muppets

Mushrooms and monsters

Posted by hil

Last April I made these four muppet characters for a student film project. I never saw the resulting video, so I can’t say how it went! The Mushroom King technically isn’t really a muppet; instead he was made to dangle on a string, and his mouth is moved remotely using a bike cable.

I’m trying out the WordPress gallery here. It annoys me that you cant’t see the tentacle monster’s one eye in the thumbnail, but once you click on the thumbnails the gallery viewer itself is quite cool. Time will tell if I persist with using the galleries!

Sesame Street is deployed

Posted by hil

Elmos_dad_deploysthumb

I’ve never been able to stomach the sentimental side of the Muppets. That, and the inevitable connection with the madness that is the Iraq war, and its release coinciding with the 3000th US military death there, makes me feel pretty down on the Sesame Street production When Parents Are Deployed, despite understanding that it is designed to help families deal with the anxiety of separation and deployment.

There is a constant unspoken shadow – ‘so what if Elmo’s dad doesn’t come back?’. The makers acknowledge that a parent being injured or killed is undoubtedly the biggest fear of military children, but say it was unaddressed ‘because grief brought with it issues entirelydifferent from absence and would change the show’s focus.’ They add they are ‘open to doing another special where this issue is addressed, provided funding could be secured’.

I think we should instead teach people not to participate in war.

Puppet Up! – Uncensored in Australia

Posted by hil

Puppetup

Puppet Up! – Uncensored is coming to Australia late in the summer, first to the Big Laugh Comedy Festival in Sydney in March, and then the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April. I’ve just been watching the video clip and it looks like it could be a lot of fun. The Age recently had a short interview about the show with Susan Provan, the director of the Melbourne Comedy Festival.

Classic Sesame Street: Telephone Rock

Posted by hil

The irreverence and exhuberence in this classic Sesame Street video clip is such fun. I love it! (via Project Puppet)

Its no longer available :(

AVENUE Q One Night Stand Competition

Posted by hil

It seems like you can still cast a vote in the AVENUE Q One Night Stand competition, but be quick! Three puppets have been chosen to go to see AVENUE Q on Broadway and meet the cast backstage after the show, but one winner and their puppet will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to step onstage at the Golden Theatre on Broadway with the cast of AVENUE Q!

Watch the videos of the three competing puppets, and vote for which one you would like to see win. Will it be Kitty Swallows, Miss Greta Green, or Maurice Tipo (pictured with Andrew MacDonald-Smith, who designed Maurice along with Konja Chen (of Chensational Puppets) in Toronto in honor of Avenue Q.)

Updated links 2015

Muppet stamps

Posted by hil

Muppetblock

Jimhensonstamp

The US Postal Service is commemorating Jim Henson and the Muppets with these cool stamps.

Here’s Kermit and Miss Piggy checking them out. I might have to see if I can get hold of a set somehow. Seems a long time since my brother and I used to race home from uni to be in time to catch Sesame Street when it was a new program here!

Woe: Cookie Monster learns about ‘sometimes foods’

Posted by hil

CookiemonsterSesame Street’s Cookie Monster is adopting a healthier diet, according to an article on CNN:

“Even Cookie Monster is learning to control his cookie cravings…. His sage advice opened our eyes to the simple joys of a tasty cookie and now reminds us that moderation is the key to healthy living.”

Sesame Street has always had an educational impetus, but there is surely more fun and value in Cookie Monster being the antitheses to other characters doing the right thing.

Disney buys the Muppets

Posted by hil

‘The Walt Disney Company and The Jim Henson Company announced last Tuesday that they have entered into an agreement under which Disney will acquire the beloved Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House properties from Henson.’ Kermit the Frog is included, but not the Sesame Street characters, such as Big Bird and Elmo, which are separately owned by Sesame Workshop. Somehow I doubt if Disney will do justice to characters like Kermit, but it would be interesting to hear other opinions on that.