Muppet Madness featuring Jim Henson's Muppets
designed by Bruce McNally, Les Skinner, and John Stevenson
Random House ~ 1980
As an unabashed and life-long Muppet fan, ex-Jim Henson company employee, and the mother of a Gonzo-loving six-year-old, to say I am looking forward to the premiere of The Muppets is a massive understatement.
The thing I love most about the old Muppet Show was how Jim and his writing staff always tipped the hat to entertainment of old using skits and music that dated back to the vaudeville days. I play those albums and shows for my son now because a lot of those cultural influences, he won't get elsewhere. What other kiddie show could spoof The Marx Brothers so flawlessly?Ah yes, the timeless brilliance of The Muppet Show. Really, I can't talk about this stuff without getting goose-pimpled and misty. If the movie stinks, the boy and I can always come home and watch the Star Wars episode of The Muppet Show for, like, the zillionth time. That and pull out all my old Muppet books to read.
Thus, how we arrive at our post for today. Random House published a number of TV tie-ins during the show's six-year run and beyond. This one arriving toward the end.
Technically, it is a rehash of a Muppet Annual from 1979. Featuring photography as well as comic book-style illustration, the book includes stories and games and a huge helping of signature Muppet silliness. Designed by a trio of talented artists (including the Director of Kung Fu Panda), it gives you a taste of what the old Muppet humor was all about, hugely innocent and appealing to children with a good amount of subversive adult humor sprinkled in. 
As weird as it sounds, I remember being vaguely attracted to Kermit in the Disco Frog story...and completely horrified by the Holiday Haunt tale.
What a blast it was being eight! As a girl, I never missed one of The Muppet Show's original 120 episodes, and as a mother, I'm slowing getting through them all again with my son. As for this Thanksgiving, it's, once again, time to play the music... with Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie and the gang ready for their closeup, the 23rd can't get here soon enough. No matter how forgotten the plot of the new movie leads you to believe the Muppets are, the Henson legacy is still alive and well in my house. My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here. ~ Jim Henson
Done and done.
Other Muppet books:Muppets at Sea
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amazing! i feel the very same way. i also grew up with the muppets, and we are so excited for the movie too! fingers crossed that it's a hit <3
ReplyDeleteI am right there with ya girl. Muppets = Pure Brilliance! Cannot wait for the movie (so hoping it does not suck!) and cannot wait for my kiddo to discover all things Muppet (she's still Sesame Street-ing :)
ReplyDeleteAww this is lovely
ReplyDeleteAnother muppet lover chiming in. I think the muppet franchise has been carried on better than most after the creative center dies, recently saw Muppet Treasure Island for the first time and it was absolutely fantastic. Not only was it funny but it was actually a fairly faithful and captivating version of the Treasure Island story.
ReplyDeleteI haven't followed Sesame Street in a long time, have watched some of the very old (before my time!) episodes with my kids, but heard recently that Cookie Monster no longer eats cookies? Which makes me weep.
i actual love treasure island and the muppet christmas carol... those were done by his son and most of the original team, so the heart was still there...
ReplyDeleteLove the muppets, too, and my kids have watched many of the classic episodes. My dad and I danced to The Rainbow Connection at my wedding. One of the top five moments of my life.
ReplyDeleteYou worked for the Henson company and refer to The Muppet Show as a "kiddie show". Come on.
ReplyDeletehey... i was born in 1972.... and watched the show almost from the beginning, as did most of my friends... kiddie show is just a toss off statement about a show.. that was watched by... kids. :)
ReplyDelete