The Muppets and Me at D23, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - Oh, hiya Muppet fans! How long it's been... I see that The British Correspondent reaped his patented havoc upon you all while I was away. Well, I think it was worth it. Let's see if you agree. This past weekend I journeyed out West, and like my pioneer brothers before me, I went in search of talking mice and singing frogs and dancing ducks. Well... maybe not exactly like the pioneers. But who cares about them? I got to go to the Disney D23 Expo 2011 from Friday, August 19th until Sunday, August 21st. While I was in the neighborhood (Anaheim, California, to be specific) I got to visit the Disneyland Resort as well.

And what a time I had, let me tell you! I arrived in Anaheim on Thursday afternoon, the day before the Expo. And what is a young Muppet fan in Anaheim to do with so much time on his hands? Go to Disneyland, of course! So off I went, towards the land of mice and FastPasses, and made my way to Disney California Adventure, home of Muppet*Vision 3-D. You'd think this means loads of Muppet stuff, yes? Well, unfortunately, no. As we've learned from Disney Parks visits in recent years, there is very little new Muppet stuff to buy. They did, however, have the new Muppet Monopoly and Muppet Yahtzee for sale, but other than that it was the same old stuff: old plush dolls, a Kermit mug, a Kermit water bottle, two t-shirts, two hats, and not much else. Slightly disappointing, but not surprising enough to be completely disappointing.

However, over in Downtown Disney, the shopping district adjacent to the Disneyland Resort, they have a store called D-Street where they sell the popular Vinylmation figures, including many exclusives. Some of these exclusives were the four 9" Muppet Vinylmation figures, Muppet*Vision Kermit, Animal, Sam the Eagle, and Gonzo the Great with a 3" Camilla the Chicken. On Thursday I bought Gonzo and Camilla, and by Sunday I bought Sam as well... and I'd rather not talk about how much of a dent that put in my wallet. However, once I got them home and displayed on my shelf with the rest of the Vinylmation figures (see right), I didn't think twice. They're awesome. D-Street still has plenty of each figure and DisneyStore.com has Gonzo and Animal for sale there as well.

But the exciting part of the trip came on Friday when the Expo began. Walking into the Anaheim Convention Center for the D23 Expo is an overwhelming experience. The entire covering of the first floor is flooded with Mickey Mouse, Lightning McQueen, Donald Duck, Stitch, Goofy, and, yes, even Kermit. On the show floor I found Amy Mebberson (artist of Muppet Peter Pan and others) and James Silvani (artist of Muppet King Arthur) working their own booth where they spent the entire weekend drawing Disney for people--including myself! Check out their amazingly beautiful work (Amy on the left, James on the right) that is currently on my wall (see the picture on the right). Yup. That really is Scrooge McDuck arguing intensely with Angus McGonagle. It is heavenly.

Anyway... also on the show floor was the booth for WeLoveFine T-Shirts, a website that we've promoted multiple times on the Mindset. They were handing out, free to everyone, paper Kermit "crowns" for Expo guests to wear on their heads (see right). WeLoveFine was also selling some awesome Muppet t-shirts including Kermit in a tuxedo, Muppets 8-Bit, The Great Muppet Caper, and a women's shirt with Kermit Springsteen. Other than WeLoveFine, a couple other exhibitors were selling Muppet stuff including the upcoming makeup and nail polish lines, a preview of the 2011 Fozzie Bear Christmas ornament from Hallmark, and some new keychains featuring Kermit, Animal, and Beaker.

And then... it happened. The 2011 Disney Legends Ceremony. Hosted by Tom Bergeron (of America's Funniest Home Videos), the ceremony continues The Walt Disney Company's long-standing tradition of honoring those who contribute greatly to their success. Among this year's honorees were Regis Philbin, Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana), Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O'Hara (Belle), and, the final induction, someone named Jim Henson. It all started with Lisa Henson coming out to speak about her father, saying that her favorite Muppet had always been Rowlf. Then she introduced her brother, Brian Henson and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, who would be performing the Jim and Jane Henson classic "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face." It was extraordinary... and you can see it here:



Then Brian Henson said some nice things about Jim, saying that he could never do anything without making sound effects to go along with his movements. Even miniscule things like handing someone a pen, and Jim would make a goofy sound effect--a sort of "bwoooop," if you will. Then Brian and Lisa accepted the award and took a picture with the walk-around Sweetums from Disneyland, and walked off stage. Soon, the stage curtains opened, and a smaller stage rolled out carrying a piano, lots of foliage, a dog, and a frog.



Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog, Jim Henson's first two superstar characters, coming out to sing and honor their friend, performer, and creator Jim Henson with his most prolific song, "Rainbow Connection." The last time that Kermit and Rowlf shared a duet was in 1979 in The Muppet Movie. It was an incredible experience. Mid-way through the song, Kermit and Rowlf asked us all to sing along with them and I can say here and now that getting a chance to sing a song with Kermit the Frog is something that I wish everyone everywhere could have the chance to do. It was the most magical moment I've experienced. Seeing Kermit and Rowlf together again at last, honoring Jim, and a Disney ceremony, was more than I ever expected. It gave me hope and happiness and everything in between.

Then came Saturday, the day of The Walt Disney Studios presentation where Disney would trot out big stars, directors, and more to show off their upcoming feature films. This included John Lasseter (head of Pixar and Disney animation), Robert Downey, Jr., Sarah Silverman, Jack MacBrayer, Jennifer Garner, Scarlet Johanson, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, and Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog, and Miss Piggy. It was just as great as you'd expect. Unfortunately, cameras and cell phones were strictly forbidden from the presentation, but the following is a very accurate transcript of what happened from ComingSoon.net and EW.com...

There was a star that was late for their big D23 appearance. When Disney's head of production Sean Bailey introduced Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Jason Segel to talk about The Muppets at D23 this Saturday, the curtain pulled back and revealed Kermit and Segel sitting in director's chairs--but Miss Piggy was nowhere to be seen.

"You've worked on a movie with her," said Kermit when Segel pointed this out, "was she ever on time?"

"I love you, Kermit!" shouted an audience member. "I love you too!" replied Kermit.

Kermit went on to thank his fellow cast members. "Our movie stars the beautiful and talented Amy Adams! ... And the equally talented but less beautiful Jason Segel--no offense."

"I love you, Jason!" shouted another audience member. "I love you too and look forward to meeting you in person someday!" responded Segel.

Segel turned his attention to the clips of the movie they brought, saying there was a problem as they did not include Miss Piggy.

"She'll tear this whole arena apart if she finds out!" said Kermit.

"But she's not here," said Segel.

"Good point," replied Kermit as a motorcycle revved it's engine from backstage. The curtain parted again to reveal a motorcycle with none other than Miss Piggy in the sidecar, soaking in the adoration from all of her fans.

Once Kermit nervously explained that the second clip would feature "...almost all the Muppets." Piggy wasn’t too pleased. "Where’s [chairman of Walt Disney Studios] Rich Ross?" shouted Piggy as she stormed off the stage.

And then we were treated to two clips from the movie. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Clip #1: Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), and their Muppet buddy Walter are driving around Bel Air, Calif. at night, trying to locate the home of Kermit. They finally find it: a deserted-looking mansion with a driveway fence that has the faces of Kermit and Miss Piggy painted on it. There’s no doorbell, so Walter asks Gary to throw him over the fence. But Gary fails to toss Walter high enough, and the fence that Walter slams into winds up being electrocuted—clearly Kermit and Piggy have encountered enough stalkers to warrant such an elaborate security system. (NOTE FROM RYAN: The Walter-shocking scene was MUCH shorter than in the trailer maybe two seconds long at most.)

Suddenly, Kermit appears on the driveway behind Gary, Mary, and Walter. As Kermit walks toward the trio, he’s silhouetted by an enormously bright white light and we hear an angelic choir singing. It’s as if God himself were approaching. But seconds later, we see the source of that blinding light and Messianic music: On the street, a bus carrying members of the Good Shepard Church Choir just happened to be driving by. Walter immediately faints.

