Muppet Retro Reviews: Muppet Classic Theater

Kyle Mahoney - Muppet Classic Theater was a straight to VHS feature-length production released in 1994. In a similar vein to the previously released film The Muppet Christmas Carol, the Muppets are retelling classic stories. It takes place in the Muppet Theater where Gonzo and Rizzo once again become the narrators as the rest of the gang act the story on stage.

The six stories told are The Three Little Pigs, The Midas Touch, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, (followed by a brief intermission) then Rumpelstilskin, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Elves and the Shoemaker. This production was significant in that it was one of Bill Barretta’s first Muppet productions. This also was the debut of some Muppets Tonight faces: Andy Pig, Randy Pig, and the Elvises.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo, Fozzie, and even Robin the Frog each take the stage, some in several roles, bringing their own flair and classic breaking the fourth wall into these timeless tales. Each story featured one original song by Philip Balsam, Dennis Lee (both of Fraggle Rock fame), Mark Radice, and Michael and Patricia Silversher.

Some of the best moments of the video include Miss Piggy sending the Big Bad Wolf into orbit via fireworks, Gonzo (as a Satyr) taking a nap in King Kermit’s rose bush, and Norman the Ox thwarting another wolf. Other hilarious moments are Piggy finding out Rumplestiltskin's name by looking at the name his mother had sewn into his clothes, Robin revealing that Emperor Fozzie was scammed and is in his underpants, and lastly the Elvis Elves receiving Sequin Jumpsuits as thanks.

One of the writers, Jim Lewis, had this to say about the project:

"My personal favorite among my own projects is Muppet Classic Theater which I co-wrote with Bill Prady. It was done relatively soon after Jim's passing, and it was in many ways a re-gathering of the clan. It was fun. Plus it's just silly, with no great message. I'm fond of it and hope it sees the light of DVD someday."

Although Muppet Classic Theater has only been released on VHS, you can watch it all right HERE with this link to Part 1.

All in all Muppet Classic Theater is an absolute delight. The songs are catchy and the script is fantastic in giving the Muppets their classic humor while also giving respect to the original stories.

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

Colleagues of Jerry Nelson Remember the Legend

Today we feature a very special article from three of Jerry Nelson's very close colleagues. First is a beautiful eulogy written for us by Joseph Bailey, writer for The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and many more things including last year's spectacular book Memoirs of a Muppets Writer. Today, we are honored to host Joe's memories of his friend Jerry Nelson. At the end of the article we feature memories from our good friends Muppet writer Jim Lewis, writer for Muppets Tonight and countless other things, as well as Muppeteer Peter Linz. I asked Jim and Peter three questions about Jerry for them to answer. We all hope these memories of the legendary Jerry Nelson bring you a smile or laugh--as Jerry would have wanted.

Jerry Nelson - The Puppeteer's Puppeteer

by Muppet writer Joseph Bailey

Jerry Nelson was a good friend of mine for almost 40 years. For 20 of those years, Jerry was my co-conspirator in that sublime, benign anarchy that was Jim Henson's Muppets. If you strung together all the material I wrote and Jerry performed it would fill many, many hours, if not days. Most of it broke down into two categories:

The first was material I had sweated over, somehow gotten past my boss, and hoped for the best in the studio. Jerry, in true Muppet fashion, would always find a way to make it work. Second were those very rare occasions with ideas that I felt were spot on and then honed to perfection, only to watch Jerry make them more perfect in performance.

But, I don't have to remind anyone how talented Jerry was. Thousands of examples exist on video. So, let me tell a little of what went into Jerry's performances.

Firstly, I'm sure Jerry would want to be remembered as an actor, for that was really his craft. Puppeteers are usually referred to as "performers" or "entertainers." But the truth is, they're really actors. Granted, they work in the theatre of the very, very absurd. But all theatre is an illusion and you can't find better illusionists than puppeteers.

Spencer Tracy was once asked by a young actor what was the secret of acting. "Just don't let them catch you doing it," Tracy replied. The reason Jerry's characters were so believable and so much fun was that you never caught him "acting." And, lest you think humor takes a back seat to "drama," when the great classic actor, Edmond Booth, was on his death bed, he was asked if dying was hard, he replied, "No. Dying is easy. Comedy is hard." Jerry Nelson made comedy look easy.

I've said that writing for the Muppets was like handing them a loaded blunderbuss and putting them in the vicinity of a barn door. They always hit it although not necessarily on the side I expected. So, if there's a shortage of barn doors in this world, an awful lot of them are Jerry Nelson's fault.

Jerry was also a tremendous vocal talent. He could sing on key in all of his dozens of voices. After performing a traditional English music hall song as a cockney busker Muppet, Jerry got a prolonged ovation from the English studio crew for the authenticity of his cockney accent. He was that good. 

Besides being a singer and musician, Jerry was also a composer. Even I didn't know this until Jerry produced a CD of his own musical material in 2010. It's called "Truro Daydreams," after the small Cape Cod town he loved so well. It is truly the poetry of Jerry Nelson.

Although he never used this talent with the Muppets, Jerry was also an accomplished marionetteer (if there is such a word.) At a party at Caroll Spinney's, I watched Jerry pick up a marionette that Caroll had acquired in his travels. The puppet was a simple silk handkerchief with five rings. There was a ring stuffed on each corner suggesting hands and feet. One in the middle of one side created a "head." Absentmindedly, Jerry took the controls and manipulated the little character with amazing grace and fluidity.

Since the Muppets never used marionettes, I asked him where he had learned the art. Jerry told me his first puppet job was working with Bil Baird. At his audition, Baird gave him a gangster marionette armed with a tommy gun. Jerry made the puppet aim the gun directly at Baird and say, "Awright, Baird! I think you'd better hire this kid!" Jerry got the job.

Now, let me tell you a little about Jerry Nelson the man. Jerry was warm, friendly, caring and eminently approachable. If it weren't for Jerry and Richard Hunt, I'm not sure I would have survived my first few weeks working on The Muppet Show in London. I knew nothing of the city, which is a jumbled maze of streets, all of which seemed to have the same name. But Jerry and Richard would pick me up in Richard's rusting Ford Cortina and carry me off to the best steaks, coldest beer, and coolest jazz in town.

Jerry also never took fame and celebrity seriously. No matter what, he remained the kid from Oklahoma. One night, the Muppets were at a party in the penthouse suite at ATV headquarters in London. ATV was the English company that produced The Muppet Show. Jerry had made a record of the A.A. Milne poem, "Halfway Down the Stairs," as Kermit's nephew, Robin the Frog. The record had gone platinum and Lord Lew Grade, who owned ATV, threw the party to celebrate.

At that particular time, we had just arrived in England and were working full time in the studio and running around trying to find a place to live. So, we had no personal time at all. After six or seven extremely laudatory speeches about Jerry's incredible talent, he turned to me and said, "If I'm such a big international recording star, how come I've been wearing the same pair of socks for three days?"

On a flight from London to New York, Jerry was seated next to the famous actor, Al Pacino. After they introduced themselves, they got into a conversation about show business and fame. Pacino said he liked being famous and how it had made his life easier. Jerry agreed, but countered by saying that he could play guitar and sing all night in any beer joint in Hoboken and never worry about being recognized by aggressive fans. When the plane landed, Pacino was mobbed by passengers and crew for autographs and photos. Jerry told me, "I grabbed my bag from the over-head, patted him on the shoulder, said, 'See you later, Al,' and walked off the plane."

There is a story of Jerry spending hours entertaining the young daughter of a studio hand who was suffering from double pneumonia. Sadly, Jerry had a lot of experience entertaining sick children. That's because Jerry had a daughter, Christine, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. She died at 21 in 1981. Jerry loved her so much I'm sure he would want me to tell you about her. Jerry told me about the night Christine died. It was one of those moments in life you never forget.

I knew Christine and she was truly Jerry's daughter. She was bright and beautiful and very funny. Because of her illness, Christine spent many stints in the hospital. But, when I went to visit her, instead of the standard hospital gown, she would be flitting around the ward in purple jogging shorts.

She also had a gag that she would pull whenever there was a new nurse on the floor. Christine had a stash of apple juice. She would fill urine sample bottles with it. When the nurse came to collect a urine sample, Christine would look at it critically and say, "I don't like the looks of that. I think I'll run it through again." Then, to the horror of the new nurse, she would knock back the sample in one gulp.

So now, I like to think that Christine and Jerry are together again with Jim and Richard and the rest of the gang in some ethereal Truro. It's a little known fact, but there is an official Muppet Theory of Death. It goes like this: When a Muppet person dies, he is met on the Other Side by the late puppet designer Don Sahlin, who presents him or her with a rubber chicken. (Okay, it's weird. But it beats the hell out of eternal damnation.) I'm sure Jerry has his rubber chicken and has already found a voice for it.

For Jerry / from Muppet writer Jim Lewis

1.) What is one moment or memory with Jerry Nelson that you will never forget?Jerry sitting on the couch at Jerry Juhl's house announcing "Party's started!" Which is how I felt every time I caught sight of Jerry smiling that "I know something and it sure is strange" smile of his.

2.) How has Jerry influenced your work and your life?Jerry was honest. He wore his heart on his sleeve. And lucky for us he could make his sleeve talk and sing. That incredible voice. That chuckle. The way he made you feel that we're "so damn lucky to be able to do this for a living." He made you want to join the fun, which is what I've been trying to do ever since.

3.) If you had to define Jerry Nelson in five words or less, what words would you use?I'm here to have fun.

from Muppeteer Peter Linz

 

1.) What is one moment or memory with Jerry Nelson that you will never forget?
My first or second season on Sesame Street, I was right-handing for the Count. I was new and inexperienced and apparently doing too much with the right hand. Suddenly, fiercely and without warning, the Count slapped his right hand with his left. It was a valuable lesson in right-handing that I'll never forget!

2.) How has Jerry influenced your work and your life?
Jerry was the star of my all-time favorite Jim Henson production, "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas" which I must have watched dozens of times when it first came out. I will forever strive to live up to the incredible example of his character work. And that VOICE!

3.) If you had to define Jerry Nelson in five words or less, what words would you use?
Cool. Musical, Far-Out, Kind, Deep

All of our thanks to Joe Bailey, Jim Lewis, and Peter Linz for sharing their memories of their friend Jerry.

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

"?" with Jarrod Fairclough - Why does Pepe say "okay"? ANSWER!

Jarrod Fairclough Presents "?"

"Because Asking Questions Is a Good Way to Find out Things"

ANSWER: "Why does Pepe say 'okay' at the end of most sentences?"

Jarrod Fairclough - Hello my little Muppet minions, and welcome to the answer to the last post I did...  Well, actually, the last post I did was my Muppet Fan Testimonial. By the way, fun fact, that was around 2100 words, which is 100 words more than my average university essay has to be, and they usually end up at 1500 before I get fed up. I need to write more essays on Muppets...

Anyway, this is the answer to my Pepe question.  The one that’s “Why does Pepe say ‘Okay’ at the end of most sentences?”

And didn’t a lot of you enjoy telling me that the answer was already well documented? But its okay, that’s why I love my little Muppety Mindset reader friends. I did get an answer from my friend Beau, who informed me of a weird tick he has, adding “You know what I mean” to the end of his sentences. He then theorised that Pepe says “okay” as a self defense mechanism, so he can say anything offensive, and by adding ‘Okay?” they can speak up if they’re offended, otherwise forever hold their peace.

I’m not going to copy and paste people’s responses, because they’re more or less the same as that of Jim Lewis, Muppet writer extraordinaire, who Ryan was kind enough to approach for an answer. Truth be told, I also went looking for an answer from Bill Barretta, and Pepe himself, but with the new Muppet movie underway, they understandably have no time. So, here is Jim’s answer, copied and pasted in all its glory:

"This is really a question for Bill Barretta, but here’s how I understand it. Pepe was inspired by his wife’s aunt, who always spoke in declarative sentences, never in questions. She ended those questions with “okay”, which implies that whatever she said is something you will agree with. It’s a way of getting to “yes” without waiting for the other person to answer. And that’s how Pepe operates – constantly in pursuit of his goals: womens, moneys and free stuffs, okay."

I loved that the answer was chock-full of Muppety goodness at the end.
So there we go. If you didn’t know the answer before, you know it now. Truth be told, you could have gone on Pepe’s Muppet Wiki page and seen that answer, as I did the day after the question appeared on the website. So there we have it. Pepe says okay so that people will agree with him, and he can get moneys and womens and free stuffs, okay.  And because Mrs. Barretta’s aunt is awesome. PS – I knew all along Rosita doesn’t say ‘okay’.

Well, that’s it for now, and you won’t be seeing me for a little while, I’m off in a few days to New York City and Los Angeles, where, with any luck, I’ll have a Muppety experience or two to inform you of. But no promises. And hello to Artie Esposito, who told me the other day he reads this website all the time!

Well, I’m off to pack my stuff. Here’s hoping my plane doesn’t get grounded after take off (I’m flying Qantas, which, to those who have no idea, has had like 10 grounded planes in the last 2 weeks). I’ll be seeing you in about a month, Muppet fans. Until then, dance your cares away. Or work them away if you’re a Doozer. But they don’t have computers. Do they? No... Anyway, until then...

Cheers!
Jarrod

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

Interview with Muppet Writer JIM LEWIS!

Today, The Muppet Mindset features the first of our (hopefully) many interviews. Who better to start off an interview circuit with than the king of Muppet interviews himself, Muppet writer Jim Lewis? Jim is a hero of mine, and talking to him is a great pleasure in my life. I hope this interview allows you to feel the same!

Dwayne Fletcher (dwayne1115 on Muppet Central Forum) and Ryan Dosier - Back in 2004, The Walt Disney Company bought the rights to the “classic” Muppets (Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang) from the Henson family. Since then, it has been a roller coaster ride rivaling those in Disney’s theme parks for the Muppets. From slated projects that have long since been dropped, to the many different leaders of the Muppet Studios (previously the Muppets Holding Company), The Muppets have had an interesting last couple of years—to say the least.

Some fans have all but given up hope that the Muppets will ever shine again under Disney leadership. However, there are still the die hard, hopeful fans that feel the Muppets will live on and be better under Disney in the long run.

Even after four and a half years, there are still many intricacies about the Disney deal that we as fans don't understand. To better understand the details, it would seem that the best course of action is to ask someone who has been with the Muppets since long before the Disney buy, and is still with the Muppets today.

Long time Muppet writer (and now Muppet “counselor” to Disney) Jim Lewis has been writing for the Muppets for over 20 years. He started out writing for Muppet Magazine in the late 80's and has continued working with them consistently ever since—recently helping to launch Muppets.com by writing most of the new video content, while also ghost writing the three Muppet self-help books, Before You Leap, It’s Hard Out Here For a Shrimp, and The Diva Code.

We got the opportunity to ask Jim some questions in an attempt to shed some light on what’s been going on with the Muppets since the Disney buyout. We’ll find out what he has in the works and get his opinion on if the Muppets are now heading in the right direction.

~~~~~

RYAN: Jim, thank you so very much for taking the time to answer these questions we’ve come up with. It’s so great that you take the time to let the fans into the Muppet Studios as much as you can.

JIM: I am always thrilled to talk to anyone who cares as much about these characters as I do. And you two guys certainly qualify.

RYAN: Let’s get started, shall we?

DWAYNE: First off, would you say that I was correct in calling you a “counselor” to the Muppets for Disney? If so what does that mean? Can you also be my counselor?

JIM: Actually and contractually (Hey, the rhyming song!)….I am a Muppet Consultant. How does this differ from being a “counselor”? Well, it means I don’t have to do nature walks or bed checks, but otherwise it’s the same thing. As a consultant, I use my long experience with the Muppets to make sure they don’t do things they shouldn’t – like take nature walks or insist I do bed checks. Seriously, I (like everyone else involved – performers, builders, directors, execs) do our darndest to make sure the Muppets are the Muppets.

As for serving as your counselor – I think that’s what this ongoing Q&A is really all about, isn’t it? Tell me, do you ever dream about Miss Piggy?

RYAN: I am just starting college, I’m sure I could use a counselor too!

JIM: Starting college? That’s easy: just ask yourself “What Would Gonzo Do?” and you’ll do fine.

DWAYNE: In 2004, Disney bought the rights to the Muppets from Henson. Was this an uneasy time for you as a writer and employee? Or were you excited about the possible future in the Mouse House?

JIM: No. Yes. Maybe.

No, because I was around when Jim Henson originally intended to put the characters in the hands of Disney, back in 1989. Jim knew that the folks at Disney knew how to protect, grow and keep characters vibrant. He wanted them at Disney—so having the characters there seemed the right thing.

Yes, because I am always uneasy. This is the result of several things: I’m from New Jersey, aka “The Big Uneasy”. Also, as a writer working in Hollywood, uneasy is the default setting. Expect disaster and never be disappointed.

Maybe because anyone who’s not happy with the ambiguous nature of this answer can use “maybe” as a way to spin conspiracy theories about what I really think. Just another service I offer as a Muppet consultant.

RYAN: It seems that, since 2004, the Muppets have taken a much more welcome place in the Disney family. We’ve seen three new TV specials (Letters to Santa and two installments of Studio DC: Almost Live!), tremendous comic books, the Whatnot Workshop, some other exciting merchandise, and even a planned theatrical movie. Would you say that Disney’s attitude towards the Muppets has changed since then? Or have they always had the same, welcome attitude, and they’ve just now had time to get the ball rolling?

JIM: I think the Muppets are different. They’re characters, much as Disney has many other wonderful characters. But they’re…well, they live on a different plane. (I will forego the inevitable airplane jokes here for the sake of brevity. Please feel free to make up your own. We now return you to our answer….) The Muppets are, among other things, self-aware and a mass of personal peccadilloes and peculiarities. They are alive – because they are literally alive and living in our world – in a way that many other characters are not. All that is a product of Jim Henson’s genius, and the work of Frank, Jerry, Jerry, Richard, Dave, Steve, etcetera. Figuring out how the characters work and making them work well takes a learning curve. I think you’re seeing the curve swing upward. Were this a PowerPoint presentation, I’d share a boring graphic with you, but suffice it to say: these things take time.

DWAYNE: Since the buyout, there have been three different leaders of the Muppet Studios. Can you give us an idea of the vision of each one of these leaders? I'm sure their views on what to do with the Muppets were very different.

JIM: There have? Really? No one tells me anything. I just slip pages under the door and run.

RYAN: It has been rumored that you, along with Jason Segel, have a script floating around the Muppet Studios. Can you shed any sort of light on this? Or do we just have to remain in the dark? If the latter, can I borrow a Big Bird night light?

JIM: I can’t. Part of being a Muppet Consultant means never saying anything you shouldn’t – and never talking about stuff you know nothing about. And I think I’m correct in stating that I really know nothing about this, or pretty much anything else of import. That said, I can not lend you my Big Bird night light. I’m afraid of the dark, too. Sorry.

DWAYNE: In 2008, the Muppet Whatnots took the nation by storm. If you were going to build your own Whatnot, what would he/she look like?

JIM: My Whatnot would have hair. Just like I used to have when I started this job. But now – bupkis. And he’d have glasses, cause I can’t see much without them—or with them. And he’d be strikingly handsome, with the emphasis on strikingly. Other than that, he’d talk funny.

RYAN: Recently there has been some great Muppet merchandise released exclusively in the Disney parks, including the Star Wars figures and the new Vinylmation series of Muppet figures. And just this past week, Kermit and the gang went out to Disneyland to film promos for the park. Have you heard anything that says this is a sign that the Muppets will have an even bigger place in Walt Disney World and Disneyland—beyond just appearing in Muppet*Vision 3D?

JIM: You guys are amazing! You know everything. Who tells you all this stuff? I barely know this. Come to think of it, I just found out about it from you. Again, you think too highly of me and my powers of persuasion and prognostication. I can honestly say: I sure hope so. And I can add that working with the Walt Disney Imagineers is about the most fun a human being – or Muppet – can have. To quote Gonzo: “they are soooo cool”.

DWAYNE: You have been with the Muppets and the Henson Company for many years and you have seen a lot of projects come out of both. In your opinion, what were the best and worst projects the Muppets have done? (Not necessarily ones you’ve written.)

JIM: I can honestly say that no one – not the writers, performers, builders, designers, producers, directors, executives, et al.—go into any project thinking it will be the “worst”. We all strive to make it the “best”. Every single time. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. And sometimes it works out far better than are wildest dreams, which are quite wild as you might imagine. Such judgements of “best’ and “worst” are really up to the audience. I love it when you love stuff. And I apologize for where we – particularly I – have failed to live up to the Muppet standard. And I consider my loss of hair penance for my sins.

DWAYNE: It also seems that Muppets.com has become a great place for some obscure characters like Beauregard, Bobo, the Muppet Newsman, and Swedish Chef to shine. Is this becoming like a training camp for the performers, writers, and the rest of the Muppet team to get used to these characters again?

JIM: Muppets.com reminds me of “Sam & Friends”. Not that I was around (except as an infant several hundred miles north of Maryland) for “Sam & Friends,” but from what I see of Jim and Jane’s early work, there was a great sense of “let’s play and make ourselves laugh” to that show. The same spirit fills our work on Muppets.com. Unlike television, where everything has to be exactly so many minutes or seconds long, we can try out things that are just as long or short as we want them to be. And the future of the free world doesn’t hang in the balance (at least as far as I know). It is a great “training camp” for stretching the legs (wait a second, they don’t have legs) of old familiar characters and trying out new ones. We love it. ….Oh and a correction and codicil (that’s a cod with a lisp) on your introduction at the top of this interview: I did not write most of the video content on Muppets.com. Kirk Thatcher and I wrote it together. And Kirk directed much of it. And, of course, the performers invented tons of stuff on the spot. So, if you think about it, I’m just there for the craft services’ donuts.

RYAN: Maybe this is just coincidental, but since Disney we’ve seen a resurgence of some fan-favorite characters such as The Electric Mayhem, Scooter, and Rowlf. Does Disney have a conscious plan to bring back more of these tremendous characters? Or is this just coming about because recasts have been made, and you and other writers are finally getting to include them again? And what are the chances of Angus McGonagle the gargling gargoyle returning?

JIM: I thing the resurgence comes from our own appreciation of what a deep bench the Muppets have. (FYI: This is a sports reference, not a description of our furniture.) Everyone loves the main characters, but there are all these strange and wonderful other characters who add so much to any scene or story. I’m not sure why, but as we get more settled, we take more advantage of this deep bench, enjoying all the grace notes and silly, sweet, scintillating and alliteratively-inspiring they bring.

As for Angus, anything is possible, but some things are just begging to be done, aren’t they?

RYAN: The album, “A Green and Red Christmas” won a Grammy, Beaker’s viral “Ode to Joy” video on YouTube just won a Webby award, the song “I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus” is nominated for an Emmy. Does Disney notice/appreciate that the Muppets have all of these shiny, funny-named statues gracing their mantle once again? Does this persuade them even further to push for more projects?

JIM: Awards are great. They’re the cherry on the sundae, the butter on the toast, the chili on the spaghetti (my wife is from Cincinnati, where this metaphor makes a lot of sense). But I don’t think getting awards is really the motivating factor. What I do see in the question you ask is this: the Muppets are reclaiming their musical legacy. Music has always been a hugely important part of who these characters are. That’s seen a resurgence. And I can honestly say, that’s driven by the performers and musical geniuses like Paul Williams and Ed Mitchell, to names just a few so all the rest will be mad at me. (As for me and music? I can carry a tune, but not very far.)

DWAYNE: Over the years, there have been a lot of changes within the Muppet world. What do you think has been the best change the Muppets have gone through?

JIM: The best change has been the hardest. And it’s been a long process. I’d say it’s that, after Jim Henson’s passing, the people who worked with Jim and those who love the Muppets, have had to step up and kind of figure out how he did the magic that was so much a part of what made the Muppets work. I’ll never ever say we’ve figured it out completely, but we’re all learning and trying. It really isn’t being green, but if you work at it, you can get pretty close.

RYAN: And, finally, very recently there’s been a rumor floating around that 2010 will be called, “The Year of the Muppets.” Any words on that? Can it happen? Will it happen? Should I mark my calendar now?

JIM: If you hear more about this, let me know. I’m going out to buy a calendar now.

RYAN: Jim, thank you, again, so much for sitting down with our questions. Any last words for the Muppet fans reading? Or those asking the questions?

JIM: Thanks for riding out the storms and being such devoted Muppet fans. Thanks, too, for reading my nonsense and for being willing to hear me basically give the same answer over and over again. Eventually I’ll get it right.

And finally, I’ve always wanted to comment on something I once read on a Muppet Central board. I don’t remember exactly when this was up there, but it essentially blamed everything that was “wrong” with the Muppets on me and Kevin Clash. And while I think this is total nonsense (at least the Kevin part), I must say I was thrilled and honored to be mentioned in the same sentence with Mr. Clash. He’s another one of my heroes.

~~~~~

Another HUGE thank you to Jim Lewis for agreeing to an interview with The Muppet Mindset! It's an honor and a privelege to get to communicate with him! Even a bigger honor for such a new blog like us to book such a high-profile interviewee! Thank you, Jim!

If you or someone you know (or don't know) has a question for Jim Lewis, visit The Brand New Ask Jim Lewis Thread on the Muppet Central Forum and post it yourself! Jim is always happy to answer questions from the fans!

Jim Henson's Doodle Dreams Book Review

Jim Henson’s Doodle Dreams:
Inspiration for Living Life Outside the Lines

Book Review

Art by Jim Henson and Text by Jim Lewis

Meredith Books, 2008, $12.95

(out of 5)

By Ryan Dosier - Everyone knows that Jim Henson was a visionary, a genius, an inspiration—an artist. But what only some appreciators of Jim Henson’s work know is that he truly was an artist; someone who doodled haphazardly, scribbling the things that just couldn’t escape his bustling mind. It’s probably safe to say that these doodles were how Kermit, Big Bird, and the other Muppets were all first conceived.

It’s obvious, then, that a book of Jim Henson’s doodles would be released so that the world can delight in his mind’s wonderings (and wanderings). That book is Jim Henson’s Doodle Dreams. An inspirational sort of self-help book, it features pages of Henson’s doodles coupled with quips and clever captions by veteran Muppet writer, Jim Lewis. As Lewis says in his introduction to the book, “As for the words, they are my attempts to capture Jim’s spirit.” So while the words in the book were not spoken by Henson himself, Lewis feels that they capture the essence of who Jim was—just as the doodles do.

WRITING
As someone who has read countless numbers of Jim Henson quotes, I can easily say that Jim Lewis has done a fantastic job of illuminating Henson’s spirit and meaning. Some of the quotes sound like things Henson would have actually said. Things like “Be interested in everything” (coupled with a doodle of a man with a butterfly net chasing a flying blue fuzzy), “Try to instigate silliness” (coupled with a goofy looking monster doodle), and “You are where you are because that’s where you need to be. And if you need to move on, you’ll move on” (partnered with a picture of a business man) all seem like quotes that could be pulled from a book written by Henson himself.

ART

What could there possibly be to criticize about the artwork of Jim Henson? His doodles are quirky and silly—just like he was. Some of them, such as a beautiful watercolor of a turtle ascending a hill, seem deep and profound—even if they may just be quick doodles. All of the drawings are fun and irreverent and very, very Henson. A great selection of work—most of which I had never seen before—which really highlights the book.

OVERALL

My only complaint about the book is that it’s simply just too short. There are probably thousands of Henson’s doodles lying around in the Jim Henson Legacy’s file cabinets—surely more of them could’ve been included.

But past that one small grievance, this book is truly marvelous. Jim Henson’s Doodle Dreams is a must-own for any Muppet fan, Henson fan, or just someone in need of a smile. Jim Lewis’s words partner with Jim Henson’s artwork wonderfully—a truly commendable feat.

This book is inspiring in a way that only Jim Henson could be. His immortal words keep ringing through my mind while reading this book—“Keep believing, keep pretending” and, if I may add, keep doodling.

Order your copy of Jim Henson’s Doodle Dreams today!

EXCERPT

“Understanding other points of view keeps you fresh. You can look at the same thing one way forever, and it never seems to change. Then someone comes in and turns it upside down or inside out and suddenly, together, you’ve made something amazing.”