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Jim Henson

Light The Lights

Nov 12th, 2023
by rodney.
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More interesting stuff showing up at MIP-COM and MIP-Junior. This time we came across a press release from The Jim Henson Company, talking about several new shows they’re offering for young viewers — at least two of which are especially furry-friendly. First off there’s Wowsabout: “Roxy the Hedgehog and Ronald the Piglet are on a walking-adventure to find the ‘Wows’ on this gorgeous planet they call home… Our heroes will experience the beauty of the northern lights, a hot air balloon festival, the magnificence of the world’s tallest building, and so much more!” And maybe not as quiet, there’s Monster Jam: “Get ready to stomp and roar! Right here on the dance floor! At the grooviest, funkiest, most monstrous club around. Everyone is invited to the Monster Jam – a safe place for kids to express their big emotions through physical movement, creative expression, and by letting their inner monster out!” Let’s hope they have good luck finding good markets — especially here in North America!

image c. 2023 The Jim Henson Company

First They Look Like You…

Aug 16th, 2023
by rodney.
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For a while now Archaia Comics have been bringing us new series based on Jim Henson’s 1980’s TV series The Storyteller, staring John Hurt and Brian Henson. The latest addition is The Storyteller: Shapeshifters mini-series. And now, Archaia have collected all four issues together in a single hardcover omnibus. Sure enough, the stories feature everything from kids turned into swans to tricky fox-people. “Locus Award-winning writer Darcie Little Badger (A Snake Falls to Earth, Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1), and esteemed writers Andre R. Frattino (Simon Says: Nazi Hunter) and Deron Bennett, along with up-and-coming artists Nori Retherford, Alexandra Fastovets, Dani Pendergast, and celebrated cartoonist Emilia Cilento (INGOVY) bring together a timeless collection of tales about shapeshifters from around the world.” Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Shapeshifters is available from Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2023 Archaia

Worry’s For Another Day

Sep 17th, 2021
by rodney.
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Fans of Muppets and Really Good TV: Rejoice! There’s a new book out called Fraggle Rock: The Ultimate Visual History, edited by Noel Murray and Jody Revenson. “It’s been over thirty-five years since the irrepressible Fraggles first hit the screen in the beloved children’s television hit Fraggle Rock. Created by the legendary Jim Henson, along with Michael K. Frith, Jerry Juhl, Duncan Kenworthy, and Jocelyn Stevenson, Fraggle Rock remains a favorite of fans to this day. This delightful volume tells the incredible story of the bighearted show that helped instill open-minded values in a whole generation of viewers. Fraggle Rock: The Ultimate Visual History follows the show’s creation, from early concepts to the incredible puppetry that brought the unforgettable characters, such as Gobo, Red, and Mokey, to life. Exclusive interviews with Stevenson, Frith, Kenworthy, and several other major contributors reveal fascinating, exclusive insights that take the reader further into Jim Henson’s world than ever before.” It’s available later this month, in hardcover from Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2021 Simon & Schuster

ET On Your TV

Aug 17th, 2020
by rodney.
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We just found out about Earth To Ned, the new science fiction TV series from the Muppet folks at The Jim Henson Company. “The galaxy’s first alien-hosted talk show” will start streaming on Disney + starting September 4th. “Produced by The Jim Henson Company and Marwar Junction Productions, Earth to Ned is a decidedly different take on the late-night talk format. It stars extraterrestrial-creatures Ned and Cornelius as they interview terrestrial stars. Each episode focuses on a topic or theme that is unique to Earthlings and fascinating to Ned, including comedy, sports, social media and fashion. Ned beams in celebrity guests from across the known universe, and the more he learns about our human culture, the more obsessed he becomes.” Take a look at the review on Deadline, and check out the trailer video there or on YouTube.

image c. 2020 The Jim Henson Company

Return to the Rock

Oct 4th, 2018
by rodney.
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Whoops! This passed us by last summer… but here it is, thanks to Boom! Studios. “In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock, the Fraggles are back in all-new stand-alone adventures, each by distinct creative voices and presented in an 8″ x 8″  format perfect for longtime fans to share with the next generation. It all begins with a story written and illustrated in beautiful watercolor by Jared Cullum (Jim Henson’s Labyrinth 2017 Special), as Mokey Fraggle is losing her love for creating her art and needs her friends’ help to rediscover her inspiration. Fraggle Rock #1 features a cover by Jared Cullum, along with a connecting subscription cover by Jake Myler (Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring). Each issue of Fraggle Rock will have a connecting subscription cover featuring a different Fraggle.” This 4-issue limited series is in stores now.

image c. 2018 Boom! Studios

You Remind Me Of The Babe

Oct 4th, 2016
by rodney.
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With the death of David Bowie earlier this year, lots of people have been remembering his 1986 turn as the Goblin King in Labyrinth. Now Boom! Studios have their own salute to that landmark film as they bring us Jim Henson’s Labyrinth 30th Anniversary Special. “Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the beloved Jim Henson fantasy film with stories from inside the magical walls of the labyrinth. Featuring fan-favorite characters like Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and a few surprises, this special celebration collects for the first time all of the Labyrinth Free Comic Book Day stories along with new tales from Eisner Award winner Jonathan Case (The New Deal), Gustavo Duarte (Bizarro), and more!” Entertainment Weekly did a special preview recently.

image c. 2016 Boom! Studios

image c. 2016 Boom! Studios

Fraggles in a Frenzy

Aug 8th, 2015
by rodney.
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Got this right from publisher, thanks to Barnes & Noble: “Return to Jim Henson’s world of Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs with an all new story set in beloved Fraggle Rock! When the water supply of Fraggle Rock mysteriously runs dry, the Fraggles will have to journey deep in the caves of Fraggle Rock to find the fabled Everspring where adventure awaits and no Fraggle has ever gone before! Written by New York Times bestselling comic writer Kate Leth (Adventure Time: Seeing Red), this brand new Fraggle Rock graphic novel collects Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring #1-#4.” With art by Jake Myler, it’s available in hardcover from Archaia later this month.

image c. 2015 Archaia

image c. 2015 Archaia

When Young Animals Learn to Talk

Jul 1st, 2015
by rodney.
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According to our friends at CartoonBrew, in addition to the four new animated TV series announced recently by Netflix (and discussed here as well), the network has added an additional three new animated shows that are squarely aimed at the preschool set. One of them, at very least, is especially anthropomorphic: “Arriving worldwide in 2016 exclusively on Netflix is the Jim Henson Company’s Word Party. Produced through Henson’s digital puppetry studio, Word Party’s 11-minute episodes follow the adventures of four baby animals, whose singing and dancing aims to help build the vocabulary skills of its preschool viewers. Jim Henson Creature Shop’s digital puppetry innovation ‘allows puppeteers to perform digitally animated characters in real-time, enabling the animation to be more lifelike and spontaneous.'” Watch for it next year.

image c. 2015 The Jim Henson Company

image c. 2015 The Jim Henson Company

Down at Fraggle Rock — Again

Mar 20th, 2015
by rodney.
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Word has been spreading fast among the Silly Creatures that the long-rumored big screen version of Jim Henson’s cult TV series Fraggle Rock is finally a go. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) is set to produce and star in the feature film version. (Interesting side note: Mr. Gordon-Levitt was the voice of Jim Hawkins in the Disney animated film Treasure Planet.) Here what we got from The Nerdist: “Originally an HBO series which ran from 1983-1987, Fraggle Rock centered around a group of tiny creatures called Fraggles, along with the even smaller Doozers who lived among them. The Fraggles and the Doozers lived in a series of caves called Fraggle Rock, and would only venture outside of it to gather radishes to eat, where they would have to avoid the giant Gorgs.” That and get advice from a matronly trash heap named Marjory, and occasionally interact with the human (and his dog) who lives above them all. Trust us, none of this even begins to capture the magic that went into making this show and the magic that viewers took away from it. This new live-action feature film version is being created by the Jim Henson Company and released by New Regency.  (Hmm, not by Disney, eh?) No word yet on a targeted released date, but you can bet you’ll be hearing more about it soon.

image c. 2015 The Jim Henson Company

image c. 2015 The Jim Henson Company

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