Hey, did you see the Sesame Street special Families Stand Together, which aired a couple weeks back on PBS? It was scheduled for a Wednesday night, but then Barack Obama went and decided to talk about health care or some crap like that, so it got preempted on many PBS stations. What's the big idea, Obama? I thought you liked Sesame Street! Who do you think you are, anyway -- the prime minister?!?!


But heck, who cares? Only old people still watch TV on their televisions! If you haven't seen the special, you can click this link right here to watch it on Sesame Workshop's website.


So, the point of the show was to help families deal with financial crisis in the recession, so I can't make fun of it or I'd be a big jackass. (Although I have to say the title's not very memorable -- I keep calling it "Families Standing Up" or "Families Hanging Out" or "Families Falling Off the Monkey Bars.") And anyway, it's a very good special.

It's hosted by Al Roker and his wife Deborah Roberts, who are hanging out on Sesame Street on the day of the big "Community Market," which is apparently a fancy name for a flea market. I love that Elmo and Grover and Chris all act like Al Roker is their best pal whom they've known for years. There are many reasons I'd like to live on Sesame Street, but that's a biggie -- the fact that I'd automatically be friends with any celebrity guest who dropped by.

Speaking of biggies, Al Roker sure looks different since he lost all that weight, doesn't he? I can't help but feel like he's the wrong shape somehow... he's kind of like a Stretch Armstrong that's lost all its elasticity. I wasn't expecting so much Grover in this special, but it's great to see so much of him. He has some great, Grovery bits with Chris, as he tries to buy a community at the community market and looks for a job.


Meanwhile, Elmo's family has run into trouble: His mom has lost her job. And so, as we see in scenes interspersed throughout the special, they're making a few changes in their lifestyle and cutting a few corners. But that doesn't mean they can't have a good time as a family! You know, I have to wonder how much money they've spent on fish food for Elmo's goldfish Dorothy over the past 12 years. That's one old fish.

So then there are real, human families who are not as loveable as Elmo and his parents, but who have also found themseles in tough situations after losing jobs and such. I really don't know how a child might respond to all this stuff, but the dominant theme is always "It's going to be okay because we're still a family," which is nice without being too unrealistic. It wouldn't really do any good to tell them, "Soon we're going to be able to take that trip to Disney World after all!" because it probably won't happen, but telling them they're going to be okay is probably... okay. There's a song about that too, but unfortunately it was super-bland.


So, yeah. This was a good TV special, and thank goodness Sesame Street is around to do stuff like this (I was surprised to see that they got some help producing this show from Worldwide Pants, which is David Letterman's company. I always got the impression Letterman didn't even like Muppets!). Of course, it would be even better if the economy hadn't gotten so bad and they had never had to do this special in the first place, but for all the tickle hands and silly Elmo birthday DVDs, it's great to see Sesame still doing something so important.


Oh, but I just want to point out one thing: Toward the end of the show, the kids from one of the featured families are selling lemonade for 25 cents a cup. Al Roker pays them a quarter and takes a cup... and then Deborah takes a cup too, but they never pay for it! It's a hot cup of lemonade! THE ROKERS STEAL LEMONADE FROM FINANCIALLY STRUGGLING CHILDREN -- PASS IT ON!

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Labels: review, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop

After taking a well-deserved break (which may or may not have had anything to do with a broken computer), we're pleased as punch to welcome back ToughPigs' own Chris Smigliano to the round table! Let's see what Smig's got up his sleeve this time around...

First up, more character profiles!

The big news of last week was the D23 Expo, and it looks like Smig got in the mood with some wacky Disney satire (which is the best kind of Disney satire).

And the big news from the week before was Steve Whitmire's mysterious absence from Kermit's live appearances. Leave it to Smig to cauterize the wounds with more satire!

Lastly, a lesson in puppetry, followed by an illustration Smig made for the San Diego Comic con in 1990, shortly after Jim Henson's death.
A million thanks to Smig for all of his fantastic work!

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Labels: fan art, Smig

Guess how many Muppet comic books are coming out this week? If you said "two," you're absolutely right! If you said "five," you're wrong! If you said "raisin bran!" I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Anyway, you can read my review of Muppet Peter Pan #1 right here, and then scroll right down or click here to read Joe Hennes's review of The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-leg Wilson #3! Whee!


So, Muppet Robin Hood ended last month, and this Wednesday sees the release of Muppet Peter Pan #1, written by Grace Randolph and drawn by Amy Mebberson. While Robin Hood had its moments, it didn't convince me that two Muppet comics per month are really necessary... I would have been satisfied with continued "adaptation" comics, but I wasn't exactly dancing jigs of excitement in my bathtub in anticipation for each new issue.

But Muppet Peter Pan? Now this is a good Muppet adaptation comic. First of all, there's the art. Amy Mebberson's renditions of the Muppet characters look just like the Muppets, but they're so expressive you can practically hear the tone of the puppeteers' voices. If you've been merely tolerating the cartoony art of The Muppet Show Comic Book and the messy art of Muppet Robin Hood while staring out the window dreaming of a Muppet comic with on-model Muppets, your wait is over. Just check out Sam the Eagle on the first page:


It looks just like Sam! Of course, the writing is important too, and I have no complaints with Grace Randolph's script this issue. I guess I could complain about the fact that Sam here is obsessed with American patriotism, when that was only one aspect of his character on The Muppet Show, but then I would be a Big Fat Complaining Guy. This comic's version of Sam feels like our favorite bald eagle. And all the other characters feel like themselves too, even Bean Bunny, who joins Janice and Scooter as the Darling children who get to meet Peter Pan.

Speaking of which, one of my favorite things about all the Muppet comics is that we get to see obscure and semi-to-completely forgotten characters have a moment in the spotlight. Bean's a funny character who really hasn't gotten to do much in the last, oh... 20 years of Muppet productions.

Kermit is Peter Pan, of course, and Piggy is his fairy sidekick Piggytink. I can't say I'm intimately familiar with the original Peter Pan book (or play? It was a play first, right?) so I don't know how closely the Peter Pan "origin story " in this issue follows what was in the book, but I've never seen any other version of Peter Pan that presented the first meeting of Peter and Tink, so it's cool to see it here.


A question we ask a lot around here whenever there's a new Muppet thing is: "Is Piggy Piggy?" It's been so tricky for recent writers to get her right, but she sounds just like herself here, even if she is a fairy. She gets a little cranky at one point, but she's not just cranky. And she looks purty.

I can't help but compare this thing to Muppet Robin Hood, and here's what I've come up with: Whereas Muppet Robin Hood felt like a retelling of the Robin Hood story with Muppet characters crammed into all the roles, Muppet Peter Pan feels more like the Muppets we know and love putting on a performance of the Peter Pan story. Does that make sense?

So, yeah. Read Muppet Peter Pan and you will believe a frog can fly.

Now scroll down or click this link to read Joe Hennes's review of this week's other Muppet comic book, The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-leg Wilson #3. And click here to fly to the Never-Swamp on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: comics/magazines, review

Hey, you know what's great? The Muppet Show Comic Book. We're already seven issues in, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. And that's just fine and dandy with me, because I'll never get tired of Roger Langridge's fast-paced antics or wacky character designs. No wonder so many animated movies draw their inspiration from the Muppets; it works so well for the illustrated Muppets themselves.

The penultimate issue of The Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson arc continues all of those stories that were going on through the last two issues: the rats are digging for buried treasure (along with a sudden infestation of dwarves), Animal wouldn't hurt a flea, and Kismet the Lizard is still causing havok backstage (and no, the coincidence of a "replacement Kermit" in this comic hasn't been lost on us). Add a collection of on-stage acts, and it's starting to feel a little overcrowded in 22 pages. In fact, I'm having trouble remembering which of these stories is supposed to be the main one. But I'm not sweating it, because the calamity of disorganization is just the kind of chaos a Muppet Show comic book demands.

I was tickled to see "Animalopoly": a one-page board game that both entertains and informs the reader about what Animal's been up to lately. Strangely enough, his ups and downs mimic my Uncle Tito's stint in rehab to a T. I tried playing the game and lost. Not because of any unfortunate dice-rolls, but because I was playing a fake board game by myself at 9:00 on a Saturday night.

Of all the subplots, the one I'm having the most trouble connecting with is the one with the titular Peg Leg Wilson. Ol' Peg Leg makes his first appearance in this issue, giving us a full page of backstory. And although it contains some of Langridge's signature silly poetry, I'm left wondering why we should care about this guy (other than the fact that he's filthy rich) or why we're spending a page on him and not, say, Lew Zealand.

Naturally, this issue of The Muppet Show Comic Book is just as great as the rest. Even my gripes aren't all that gripey. And if I had my way, I'd find a way to have Roger Landridge grow an extra pair of arms so he could churn these out twice a month.

Oh, and Miss Piggy is a Cylon.
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Labels: comics/magazines, review

Being a Muppet fan in the Midwest can sometimes be a disheartening existence. One looks on with awe and seething jealousy while Muppet fans on either coast attend MuppetFest, make Whatnots at FAO Schwartz, or bask in the singular glow of Frank Oz’s trademark cantankerous charm at a Sesame Street panel discussion. But for once, I have a leg up on you suckers, because from September 8th until October 25th, the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota is producing a new show called “Bert and Ernie, Goodnight!” Eat it, monkeys.

However, being the benevolent Minneapolitan (it’s a word) that I am, I went to see the show intending to share it with the Muppet fan community at large here on ToughPigs. So, armed with a notepad and bedecked in my best Cookie Monster T-shirt (I wasn’t going to wear a Bert and Ernie T-shirt – that’d look weird!), I eagerly made the trek to CTC this past Saturday. As I was circling the block, looking for parking, I saw a little girl wearing an Elmo shirt, and even the sight of that red little demon was cheering to me – kids were excited about seeing a Sesame Street show!

The Children’s Theatre Company has long been regarded as one of the leading children’s theatres in the country. Indeed, in 2003, they were awarded the Regional Theatre Tony Award – their attention to detail and commitment to quality is fantastic. After buying my rush ticket and walking up the stairs to the theatre, I was dumped into the merchandise area. Mixed amongst the Bert and Ernie dolls, figures, and generic rubber duckies were some items exclusive to the show – a T-shirt (no adult sizes – nuts) and a small soccer ball. A friendly usher tore my ticket when my Muppet sense began tingling and right in front of me I spotted a glass case with two real, live Bert and Ernie puppets inside. Seeing Muppets up close and personal is always a lovely experience – being able to closely inspect the careful detail and care with which these familiar characters are crafted. On a definite Muppet high, I happily located my seat.

Inside the theatre, I found myself squarely in the center of an undulating, chattering sea of CHILDREN. Oh yeah … Sesame Street’s for kids, isn’t it? And these kids were jazzed! It did my heart good to feel that 40 year-old characters that I grew up with could still be seen as rock stars to the Pull-Ups set. A polite smile to the boy behind me who was compelled to kick my seat, and we were off!

Now, to preface, this is not a show where Sesame Workshop has shipped puppets off to a regional theatre and entrusted locals to bring the classic characters to life with little to no puppetry experience. Instead, for the first time ever, actors are being allowed to professionally portray Sesame Street characters – no giant foam heads, no orange or yellow facepaint, no false Muppet noses (though I hope for the sake of his friends and family that Bradley Greenwald’s unibrow isn’t real). And Bert and Ernie could not be in better hands, played by Bradley Greenwald and Reed Sigmund, respectively. Greenwald and Sigmund are well respected in the Twin Cities, having been seen together in a memorable production of “A Year With Frog and Toad”, also at CTC. They both have epic shoes to fill – Jim Henson and Frank Oz, who played Ernie and Bert for over 20 years in their heyday, were comic geniuses and close friends. Within the first few minutes, though, it was clear that both actors had nailed the finer points of their characters – Sigmund suitably loose and sloppy as Ernie, and Greenwald perfectly crisp and stately as Bert. Any doubt I had at live actors playing Bert and Ernie (and I must admit, there was some) evaporated as I watched them settle into the rhythms that are so distinctly and idiosyncratically “Bert and Ernie”.

The show is a hybrid of new and classic material, incorporating familiar songs like “I Don’t Want To Live On the Moon”, “Doin’ the Pigeon”, and “Dance Myself To Sleep” (among others), with two new songs, “How Can I Sleep” and “Bert’s Lullaby”. A through-line involving Ernie’s attempt to write a poem gives the show a satisfying arc, but even just watching Greenwald and Sigmund do classic Bert and Ernie sketches would have been a treat. Considerable effort was made to enthrall the young ones while still delighting the older set who came to the theatre with considerable nostalgia in tow. References to Bert’s paperclips, Ernie counting fire engines, and monsters that go “wubba wubba” showed that attention was certainly paid to Sesame Street’s lauded 40-year history (save for one mildly baffling line where Bert tells Ernie to “put the duckie down” – wouldn’t it have been easy to switch around the words and pay homage to one of the biggest Sesame Street hits of the 80’s? But I digress.).

Bert and Ernie are the only actors onstage for the entire 75 minutes, but they are joined by some friends. Puppet pigeons and sheep join the pair for the iconic songs centered around the animals. Delightfully performed by a troupe of teen puppeteers, the puppets lend the show a “Muppety” feel of authenticity. My sources tell me that shortly before opening, Mr. Elmo himself, Kevin Clash conducted a workshop with the young puppeteers and was quite impressed with what he saw. For good reason, too – the entire show, while being uncharted territory for two such seminal characters, is incredibly respectful and affectionate towards its roots.

While enjoying flesh-and-bone portrayals of traditionally felt-and-fur characters, I found myself thinking of the recent recast drama that has been swirling around the Muppet community. Why was I so willing to readily accept two actual humans playing Bert and Ernie, but uncomfortable with Kermit not being portrayed by Steve Whitmire on America’s Got Talent? The answer, I think, lies in intent. By humanizing Bert and Ernie, this portrayal is automatically something different than other Muppet endeavors – it moves into the realm of homage and playing a variation on a theme. It is not asking an audience member to accept Bradley Greenwald as THE Bert – instead, we see him as A Bert. Even a younger audience member can enjoy these actors having a ball pretending to be Bert and Ernie, and then go home and watch the “real” Bert and Ernie, in all their technicolor, fuzzy glory, on television. Tossing an actual puppet to a new performer and asking them to take up the mantle of a legendary character with countless hours of work documenting its history is daunting, and doomed to fail by comparison. Being the first of their kind to portray Bert and Ernie this way, Greenwald and Sigmund are allowed to create fresh, important takes on time-tested characters and allow us to see them in new ways (hey, have YOU ever seen The Pigeon done by a human being? It’s revelatory.). In the end, “Bert and Ernie, Goodnight!” succeeds in balancing the familiar with the fresh, while adding to the history of the characters and not trying to rewrite it.

If you find yourself in the Twin Cities area, get yourself to the Children’s Theatre Company before October 25th and see this wonderful show. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try to keep the Midwest Muppet renaissance going, and try to convince the Guthrie Theater to stage Fraggle Rock.Special thanks to David Beukema for this fantastic review!

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Labels: guest bloggers, review, stage

Now that we've revealed all of the upcoming Muppet projects and merchandise from the D23 Expo and asked you which of the announcements you're most excited for, you're probably wondering what the Muppets actually, y'know, did. Thanks to the magic of YouTube, we've pieced together the majority of their appearances. So close your eyes and pretend you're in a theater with hundreds of screaming Muppet fans, while craning your neck to try and see over the lady with the big hair sitting in front of you. And now you might want to open your eyes, because it's probably the only way you'd be able to enjoy these videos.

The first video is from Dick Cook's keynote address. The Muppets showed up in a big ol' riverboat and sang "Rainbow Connection". As far as I know, nobody sang "Old Man River".

Pepe got a little spotlight (Yes, I'm making fun of his height. What's the shrimp gonna do about it, huh?) when he got the opportunity to announce the remastered Muppet*Vision 3D attraction. Pepe's impromptu song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Sam the Eagle (looking very 1975 here) opened for Fozzie, Gonzo, and Pepe, who might've found Coke's secret formula. Sam's speech is cut off a little at the beginning, but he says, "Thank you Ms. Breier, I feel your pain. My fellow Americans, I wish to talk to you about the Walt Disney Company and the United States of America, and about how they are almost exactly the same thing. For example, they both have a rich history..."

ToughPigs' own Danny Horn (Remember Danny? He used to be the big cheese around here.) was on hand at D23. After the Muppet presentation, he stood in line for the opportunity to meet Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, and Bill Barretta, who were on hand to do something puppet-related. The following is Danny's account:

The crowd files out and into a receiving line. There's a table set up, and Fozzie, Gonzo and Pepe come out so that fans can meet them and take a picture with the Muppets. The puppeteers were absolutely amazing. The line went on for about two hours, and they were on the whole time -- talking to people, making jokes, having fun. There was a camera set up so that they could look at video monitors under the table. (Every once in a while, they would joke about what they could and couldn't see.) I was practically at the end of the line, and even at the end, they were exhausted but still totally into it, funny and warm.

The puppeteers took breaks every once in a while -- the character would duck down under the table so they could rest their arms. Some people got to meet one character, some got two, and some got all three. If a fan came up and said that he really wanted to meet Fozzie, then Fozzie would come right up -- they were really great about it.

As I got close to the front, I could hear some of the banter... Here's some examples.

Gonzo: "Have a nice day at D23! See you next year at D24."

A fan posed with Gonzo, and said that he'd never had his picture taken with a cartoon. Gonzo said, "I'm not a cartoon... but I was a cartoon when I was a baby."

A couple came up dressed as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. Pepe was the only character up, and he had a lot of fun flirting with the Princess and posing for a picture with her. Then Aladdin posed, and the other characters came up. When they saw that Jasmine had moved away, they snapped at Pepe: "Hey, there's a Princess here! Why didn't you call us up earlier?" "I was busy," Pepe said.

A fan got a picture with Gonzo, and then wanted one with Fozzie. Gonzo: "You want one with Piggy too? The nerve."

Gonzo, talking to a woman: "Is that your husband? What'd you bring him for?"

So -- charming, warm, funny, gracious.
Many thanks to Danny Horn, and to the kind souls who snuck cameras into D23 and uploaded to YouTube! We won't tell, we promise.

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Labels: Disney

Are you all caught up on all the Muppet news from Disney's recent D23 convention? If not, you can click here or just scroll down for Tough Pigs' coverage of all the Muppet-related announcements.

Of course, the Disney people and the Muppet people act like everything they announce is the greatest thing ever. But in reality, a lot of this stuff is probably not going to be that thrilling, even to us fans, and I'll bet you a shiny new penny that not everything announced even sees the light of day.

And yet... Muppet news! Yay! So let me ask you this: Which of the Muppet announcements from D23 is the most genuinely exciting?

Is it the newly announced Muppet film, The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made? Is it the new viral videos, which all your friends will be e-mailing you, asking "Have you seen this?"

Or are you more excited about the new options for the Whatnot Workshop Muppets, which will allow you to own your own very furry Muppet? Or the Electric Mayhem bus at the Disney parks, giving kids of all ages the opportunity the chance to exchange sleepy mumbles with Zoot?

Or maybe the sure-to-be-terrifying upcoming Halloween special gets your motor running. Or the sure-to-be-adorable Muppet Pook-a-looz, or maybe the Vinylmation figures. What about the rockin' Muppets Revisited CD?

Or are you more like, "Hey, screw all this new stuff! The only thing I'm excited about is finally getting season four of The Muppet Show on DVD!"

Or maybe you're completely unmoved by all this stuff, and you're more worked up by something else I didn't mention here because I don't care about it very much.

Either way, let us know which announcement makes the Muppet aortas of your heart go pitter-pat by voting in the poll on the Tough Pigs forum, which can be found by clicking here. And while you're on the forum, feel free to join the discussion! We have a lot to say about all this stuff, and I bet you do too.

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Labels: news, poll

Update #5 on Sept. 16 at 10:00pm.

D23, Disney's answer to Comic Con for Mickey fanatics, was the big event over in California this weekend. Amidst all of the Pirates, Poohs, and Plutos, Disney found the time for some big Muppet announcements. The big one being: Disney has not forgotten that they own the Frog.

We had a few agents in the field at D23's Muppet panel, and we're proud to bring the latest news to you of what Walt has in store for all those dogs and bears and chickens and things.

First off, the Muppets appeared in Friday's big Disney presentation, which you can view a bit of in the video above. The Muppets sang to some prerecorded tunes, and they make a second appearance at the end of the video.
As we mentioned yesterday, The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made is being dusted off and handed to Jason Segel (of I Love You Man and How I Met Your Mother fame). We have no word on what will happen to his "The Greatest Muppet Movie Of All Time" script, but the promise of a theatrical Muppet movie (the first since Muppets in Space in 1999) has got us paying attention. Of course, the elephant in the room is Kermit's performer. Will Steve Whitmire be back for the Muppets' biggest break in years? That's a question for another blog. UPDATE: We've got a promotional picture! For realz.
Hey, remember those fantastic YouTube videos from last year? Well, so does Disney. They've announced that more of them are on their way, and this time they're branching out and recording non-Public Domain songs. "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Dust in the Wind", and "Stand By Me" will hopefully show up on your YouTube station soon (check local listings). UPDATE: We have more info on the upcoming viral videos! Dust in the Wind will be sung by Beaker, Bohemian Rhapsody by the Electric Mayhem and Gonzo, American Woman by Sam the Eagle, Popcorn by The Swedish Chef, as well as Carol of the Bells. Also, at least three Muppet Labs videos are coming, including "Carve-O-Matic", "Pumpkin Carving", and "Ghost Hunting". UPDATE #2: Stand By Me will be sung by Carl the Big Mean Bunny. No, really.
I am a bad Muppet fan, because I am one of the few who haven't been to a Disney theme park since Muppet*Vision 3D came out. Thankfully for me (and I guess you guys too), Disney will be releasing a "Remastered" version of the show into their parks. I don't know what that means, but it sure sounds exciting! Not to mention, maybe it'll still be there by the time I can afford a ticket to Orlando.
Also at the theme parks, the successful Muppet Whatnot Workshops will be opening new stores, causing exhausted parents to lug those giant bags around while their kids ride Space Mountain. The Workshops will also be carrying new puppet designs, accessories, and facial features, so now you have to buy at least three more! UPDATE: We have pictures of the new Whatnot accessories, plus monster fur!
More theme park stuff! Remember how we all marveled at the Muppet Mobile Labs, featuring an animatronic Bunsen and Beaker riding through the crowds, actually talking to and playing games with passers-by? Pretty soon, there will be another Mobile Muppet vehicle, and it'll be the Electric Mayhem bus! You'll be able to do the Hokey Pokey with Dr. Teeth, listen to Janice wax poetic about her trip to the beach, and watch Zoot take a nap! The possibilities are endless!
Rumors flew by a few months ago regarding a Muppet Halloween special, due out this Halloween season. And since we're already halfway through September, that rumor is decidedly bunk. Or, it was, until Disney announced that the Halloween special will be out next year. And while we wait for details about that, feel free to play through Muppet Monster Adventure for your PlayStation video gaming system and pretend it's a new TV special.
Got an iPhone? Muppet iPhone apps are coming! Personally, I have a phone shaped like a letter I, and the apps for it are terrible. Thanks for nothing, AT&T! UPDATE: We have images of two of the iPhone app ads! Soon you'll be able to carry Sexy Pepe around with you wherever you go.
Cat Cora, best known as one of the Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America, will be starring in an online cooking show with the Muppets. Will she be cooking bacon with Piggy? Bear claws with Fozzie? French Fried Frog Legs? Buns and Honeydew? Figs in Space? Yeah, I have no freaking idea. UPDATE: The show will be online this fall and will feature funny topics like "Food You Can Eat with Your Hands Night" and "Food That Gets Caught in Your Mustache Night".
More Steiff plush dolls are on their way, featuring Kermit and Piggy (UPDATE: A Fozzie Bear doll is also on its way!). We featured an article here on ToughPigs recently about the ridiculous price for the Kermit doll, so you'll excuse us if we don't foam at the mouth over more merchandise we can't afford. The good news is that there will be affordable merchandise. For example...
Pook-a-Looz! The name that means nothing! They're cuter than Ugly Dolls, and not even attempting the realism of, well, any other dolls you can think of. So far we've seen Kermit, Animal, Gonzo, and Fozzie, but I wouldn't be surprised if more were right around the corner. They'll be available in large and "keychain" sizes. I have already fallen in love with the Kermit doll, and the cuteness of Fozzie burying his face in his neckerchief has already got me emptying my wallet.
While we wait patiently with our hands folded on our laps for the Swedish Chef Christmas ornament coming out this holiday season, Disney is already jumping the gun on next year's design. Get ready for Animal at his drumset! Nothing says Christmas cheer like a furry beast chasing your wife and shouting "WOMAN! WOMAN!"
Disney is hoping that "Vinylmation" will be the next big fad for toy collectors. The toys are all shaped like Mickey (ears and all), but will have different paint jobs to resemble different characters. Some come out looking a little strange (like Kermit), and some are adorably ugly (like Sweetums). I think they'd all look less creepy if they didn't have Mickey's "nose", which would keep their faces from looking all wonky.
Statler and Waldorf will be breaking out their typewriters (which I'm sure they use to write many letters of complaint to various newspapers) and penning a book. I'm going to hazard a guess and say that the book will be in the same format as the awful "It's Hard Out Here for a Shrimp" and "The Diva Code". Look forward to our we-read-it-so-you-didn't-have-to review here on ToughPigs! UPDATE: We have a cover! Are you excited yet? How about now?
Weezer, who I'm still mad at for stealing my music video idea, will be recording a new version of "Rainbow Connection" for an upcoming CD due out next year called "Muppets Revisited". UPDATE: We have album art and more artist info! The Fray, Ami Lee, My Morning Jacket, and Andrew Bird will be singing Muppet covers too! I'm hoping for more songs, because that would make for one short album.
The Muppets will appear on David Foster's Christmas special this December with Andrea Bocelli. And since we don't have a picture of it yet, please enjoy this picture of Boccelli with Elmo and pretend it's, oh I dunno, Beaker. UPDATE: And now we have a picture! So that previous sentence makes absolutely no sense.
UPDATE: Muppet Halloween costumes! I'm thinking about having a kid just so I can dress him up as Fozzie Bear. Adowable!
UPDATE: Kermit will once again sing "I Believe" at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, this time with Tiffany Thornton. Are they trying to make this an annual thing? Because Thanksgiving already has that day saved every year. UPDATE #2: Kermit and Piggy will also be appearing in the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade Show, which will air on ABC on Christmas Day.
UPDATE: Lots more merchandise! Boy, that Kermit guy really likes being green, doesn't he?
UPDATE: We have images of two of the new parody posters that will be outside the revamped Muppet*Vision 3D show. Another one which we don't have an image of yet is Beaker as "BEAK-E". Hopefully Disney will turn these into a calendar or something so we can all enjoy them! UPDATE #2: We found BEAK-E!
And lastly, here's the big news for most of you out there. Studio DC: Almost Live will be released next year! What's that? You thought Studio DC was unwatchable? Well then maybe you'd prefer The Muppet Show Season 4 DVDs! (That's what we call the ol' switcheroo.) Yes, finally we're taking the next step toward actually owning legitimate copies of The Muppet Show, and this one will feature Gonzo and his schnozz on the cover. UPDATE: We have DVD cover art! I'm happy to see it's an old Gonzo picture, and not, say, the "chili pepper shirt" Gonzo. Then again, I'd be happy if it had Don Rickles on the cover, just as long as we get these DVDs!

And that's the bulk of what we learned at D23! We'll update this page as necessary if more reports come in this week from other D23 attendees, so feel free to bookmark and revisit. And as always, we'll keep you in the know on a more instant basis via the ToughPigs forum and our Twitter feed.

Special thanks to Danny Horn, Wilson Swain, and Greg James for all this amazing info! And thanks to Leighanne for those culinary puns!
Click here to discuss ALL of these Muppet news bits on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: Disney, merchandise, Muppet movies, news

D23, Disney's ginormous event for fans and fanatics alike, is going on right now (yes, right now!). And because Disney still owns a Muppet or two, they're having a panel to reveal what's going down with the Frog on Sunday afternoon. We've got a few operatives staked out and ready to deliver the scoops to you, so keep an eye on this space.

But one big newsbit slipped through the cracks. It seems that Disney is dusting off a film idea that Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl, and Frank Oz worked on back in 1985 called The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made. Jason Segel is attached to write the script (and no, this has nothing to do with The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made, which we discussed back in March). Since that's literally all we know, we can only speculate as to what from the original pitch will be kept or what will happen to Segel's first script, so let's talk about what we do know. And that's stuff we find on the Muppet Wiki (we do love the Wiki around here).

According to the Muppet Wiki article, Jerry Juhl was still kicking the idea around with Jim Henson before he died, so we can probably guess that an actual script was never written. But the idea that Gonzo blows the entire budget during the opening credits is a brilliant one. And the fact that the movie continues to get cheaper and cheaper (and subsequently more and more out-of-control) sounds very much like something the old school Muppets would have done. It's been a long time since the Muppets have tried to put on a good show and failed (on purpose, natch) like they did every week on The Muppet Show.

Hopefully we'll get more info at D23, so stay tuned for the scoop!
Click here to balance your budget on the ToughPigs forum!

For our latest ToughPigs Book Club installment, we're straying a bit from the norm by critiquing (and outright mocking) a comic book, rather than a children's book.

The comic book in question is Muppet Babies #15, published by Star Comics (an imprint of Marvel Comics), and the story from this issue that we'll be looking at is "The Magic Book". While all of the Muppet Babies comics are pretty bizarre, this one takes the cake. Things get pretty meta as the Babies don't just break the fourth wall, they take a sledgehammer to it and put it in a blender with some yogurt and bananas.

After reading the comic (remember to click the images to make them, y'know, readable!), I implore you to stop by the ToughPigs forum or send me an e-mail with your comments, criticisms, and colloquialisms. The best of the best will show up right here on your friendly neighborhood ToughPigs website.

Enough of my yammering! Enjoy the comic book! All the cool kids are doing it.


Suggested Discussion Questions:

1.) Is this a story about the Muppet Babies entering a comic book, or becoming self-aware as comic book characters? Do they also know that they are fictional characters? When they "snap" away in the last panel, are they being erased from the existence of their comic book universe?

2.) How creepy is it when Piggy looks right at you??? Even though she's kind of a bitch about it, saying you have big eyes and then "Hah"-ing in your general direction.

3.) Compare and contrast "The Magic Book" to Grant Morrison's "Animal Man." Go ahead, I dare you.

4.) What do you think Scooter Googled to find out that they were in a comic book?

5.) This gag doesn't really work as well on the computer as it would in a real comic book, does it? Does the change of medium affect the Muppet Babies' crisis at hand?
Click here to share your thoughts on The Magic Book on the ToughPigs forum! Magically!!!

Labels: book club, reader participation

The final issue of Muppet Robin Hood hits the stands this week. (Solicitations say Wednesday, September 9th, but because of Labor Day weekend, stores will most likely have it on Thursday, September 10th. Call your local comic book store to confirm.) This marks the end of BOOM Studios' first "Muppet Fairy Tales" arc, but did it hold up? Will it be the Muppet comic for all other Muppet comic books to aspire to? Probably not, but it wasn't half bad. It might even be half good! I don't know, I haven't read my review of it yet.

Writer Tim Beedle does a competent job at plotting and capturing the Muppets' voices, but he really shines at bringing the craziness of the Muppets' world. I'd love to say more about specifics, but there are several scenes that will definitely work better as a surprise. I will say this: In this issue, you will see the most unexpected recurring Muppet character you can think of (no, it's not Bozark), and you will see a brilliant two-page sequence featuring the Swedish Chef that reminisces something Monty Python might have done.

Unfortunately, it's not all action and whoopie cushions. Beedle is still being weighed down with the task to actually, y'know, tell the story of Robin Hood. There are a few sequences, just like in the other three issues, filled with dialog used to further the plot. But I have faith that Beedle would do a fantastic job at writing an original story with the Muppets. If BOOM ever decides to publish a second Muppet Show comic (please never let Roger Langridge stop writing the TMS comic!), Beedle might prove to have the chops to write a story with that old-school Muppet feel that we all love so much.

Artist Armand Villavert, Jr. is still the weakest link for Muppet Robin Hood (for the sake of not repeating myself, feel free to check out previous reviews for my opinion on Villavert). But BOOM made some fantastic choices for cover artists. Amy Mebberson and David Peterson have drawn some of the most fantastic pieces of Muppet art I've seen, and I'm chomping at the bit to see Mebberson's work on the upcoming Muppet Peter Pan comic. I'm also antsy to see if BOOM can coerce Peterson into taking a break from his Mouse Guard comic to do some interior art for any future Muppet comics.

So the question remains: As a whole, was Muppet Robin Hood any good? If you asked me, I'd say yes, it was a good comic, and enough fun to make it worth your dollars. But if you asked some other members of the ToughPigs forum, they might say that the characterization was too far off and the art was painful to look at, so it wouldn't be worth your time, let alone the money. So let's split the difference: I'm going to recommend buying the inevitable trade collection of Muppet Robin Hood. Assuming it's similar to BOOM's other collections, the trade will most likely be digest-sized and only cost $10. Ten bucks for a fun Muppety romp through Sherwood Forest? Sounds like someone hit the bullseye.Click here to try out for the Merry Men (and Women!) on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: comics/magazines, review

It's amazing that Steve Swanson has been recording the MuppetCast podcast every week for over two years. Nice work, Steve! And double-nice-work for having the good sense to invite ToughPigs' own Joe and Ryan onto your show again. Well played, old chum.

Click here to listen to the latest installment of the MuppetCast, where you can hear me and Ryan chat with Steve about the ToughPigs Outing, expensive dolls, comic books, and America's Got Talent. And as a special bonus, Steve also chats with Street Gang author Michael Davis, who has a bit of good news to share about the book's reissue. Though if you're just interested in listening to mine and Ryan's voices, then feel free to skip to the 33-minute mark. Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head.

And of course, Steve is still recording a podcast every single week, so keep an eye on his site for upcoming episodes.

Click here to talk out loud on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, internet, MuppetCast, ToughPigs

Here's some stuff that's been going on in the greater Muppet universe lately:

Sesame Street gets more Emmys!
You probably didn't see the Daytime Emmy Awards on August 30th, because a) They were broadcast on The CW, and b) They're the Daytime Emmys. But if you did, you saw Sesame Street get a lifetime achievement award, which is one of the most deserved lifetime achievement awards in the lifetime of lifetime achievement awards. To celebrate, the cast did a medley of Sesame songs with some new Emmy-related lyrics, and then executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente gave a little speech. Take a look:



Of course, Sesame Street doesn't need the Academy to hand it free Emmys. The show is perfectly capable of winning them all by itself. Kevin Clash won for Outstanding Performance in a Children's Series, and the show won for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling, Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series, and New Approaches - Daytime Children's, which probably means something but I don't know what.

New Shalom Sesame
Have you ever seen Shalom Sesame, the bilingual, bi-cultural co-production of Sesame Street and Israel's Rechov Sumsum from the late 80s? Well, it was pretty great. Now Sesame Workshop has announced a whole new batch of Shalom Sesame episodes, set to premiere around Hannukah 2010, with guest stars like Debra Messing and Cedric the Entertainer, and appearances by Grover doing his Global Grover schtick. And presumably it'll feature Moishe Oofnik the grouch, who is of course one of the greatest international Sesame characters out there.

Sesame Street vs. the economy
On September 9th, PBS stations will air a new Sesame Street special called Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times. The show is designed to help families deal with the current financial woes that all Americans are facing, including monsters like Elmo's parents. Al Roker and Deborah Roberts guest star. And thus, Sesame Street proves that a lifetime achievement award doesn't mean it can rest on its laurels.

S.U.D.S. exists
Some time around 80 years ago, the Jim Henson Company announced a new webshow called S.U.D.S. (short for Simian Undercover Detective Squad), a series about secret agent apes. Last week, S.U.D.S. finally surfaced, with a preview episode on YouTube and a promise of more to come soon on Film.com. I really, really wish I could say I'm looking forward to it, but I didn't even crack a smile while watching this thing.



It's a puppet show about talking monkeys! When that magical combination fails to make me laugh, there must be something wrong.

Henson brings monsters to the UK
And speaking of The Jim Henson Company, they also recently announced a new series for the UK's CBBC kids' channel, called Me and My Monsters. It's about an American family who moves into a house in London and discovers three friendly monsters living in the basement. Henson geeks like me will recall that the last time the company produced a show about three monsters in a basement, it was called Little Muppet Monsters, and it didn't go so well. But presumably these monsters won't be making Pigs in Space cartoons.

Fraggle Rock final season arrives, fans smack their foreheads
Hey, have we not mentioned this here on the website yet? Henson and Lions Gate have made a deal for DVD distribution, which includes the upcoming release of the final season of Fraggle Rock. This comes months after most fans gave up hope of ever seeing the final season get its own release, after it was postponed with the release of the complete series set. If you already own the first three DVD sets and you managed to hold out until now -- or if you just couldn't afford the complete series set -- congratulations! You shall be rewarded with the remaining piece of your Fraggle collection. For the rest of you, who went ahead and got suckered into buying the series set, please join me in some tooth-gnashing and garment-rending, starting... now.

Click here to talk about everything on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: news

It looks like the gods of weather might be looking kindly upon us this weekend, because Saturday, September 5 is looking to be sunny and warm! What a perfect day for a ToughPigs Outing! We should have one of those.

Details for the Outing on Governors Island can be found here. And just a reminder, since your ToughPigs site-runners are as broke as a joke, we can't afford to provide lunch for everyone. Hopefully a few kind souls will donate a snack or two (hint hint), but be prepared to brown bag a sandwich.

Speaking of bringing stuff, feel free to pack your bag with your favorite outdoorsy things, like frisbees, badminton rackets, kites, foosball tables, polar bears, the Oregon Trail... wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, bring stuff! For fun!

Drop me a line if you have any questions about the Outing, and we're looking forward to meeting all you Muppety folks!
Click here for some fun in the sun on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: ToughPigs

So the Muppets performed Wednesday night on America's Got Talent on NBC, and the question all Muppet fans are asking now is: What the hell happened to Kermit?

Kermit, Miss Piggy, and some chickens appeared on the show, singing "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart." The chickens were lovely, and I thought Miss Piggy looked and sounded great. Of course, the Muppets have already done "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" once before, on The Muppet Show with Elton John, but most people don't remember that, so it's not a bad song choice for a Kermit/Piggy duet. The attempt at presenting the number as a little romantic drama was really awkward, but that wasn't the thing that made Muppet fans do double takes and fall off their couches in disbelief.

Perhaps it wasn't obvious to David Hasselhoff or Sharon Osbourne or the average viewer, but we Muppet geeks noticed immediately that Kermit the Frog -- our old pal Kermit, our close personal friend Kermit -- was not performed by Steve Whitmire, the dude who's performed the frog since Jim Henson's death in 1990. If you missed it, you can see for yourself -- As of this writing, the number is on YouTube, as seen below:



So we Muppet fans are confused and upset right now. There are two questions that immediately come to mind. The first, of course, is Who? If Kermit was not played by the guy who's been playing him for the last 19 years, then who was it? Word has it that it was Artie Esposito, a puppeteer who's worked on several Sesame Street projects in recent years. You know, I have no doubt he's a decent guy and a fine puppeteer, but I gotta say, I'd hate to be in his shoes right now.

Of course, every professional puppeteer wants to work with the Muppets, and I'm sure it would be very tempting to take a gig as one of the world's favorite puppet characters... but on the Tough Pigs and Muppet Central forums, reactions to the appearance have been overwhelmingly negative, and not without reason. Kermit's performance was stiff, and the voice... well, we know what Kermit sounds like, and this just didn't sound like Kermit. The moment when he ran backstage and yelled at Nick Cannon was especially unfortunate.

The next question, then, is Why? Why wasn't Kermit performed by Steve Whitmire? And that question is bound to have a more complicated answer. I don't have any first-hand information, so all I can do is speculate, which is exactly what we've been doing on the Tough Pigs forum. Did Steve have to drop out unexpectedly? (We were originally promised a Statler & Waldorf cameo, and the fact that they failed to materialize is eyebrow-raising considering Steve Whitmire has been Statler's performer for the last few years.) Was the new performer brought in at the last minute?

Or is there a more dramatic reason? There's the possibility that The Great Kermit the Frog Switch has something to do with contract negotiations... but that suggestion opens a door to a dark and messy place I'd rather not venture into. In fact, I had a lot more to say here, but I just deleted it because it's way too early to get too doom-y and gloomy, as fun as that would be.

The fact is, this thing just happened, so the whole story's not clear yet. With any luck, we'll get an explanation soon... though it may or may not be reassuring. Jeez, what a weird day to be a Muppet fan.

Click here to talk about the AGT Kermit debacle on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: controversy, Muppet performers, Muppets on TV, news

We Muppet fans are pretty lucky. Not only do Muppet comic books continue to show up in our comic book stores, but Roger Langridge keeps on agreeing to do these Q&As with us! Let's see what Roger has to say...

Note: This Q&A was conducted after the release of Peg Leg Wilson #1. Check out our review of issue #1 here, and our review of issue #2 here.

ToughPigs: How does it feel to have your first Muppet Show story arc in the can and another already in stores?

Roger Langridge: Pretty satisfying, I have to admit - there's nothing like finishing a long piece of work.

TP: Do you have a method for creating the cover art?

RL: I usually submit between 4 and 6 sketched roughs to the editor each month, and he'll come back to me with suggestions and tell me which ones he'd like worked up into finished covers. At that point I take my sketch and blow it up nice and big, then I'll trace it and build it up into finished pencils, fleshing out details and fixing anything that looks a bit wobbly. Then I ink it, scan it and send it off to be coloured.

TP: How did you make the decision to stop the designs with the characters in the circles from the first arc? Will the circle covers be making a comeback after the end of Peg Leg Wilson?

RL: I always intended those to be limited to the first arc - my original plan was to change the colour of the curtains each issue so the covers didn't look too similar, but that idea seems to have been lost in the shuffle at some point. I think it's a good idea to move on from that now - I don't want to risk people skipping an issue because they think they've already bought it!

TP: On the ToughPigs forum, we’ve discussed the difficulties in capturing Miss Piggy’s character (she’s often written as too angry, too much of a “diva”, or too quick to turn to violence). We saw a great character arc for her in the 4th issue of The Muppet Show Comic Book. Did you have any trouble writing her?

RL: Well, you're always feeling your way a bit with any character you didn't create. I suppose she was difficult, but no more difficult than any other character. The thing I try to remember about Piggy is that her toughness is a front to conceal a very vulnerable pig beneath. If you can show flashes of that vulnerability it makes her much more rounded, if you'll pardon the expression.

TP: We were happy to see the return of fan favorites Wayne and Wanda, and the Talking Houses. Were you worried that readers might not remember them? Are you keeping a list of other Muppet Show sketches to include in future issues?

RL: I'm not too worried if people don't remember a particular sketch because I try to make them work whether you remember them or not. If you recognise it, that's like a nice little bonus - an Easter Egg for dedicated Muppet-watching - but it shouldn't be essential to know this stuff in order to enjoy the comic. If it is, I'm not doing my job right!

TP: You mentioned in an earlier interview that your close friends’ love of Pigs In Space led to its inclusion into every issue. Now that you’ve gotten feedback on your first arc, are there any other sketches or characters that you’re considering giving more screen time?

RL: Well, it wasn't just close friends! But I'm probably going to ease off on Pigs in Space for a few issues after the Peg-Leg Wilson arc is over, not least because there'll be a Pigs in Space one-shot between that and the arc which follows. So that should keep the Pigs in Space fans happy for a few months.

TP: When you’re designing a new character (for example, “Ninja Rogers”), do you think of them as a puppet first, or is the fact that they might not fit with the overall design of the Muppets not an issue?

RL: I try to make them look at least vaguely plausible as Muppets - or at least cartoon Muppets, as they appear in the comic - but that leaves an awful lot of wiggle room when you consider the enormous variety of shapes and designs the Muppets encompass. I've been almost too conservative sometimes, I think!

TP: How do Kermit’s sunglasses stay on his face if he has no ears or nose?

RL: The magic of comics, I'm afraid. Don't look at the man behind the curtain.

TP: BOOM! has amassed a strong team of cover artists for the Muppet comic books. Have they offered you any opportunities to illustrate a variant cover for any of the other titles?

RL: No, but then I wouldn't have time with doing the Muppet Show book. It's a full-time thing, and then some. If I were cloned I'd love to have a shot.

TP: Have you seen the Muppet Robin Hood comic book? Or any pages from the upcoming Muppet Peter Pan? Did you have any advice to give to the writers or artists of those series?

RL: I've seen the Robin Hood book at a recent convention, although I didn't get time to read it. The Muppet books aren't for sale in the UK, so I don't get much of a chance to look at them. I thought the art was strong from the bits I saw.

TP: We enjoyed the Muppet/Dr. Who sketches you posted on your blog. Is there any chance we’ll see any of those in The Muppet Show Comic Book?

RL: Nothing quite so on-the-nose, because of the fact that Dr Who is owned by the BBC, but I wouldn't be surprised to see an oblique Who reference or two in the Pigs in Space one-shot. I'm still writing that one, so I don't know for sure myself yet!

TP: Speaking of references, do you have any other plans for literary or pop culture references in the comic?

RL: To call them "plans" would be putting it a bit strongly, but I've got an idea for a Hamlet song I'm looking for an excuse to work in sometime.

TP: You also reported on your blog that there will be a Pigs In Space one-shot in between story arcs. Is this the only one-shot planned right now? Can you tell us who will be illustrating it?

RL: It's the only one planned right now - I'm probably going to need another breather at some point, though. I'm not 100% certain if the artist has been selected yet. (UPDATE: Shelli Paroline has been announced as the artist. Congrats, Shelli!)

TP: How was the San Diego Comic Con? Have any interesting stories?

RL: San Diego was great fun. I don't know how interesting the story is, but I ran into the editor who gave me my first comics work in the UK 20-odd years ago, which was great. And I got to meet some of the other Muppet comic creators like Shelli Paroline and Grace Randolph. I was reluctant to go at first but I'm really glad I went.

Many thanks to Roger Langridge for all the obvious reasons!
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Labels: comics/magazines, interview, Roger Langridge