Can you believe it’s been six years since we’ve done a Muppety guide to San Diego Comic-Con? That can only mean one thing: they haven’t held a con since 2019! Just kidding, we’ve sort of fallen off our west coast guides, but there’s a bunch of Muppet and Henson goodness happening that’s worth keeping an eye out for!
Panels!
Kicking off on Thursday is “Nightmare Notes,” where writers from some pretty popular animated television shows will share the most ridiculous notes they’ve gotten from their scripts. Joining this panel is Elise Allen, who’s written for such shows as The Muppets Kitchen with Kat Cora, Sid the Science Kid, and Dinosaur Train! I wonder if her notes ever said “less Angelo.”
Nightmare Notes
Thursday, July 24 — 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Room 29AB
When Sonia Manzano first appeared on Sesame Street in 1971, little did anyone know that Maria would grow to become a staple character on the show. Now, Manzano’s story of how she went from her childhood in the Bronx to a four-plus decade career on the friendliest street in the world is being told in a brand-new documentary! Joining Manzano for this very special sneak peek and discussion are writer and director Ernie Bustamante, producer Steven Canals, illustrator Jeffrey Aviles, and lead actress Grisselle Escotto.
Street Smart: Lessons from a TV Icon
Friday, July 25 — 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Room 25ABC
In case you didn’t know, the Muppets are puppets. I know, they hide it well, but it’s true! And few know that better than director/writer/bon vivant Kirk Thatcher, who will discuss his career of working with puppets in “Celebrating the Puppetry Arts,” a panel highlighting puppetry in all its forms, including stop-motion animation and animatronics. Joining Thatcher is Cheralyn Lambeth, a puppet builder who worked on Dinosaurs!, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Sesame Street Live! If you’re a fan of fur and felt (or clay and fiber-optic cable), this is the panel for you.
Celebrating the Puppetry Arts
Friday, July 25 — 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Thirty-five years ago, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo karate-kicked their way onto the big screen for their first feature film with some big help from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. To mark the occasion, there’ll be a panel looking behind the scenes at how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was made and its lasting legacy. Sounds radical!
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the First TMNT Movie
Friday, July 25 — 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Room 29CD
I don’t know about you, but I could hear Jeff Yorkes talk about The Muppets Mayhem all day. Unfortunately, SDCC only gave him ninety minutes, and they put a bunch of other people on the panel as well. Still, you can get the lowdown on what it’s like writing a show in the streaming era from Yorkes as well as writers and showrunners from programs like The Flash, Lost, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Simpsons, and more! Who knows? You might find out what Lips had to say in his TED Talk!
Inside the Writers Room: The New Normal–Peak TV and Big Valleys
Saturday, July 26 — 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Room 24ABC
While we’re still mourning the loss of Diamond Select Toys, the merch lovers won’t be left empty-handed! Hallmark will be bringing its look ahead to upcoming pop culture ornaments and other goodies. This is your chance to ask when they’ll finally get around to making a Scooter ornament!
Connect to Pop Culture with Hallmark
Saturday, July 26 — 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Room 23ABC
One panel focused on puppets not enough for you? How about TWO? Closing out the Muppet-related panels is “From Page to Puppet,” which explores the development process from script to design to building to performance. Joining this panel are The Jim Henson Company’s Jamie Bressler, and Sesame Street‘s Liz Hara, Spencer Lott, and Stacey Weingarten.
From Page to Puppet
Saturday, July 26 — 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Room 7AB
Merch!
The folks at Little Shop of Pins (Booth #4621) are offering a sparkly variant on their Jim Henson pin at the con. What sets this one apart from the general release is that it’s gold plated, and the puppets have glitter in their design. With an edition size of 500, each one is individually numbered on the back.
Meanwhile, Shout! Studios (Booth #4118) will be selling a trio of Henson items, previously only available as part of a bundle with a Blu-Ray/UHD copy of their movies. (Because let’s be honest, who among us doesn’t already have The Dark Crystal or Labyrinth somewhere within arm’s reach?) First up is this Dark Crystal pin set, featuring Jen, Kira, Aughra, the Chamberlain Skeksis, and urSu the Master.
Prefer something with more Bowie? Try the Labyrinth pin set, which has pins of Jareth, Sarah, Ludo, Hoggle, and Sir Didymus. Both sets have an edition size of 500, and sell for $40.00 each. That’s less than ten bucks per pin! What a value!
If you like something more huggable, there’s also a plush of the Worm. The perfect accessory for a cuppa! There will be 600 of these cuties available, and they sell for $20.00.
Free Stuff!
Shout! Studios keeps the party going with an absolutely FREE set of buttons to celebrate The Jim Henson Company’s 70th anniversary. This pack of four shows stars The Dark Crystal, Farscape, Labyrinth, and The Storyteller, all conveniently available to watch through Shout! Studios. What an unbelievable coincidence! Quantities are limited, and are allocated for each day of the convention.
Artists’ Alley!
In addition to all the presentations and exhibitors, Artists’ Alley is a great way to get some incredible art from an amazing roster of artists and illustrators. And of course, with a lineup this deep, you’re bound to find folks who have worked with the Muppets Amy Mebberson (Muppet Peter Pan, The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion) can be found at II-05, and James Silvani (Muppet King Arthur, Muppet Snow White) is right next door at II-06. But in our con experience, there’s usually tons of people with Muppet art scattered all over. So be sure to spend some time strolling the alley (and picking up a piece of art or two)!
So whether you’re there for the panels, the swag, the cosplay, or the awesome art, there’s plenty for Muppet fans to enjoy this year!
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by Matthew Soberman – [email protected]