Next, we’re inside Kermit’s home with Gary, Mary, and Walter. It’s clear that Kermit has been living in the past. During the middle of a conversation, a robot butler enters the room with a tray of outdated sodas such as New Coke and Tab. Kermit asks the robot, whom he simply calls "80s robot," to please leave and the clip ends.

Clip #2: Kermit, Rowlf, and Fozzie break off the chain around the door to the Muppet Theater. Kermit walks in slowly, nostalgically, hearing echoes of himself (Jim Henson) introducing "very special guest star, Bob Hope!!" and the announcer (Jerry Nelson) shouting "PIIIIIGS IIIIIIN SPAAAACE!" Most of the Muppets gang, plus Gary, Mary, and Walter, enter. Fozzie Bear insists that there's no way to rehearse with the theater in that condition, as Floyd Pepper remarks, "Who fired the maid service?" With offers to help from Gary, Mary, and Walter, the Muppets start cleaning. Smash cut to... Scooter sweeping. Very slowly. Cut to the Muppets gang watching as Kermit remarks, "Well this is boring." Walter looks at the group and says, "Don't you guys remember? You're the Muppets! You're supposed to do things like this with... with music!" Dr. Teeth pulls out a boom-box, presses play, and thus begins a montage set to Starship’s 1985 hit "We Built This City."

As the group cleans, Kermit starts going through his old Rolodex, calling various celebrities with the hope that they may take part in a telethon (to presumably save the Muppet Theater from being demolished by an oil tycoon). Again, Kermit is a bit behind the times. We see him cross off Molly Ringwald’s name, and he doesn’t get very far in trying locate President Jimmy Carter.

Meanwhile, the Muppets are cleaning. We see Fozzie uses Walter tied to  a pole with a sponge on his back to clean higher places--Walter is elated. Rowlf hammers away at something. Floyd removes the tarp from Animal's drum set, and Animal goes berserk. Chickens feather-dust the seats. Mary changes a lightbulb while Marvin Suggs sits in the audience sits banging away on Muppaphones. Fozzie pulls out an old picture and shows it to Link Hogthrob and Gonzo and says, "Look at this goofy 80's haircut I had back then!" the picture is revealed to be exactly the same Fozzie we see today. Rats skate across the soapy floor on old toothbrushes. The Swedish Chef incinerates some moldy talking food in a refrigerator. Scooter opens a closet and there's Beauregard sweeping away, Scooter shouts, "Beauregard!" Beau just looks up and says, "Oh, Scooter, there you are! Where has everybody been?"

The clip ends with the camera circling around the large group of Muppets (as seen in the trailer). Cut to Kermit, still in his office, looking completely exasperated and somewhat distraught. Cut back to Dr. Teeth as he stops the tape and the gang surveys the now spotless theater.

That's all we can fit in for D23 coverage in this post! Check back tomorrow for even more coverage including two Muppet performers, a Muppet fan-site operator, and much, much more!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

News Update: October 14, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: October 14, 2010

Our friends over at TVShowsOnDVD.com have announced that a special, 15-DVD set of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson will be released on October 26th. The contents of the set were announced and among such unknowns as Robin Williams, Chevy Chase, Alice Cooper, Jerry Seinfeld, and Betty White are Jim Henson and The Muppets. Yes, Jim's first appearance on The Tonight Show from 1965 will be included on the set. The appearance features Jim performing a drunk Muppet (Dr. Phil van Neuter?) singing "Let Me In" and the classic Kermit "Inchworm" sketch. ToughPigs has a link to a YouTube video with the clips, so you don't have to spend the $119.99 to buy the whole set... but you should still consider it--I know I am!

Speaking of the RoughFigs (yes, I'm running out of goofy names for them), Ryan Roe and Joe Hennes (who I may or may not be feuding with) went to New York Comic Con 2010 last weekend and brought back an awesome recap of all the Muppety stuff they found. They even met friends of the blog Amy Mebberson, Jesse Blaze Snider, and James Silvani (pictured at right)--they also met Caroll Spinney (darn them). Apparently there's going to be some video interviews with these folks sometime soon, so let's nag them about that!

Muppet Sherlock Holmes #2 was released yesterday and ToughPigs (welcome to the ToughPigs Muppet Mindset News Update, everybody!) has a fantastic five-page preview. Look for our review on Monday!

And, finally, have you seen Grover's latest viral web sensation? If not, then you obviously don't know how to smell like a monster--a crucial thing to know if you're going to work the cute and cuddly angle. Check out the funniest Sesame video you'll see all year!



 Now... if you'll excuse me, I must be off. I've got two tickets to that thing I love.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Muppet Comic Mondays: Muppet King Arthur #4

Muppet King Arthur #4

Comic Book Review

Written by Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck
Illustrated by James Silvani

James Gannon - So it comes to pass that another “Muppet Classics” side series comic arc has come to an end. This was the third in a series of retellings after Muppet Robin Hood and Muppet Peter Pan, leaving the way for Muppet Snow White.  So how does this one stack up against the others? All in good time. First we gotta see what’s in issue 4.

As I said last time, if you have the basic understanding of the Arthurian Legend you know that Robin’s casting of Mordred was something rather interesting. Sure, Mordred was also King Arthur’s nephew, so on that sense it’s a no brainer. Of course, Mordred also betrays Arthur. And Betray Arthur is exactly what Robin does here. It’s handled perfectly in character, though, with Robin being annoyed at his uncle’s over protectiveness, and clearly being a pawn of Sir Sam (the Eagle), who, as we’ve seen in the last 3 issues, doesn’t like that Kermit’s the king all that much. Of course, Arthur Kermit has to challenge Mordred Robin for ownership of the thrown of England. And while both covers hint at mortal combat between the two, somehow Kermit fighting Robin to the death doesn’t exactly seem Muppety at all.  Instead we get a more fitting approach between the two… a pun-off, refereed by Fozzie. And while I just can’t give everything away, the ending is so perfectly Kermit. Come on. You were expecting Le Morte De Kermit? All loose ends get tied up, even ends you didn’t realize.

Now, as this was the final issue, an overall critique is in order, and it needs to be compared full with the other two Muppet Classics comics. Muppet Robin Hood, while I felt the writing was good, tried to cram too much of the big honkin’ legend into a four-issue semi-parody retelling. As such, there was a LOT of dialogue that made for speech balloons that were bigger than the art at some points, detracting a lot from the action. It really couldn’t find the balance of source material and Muppetness that it could have had. Thankfully, Muppet Peter Pan was much better. It stuck to important parts of the story, trimming away the Mermaids and Indians (which I kinda thought the Mayhem was). It also removed the crocodile completely, which wouldn’t have worked with the sympathetic version of Hook. All the while the story managed to really incorporate a lot of Muppet wackiness with some great sweetness of the story. It was a coming of age tale that turned a younger, more immature Peter Pan into the Kermit the Frog we all know.

Muppet King Arthur is different. It took the main iconic bullet points from the Arthurian legend (which itself is inconsistent and at the hands of many authors over the years) and said to itself, we have Excalibur, Morgan le Fey, the Holy Grail… let’s run with it. That freed up a lot of wiggle room to make sure the writers and artists had fun and kept the insane Muppet spirit perfectly intact. Not to mention the fact that it fit perfectly into a four-issue arc without any gaps or overlaps. I wish the Muppet movie adaptations of classic stories were this much fun. There’s a real consistency with running gags in this series. Throughout, you’ll find Rizzo holding or selling signs. Even minor cameos from earlier issues come back for the final panel. Stuff you’d even think were throwaway gags eventually come back. The only exception is that the first issue seemed to hint at Lew Zealand being one of the knights, but I suspect that was a red herring. The character voices were spot on throughout. Kermit seemed perfectly himself, especially at the end. And Pepe was written and drawn flawlessly here--even Muppet Peter Pan didn’t get him that accurate. 

I will say that I’m conflicted about both artists. Part of me wishes Dave Alvarez did the whole thing, another part wishes it was all James Silvani. They both did such marvelous work that really fit with the humor and writing style Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck were going for.

If you missed the entire series up to this point, go back and get them, or at least wait for the graphic novel reprints. This is one Muppet Comics side arc that you shouldn’t miss!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Muppet Comic Mondays: Muppet King Arthur #3

Muppet King Arthur #3 

Comic Book Review

James Gannon -  Since we’ve come to the penultimate issue of Muppet King Arthur, it’s impossible to do any parody of the legend without referencing the quest for the Holy Grail at some point.  It was the best remembered of the Monty Python movies after all (there’s just NO love for “Meaning of Life”).  Disgusted that the Octagonal Table hasn’t become the symbol of justice and equal rule in England, and is in fact used as ONLY a dinner table, King Arthur (Kermit, if you haven’t read a single issue or review by now) begs for a challenge  to show off the knights’ valor.  Enter Arthur’s nephew Mordread, played by Robin.  If you have a basic understanding of Arthurian legend, or have seen the “Sir Gyro DeGearloose” episode of Ducktales, you know why that’s strange.  If not, I’m not giving anything else away.  He, of course, suggests that they go off and find the grail, while Kermit thanks him by making him stay behind.  You know, the old, “you’re too young and small, and I don’t trust that you’ll be safe,” bit.   And directionlessly, they wander off.

Meanwhile, after a misunderstanding between Kermit and Piggy (Morgana), the sorceress swine is lead to think that King Arthur will marry Gwenevire (Camilla).  After all, Holy Grail sounds like Holy Veil… if you have mud in your ears and mishear anything but “ail.”  It gives us a nice break of the story for a Piggy being Piggy moment that throws the knights off their trail.  The quest leads the crew on a long chase, starting at the East bat Auction House (where it’s promptly out of stock- it sold JUST before they got there).  On the way, of course, there are running gags (which pay off wonderfully at the end) and the same assortment of current jokes that actually work (sorry, Muppet Wizard of Oz).  And thankfully we aren’t bombarded with obvious references to the Monty Python movie here (there was in the first issue, and it was executed very cleverly).  This issue really ramps up on the action.  And it should, since the next issue is the conclusion.  The first 2 issues of this series established the characters through a series of gags, so thankfully that’s out of the way.  And it seems to have a good flow so far.  This issue ends with the promise of a thrill a minute finale.

All and all, my only gripe is the coloring in this series just comes out too dark when printed on the newsprint stock they switched to a while back.  If it’s not the intention of the artists, it’s clearly a translation of the ink on the stock.  It’s such a shame, since it should give it a very bold comic book quality. At least it doesn’t look as muddy as some of Muppet Robin hood did. 

Now, normally, I don’t give things away, so if you didn’t read the issue by now, or don’t want spoilers in any way, stop reading here.

The Holy Grail is eventually sold to (cringe worthy pun) Pepe, the Fisher King Prawn.  The only reason why I’m bringing this up is because Pepe is drawn and written perfectly right here.  Pepe is a very hard Muppet to look right in illustration \and he isn’t all that easy to write for.  While I liked Amy’s Muppet Babies-like version of him in Muppet Peter Pan (an unfortunate side effect of not having any good references, she once said) I don’t think he was really handled quite as good as he is here.  And it feels like he was just thrown into Muppet Robin Hood, where he looked meh and none of his dialogue really seemed to be pure Pepe.  The Muppet Show Comic Book focuses only on classic Muppet Show characters, so the Fairy Tale series is the only place where you really get to see the newer Muppets Tonight and Jim Henson Hour characters shine.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Interview with Muppet King Arthur Artist James Silvani

I had the privilege of interviewing James Silvani, an extremely talented artist who has taken over illustrating duties for the rest of the run of Muppet King Arthur. James has also worked on BOOM!'s Pixar comics and has done promotional drawings for the Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, and more! So kick back, relax, and join me as we get to know James Silvani!

James Silvani Interview

RYAN:   First and foremost, James, thank you so very much for agreeing to an interview with me. Before we get started do you have anything you’d like to say to The Muppet Mindset readers?

JAMES:   “Hi-Ho”

RYAN:   How did you get started with BOOM! Studios and the Muppet comic books?

JAMES:   Boom! Studios has a board set up where artists looking for work can post samples. Of course I was thinking “Yeah, right. Like they ever check that stuff.” But as a lifelong Muppet fan who thought there might be the slimmest chance to draw the objects of my obsession, I gave it a shot. I whipped up a quick strip starring Lew Zealand and posted it. So I guess in a sea of superhero claptrap, my Muppet samples (which can be seen on my blog) stood out like a sore thumb. The fabulous and quick thinking Amy Mebberson saw my post and forwarded it on to Boom! editor Aaron Sparrow and after an okay from the powers-that-be at Disney, I was offered work that week.

RYAN:   Now, of course, you’ve drawn the interior artwork for “Muppet King Arthur” 2, 3, and 4. How did that job come about?

JAMES:   Although my first jobs for Boom! were a couple of covers for the Pixar properties, my discussions with the editor were always about the Muppets. When Muppet King Arthur fell behind schedule I was asked to fill in on the second issue. I guess the fact that I turned the issue over in under 12 hours and completely free of charge endeared me to the editor and he kept me on to finish the series. True story! Except for the 12 hours and free part.

RYAN:   What were the most challenging aspects of drawing the Muppets in the middle ages?

JAMES:   Probably learning to use a quill on parchment by candle light.

RYAN:   Who is your favorite Muppet character to draw?

JAMES:   I think Dr. Teeth is the most fun but probably one of the hardest. There are so many aspects to him that catch you off guard. He has this huge nose, a massive jaw to hold all those teeth and those glasses/visor things that people seem to mistake as eyelids all on a small green head. But I think all those things come together nicely to make him the most expressive Muppet. I’m anxious to show readers how he shows up in issue #3

RYAN:   Were any characters more difficult to draw than others?

JAMES:   It’s funny, EVERYBODY was difficult to draw at first. I look at the art in the front of the book compared to the art at the end of the book and I saw that I had a pretty rocky start. It was a matter of finding my own voice for the book. What’s so great about Boom! handling the Muppets is there’s room for Amy Mebberson’s spot-on interpretations of the puppets and Roger Langridge’s alternative lunacy. I don’t think I had that clear vision when I first started.  I wanted to give the characters that recognizable “puppety” look , but have them move and express themselves in a way only a comic book character could. That being said I think Fozzie and Piggy were the hardest to really nail down. Damn you Frank Oz.

RYAN:   When drawing a comic, how much decision do you have in which characters appear in the background of the story and how much does the writer dictate?

JAMES:   I think unless it was specified that a character had a speaking part, they were fair game for backgrounds, so I guess it was up to me. Luckily (?) most of issue 2 was crowd scenes so I got to a point where I was running out of obscure characters and whatnots to draw. Thank God for the penguins- good Muppet crowd fillers and comedy gold. I tried to put in so many characters for some of the crowd scenes that the colorist has been driving by and egging my house.

RYAN:   In the case of Muppet King Arthur, there are two writers. How does that differ from working with a single writer?

JAMES:   Most of the dealing I had with the script went to (editor) Aaron Sparrow. But if I did have a question about specifics I went to Paul Benjamin. He seemed to be in charge of the artistic notes on the script. We just kind of group emailed and agreed on everything

RYAN:   Who are some of your favorite Muppets?

JAMES:   I’ve always been a fan of the Electric Mayhem as a whole. I think I lobbied for them to play at my prom. But it was Lew Zealand that taught me about artistic integrity, persevering against adversity and fashion.

RYAN:   What about your favorite Muppet production?

JAMES:   Growing up, I pretty much planned my life around The Muppet Show. You can make new Muppet movies but nothing will ever equal that little half hour of joy I experienced every week.

RYAN:   Aside from the Muppets, you’ve also worked with a bunch of other classic character groups such as the Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, and the Disney family of characters. Can you talk to us a little bit about your work with these properties?

JAMES:   I got my start right out of college drawing t-shirt designs for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From there I discovered I kind of had a knack for licensed characters. After that I went to work for Mattel’s advertising firm where I picked up the Disney characters and after I went freelance I was able to do a lot of work for Warner Bros. merchandising. I probably just should have pursued an animation career but I’m too lazy.

RYAN:   When approached by BOOM! to do covers for Muppet comics that you aren’t doing interior art for (such as Muppet Snow White), how much do you get to dictate what you draw?

JAMES:   I don’t even think there was a finished script at the time I did the Snow White cover. The editor just had the title (which at the time was “Snow White & the Electric Mayhem”). Otherwise the editor will usually give me the story in a roundabout way and I have pretty much free reign from there. I will usually provide a couple of sketches first to make sure I’m not giving anything away from a later part of the story. Of course when you’re dealing with a look for Snow White the only real recognizable reference place to go to is, well, Disney. Let’s hear it for synergy!

RYAN:   What do you use as references when you draw the Muppets?

JAMES:   As much video as I can track down. I’ve got all The Muppet Show DVDs and a few of the movies. Of course if someone would like to donate a set of those excellent Muppet action figures from Palisades toys to further the cause...

RYAN:   How much leeway did you have when drawing the costumes in Muppet King Arthur?

JAMES:   Actually I tried to keep to what Dave Alvarez had started as close as I could. I knew that the change in our styles would be jarring enough to the readers, so I didn’t vary from his designs too much. Otherwise I tried my best to keep to the sensibilities that have been established in the Arthur interpretations that most people know. “Excalibur”, “The Sword in the Stone” (sorry all you “First Knight” fans).

RYAN:   What chance do Muppet fans have of seeing Angus McGonagle the Gargling Gargoyle in the story?

JAMES:   We’ve been in contact with Mr. McGonagle’s people. At this time he’s still holding out for script approval.

RYAN:   When working on the story, how much does the comic book artist decide the “camera angle,” so to speak, of the frame? Or is that mostly handled by the writer(s)?

JAMES:   The writer will give the setting but it’s pretty much my discretion on how to present the view. Of course I’m so used to seeing the Muppets only from the waist up it’s hard not to get drawn in to that kind of visualizing for a scene.

RYAN:   What advice can you offer to budding fan artists wanting to get involved with the Muppet comics?

JAMES:   Wait until I retire.

Actually, my best advice, especially with the Muppets, is find your own style. What makes the Muppets so unique and so much fun to work on, as opposed to other licensed properties, is that there is no set style in place. Look at how Roger Langridge has totally captured the feel of the show yet retained his own artistic sensibilities.

Also when you are submitting art, really concentrate on telling a story with just your pictures. My samples told a gag from point A to point B without a single word. If you can do that, you’ll go far in this business.

RYAN:   What can fans of your work expect to see from you beyond Muppet King Arthur? Do you plan to do any more work with the Muppets?

JAMES:   I have a SUPER secret project that I am working on for Boom! that will be announced at the end of March. After that wraps I hope to return to the Muppets. It’s so much fun as a grown up to be drawing the things that I drew as a kid. The only thing that would be cooler is to draw the Muppets, Batman and the Star Wars characters teaming up to fight Godzilla (Come on Aaron Sparrow, make it happen!)

RYAN:   Where can fans find more of your artwork?

JAMES:   My portfolio site is www.silvaniart.com which has a link to my blog at silvaniart.blogspot.com. I update the blog a few times a month. Otherwise take a close look at the cereal aisle or the boys t-shirt department. I illustrate a lot of items there as well.

RYAN:   James, thank you again so much for agreeing to this interview with The Muppet Mindset. Any final thoughts before we conclude?

How cool is THAT, huh? James drew that final image specifically for this interview and I can't thank him enough! I hope you all enjoyed this interview with James Silvani. Be sure to check out the rest of his work at www.silvaniart.com and silvaniart.blogspot.com. Thanks again, James!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier