favorite MUPPET
youngEINSTEIN
2,443 Posts
BEAKER
peace, stein. . . 
peace, stein. . . 
youngEINSTEIN
2,443 Posts
peace, stein. . .
Comments
yip yip yip yip yip
"Yoda's appearance was originally designed by British makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, who based Yoda's face partly on his own and partly on Albert Einstein's. In the original trilogy, Yoda was realized as a puppet, voiced and controlled by Frank Oz. Contrary to common belief, Yoda was never constructed as a Muppet; in fact he was designed almost entirely independently from Jim Henson's company, aside from minor consulting."
Wow, I remember that. HAHAHA
My younger brother just graduated from Columbia Law. The firm he will be working for deferred all job offers until 2010 (sh*tty economy-related). However, the firm and/or the school gave some of the graduates the opportunity to represent a non-profit organization in the interim, for a LOT less money of course.
My brother was hired by Children's Television Workshop aka Sesame Street!
He said when he showed up for his interview, he was escorted right through the set with people walking around fake cityscapes with muppets on their hands. One of his interview questions was "Who's your favorite Sesame Street character?" In a professional interview! (His answer: "Oscar The Grouch...because he does what HE wants to do." I can't believe they hired him after that answer!)
Anyways, he's promised to try and have me to visit the set once he's starts working there. That would be awesome.
stadler and waldorf
i have a soft spot for animal, the anmal buddy rich drum battle is
and always liked gonzo
These guys represent me the most...
That's really kind of awesome. If he gets the chance, can he punch the Elmo puppet for me?
Anyways, so many to choose from but I've always had a big soft spot for Guy Smiley and his flip top head.
Take that shit to starwars.com
This is discussed on the bonus disc of the box set that came out a few years back
though as a kid Janice seemed kinda hot
Dr. Teeth (the Night Tripper...)[/b]
the "Mysterious Nose Snatcher" bit is a comedy goldmine
There are so many possible answers, but I think these guys just barely edge out the rest. To this day I can see how their schtick has influenced my sense of humor.
Also getting major props:
The yipping aliens (love 'em)
Guy Smiley
The news anchor from the "Muppet News Flash" segments
Dr. Teeth and the entire band
Ok..... so I'm 10 years old. I'm at a Japanese restaurant with my Dad. I notice a guy across the way give the waitress a photograph with all these Muppets on it (this is in 1982, and the Muppet Show is HUGE). I ask my Dad "Hey Dad....do you think that man is with the Muppets?", to which Pops replies "I don't know....why don't you go ask him?"
So, I walk up and introduce myself and ask if he is a part of the Muppets. He replies "I sure am...do you watch the show?" Obviously I reply that I do. I ask "What characters do you do?" "Wellllll.." he replies, "I do Beaker, Stadler, Janice from the Electric Mayhem, Tiny, Scooter...." and I immediately interrupt him and say "Scooter.... he does my favorite song !! " I then proceed to sing:
"There's a new sound, the newest sound around, the newest sound that's made by WORMS..." I end up doing the whole song.
He and his friend break into peels of laughter, and are quite taken with me. He introduces himself as Richard Hunt, and invites my Dad over to share the table. After a bunch of talking and Richard asking me tons of questions, we are invited to go to a taping of a Miss Piggy special they are working on in Toronto at the time the very next night.
Fast Forward to the following day.
I get to go to the studios and watch Richard, Frank Oz, Henson and a huge cast of Muppeteers work on a few scenes, and generally get to experience the full Muppet behind the Scenes.
Henson was just so damn cool. After they were finished he invites me over to his work desk, and even at that age I can see he is just exhausted. Still.... dude has a 8x10 glossy photograph of him and all his Characters, and while asking me what I liked about the show begins to Autograph EACH and EVERY characters signature, all unique and completely cool. At one point he asks "So what do you think about Fraggle Rock?" I reply the way only a kid can do "Ehhhh, I don't really like it". He laughs so hard.....as who else would say this to his face but a 10 year old. He then asks in what way would I improve it? We talk for a while, and he was just so very cool with me.
Before I go, Richard calls me over, and we take tons of pictures with him and myself and Beaker as well. He has Beaker on his hand, and has brought him to life. Honestly everyone....Beaker felt so alive and right in my face. There are shots of all three of us, with me in the middle, just smiling and carrying on.
I will NEVER forget that day, and it is definitely one of the reasons that I turned out pretty good in life. When creative, interesting and kind people give that sort of time to a kid, you're just changed forever for the best.
When Henson died a few years later I was just so sad.
When Richard Hunt died I just cried like a baby.
Thanks so much to them both. Two of the very best people one could ever meet.
barring band members, I'll cosign on the aliens...uh huh uh huh yup yup yup yup uh huh uh huh!
- spidey
remember the episode where the band members staged a walkout, so they had to get THIS Muppet to play the theme under the credits?
Yeah, Rowlf The Dog (well, duh!). He was cool w/me. Looked like Ernie covered in brown fur (and sounded like Ernie after too much tequila). When he wasn't playing the doctor in that one recurring bit, he'd show up singing and playing piano.
But he wasn't a member of the hippie house band, and that's why they had him do the solo-piano outro on that one episode. I didn't like that, they made him look like a real scab.
Just got some serious aural flashbacks. daaaamn.