really hope this is a recurring segment. Even though he was on the B cover of issue 1, Uncle Matt was nowhere to be found inside. He’s pretty much my favorite character outside of the main five, and it’s his wonderful observations that are the reason why. And it’s executed wonderfully here, mimicking the TV series perfectly. Closing the issue off, Wembley gets stage fright, causing Convincing John to tell about his origin. Or rather, sing about it in his signature tune. Music in comics rarely works, unless you know the song’s tune of course. Though, if it is coming from Convincing John himself, you wonder if it actually is true. And of course, a cute little activity for the younglings, Mokey’s instructions for a mock Doozer tower construction (though I’m still waiting for someone to devise something so I could make a real one).

I usually close with a critique of the art, but I find it would take far too long at this point. They ALL do a great job and they all have their different style. And I always like to see that in an anthology series like Fraggle Rock is.  Jake Myler, Joanna Estep, and Fernando Pinto all adapt Fraggle Rock into different styles that are perfectly fitting with the characters and the artists themselves, and Leigh Dragoon, Adrianne Ambrose, and Neil Kleid clearly know the show and characters inside out and upside down. This is indeed a Fraggle Rock comic, and not a comic that just so happens to have Fraggle Rock in it. I will say this though… I like the idea of two short stories and one long, but I have to wonder... Wouldn’t it be something to see them mix the format up a bit, leading and ending with a short comic, while the main story is tucked in the middle?  I have to say, if the two shorter stories are broken up, it might have a different flow, provided it’s not in every issue.  Ah well, I can always read the comic that way myself.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Sesame Street Saturdays: The Top Ten Sesame Street Animation Inserts

Top Ten Sesame Street Animation Inserts

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - Sesame Street is perhaps best known for its Muppets, but the show also has a large number of great animated inserts as well. The following is a list of my top ten Sesame Street animated inserts. Note that this list does not include The King of 8 or Ladybug Picnic, two inserts that fans may expect to see in such a list. That is because while they are good, I do not care for them as much as other people may.

10. Henson S Claymation

A clay animated segment from the first episode featuring a snake named Sam, a skunk named Sissy, several soldiers, and other S words. Jim Henson provides the voice of Sam the Snake (not to be confused with Sammy the Snake) and some of the soldiers.

This was one in a series of clay animated letter segments from the first season, featuring the voice of Jim Henson. This S segment is the only one I’ve seen, and I feel it is underrated. It is a shame, because this cartoon is good, and I imagine that the others (which focus on such letters as Q and U) must be good as well.

9. Wanda the Witch

Another segment that premiered in the first episode, "Wanda the Witch" told the story of the title character who walked a pet weasel to a well to get water to wash her wig. It was animated by Tee Collins, who also animated the similar "Nancy the Nanny Goat" segment.

8. Pinball Number Count #2

I know, you may be thinking, how can I pick only one individual Pinball Animation segments? Well, this one show the ball traveling through a carnival setting, and I like the haunted house part of the carnival that gets glimpsed for a few seconds. 

7. The Alligator King

Bud Luckey did several great, memorable animated number segments for Sesame Street, including "Martian Beauty," "Ladybug Picnic," and others, but I think that his best is "The Alligator King." In it, an alligator king who is feeling down offers to give his crown to one of his seven sons, whichever one can cheer him up.

Side Note: I’ve been thinking, a couple of decades later, the video game Super Mario bros. 3 introduced King Koopa’s seven kids, and they are reptiles like alligators. Hmmm, could Nintendo have been inspired by this Sesame Street animation?

6. Suzie Kabloozie and the letter F

The late-1990s introduced us to Suzie Kabloozie and her cat, Feff, who were both voiced by Ruth Buzzi. The segments were animated by Mo Williems. I believe that this segment is the first one, since at the end Suzie changes her cat's name from Jeff to Feff.

The plot tells the story of Suzie Kabloozie, who hates the letter F, until she gets her wish for all F items to disappear. Suzie Kabloozie would go on to appear in several segments for over a decade.

5. Felines

A funny parody of the song “Feelings”, sung by a mouse about four different felines with different emotions (happy, sad, angry, and surprised).

4. The Nobel Ostrich

Animated by Bruce Bayard, The Nobel Ostrich is very much done in the style of a nature documentary, but animated. This cartoon talks about the ostrich, and features a cameo by an animated Big Bird (and I also spotted a mouse who resembles Mickey Mouse).

3. Jazz #7

I think Jazz #7 is my favorite of the Jazz Numbers animated segments from the first season. I really like the look of the wizard with the 7 on his robe and head. But of course the main highlight is what appears in all of the Jazz Numbers segments: the spies and race cars. 

2. Typewriter: N-Nose

The animated talking typewriter is probably a character most fans remember when they think of Sesame Street animation, and the N-Nose segment is one of the best ones. The typewriter types the letter N and then the word “nose”, and a large nose appears, sneezing him off-screen. Other great typewriter segments include “M-Magic”, “U-Umbrella”, and “A-Airplane."

1. Teeny Little Super Guy: Crossing the Street

The Teeny Little Super Guy is an animated illustration on a moving plastic cup, and the cast are also cup illustrations that can move, and they often use kitchen appliances as props. One of my favorites of the Teeny Little Super Guy segments is one in which Teeny Little Super Guy’s friend RW gets a red hat for his birthday (a red lid is used for his hat), but then the wind blows it off his head and into the street, leading to Teeny Little Super Guy giving RW a lesson in street safety.

One thing that’s a bit odd: RW’s hat is just a lid, not an animated hat drawn on his head, but the Teeny Little Super Guy does wear an animated hat within the illustration.  

Honorary Mention: Geometry of Circles

I’d like to give honorary mention to the “Geometry of Circles” segments, with music by Phillip Glass. It’s a bit hard to describe the difference between them. They all feature a black background and involve one or more circles, often with certain patterns.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

New Muppets Video: AMERICAN WOMAN

The Muppets have done it again. Their brand new, hotly-anticipated, viral YouTube video, "American Woman" has been posted just in time for Memorial Day Weekend! The new video stars Sam the Eagle as he... oh, forget it, just watch for yourself!



Sam the American Eagle, ladies and gentlemen! And how about Kermit there at the end? Excellent! Now... excuse me while I watch again and gasp at the word "Canadian."

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

LOST Slaps Kermit Down

As most of the world knows, ABC's LOST concluded its six-series run this past Sunday, leaving many fans in tears, shock, ecstasy, and asking themselves, "...What just happened?"

And as most Muppet fans know, the only reason most of us care about LOST is for the fantastic "LOST Slapdown" segments featuring the Muppets with writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cruse. So far we've seen Rizzo and Bobo leading a semi-legal writer's room tour, The Swedish Chef serving up heaven-knows-what in the ABC Commissary, and Bobo, Pepe, and Big Mean Carl auditioning for the role of LOST''s infamous Smoke Monster.

Even though LOST ended, the Muppet fun hasn't. As predicted back when Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cruse tweeted about working with the Muppets, Kermit makes his appearance in the following video!

• Hi-definition video on Muppets Studio's Facebook page
• Region-free video viewable outside the US

Wasn't that fun? I love that frog and his funny faces!

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: King Ploobis

Today's Weekly Muppet Wednesday article was written by Matt Patton and is slightly off-form from previous Weekly Muppet Wednesdays articles, but it's still great! Enjoy!

KING PLOOBIS

Performed by...
Jim Henson

First appearance...
Saturday Night Live Season 1 (1975)

“Come with us now... From the bubbling tarpits to the sulfurous wastelands... From the rotting forest to the stagnant mud flats... To The Land of Gorch!”

That was the introduction to the short-lived story of King Ploobis and his fellow Gorchians. Ploobis was created and performed by the great Jim Henson himself. The idea of Ploobis and The Land of Gorch was nothing short of a display of genius by Jim Henson and his colleagues. And for what? To show the world that Muppets aren’t just for kids anymore. The year was 1975, and The Muppet Show had yet to earn a permanent spot on television in the United States. But with the success of Sesame Street and a couple of Muppet Show specials on ABC, Jim Henson landed a deal on a brand new show called Saturday Night Live.

Few people seem to remember that the first year of Saturday Night Live included Muppets in the cast. Ploobis and the Gorch gang were created just for SNL, and as far as I can find, were never seen again after fourteen sketches of SNL, ending in early 1976. Although the short-lived life of King Ploobis was a hit among the adult audience of this new late-night sketch comedy show, he was not a hit among other cast members and writers of the show. Even Jim Belushi referred to the Muppets as the “mucking fuppets.” Remember, this was before the Muppets had captured the hearts of America, and the thought of working with a felt puppet was preposterous to most actors and writers--it was for children. But Jim Henson showed us all that even Muppets can get a little “dirty”!

King Ploobis was a clueless leader. And his kingdom of Gorch was a smokey, slimy swampland. Ploobis himself was quite the swamp creature. He was big, green and just plain ugly, even to a Muppet’s standard. This was not the only dirty aspect of Ploobis. The comedy of King Ploobis was definitely of an adult variety, unseen in a Muppet before or after his short life. He drank, he swore and he referenced adult themes that I do not dare discuss in this article. I think you get the point. Ploobis was perfect for this audience. Although to Muppet fans, he was quite bizarre, Ploobis had what it takes to appeal to a new kind of crowd. A crowd that wanted more than the squeaky-clean comedy that came before the 1970's.

King Ploobis seemed to be blind to the fact that his kingdom was in danger of extinction. He was a very selfish king. In the first sketch, he opens the scene singing “From the bubbling tarpits... to the sulfurous wastelands... This land was made for me! And me only! Cause I am Ploobis! King of all I survey.” King Ploobis did in fact have a queen, Queen Peuta, performed by Alice Tweedy. And going along with the adult-theme of the sketches, Ploobis had extramarital affairs with another Gorchian, Vazh (Fran Brill). Other Gorch citizens included Scred (Jerry Nelson), Wissss (Richard Hunt) and The Mighty Favog (Frank Oz).

Although the Gorch sketches only lasted one season, and were pretty much only canceled due to annoyance from cast members and writers, they were very important to the success of all Muppets to come. In fact, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson were in England, filming the first episodes of The Muppet Show when the Gorch set was burned and SNL unofficially said goodbye to the Muppets. I say “unofficially” because they did not go down easy! Jim Henson returned to the US and did a few more sketches before finally putting King Ploobis and company to rest for good. Even though the writers and staff were attempting to make a laughing stock of the Muppets, Henson laughed right along with them. I’d like to believe it was because he knew something they didn't. That The Muppet Show was on it’s way!

Writing this article means a lot to me, especially because we just past the 20 year mark of the death of the great Jim Henson. Without characters like Ploobis, the world may not have experienced the genius within the lovable guy behind the Muppets. And I would like to add that not all cast members of SNL disliked the Muppets. Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner were among some cast members that fell in love with the Muppets. The latter even guest starred on The Muppet Show, and was a good friend to Jim Henson. And with the success of The Muppet Show, Jim Henson himself answered the question asked by Ploobis in one of the final sketches. He asks “They burned our scenery... we’re no longer booked on the show... and they said, they said we’re puppets, and we don’t even have a lower half. So what do we do?”

As always, if you would like to write a Weekly Muppet Wednesdays article, email Ryan at ryguy102390@gmail.com.






 
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Muppet Fan's Muppet Collection Chronicle, Part 1

Welcome, welcome! Today we have the first of, hopefully, many installments of our latest series of articles...

The Muppet Fan's Muppet Collection Chronicle
Part 1: The Collection of Christopher O'Connor

Christopher hails from England and his collection is rather extraordinary, consisting mostly of merchandise of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock. In Chris's email to me he mentioned that the following pictures of his collection are five years old, so there's even more in his collection now that isn't shown here. He also mentioned that these pictures don't include paper products such as autographs, photos, posters, etc. Christopher hopes to one day have his own home with a special room dedicated to all of his Muppet stuff and finally return his old bedroom to his parents. With this much, he might need an entire Muppet loft!

One Wall of Christopher's Collection

T

The Other Wall of Christopher's Collection

Christopher and a good friend

Thanks so much for sharing your collection with us, Christopher! It's truly incredible!

Remember, if you would like to showcase your Muppet collection on The Muppet Mindset, email me Ryan at muppetmindset@gmail.com to discuss the details and submit your photos. Thanks for reading!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Muppet Comic Mondays: Muppet Snow White #1

This week we officially add a new member to our highly unpaid "staff." You know him, you love him, he writes all of the comic book reviews since I can't seem to get one on time if I tried, ladies and gentlemen, Mister James Gannon. Yes, James will now officially be named the Muppet Comic Guru and will provide us with Muppet Comic Mondays articles consistently from now on. Thanks to James for all of his great work and I'm excited to work with you as an official "staff" member! Now enough blabbing, here's the review!

Muppet Snow White #1

Written by Jesse Blaze Snider with Patrick Storck

Illustrated by Shelli Paroline

James Gannon - The Muppet Classics comics keep getting better with every series. The fourth installment, Muppet Snow White, seems to be my favorite of the bunch so far, giving stiff competition to Muppet King Arthur and Muppet Peter Pan. The Muppets are no stranger to this tale. After all, they did perform the story in that episode of Muppet Babies. And Animal was hitting on a park employee dressed like her in The Muppets at Walt Disney World.

Gonzo and Rizzo, in a role harking back to The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, portray the Grim Brothers. They narrate the tale and comment (and even interact) on the action as only they could. Rizzo even comments on the fact that the real Grim Brothers didn’t even write the tale, and only took credit for it (piquing his interests in making money). Later in the issue, Gonzo tries fruitlessly to tell Rizzo that certain scenes are only in the popular movie edition of the story, which is also the subject of satire here. I’ve always felt the Gonzo/Rizzo parings were the best parts of those two movies, and this series seems to get only the best possible aspects of them: the Muppets messing around the story as loosely as possible. And no human stars that turn them into second string characters either. The Wicked Queen is, once again, Miss Piggy. Unlike the Muppet Babies story, she takes the role on purpose, and she heaps abuse on her nervously apologetic magic mirror (a role that’s aptly cast as Fozzie Bear). Little does she know who wound up getting the leading role (and her frog).

That’s right, it’s Muppets Tonight’s Spamella Hamderson. Even the narrators are shocked that the Snow White beauty is bleached blond. Blame her agent, Pepe the King Prawn, in his best comics appearance yet. Much like the last bunch of Muppet Movies, he steals EVERY scene he’s in, haggling and bargaining and having his say in the story. He even gets the idea to merchandise his wacky sidekick role, a truly backhanded compliment towards Disney. Of course, Piggy can’t stand the fact that such a terrible actress, only hired because of her looks (which Pepe apparently enjoys) is going to wind up with Prince Kermit (who seems semi-reluctant in his role), making it all the more personal (and almost reminiscent of the Muppet Babies episode, only deeper and funnier). And as we all know the story, we all know what’s coming. Oh! And Bobo’s here too, so you know it’s gonna be fun.

But you can’t have Snow White without Dwarfs. And who are these dwarfs? The Electric Mayhem, of course. Not only do we get the five iconic members, but the band also includes Lips. While Lips isn’t the most prolific member, he is a fan favorite, and appeared with the band in the last season of The Muppet Show and for a while after. Their introduction so far is just the cleverest spoof of the iconic Dwarf song I’ve ever heard (or in this case, read). The seventh member (so far) is Scooter, their band manager who has them play in diamond mines. You know he’s not going to stay their long. In fact, the working title was to be Snow White and the Electric Mayhem, but was changed to be more consistent with the rest of the Muppet Classics line.

As with every one of the sub-series, we have a new writer and a different artist. Shelli Paroline, who did the artwork for Pigs in Space (The Muppet Show Comic Book #0), seems to make her cartoony style to the next level, giving it an even smoother feel than before, and even perfecting Muppet likenesses since the last time. Those eyelid glasses of Dr. Teeth have confounded Muppet artists in the past, but even she makes it work in her style. As for the writing, Jessie Blaze Snider (with Patrick Storck) nails each Muppet's character.  Even taking on the tough task of writing for Spamella (which, frankly, even the Muppets Tonight writers had trouble with). The end result is absolutely wonderful. If you liked The Muppet Christmas Carol or Muppet Treasure Island, you’ll love that it’s the same tone, but MUPPETS ONLY.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Sesame Street Saturdays: Sesame Street's eBook Brigade

Just the other day, SesameStreet.org unveiled its brand new eBook store online. At this store you can buy tons of Sesame Street books online and read them right from your computer. They have Abby in Wonderland, Big Block Party, Big Book of Nursery Rhymes, and a whole lot of other Sesame books to enjoy.

There's currently a special offer going on where you can pay $24.99 for an entire year and gain access to hundreds of eBooks on the site. I believe this is a limited time offer, so if you or your preschooler love Sesame Street books (and who doesn't?), I would take advantage of this offer as soon as you can!

I can't wait for this one to come out...

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: May 21, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: May 21, 2010

• Exciting news out of The Muppets Studio this week, as it was confirmed by Nicholas Stoller on more than one occasion that The Muppets and the Muppeteers and presumably most people who will be involved, had a table read for The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. This is extremely exciting news, as it basically nails the fact that this movie is indeed getting made. The following sources have varying information about the table read and the upcoming filming:
• Collider.com confirms the filming will start this this September
• Chud.com was the first to break the news thanks to an interview with Nicholas Stoller
• ComingSoon.net said that James Bobin knows who Uncle Deadly is
• Our good friends at ToughPigs discuss what exactly this means for the movie
• The Muppets appeared on LOST Slapdown again this week, this time auditioning for the role of the Smoke Monster on the series.
• Hi-def video from The Muppets Studio
• Region-free YouTube video available for viewing outside the US

• Muppet Snow White #1 came out this Wednesday from BOOM! Studios. Our good friends at ToughPigs have a preview and a review. It's a super-awesome comic already (what else did you expect from BOOM!) and you can expect The Muppet Mindset's review on Monday!
• Finally, Muppet Wiki now has its own Facebook page! Become a fan (or Like it, or whatever) and get all the goodness of Muppet Wiki while you procrastinate!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

People Muppet Fans Need to Know

Ryan Dosier - Recently, it has come to my attention that there are a lot of important Muppet people working right now that a lot of casual Muppet fans have never heard of. I was very bothered by this, since all of these people are doing such awesome things with the Muppets right now, it's a shame that they're not more well known among the fan-base. I thought I would solve that little problem by compiling a list of some People Muppet Fans Need to Know.

The Muppets

• Lylle Breier - General Manager of The Muppets Studio and all-around awesome lady. A lot of this recent push of the Muppets back into the limelight was thanks to her.
• Jim Lewis - Muppet Consultant and writer. He's responsible for making the Muppets just that: Muppets. He makes sure Piggy says Piggy things and Kermit says Kermit things and so on. He can probably be attributed to why the Muppets have been so good recently.
• Jason Segel - Writer and human star of the upcoming The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. Segel's pitch for a new Muppet movie is what ignited this whole Muppet Renaissance. Also, self-proclaimed Muppet fanatic. Starred in the Muppet-referencing Forgetting Sarah Marshall and in the TV show How I Met Your Mother.
• Nicholas Stoller - Writer of the upcoming The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. Has been promoting the heck out of The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. 
• James Bobin - Director of the upcoming The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time. Has been noted as a sort of Muppet freak. Also directed Flight of the Conchords.
• Matt Vogel - Muppet performer. Performs Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, and others. Also writer and director for Sesame Street.

Fraggle Rock

• Cory Edwards - Writer/director of the upcoming Fraggle Rock feature film. Huge Muppet fan who knows exactly what he's doing.

Sesame Street

• Carol-Lynne Parente - Executive producer of Sesame Street since season 37. Accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys.
• David Rudman - Daytime Emmy-nominated Muppet performer. Performs Baby Bear and Cookie Monster for Sesame Street. Performs Scooter and Janice for The Muppets.
• Joey Mazzarino - Daytime Emmy-nominated Muppet performer. Performs Murray Monster and various other characters on Sesame Street. Also writer and director for the show.
• Louis Henry Mitchell - Associate Design Director of Special Projects for Sesame Street. Ace photographer, and one of the nicest guys around.
• Neil Patrick Harris - Self-proclaimed Henson fanatic. Most well known roles include Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, Doogie Howser in Doogie Howser, M.D., and Dr. Horrible in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. No really important reason to know him... but he's at the top of my list for cameos in the next Muppet movie.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

The Muppets Are Making a Movie!

Muppet fans... it's really happening.

The Muppets are officially making a movie! The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time has officially moved from an idea on paper to physical movements towards production. CHUD.com reports that this past weekend, the Muppets had a table read for the new film written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller and to be directed by James Bobin. Here's a transcript of the article:

THE MUPPETS JUST DID A TABLE READ FOR THE NEW MUPPET MOVIE

The table read is a vital part of the filmmaking process. At a table read all the actors with speaking roles gather (around a big table, as the name suggests) and go through the script, reading out loud their parts. It's often the first time everybody in a movie gets together, and it's when the actors and the director start truly zeroing in on the characters in a way that isn't just theoretical.

It turns out that when you do a table read for a Muppet movie, you have to have the Muppets on hand. Talking to Nick Stoller, director of Get Him to the Greek and co-writer (with Jason Segel) of the upcoming humbly named The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made, I learned that the Muppets themselves just did a table read.

'They had the table read Saturday with all of the puppets, and it went quite well,' he told me. When I asked for clarification - were the actual Muppets there - he confirmed it. 'They had the puppets do the table read. You have to have The Muppets there! They filmed it for the DVD.'

I wonder if the puppeteers kept the Muppets going in character during script discussions or during breaks. I kind of hope they just include the entire table read on the DVD.

Stoller is, understandably, psyched to be working on the Muppets' return to the cultural mainstream. 'Just to be able to play with those characters is incredibly exciting,' he said. 'The first time I wrote Kermit as a character in Final Draft I was like, 'Oh my God.''

This film is going to be true to the original The Muppet Movie, which means it's going to be very modern feeling. 'If you watch The Muppet Movie now it's amazing how much they break the fourth wall and how Simpsons-esque it is, but obviously before The Simpsons. It's very self-aware and kind of amazing. I call The Muppets the gateway drug for all comedy nerds - it's what you see that makes you want to do comedy for the rest of your life.'


So, there you have it. The Muppets have officially moved forward with their new film, the Muppeteers were on-hand (pun totally intended), it was filmed for the DVD, and gosh darn it, The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is HAPPENING!

Come, Muppet fans, join me in blasting Mahna Mahna from the rooftops and dancing the dance of our people: The Kermambo! Everybody now!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Muppet Collections

Ryan Dosier - I've come to realize something, Muppet fans. Something that is painfully obvious to anyone and everyone who has ever been in or heard legends of my bedroom. No, not the boogey-man under my bed (I realized he was there a long time ago). I've realized, rather suddenly, that I have a butt-load of Muppet stuff.

I know what you're thinking, "Ryan, how can you not realize that you have a butt-load of Muppet stuff until now?" Well, it happened the other day when my Gonzo and Fozzie Pook-a-Looz arrived. After I finished gushing over how awesomely adorable they are, I went to display them on my shelves somewhere. I realized, quite quickly, actually, that I had nowhere to put them. Yes, my Muppet stuff quota had been pushed to its limit.

What is an obsessed Muppet fan to do in this situation? Redecorate? Downsize? Buy more shelves? While all of those would have been fantastic ideas, instead I have decided to photographically document each and every piece of Muppet stuff I have. For posterity's sake, of course (and because I've been wicked bored now that I don't have school breathing down my neck).

But it got me thinking, if I have such an impressive collection, I wonder what other folks have. So, here I am once again calling out to all you Muppet fans out there. I would love to showcase your collections, or any parts of your collections, on The Muppet Mindset in a new article series that I'm dubbing The Muppet Fan's Muppet Collection Chronicle. I want to see your stuff. I'll display some of your favorite pictures here on The Muppet Mindset and the rest will go on The Muppet Mindset's Photobucket account with a link on the post so that everyone can view your collection.

If you're interested in participating, send me an email (ryguy102390@gmail.com) to discuss and to just let me know you're planning to contribute. I sincerely hope we get to see a wide array of Muppet collections spanning The Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, or whatever else you wish to share.

Go forth and photograph, Muppet fans!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier