Muppetology 101: Intro to Muppet Monster Cryptozoology, Pt. 1

Ryan Dosier - Oh, finally! Now you students show up to class! I've been here for months teaching to an empty classroom. Where have you been?! What? What's that? The classroom door has been locked for the entire semester? ...The janitor is trying to sabotage me again! For the last time, Hugh, I did NOT steal your broom-handle polish! Sheesh. Anyway, class, welcome back finally. We're here in the middle of October and we've got Halloween on the brain! In class today we're examining the spookiest, scariest of the Muppets: the Muppet monsters! Today's lecture will focus solely on monsters from The Muppet Show and Muppets Tonight with an emphasis on other Muppet monsters next class.

• SWEETUMS
• Primarily performed by RICHARD HUNT (1976-1991) and MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• Sweetums is perhaps the most popular and well known of the Muppet monsters from The Muppet Show. Although he first appeared in The Frog Prince, it was in The Muppet Show where Sweetums came into his personality. Sweetums became the gentle giant on the show, befriending Robin the Frog in the notable "Two Lost Souls" musical number. However, Sweetums sometimes continued to tap into his scary persona throughout the show as well, such as when he, masquerading as Short John Silver, helped Glenda Jackson, secretly the pirate Black Johnson, shanghai the cast and take over the Muppet Theater in Season 5 and trying to eat Cloris Leachman on a desert island in Season . One of Sweetums' more prominent roles was in The Muppet Movie, where he worked as a jack (not name, job) for Mad Man Mooney's used car lot. When Kermit offers to bring Sweetums to Hollywood with him, the monster runs off and Kermit and the gang leave. Sweetums run backs moments later holding his suitcase shouting, "Wait! I wanna go to Hollywood!" This scene was replicated in last year's The Muppets. Sweetums has been a prominent figure in the Muppet gang for many years.

• UNCLE DEADLY
• Primarily performed by JERRY NELSON (1976-1979) and MATT VOGEL (2011-present)
• Uncle Deadly, with his tattered clothes and blue, dragon-like figure, is probably one of the creepiest looking Muppets to emerge from The Muppet Show. In Season 1 of the show, when Uncle Deadly was introduced in the episode guest starring Twiggy, he was revealed to be a phantom haunting the Muppet Theater who had died onstage after the audience tore apart his performance. A semi-recurring character after this, Uncle Deadly would sing with Ethel Mermann, play cohort to Vincent Price, perform the song "Sheik of Araby," and star in the Muppet Melodrama series alongside Miss Piggy and Wayne. After Season 3, Uncle Deadly was silenced on the show and phased out almost completely. He did not reemerge from obscurity until last year, when he played a crucial role in The Muppets as the main henchman of Chris Cooper's villainous Tex Richman. Hopefully this is just the beginning of Uncle Deadly's return to prominence, as he is one of the most unique (in both personality and appearance) Muppet monsters in the entire repertoire. 

• THOG
• Primarily performed by JERRY NELSON (1970-1981)
•  Thog is one of the biggest Muppets ever built for any production. He was originally one of the stars of the 1970 television special The Great Santa Claus Switch alongside his green counterpart Thig. Thog went on to be a big (pun intended) part of The Muppet Show, appearing with many guest stars in the first and second seasons and performing in the theme song in every episode after Season 1. After The Muppet Show, however, Thog disappeared almost entirely. Like Uncle Deadly, Thog was resurrected for The Muppets last year and quickly became a favorite with moviegoers simply because of his massive size, even though he only appeared onscreen for a short amount of time. Only time will tell if we will continue to see Thog in future Muppet projects.

• DOGLION
• Primarily performed by VARIOUS (1976-1996)
• Another of the large, full-bodied Muppet monsters, Doglion was a tertiary player on The Muppet Show from Season 2 to Season 4. Oddly enough, Doglion never had a primary performer and was traded among the core Muppet performers nearly every time he appeared onscreen. Doglion holds a very notable place in the Muppet universe as being the very first Muppet to appear on the big screen. In The Muppet Movie Doglion can be seen in the opening shot of the film at World Wide Studios moving some props. Doglion was last seen performing with Paula Abdul on Muppets Tonight.  

• BEAUTIFUL DAY MONSTER
• Primarily performed by VARIOUS (1969-present)
• Beautiful Day Monster is an interesting Muppet for many reasons. He got his start on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, but went on to appear semi-prominently on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, making him the only Muppet besides Kermit (and various Sesame characters who visited The Muppet Show, if you count them) to crossover between the two. The monster is perhaps best known for his sketch on The Muppet Show with Paul Williams where he continually asked, "Got anything cheaper?" and for the sketch on The Ed Sullivan Show where he tried to ruin a little girl's beautiful day. Beautiful Day Monster faded away after The Muppet Show, only appearing briefly in The Jim Henson Hour and on The Cosby Show. He returned in The Muppets last year and even sang a line in the finale reprise of "Life's a Happy Song."

• LUNCHEON COUNTER MONSTER
• Primarily performed by VARIOUS (1977-present)
• Although not widely recognized, Luncheon Counter Monster (who got his name from a sketch on The Muppet Show where he ate everything put on a lunch counter visited by guest star Nancy Walker) is one of the most-used Muppet monsters. He has appeared in everything from The Muppet Show to the Muppet Meeting Films to A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa all the way up to last year's The Muppets. Throughout all of this, Luncheon Counter Monster has never had a consistent performer--as was the case with many tertiary, "utility" Muppet monsters. But with one of the most unique designs Luncheon Counter Monster has remained a consistent presence in Muppet projects since The Muppet Show.   

• DROOP
• Primarily performed by JERRY NELSON (1971-1996)
• Droop was introduced as a character called Snivelly in the 1970 television special The Great Santa Claus Switch. When he next appeared in the pilot The Muppet Valentine Show in 1974, Droop was one of the main characters. This main status did not carry over to The Muppet Show for Droop, unfortunately, but he was featured in numerous sketches. One notable sketch he appeared in was the "Imagination" song with Ben Vereen in Season 1. Droop would go on to appear in every season of The Muppet Show and every Muppet film except Muppets From Space. He got to make a joke about a key grip in the "Scratching the Surface" bonus feature on The Muppets Blu-ray in 2012.  

• BEHEMOTH
• Primarily performed by VARIOUS (1976-present)
• Behemoth is a very simple looking monster with a massively gaping mouth, giving him a very distinctive look. Although he only appeared in five episodes in three seasons of The Muppet Show, Behemoth managed to make a striking impression on Muppet fans. So much so that, after not being seen since an episode of Muppets Tonight in 1996, Behemoth was brought back for The Muppets in 2011, getting a hysterical line about Jack Black's teeth in the film and appearing in multiple promotional spots, sometimes being called Gene, perhaps named after performer Bill Barretta's brother Gene.  

• BIG MEAN CARL
• Primarily performed by BILL BARRETTA (1996-present)
• Big Mean Carl is the newest monster to be accepted into the core group of Muppet monsters. He first appeared in 1992 in the Muppet Meeting Films where he was performed by Dave Goelz and called "Chairman Budget." However, once Bill Barretta took hold of the character in 1996 he became Big Mean Carl and developed his overbearing personality. Carl would try to fit any entertainment need, becoming Carl the Big Mean Bunny, Carl the Big Mean Ventriloquist, Carl the Big Mean Bagpipe Eater, and numerous other incarnations. He was most prominent in the sketch on the show called "Swift Wits," where he would eat an adorable animal contestant after the idiotic game show contestant failed to answer the question. Carl remained in obscurity until 2008 when he appeared in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. Carl starred in his own viral video, "Stand By Me," in 2010 and returned for The Muppets in 2011.   

• FRACKLES
• Various character primarily performed by VARIOUS performers (1970-present)
• The Frackles are a group of Muppet monster characters first introduced in The Great Santa Claus Switch in 1970. This eclectic and creepy group of monsters includes Boppity (Blue Frackle), Gloat (Green Frackle), Snake Frackle, Mo Frackle, J.G. (Dark Green Frackle), at one point Gonzo and Droop, and various others of all shapes and colors. These Muppets are crucial in background roles on The Muppet Show and Muppet movies. Many Frackles were used in last year's The Muppets.    

Well class, that's all the time we have for today. Come back next week when there might be a quiz (if I can piece together the paper shreds after Hugh the janitor got to them) and hopefully the door will be unlocked! Until then... keep being spooooooky!






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

Muppetology 101: Recasting of Muppet Show Characters, Pt. 4

Ryan Dosier - Good day, students! Welcome back to our weekly Muppetology 101 lecture. After last week's special class, we're returning to our chapter on Recasting of Muppet Show Characters, this time spotlighting the Muppets performed by Jerry Nelson. As Jerry is the final original Muppeteer to somehow leave performing (Dave Goelz continues to perform all the characters he originated), this will be our final lecture on this topic. But, fear not, because more Muppetology with more topics will be on the way!

As we begin discussing Jerry Nelson's characters, it must be noted that virtually every Muppet on this list has been taken over by the talented Matt Vogel. In recent recasts, it seems that a single new performer is chosen to take on the characters of a single gone performer--such is the case with Eric Jacobson and Frank Oz as well as David Rudman and Richard Hunt. Since about 2008 Matt Vogel has revived most, if not all, of Jerry Nelson's fan-favorite characters from The Muppet Show.

• FLOYD PEPPER
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1975-2003)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• Floyd Pepper was one of Jerry Nelson's favorite characters to perform. Even after the deaths of Jim Henson (Dr. Teeth) and Richard Hunt (Janice), Jerry kept Floyd around in appearances throughout the 1990s even without the rest of the Electric Mayhem. Upon Jerry's retirement from performing with the Muppets in 2003, Floyd disappeared for a few years. In the extended version of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz on DVD in 2005 and on The Muppets Green and Red Christmas album in 2006, John Kennedy performed Floyd. Kennedy's performance, while right in personality, just didn't capture Floyd's trademark raspy voice. In the first installment of Studio DC: Almost Live!, Matt Vogel performed Floyd for the first time. It could be this performance that solidified Matt as the chosen recast for all of Jerry Nelson's characters. Matt Vogel has performed Floyd since in appearances in viral videos, on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, TV specials, and most recently in The Muppets.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Floyd Pepper for The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence pilot in 1975, in which Floyd was one of the three main characters alongside Sam Eagle and Nigel. Jerry Nelson's final physical performance as Floyd was for the television movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002, but Jerry provided Floyd's voice for the 2003 video game Muppets Party Cruise.
• Matt Vogel first performed Floyd Pepper in both Studio DC: Almost Live! specials in 2008, when Floyd notably jammed alongside Disney star David Henrie. Matt Vogel has continued to perform Floyd since then including his appearance in The Muppets in 2011. 

• LEW ZEALAND 
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1977-2003)
• Performed by BILL BARRETTA (2002-2005)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• Lew Zealand, everyone's favorite boomerang fish thrower, was originated and perfected by Jerry Nelson for over 25 years. However, when filming It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002, the voices of Jerry's characters had to be looped over later due to health concerns. One such character was not looped, for whatever reason, and that was Lew Zealand as performed by Bill Barretta. Bill's Lew was over the top and hilarious--as it should be--and he stuck with the character through The Muppets' Wizard of Oz in 2005. Starting in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa in 2008, Matt Vogel stepped in once again to take over Jerry Nelson's character, a casting which has stuck since then in all appearances of Lew Zealand.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Lew Zealand in The Muppet Show Season 3 episode guest starring Marisa Berenson, in which Lew saves Kermit from marrying Miss Piggy in "the wedding sketch." Jerry's final, physical performance as Lew was at "The Muppet Show LIVE!" at MuppetFest in 2001, but his final vocal performance as Lew was for Muppets Party Cruise in 2003.
• Matt Vogel first performed Lew Zealand in the A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa in 2008, where Lew offered Claire's Mom fishes. Matt has performed Lew since then in appearances in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" viral video in 2009 and in The Muppets in 2011.

• CRAZY HARRY
• Originally performed by JOHN LOVELADY (1974-1977)
• Performed by JERRY NELSON (1977-2003)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• Crazy Harry is by now means a main Muppet character, but he has been recast quite a few times. His first performer was John Lovelady, who originated the character in The Muppet Valentine Show in 1974 when he was called "Crazy Donald" after Muppet designer and practical joker Don Sahlin. But come The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence in 1975 (where he was performed for the only time by Richard Hunt), the character's name had been changed to Crazy Harry for an unknown reason. John Lovelady returned to the character for The Muppet Show Season One in 1976-1977, but when he departed the show, Jerry Nelson took over. Even when Jerry was still performing, Crazy Harry was seen in the background but rarely spoke. In 2005 Crazy Harry returned to speaking in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz where he was performed by Rickey Boyd. But, once again, in 2008 Matt Vogel began performing Crazy Harry in viral videos, and the character made a sort of resurgence, appearing prominently in various music videos, TV specials and appearances, and The Muppets movie.
• John Lovelady first performed Crazy Harry (then called Crazy Donald) in The Muppet Valentine Show pilot in 1974. He would continue to perform the character in The Muppet Show's first season throughout 1976 to 1977.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Crazy Harry in The Muppet Show's second season in 1977. He would become the character's definitive performer for over 25 years. His final known physical and vocal performance as Crazy Harry was in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years in 1986. However, Jerry provided Crazy Harry's voice for Muppets Party Cruise in 2003.
• Matt Vogel first performed Crazy Harry in 2008 for the "Stars and Stripes FOREVER!" music video on YouTube. Matt continues to perform the character currently through appearances in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2010, "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 2009, and The Muppets in 2011.

• ROBIN THE FROG
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1971-2002)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• One of the most personal of Jerry Nelson's characters is Robin the Frog. Jerry originated Robin as the sweet, caring innocent we know and love and gave him a chipper, beautiful voice that is only a higher version of Jerry's own and extremely difficult to mimic. Matt Vogel was put to the task of giving Robin a voice for the first time in over five years in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa when Robin sang a line in the song "My Best Christmas Yet." This proved difficult for Matt, and Robin sounded somewhat off. In 2009, Matt sang again as Robin on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon during the "Twelve Days of Christmas" number as Robin perched on Jimmy's shoulder. Again, Robin's voice wasn't perfect, but it was improving. Robin's most recent appearance was again on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2011 where he and Kermit sang "When the River Meets the Sea" with Jimmy. Matt Vogel's Robin voice is still not perfect, but the personality and joy of the character absolutely are, and the voice can only improve with more appearances.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Robin for The Frog Prince television special in 1971. Jerry would perform Robin throughout the run of The Muppet Show, for his major role in The Muppet Christmas Carol, and more up until It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002. This would also be Robin's last somewhat-substantial role to date.
• Matt Vogel first performed Robin for A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa in 2008, in which Robin had a line singing in "My Best Christmas Yet." Matt has performed Robin for a few appearances since then on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon both in 2009 and 2011, both times Robin sang with Jimmy and the other Muppets.

• CAMILLA THE CHICKEN
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1978-2003)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2008-present)
• Perhaps one of Jerry's easiest (yet somehow most challenging) characters to perform is Gonzo's chicken girlfriend Camilla. Jerry was the sole performer of Camilla, giving her a trademark clucking voice, for 25 years. After Jerry's retirement Camilla sort of disappeared with only an appearance in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz in 2005 (where she was performed by Alice Dinnean-Vernon) to put on her record. But in 2008, when Camilla was needed for the viral video "Classical Chicken," it was Matt Vogel who clucked up the scene. Camilla has found a new permanent performer in Matt, and her appearances have been more frequent ever since.
• Jerry Nelson first performed the chicken named Camilla in The Muppet Show Season 3 in 1978 (Jerry had performed other chickens before this, but none named Camilla). Jerry would continue to perform Camilla for about 25 years until her vocal cameo in the 2003 video game Muppet Party Cruise.
• Matt Vogel first performed Camilla in he 2008 music video "Classical Chicken," in which she literally laid an egg. Matt continues to perform Camilla still, including her appearance and scene-stealing "Forget You" performance in The Muppets in 2011.

• UNCLE DEADLY 
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1976-1979)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2011-present)
• The most obscure of Jerry Nelson's semi-major characters is the Phantom of The Muppet Show, Uncle Deadly. The character only had a handful of appearances for about three years before disappearing into obscurity. It took director James Bobin and performer Matt Vogel to revive the long-lost phantom in The Muppets in 2011, giving Uncle Deadly his most prominent role ever as henchman of Tex Richman. Matt Vogel's Uncle Deadly is spot-on and we hope to see a lot more of him in the future.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Uncle Deadly in The Muppet Show Season 1 episode where Twiggy guest starred. Jerry would perform the phantom in a few more appearances until his final physical and vocal performance as the character on The Tonight Show in 1979 when Kermit the Frog guest hosted.
• Matt Vogel first performed Uncle Deadly in The Muppets in 2011 when the character made a huge return to the spotlight after over 30 years of being both silent and gone completely. Uncle Deadly has not appeared since The Muppets last year, but if he does Matt Vogel will be performing him after his fantastic work in the film. 

• POPS
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1980-2002)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2011-present)
• Pops, the Muppet Theater doorman, was one of Jerry Nelson's later characters, first appearing in the final season of The Muppet Show and only making a few other appearances after that. The character has not spoken in an actual Muppet project since Jerry Nelson's retirement, but was seen in "The Muppet Show Theme" music video with OK Go. In a behind the scenes feature posted by the band, Pops is seen and heard speaking to the camera, complaining about the volume of the music, here performed by Matt Vogel. If the character returns, one can assume that Matt will be beneath him.
• Jerry Nelson first performed Pops in Season 5 of The Muppet Show in 1980 when Pops would start every show in the cold open. Jerry performed Pops in his biggest role in The Great Muppet Caper in 1981 and would perform him until It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002, when Pops was seen and heard selling tickets.
• Matt Vogel first performed Pops in 2011 for "The Muppet Show Theme" music video with the band OK Go. The character has yet to appear again, but one can assume that Matt Vogel will be performing him when and if Pops returns.

• DR. JULIUS STRANGEPORK 
• Originally performed by JERRY NELSON (1977-1996)
• Currently performed by MATT VOGEL (2009-present)
• One of the stars of the "Pigs in Space" sketches on The Muppet Show, Dr. Julius Strangepork was one of Jerry Nelson's best-known characters, if only because of his frequent "Pigs in Space" appearances. The character has not spoken on screen since 1996 on Muppets Tonight, but he has appeared in "Bohemian Rhapsody" and The Muppets. Matt Vogel performed Strangepork in "Bohemian Rhapsody," and even though he did not speak, Matt confirmed it was indeed his performance in an interview. Hopefully we'll get to hear Matt Vogel's take on Dr. Strangepork soon.
• Jerry Nelson first performed the illustrious Dr. Strangepork in the first "Pigs in Space" sketch in Season 2 of The Muppet Show in 1977. Jerry would continue to perform the character until his final vocal and physical appearance with Strangepork in a "Bay of Pigswatch" sketch on Muppets Tonight in 1997.
• Matt Vogel performed Dr. Strangepork in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" viral video in 2009. The character did not speak in this appearance, but Matt Vogel confirmed that he did indeed perform him in an interview. Dr. Strangepork has yet to have a speaking role without Jerry Nelson.

Well, there you have it! Jerry Nelson's Muppet Show characters, all performed with aplomb by Matt Vogel. Don't believe me? Watch The Muppets and listen for Matt and you'll know for sure! His Uncle Deadly, Floyd Pepper, and Lew Zealand are especially perfect.

Anyway... study hard, there could be a quiz, blah blah... have a good week, class! We'll see you next week with the first of our installment of Recasting of Sesame Street Characters, spotlighting both Jim Henson and Frank Oz.

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

News Update: November 10, 2011

NEWS UPDATE: November 10, 2011
This past weekend on ABC Family, an exclusive "All Access First Look" at The Muppets aired during the Disney animated classic Beauty and the Beast. Miss Piggy hosted the event, constantly asserting that this was "her" movie--with all the other weirdos as well. To finish off the event, they showed an exclusive clip from the film. You can check out the whole thing below!



As if that weren't enough, the very next day the Muppets appeared on Disney Channel during airings of tween comedies Good Luck Charlie and Shake it Up! to show off their "Muppet Movie Star Secrets." The segments aired during commercial breaks and showed Kermit and Miss Piggy offering their celebrity advice to the cast of Disney Channel's A.N.T. Farm. It was a pretty cute appearance... and once again you can see it all below! (Thanks to our friend Chris Stulz for both of these videos!!)



A spectacular interview with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem surfaced recently on WhatsThatDudePlay.com. The interview is incredibly well-written, in character, and hysterical. I honestly can't remember the last time Dr. Teeth was written so perfectly. Be sure to read it all the way through! Every answer is truly a gem. By the way... how incredible is it that we're seeing an interview with the Electric Mayhem?! Has that ever happened? I don't know... but I know I want to see it happen again.

The other day we linked to 14 brand new interviews with the cast of The Muppets from Coming-Soon.net. Well, as it turns out, there are even more interviews to be seen! This time the fine folks at tapedimension on YouTube have posted some fantastic Muppet content over the past few days, including three full parts of B-Roll footage from behind the scenes of the film (beware of major spoilers) and those previously mentioned interviews with producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, and Martin Baker, writer Nicholas Stoller, choreographer Michael Rooney, and... wait for it... Uncle Deadly!! The interview with the unbelievable Uncle Deadly is below. Make sure you watch.



The YouTube channel for Walt Disney Pictures Australia recently uploaded another semi-parody, mostly accidental, trailer for The Muppets. This time, the Muppets take on beloved tropes of Bollywood cinema, and end up carrying it through to the end, even after realizing that it was a typo and should have said "Hollywood." Check out the trailer for singing penguins, lots of dancing, and Muppets! (Plus, Gonzo's dream of going to Bombay, India and becoming a movie star is sort of, kind of coming true!)



Some attendees at the Savannah Film Festival in Georgia were treated to a surprise screening of The Muppets as the Director's Choice film for the entire festival. Most of the audience at the festival was critics or film snobs (in a good way), so this was a great outlet for Disney to test the waters and see what sort of market The Muppets truly has. Well, lucky for Disney, the reviews that have come out of the Film Festival screening have been 100% positive. Chud.com posted a quick, highly positive video review immediately after seeing the movie, and have promised a full review soon. Meanwhile, the official review for the Film Festival was written by Susan Kemp, who, in the article, calls herself a "Grinch." Even so, she was immediately and completely charmed by the film and gave it a glowing review. Both of these are spoiler free, so be sure to read them to get a perspective on the critic's views! Also on that note, look out for The Muppet Mindset's exclusive review of The Muppets tomorrow!! Ryan Dosier will be seeing it tonight and will share his thoughts with the internet at large for tomorrow's post. (Perhaps even at 11:11am on 11/11/11?)

On Tuesday night, the Muppets teamed up with Google + to host a "Hangout" event on YouTube with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Jason Segel, Walter, James Bobin, and Nicholas Stoller all showing up for attendance to talk about their new movie for 17 minutes straight. The live-linking of the feed was a little choppy due to such a high-volume of hangers out (which can only be a good thing), but the Frog, the Pig, the Walter, and the Segel were all fantastic and fun. You can check out the full video from the Google + Hangout below!



Those cool cats (note: I have no idea if the company is actually run by cats) over at Threadless.com have printed 25 Muppet t-shirt designs from their recent contest (the contest which brought us James Carroll's Muppetational Mosaic t-shirt). Some of the shirts they decided to print are absolutely awesome (and I absolutely must have them) and some are just sort of "meh," but either way, it's fantastic to see Muppet fan artists rewarded in an official fashion! Congratulations to all those printed!

The Muppets have teamed up with Viddy.com for some exclusive, interactive video content! What is Viddy, you ask? Well, check out the official description from the Viddy email: 

"The Muppets" Are In Theaters on Thanksgiving, But They're on Viddy Today!

In anticipation of the soon-to launch film Disney's "The Muppets," Disney and Viddy, today launch The Muppets Pack(TM). Featuring some of the beloved Muppets brought to life in 15-second video clips, the Muppet Pack offers a unique opportunity to create personalized interactive Viddys with your favorite characters like; Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo & Fozzie Bear! More Muppets Character Packs coming soon. Download version 1.3.4 on iTunes

Launching today is Muppets.Viddy.com, a centralized place on the web to view the Muppets Viddys our community is creating from around the globe. Watch a sample video featuring football great Warren Sapp with Fozzie Bear online here: http://viddy.com/muppets--get a sneak peek at what the Muppets Character Packs look like!

Finally, we've added a new "What's Hot" area where you can see Popular, Trending, and Newest videos from the community.

Have fun, stay tuned for more updates, and enjoy "The Muppets"!

Jason Segel appeared on The Tonight Show on Tuesday and talked for quite a bit about his exuberant Muppet fandom. Segel delivered a fantastic, honest, charming interview and, for me at least, solidified once and for all why he is the exact right person to be helming the Great Muppet Renaissance (patent pending) that The Muppets is bringing us in just a few weeks. You can watch the Muppet-focused portion of the interview below, and be sure to check out the full interview on The Tonight Show's website!



And to close up our massive News Update... check out the wonderful, charming, adorable interview with Kermit the Frog from yesterday's The Ellen Degeneres Show. That frog charms with the best of 'em, and Ellen is always a ton of fun. Enjoy!



Be sure to check back with The Muppet Mindset tomorrow for our exclusive early review of The Muppets after Ryan Dosier sees the film at the cast and crew screening in Los Angeles!








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

More News and Photos from the Set of "The Muppets"

If you missed Tuesday, then you missed some epically awesome new set photos from The Muppets but you're here now today for even more pictures and news and awesomeness! (This article does contain some minor SPOILERS so if you want to remain spoiler-free until the movie comes out, you might not want to read on.)

The fine folks at BleedingCool.com have tons of new pictures from Tuesday night's filming outside of The El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. The pictures offer our first glimpse at Uncle Deadly in all of his glory and we also get to see Chris Cooper, Rowlf (in an awesome hat), Dave Goelz, chickens, tons of other Muppeteers, and newly-confirmed cameo star Mila Kunis (Family Guy, That 70's Show, Black Swan). Here are some of the coolest pictures:

Chris Cooper with The Muppets

Dave Goelz, Matt Vogel, Jason Segel, and Mila Kunis (in the white top and blue dress)

Look who came out to play!

BleedingCool.com also revealed that Kunis' role in the film has something to do with performing "Mahna Mahna" (presumably for the telethon). They said that she seemed like she was having a great time and even kissed Kermit at the end. They also said that Jason Segel was having a great time as well (go figure). Click the link above to read even more!

The folks over at BrainStormLive.com have an exclusive interview with Chris Cooper. In the interview he talks about his hip-hop number as Tex Richman and talks about how great the Muppeteers are at staying in character even after the cameras are off. However, the most notable part of this interview is the fact that Cooper confirms that he has a Muppet sidekick/henchman. He describes said Muppet as "a little dragon with florescent blue eyes." Which... to me, sounds quite a lot like this guy:

Of course, Cooper also refers to him as "a new Muppet" which could negate Deadly's involvement... but I'd be willing to bet that Cooper just isn't all that familiar with the Twiggy episode of The Muppet Show. My guess is that Uncle Deadly is going to be playing the bad guy's henchman--which, quite frankly, is awesome.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Interview with Legendary Muppeteer Jerry Nelson, Part 2

Ryan Dosier - Greetings, Muppet fans! And welcome back to The Muppet Mindset for Part 2 of our 4-Part interview with Muppet legend Jerry Nelson! Part 2 focuses on Jerry's contribution to The Muppet Show and the stable of characters he performed. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to ask about every character Jerry performed (since there were so darn many of them) but I think what you'll find is a wonderful inside look at some of Jerry's most influential characters (well... except Angus McGonagle--that question was for me) and his incredibly wise, incredibly hilarious thoughts concerning them.

Make sure you check out Part 1 of our interview with Jerry Nelson too!

Jerry Nelson Interview

Part 2

RYAN:   We’re back with the legendary Jerry Nelson. You know him as the long-time performer of such standards as Granny the Gouger, Thudge McGerk, and arguably the most influential Muppet of all time… the Jar of Orange Marmalade! Jerry, what was it like to perform these universally known characters?

JERRY:   I doubt that I ever thought about any of my characters being universally known. However, you can just imagine what a thrill it is to play Jar of Marmalade, or... perhaps you can’t.

RYAN:   As you all surely know, those three characters come from The Muppet Show. Jerry, what was it like to work on The Muppet Show? Did anyone ever consider that it would be so influential?

JERRY:   After we finished the first season, we came back to the US to film The Muppet Movie. It hadn’t taken off in the states yet. When we returned to England to start the second season, I don’t know about anyone else, but I was surprised to find that the show was a big smash hit there and Robin’s song “Halfway Down The Stairs” was on the Pop charts and eventually made it to #7. Of course, we did at some point realize that the show went to many countries and people, when they found out we did The Muppet Show, would do a big take and say, “You’re a MUPPET!!!!” “Good show, mate”

RYAN:   During the first season of the show, Floyd Pepper became very prominent. In those days he had a slightly different voice in some songs. How did his now well-known raspy tone come about?

JERRY:   Well, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is maybe what you are referring to. That’s the only one I’ve really noticed.. As I recall it was out of the range of my Floyd register and the song kind of felt Leon Redbone-ish, so I took it in that direction. My wife, Jan, said when she heard it, “That doesn’t sound like Floyd.” To which I replied, “I am he-and he is me-and we are all  together.”

RYAN:   Where does Floyd come from within you? How did you develop his character?

JERRY:   You have to remember he was a new character and you can see that as you become more familiar with a character, the character grows. When he walks, you find his walk. When he laughs you then have to discover all these subtleties about where his humor comes from so what you’re seeing is the personality evolving, much in the way all the characters who weren’t in existence prior to the pilot were. Remember too, that somewhere in his before-life he hung around a lot of jazz clubs and musicians.

RYAN:   Personally, I find Floyd to have the best singing voice of any Muppet. What were some of your favorite songs to sing as Floyd?


JERRY:   Thank you, Ryan. I’ll start with “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel. Well, here’s a melancholy tune that’s easy to get into if you are NOT in New York, which we weren’t. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by George Harrison, another beautiful sad song. “Blackbird,” a beautiful song from Paul McCartney. How could you go wrong with all that fantastic music? I also really enjoyed singing “Lady Be Good” with  Zoot and Dr. Teeth and my little scat with Dizzy Gillespie, a duet with Roy Rogers, “In The Good Ol’ Summertime” with Pearl Bailey, hey, the list goes on and on. I love to sing.

RYAN:   Do you have any idea why Floyd’s covers of songs are often better than the originals?

JERRY:   I can’t believe you said that. I thank you. But I don’t see it that way. Not that it’s better. It’s my take on song and great professional players behind me, so maybe it’s just different in a way that strikes you as better. I suppose a singer is what I really wanted to be and the Muppets got me as close to that joy as I could be in this world. That and my album, "Truro Daydreams." I might remind you all that Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and Flying Spaghetti Monster Day is just around the corner, so head on over to www.cdbaby.com/cd/nelsonjerry/ and  give the gift of love to me and my grandson Tolin, by buying your beloved one a copy of Truro Daydreams, with ten songs by yours truly, Jerry Nelson.

RYAN:   To you, what is the most important aspect of Floyd? What about the most fun aspect?

JERRY:   Music and humor.

RYAN:   How did you develop Floyd’s trademark “anklin’” walk?

JERRY:   Mr. Natural’s Truckin’ from the pen and mind of Robert Crumb. Circa 1960’s.

RYAN:   When you spoke to Matt Vogel about your characters, what did you tell him about Floyd?

JERRY:   My multi-colored wheel is spinning while I try to retrieve that file. Hmm, I think you will have to ask Mister Vogel that when you interview him.

RYAN:   What are your thoughts about the importance of the Electric Mayhem in the Muppet world? How do they represent and share the Muppet dream?

JERRY:   First of all in The Muppet Movie you saw how they met the Frog following his own dream. I believe at that time Kermit did share that with the band and they did find him in order to join in the dream, as did so many others they met along the way. The Mayhem were an intricate part of the Muppets in everything they did: movies, television, records, CD’s. They had been struggling with the hardships of the road until they met K. the Frog. He (K the F) gave them a stability they had been searching for and they in turn gave the Muppets much of their musical celebrity and humor. They were the Muppet Show house band for the stars who appeared on the show.

RYAN:   What did Floyd think about Janice’s brief fling with Zoot?

JERRY:   I asked Floyd about that and he said, “Hey Man, I don’t own her. She is her own person. I think people acting that way, before she joined us, was why she left home in the first place.”

RYAN:   How long did it take you to master the art of puppet guitar playing?

JERRY:     I am a guitar player so it was second nature to translate that into an arm wire. It was a little more complicated than that though. Normally, for a right-handed person the right hand would control the rhythm playing the guitar. In puppeteering, since the right hand is manipulating the puppet’s mouth, the left hand has to do the strumming, and or picking for the guitar or bass guitar. It’s sort of like patting your head and rubbing your stomach.  

RYAN:   Can you talk to us a little bit about Floyd’s relationship with Miss Piggy?

JERRY:   Miss  Piggy has such a gargantuan ego, Floyd finds it diverting to try to bring her down a peg or two, whenever he can without putting himself in danger. Sometimes that doesn’t work out so well and Floyd would end up with a chop to the chops.

RYAN:   Moving on from our good friend Floyd, where on earth did you find the inspiration for Lew Zealand?

JERRY:   Lew is my tribute to Frankie Fontaine who was a comedian who worked with Jackie Gleason, Jack Benny and The Tonight Show. He was also a talented singer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Fontaine

RYAN:   Does Lew have a favorite boomerang fish?

JERRY:   Yes, Tommy Tuna, but there were various favorites through the years. I used to make up different names to try to crack up Dave Goelz. Mikey the Mackerel, Ichabod Cod, stuff like that.

RYAN:   If you had to pick one defining moment in Lew Zealand’s distinguished career, what would it be?

JERRY:  The time he didn’t get the hook. No, every time the boomerang fish did their job. There were times when he threw the fish a-way but they didn’t come back.

RYAN:   How about Uncle Deadly? Why was he phased out?

JERRY:   I don’t know that there was a reason. I guess there could be many reasons. Character didn’t payoff any longer, they had used up all the funny bits for him, or they simply had lots of ideas that did not involve him. I never thought about it so I never asked anyone, but you had to bring it up and "Take-a, take another little piece of my heart now Ryan. Break-a, break another little piece of my..." well, you get the idea. I hope you sang that part aloud.

I saw her live, you know, in San Francisco. Ah, those were the times. Out of work and out of money, just like Uncle Deadly. Uncle Deadly was, by the way, my tribute to John Carradine.

RYAN:   What about Crazy Harry? Does he have any motivation besides the urge to wreak havoc and laugh maniacally?

JERRY:   No, selective chaos is pretty much his game.

RYAN:   Did you ever notice that a majority of your main characters have facial hair?

JERRY:   No, I didn’t. What do you think that means? Type cast in radical, non-conformist roles?

RYAN:   Of course, one character that doesn’t and never will have facial hair is Robin the Frog. When was it decided to make Robin Kermit’s nephew?

JERRY:   I have no idea.  They said “jump”, I said, “How High.”

RYAN:   Did Robin help you to get in touch with your inner-child?

JERRY:   No, since I never grew up, my inner child has been extremely close to the surface.

RYAN:   Any particular reason why Robin is so fond of “They Call the Wind Mariah”?

JERRY:   It’s called a running gag, but I think Robin feels it makes him appear more grown up...

RYAN:   What are your thoughts on why Robin stays with Kermit as much as he does? Is it his desire to perform or is there more to it?

JERRY:   Robin looks up to his uncle, but of course he wants to have an impact in show business as well. Secretly he hopes he can grow up like Kermit and wear a nice pointy collar and hang out with great looking Starlets.

RYAN:   What about Robin’s relationship with Kermit? What makes it so important to the both of them?

JERRY:   Despite the fact that being frogs, they are both cold blooded they do have a warm spot for each other in their froggie little hearts. I think there is also a strong filial devotion.

RYAN:   Since Robin is so musically inclined, are there any instruments you think would suit him best?

JERRY:   A ukulele or maybe a piccolo.

RYAN:   Was introducing Robin’s mother and father ever discussed? Which one do you think is Kermit’s sibling?

JERRY:   It may have been discussed, but never in my presence. Is that psychologically important? Because with all those eggs hatching at the same time, and Robin being another generation apart, I think it would be difficult to tell, unless you were a scientist.

RYAN:   What do you think it is that draws Robin to Sweetums?

JERRY:   Since it’s me you’re asking, I’d say script. Robin would say “Cuz he’s the best pal a frog can have.”

RYAN:   Is Robin still five?

JERRY:   He would be a young teenager in human years, but in frog years he is five.

RYAN:   Are his brothers and sisters in the swamp jealous of his stardom?

JERRY:   Hey, all they know is sitting on lily pads, catching flies, and avoiding a whole swamp full of predators. 

RYAN:   Robin is also actively involved in the Frog Scouts. If he had to choose between the Frog Scouts and the stage, which do you think he’d choose?

JERRY:  What? Give up show biz. You must be kidding me. It’s in his cold blood.

RYAN:   What were some of your favorite songs to sing as Robin?

JERRY:  Ahh, in order of preference they are, "Halfway Down the Stairs," "Over the Rainbow," "I’m Five," "Yellow Submarine," and "Just One Person."

RYAN:   One of my very good friends is a huge fan of Robin. Do you think he’d be willing to say a few words in the interview to his biggest fan?

ROBIN:   I have a fan? Wow!! A fan. My fan? Gosh, I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures. You take very good care of yourself. You are important to me. Thank you for being my FAN !!!!!!!

RYAN:   Who were your favorite Muppets to interact with while performing your characters?

JERRY:   I loved singing and working with all of my workmates no matter who I was, or they were being at the time. New character old character, I didn’t care as long as I was playing.

RYAN:   That about does it for part 2 of our interview, so in closing... Jerry, whatever happened to Angus McGonagle the Gargling Gargoyle?

JERRY:   I wish there was footage of us trying to gargle and then sing. We all tried it, even Jim. We were all cracking up at each other. It was hilarious. We ended up with Richard Hunt doing the gargling and me singing the lyric. If you want a laugh, try it yourself.

Huge thanks to Mr. Jerry Nelson for this amazing interview and everything he's done! You're the best, Jerry! Remember, you can buy Jerry's beautiful album, "Truro Daydreams," right here for only $9.99. It really is the perfect Christmas gift for the Muppet fan in your life (or just yourself)!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier