The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Wins VES Award!

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has won its first award!

The netflix prequel won Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project at the Visual Effects Society Awards awards this week.

Toby Froud accepted the award in the brand new category for the team that included himself along with Sean Mathiesen, Jon Savage, and Phil Harvey for the episode "She Knows All the Secrets."

Sulé Bryan, Charles Chorein, Christian Waite, Martyn Hawkins were also nominated for their work creating The Endless Forest in the Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project category, but lost to Game of Thrones. 

Congratulations to all the Age of Resistance winners and nominees. 

You can see a list of all the winners here.

Netflix has yet to announce a second season of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics Game Coming Next Week!

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics video game finally has a release date and it's just around the corner. 

Check out the latest trailer below:

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics will be available digitally on Feb 4th, but you can pre-order it at Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and Steam.

RIP Jack Burns (1933 - 2020)

Jack Burns, The Muppet Show's original head writer and co-writer of The Muppet Movie has died. 

Burns started his career as one half of a comedy duo with George Carlin, then later partnered with future Muppet Show guest star Avery Schreiber. 

He appeared on The Andy Griffith Show (briefly replacing the departed Don Knotts) and The Partridge Family. Burns was as the head writer for the first season of Hee Haw, and was a writer, announcer and performer on the ABC sketch series Fridays where he and Michael Richards were involved in a staged on-air fight with Andy Kaufman.

Muppet fans will know his name best though as the head writer and producer on the first season of The Muppet Show and the cowriter The Muppet Movie with Jerry Juhl.

Below is the exceeded recap of the movie from the UK release:

Jack Burns appeared in pilot for the proposed Jim Henson series Puppetman which you can watch below:

He is also credited with writing the Muppet Show Playhouse Video compilations Country Music With the Muppets and Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook.

Burns was nominated for two Primetime Emmys for his work on The Muppet Show - outstanding comedy-variety or music series and outstanding writing, and a Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation for The Muppet Movie.

Jack Burns was 86.

Goldberg's Go Gonzo!

The Goldberg's went Gonzo last week, well for us Muppet fans anyway. 

If you caught last week's episode "Game Night," you may have noticed Adam wearing this vintage inspired Gonzo shirt.

While not vintage it was nice to see The Muppets, especially everyone's favorite weirdo Gonzo, getting a shout out on the show.

A new episode of The Goldberg's airs tomorrow night on ABC. Keep your eyes peeled as you never know when an Muppet homage will appear. 

Happy Chinese New Year - Year of The Rat!

2020 marks the Chinese year of the rat. 

2008, was also a year of the rat and Disney released the pins below to commemorate. 

Enjoy some clips of Muppet rats and of course Rizzo!

Happy Year of the Rat!

RIP Kobe Bryant (1978 - 2020)

Retired basketball star Kobe Bryant has died.

Bryant was known for playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, and was a five-time NBA champion. He died along with his 13 year old daughter in a helicopter crash.

Kobe appeared during the 40th season of Sesame Street to demonstrate the word "miniature" which you can watch below:

Kobe Bryant was 41.

RIP Terry Jones (1942-2020)

Terry Jones, one of the founding members of Monty Python and the screenwriter of Labyrinth has died.

Jones wrote and starred in Monty Python's Flying Circus TV show as well as the comedy troupe's films directing Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life and co-directing The Holy Grail with Terry Gilliam.

One of his most memorable Python performances was in The Meaning of Life as the exploding Mr Creosote who, misguidedly accepted "just one wafer thin mint", after a gargantuan feast.

In 1993, Terry Jones was interviewed by Kim "Howard" Johnson for his book "Life Before and After Monty Python – The Solo Flights of the Flying Circus" in which they discussed Jones time working on Labyrinth:

Although Terry Jones isn’t sure how much of the completed film is actually his, he did receive credit for writing the screenplay. Having made a name for himself as a children’s book author, in addition to his Monty Python work, he seemed a logical choice to pen the Jim Henson movie.

Actually it was his second children’s book that led to his collaboration with the Muppet creator, he says. "I had been thinking about turning Erik the Viking into a film, and I thought it was something Jim Henson might be interested in," explains Jones. "I rang up his office, and they said ‘That’s funny – he was trying to reach you yesterday.’ So, Jim and I met up – he was setting up Labyrinth at that stage – and he wanted to know if I would like to write the screenplay.

"Jim's daughter Lisa had just read Erik the Viking and suggested that he try me out as a screenwriter – and that’s how it came about. I hadn’t really known Jim before our labyrinth meeting. We had bumped into each other when the Pythons were first in the States. We were in the street, getting out of cars, when he called out ‘Hi, I’m Jim Henson!’ That was about 1975, but we hadn’t met since then."

Although it was Jones’s screenplay, the original idea belonged to Henson. "Jim had the basic story for Labyrinth," explains Jones, "but I really agreed to do it in the basis of the characters. I wanted to have a fairly free hand at the episodes. I just started fresh, using the same characters. I’d undertaken the thing in a rather cavalier fashion. I’d read their synopsis, and they’d had a novella of the film-to-be. It was about ninety pages of story, and I though it didn’t work at all, so originally I said I wasn’t interested. Then after a couple of bottles of wine with Jim, I said "All right, maybe I’ll spend three weeks writing and see if something comes up.’

"That’s what I did, and it was great. I had all of Brian Froud’s drawings in a stack – he does the conceptual designs and drawings, on which the models are based," he reveals. "I had this pile of drawings, so I sat there with this basic story outline and all these characters. When I came to a new scene, I just picked out a character I liked and wrote a scene around it, like the old man with the hat with the duck’s head, and the hat talks back – it just seemed obvious. It was there in the drawing.

"In some way, Labyrinth was Brian Froud’s project. I think he came up with the idea of doing something about a labyrinth. Whenever I got to a situation where I wanted to invent a character, I would flip through his creations until I came to one that I liked, and give it words – I was collaborating in a funny way with Brian Froud, because I was springing off his drawings."

The film was much like a fairy tale. Because there were only two human stars in Labyrinth, played by Jennifer Connelly as Sarah and David Bowie as Jareth, Jones was able to concentrate much of his attention on the creatures.

"I though the first draft I wrote was pretty good, really. I though it was fun and everyone was excited about it. Then it disappeared for a month, and Jim came back and said ‘We’ve got some problems.’ The main problem was this labyrinth – the original idea was to do this thing about the labyrinth. They wrote this magical character, Jareth, who is all-powerful and does magic. I though there was no contest. This girl goes into the labyrinth, and you’ve got this magic character, so she can’t win.

"So, in my version, she goes into the labyrinth, and eventually finds out there is no solution. She keeps thinking she’s solved it, and then it keeps cheating on her. The idea in the end is that she finds out there is no solution, you’ve got to enjoy it. When she gets to the center, she finds out that the character who seemed all-powerful to begin with isn’t all-powerful. In fact, he’s someone who uses the labyrinth - which is basically the world – to keep people from getting to his heart. She gets there and annihilates him in the end. So, it’s about the world, and about people who are more interested in manipulating the world than actually baring themselves at all, having any kind of emotional honesty. Jim couldn’t understand the story at all.

"The other thing I though was, you mustn’t get to the center before the girl does, because what’s your hook for the audience – what is in the center of the labyrinth? Jim had two problems. One was that Jim wanted Michael Jackson or David Bowie to play Jareth, so he wanted him to appear all the way through, and he wanted him to sing. That was a real shock. Then he also wanted to go to the center of the labyrinth before the girl does. Both were things I felt were wrong.

"But I wrote a second version which had Jareth singing. He went for David Bowie, and it all went away for about a year. When the script came back, I didn’t recognise any of it. Jim said ‘Can you do a bit more to it? David Bowie doesn’t want to do it anymore because it wasn’t funny anymore.’

"It was more or less mine until the part where Sarah goes down the Pit of Hands, which was mine. It’s sort of mine up to the point where she east this apple, which is something Jim wanted to put in and I didn’t like it at all – that’s when I though it was no longer mine, it was nothing I had much to do with."

Because of Henson’s story and the changes he made to the script, Jones says he doesn’t feel very close to the movie.

I didn’t feel that it was very much mine. I always felt it fell between the two stories. Jim wanted it to be about one thing, and I wanted it to be about something else. But Jim was great, really smashing to work with – he was kind of person one wanted to do things for because he was so nice and so straight – even when we disagreed on things. He was always open to other ideas.

"The things I liked most about Labyrinth/ are not necessarily things I contributed," notes Jones. "I had an idea to do this Shaft of Hands – she falls down this dark shaft with these hands sticking out, hands all talking to each other – and it actually works! They realised it much better than I imagined it when I wrote it down as an idea. In a way, my best contribution was starting off something that the puppet makers have made much better and improved. I just started the ball rolling, but I think it’s the sequence that works best."

From:

"Life Before and After Monty Python

– The Solo Flights of the Flying Circus"

By Kim "Howard" Johnson

(1993, St. Martin’s Press, New York.)

Below Terry Jones talks about his time working on Labyrinth:

UPDATE:

You can read more about Terry Jones involvement with Labyrinth from Jim Henson biographer Brian Jay Jones here. 

Terry Jones was 77.

Netflix Debuts Word Party Season 4!

The fourth season of The Jim Henson Company's preschool series Word Party is now available. 

Cue the music: It's time for a party! Join animal babies Franny, Bailey, Kip, Lulu and their new friend, Tilly, who's teaching them words in Mandarin.

Word Party Season 4 is now available on Netflix!

Coming Soon: Dinosaurs Funko Pop!

Big news out of London Toy Fair. Funko revealed that Dinosaurs is getting the Pop! treatment. 

That's right Fran, Robbie, Charlene, Baby and "Not The Mama" himself, Earl Sinclair are on the way. 

While no release official date has yet to be revealed, they are now available for pre-ordered via EntertainmentEarth.com with an estimated release sometime in April.

Knowing Funko, I'm sure more figures will be available as well, perhaps a 10" massive Baby, or a con exclusive B.P. Richfield?

Stay tuned!

American Banjo Museum Educational Program Featuring Kermit!

The American Banjo Museum has a new educational program featuring Kermit. 

Lucas Ross and Kermit the Frog appear in the video for the
American Banjo Museum's educational program "Banjo Roots."

From the Oklahoman:

As part of a new educational program, elementary school students will learn to embrace and understand the music, art, and rich history of what has long been considered America’s instrument: THE BANJO! From its African roots to mainstream popularity during the Roaring 20s, to the Bluegrass explosion of the recent past, the music and story of the banjo are inextricably woven into America’s history. Now the AMERICAN BANJO MUSEUM offers an educational program that allows students to visit the museum, attend an interactive performance and even create their own banjos!

Hosted by local TV personality and five-time EMMY© award-winning broadcaster and regional children’s entertainer LUCAS ROSS, students will participate in a memorable learning experience which includes a live showcase of different banjo playing styles, sing-alongs, and hands-on activities that complement the curriculum. After a video history of the banjo – featuring none other than the world’s most famous amphibian, Kermit The Frog along with a host of important figures in American music history, students will have a chance to build and decorate a mock banjo of their own.

“I love any opportunity to share music, the banjo, and education with kids,” said Lucas Ross, ABM’s Outreach and Promotions Coordinator. “The colorful history of the banjo grew along with America - and both stories continue to evolve and intersect…it’s exciting to share this story.”

“As a follow-up to our Learning Lounge educational and research facility, the new BANJO ROOTS program represents our first opportunity to introduce the banjo in a meaningful way to school groups,” comments ABM Executive Director, Johnny Baier, adding “We couldn’t be more proud of this exciting new educational opportunity.”

While Kermit The Frog has been on display at the museum as part of the current Jim Henson – Life and Legacy exhibit, having him participate in the telling of banjo history is something of a dream come true for Lucas Ross. “Kermit was my introduction to the banjo and I’m sure countless others remember him strumming those opening chords of The Rainbow Connection while embracing their own fond banjo memories. Now - to appear with him on screen - is literally the highlight of my career…I mean, how many people get to work with their hero?”

Kermit the Frog’s appearance and inclusion in telling the banjo’s story was made possible by Muppets Studio/Disney and The Jim Henson Legacy. Karen Falk, Vice President of The Jim Henson Legacy, explains “Jim Henson loved banjo music and expressed that through his characters. The American Banjo Museum is the ideal place to demonstrate that appreciation, providing a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Jim’s creative expression. Young audiences served by the museum will no doubt find inspiration from his example.”

EXTENDED EXHIBIT- Do to the success of Jim Henson – Life and Legacy, the exhibit will extend through May of 2020. This exhibit recently won Oklahoma Museum Association’s Award for Outstanding Exhibit. For more information about upcoming events, or to become a member of the American Banjo Museum, visit americanbanjomuseum.com or call (405) 604-2793.

Rare Muppet Clips: Volume 1!

Some very rare and seldom seen Muppet clips have been making their way to youtube recently and we thought we'd make sure more people saw these gems. 

In that spirit, today we start a new series showcasing these lost Henson performances. 

The clips are in no particular order and span the gamut of the Henson universe. Note: we do not own these clips, nor do we make any guarantees to how long they'll be available, so watch them while you can!

Bossmen Dance to "Spanish Flea" (Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, 1974):

King Goshposh and Featherstone "Keep it Down!" (The Perry Como Winter Show, 1972):

Rowlf and Cleo Laine sing "I Want a Simple Song" (Cleo, 1978):

Kermit and Fozzie share the history of the Muppets with Dr. Jerry Nelson (The Vent Event, 1978):

If you find a rare Muppet clip and would like us to share it, please send us a link!

Anthony Daniels' "I am C-3PO" talks time with The Muppets!

Anthony Daniels' has a new memoir about his 40 year career playing C-3PO aptly titled, "I am C-3PO." 

Inside, Daniels recalls his experiences working with Jim Henson and The Muppets, which we won't divulge here - you'll need to buy the book.

The book does include some behind the scenes photos, which you can see below. 

Photo by Rebekah Bundang

Below are a couple clips of C-3PO on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street:

 "I am C-3PO" is available at bookstores now and through Amazon. 

New Aquarius Dark Crystal Fun Box!

Aquarius has just released a new Dark Crystal lunch fun box.

The front and back image feature Chamberlain, urRu the mystic, Jen, Kira and Fizzgig, and Fizzgig by himself. One side feature Jen and winged Kira., While the other features Jen on top of the crystal with the shard. 

The front version is embossed while the back is not.

According to the official description, Aquarius lists this as a "fun box" not a lunch box, and therefore is "Not for food." Even though it looks just like a lunch box. 

hmmmm.. anyway Aquarius' Dark Crystal Fun Box is available now through specialty stores and Amazon. 

Farscape Loot Crate!

Farscape has taken over this month's Sci Fi Loot Crate.

For those unaware, Loot Crate is subscription blind box that features exclusive apparel, collectibles, & more and this month's crate is filled 100% will Farscape gear.

If you're interested, you need to act quickly as you only have until 1/15 at 9pm PT to order. 
You can get your exclusive Farscape Loot Crate here. 

2019 Muppet Holiday Gifts!

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean we can't see what our fellow Muppet fans received this season.

Adam Smith received Michael Davis' "Street Gang" book, Sesame Street Book Club shirt, and a set of Bonos Sesame Street socks:

Amanda Wilson got Muppet socks, Kermit jammies, 2 Kermit ornaments, and the
Electric Mayhem bus ornament:

Aimee Merrill Walton was gifted with a Master Replicas' Kermit:

Arjen Busscher got "Jim Henson: The biography":

Amanda Hird Arsenault got this Jim Henson- Imagine print:

Ashley Smith‎ got a collection of Labyrinth and Dark Crystal items including the New Labyrinth Card game.

Bethany Simmons' 11 year old daughter got her this Muppet Babies figure set:

Christy Walk got "A Sweet Christmas on Sesame Street", "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on Sesame Street", "The Muppet Christmas Carol the Illustrated Holiday Classic", "Elmo’s Merry Christmas", DVDs of A Muppets Christmas:Letters to Santa, Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, Sesame Street 50th Anniversary Celebration, Sesame Dance party, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Walter plush, and more. 

Dave Dodds received Mister Rogers and Jim Henson with Kermit Pop! figures:

David Shuster got a set of Fraggle Rock Happy Meal toys:

Delaina Danielle Rogers also got the Jim Henson with Kermit Pop! figure:

Fred Letailleur was gifted a Dark Crystal shard replica as well as tickets to the Royal Albert Hall Christmas Variety Show featuring Kermit the Frog by his best friend Zyntadesbois:

Fred said "seeing Matt Vogel perform Kermit was amazing."

Heather Beck got this Hallmark Cookie Monster plush:

Janet Newcomer: got a Fizzgig puppet and some Dark Crystal books:

Janine Good received "The ultimate Guide to Sesame Street":

Jayden Libran received "The Muppet Christmas Carol the Illustrated Holiday Classic", a Dark Crystal: AOR Deet Pop, Loot Crate Dark Crystal note cards, Muppets Most Wanted Subway bags, and a vintage Fisher Price Miss Piggy bean bag: 

Jeff Hoppy got custom made Labyrinth Hoggle and eye creatures:

Jenny E. Meyer received this Labyrinth hand bag:

Joseph Debly received a Kermit tea hat, Muppet socks, a Big Bird plush, a Muppet 
Fairy tales, a Statler and Waldorf: Haters Gonna Hate shirt, a Jim Henson with Kermit Pop! figure, Hallmark's 2019 Kermit Ornament, A vintage baby Kermit happy meal toy, and a Japanese Kermit plush keychain:

Katie Chennisi received a 2020 Labyrinth calendar and shirt:

Muppet Guys Talking facebook group member Rob gifted fellow member Kelly this Sesame Street record signed by Frank Oz and Caroll Spinney:

 

Lindsey Vowell got this Labyrinth shirt:

Lorelei Eschbach received Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History book:

Marybeth Bell received the Labyrinth and Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History books, as well as their River Horse Board Games:




Megan Schumacker went out Christmas shopping and scored these Labyrinth socks for herself at a bookstore in chicago:

Melissa Kohan got this Sesame Street 50th Anniversary shirt and a copy of Muppet magazine:

Nathan Lee James commissioned a life size Rugby Tiger plush from "The Christmas Toy” for his sister:

He plans to have a video video featuring Rugby his YouTube channel Moonlight Motel soon.

Nicole Barnett received this Labyrinth ugly sweater:

Nicole Popovich: got her Muppet fan son Muppet Babies underwear

Our good friend Rachel Herrick got this Maha Maha and the Snowths shirt:

Rebecca Cooper got a sculpture of Aughra from Weta and a Fizzgig puppet:

Richard Czeiger got these Dark Crystal busts:

Riley Doenges received a Big Bird plush, Kermit cookie jar, and a firefighter Big Bird snow globe:

Ross Symons got these vintage Muppet Show soaps:

Sally BD son Connor received Vintage 1983 Kermit phone from his Grandma that still works, and 2003 Happy Holidays Rizzo Palisades, Diamond select mug and glasses,  Hallmark's 2019 Kermit Ornament, and The Muppet Christmas Carol illustrated book:

Sarah Hamarain got The Dark Crystal board game:

Stan Solo's daughter made him this life sized Doozer figure:

Steve Bauman got this Kermit for president button:

Susan Gellatly got this Muppet Babies animated baby Animal plush:

Thanks to everyone who shared their new Muppet stuff with us!