| The Muppets | |
|---|---|
 Logo used since 2022 | |
| Created by | Jim Henson |
| Original work | Sam and Friends (1955; 70 years ago (1955)) |
| Owners | |
| Years | 1955–present |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | Books and comics |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | Film list |
| Television series | Television list |
| Web series | |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Video game list |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | Discography |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Theme park attraction(s) | |
The Muppets are an Americanensemble cast ofpuppet characters known for anabsurdist,slapstick,burlesque, andself-referential style ofvariety-sketch comedy. Created byJim Henson in 1955, theirmedia franchise encompasses films, television, music, and other media associated with the characters. Owned bythe Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the Muppets were acquired bythe Walt Disney Company in 2004.
The Muppets originated in the short-form television seriesSam and Friends, which aired onWRC-TV and in syndication from 1955 to 1961. Following appearances on late-night talk shows and in advertising during the 1960s, the Muppets began appearing onSesame Street (1969–present) during their formative years in the early-mid 1970s and attainedcelebrity status and international recognition throughThe Muppet Show (1976–1981), their flagship sketch comedy television series that received fourPrimetime Emmy Award wins and 21 nominations during its five-year run.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, the Muppets diversified into theatrical films, includingThe Muppet Movie (1979);The Great Muppet Caper (1981); andThe Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Additionally, new Muppet characters were created forFraggle Rock (1983–1987). Disney began involvement with the Muppets in the late 1980s, during which Henson entered negotiations to sell The Jim Henson Company.
The Muppets continued their media presence on television with series such asThe Jim Henson Hour (1989) andMuppets Tonight (1996–98), both of which were similar in format toThe Muppet Show, as well as the animated spin-offMuppet Babies (1984–91); three theatrical films:The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992),Muppet Treasure Island (1996) andMuppets from Space (1999), and the television filmIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002).
Disney bought the Muppets and theBear in the Big Blue House franchise from the Henson family in February 2004 and controls the characters thoughThe Muppets Studio, though the deal excluded theSesame Street andFraggle Rock characters.[1][2][3] Subsequent projects have included the television filmThe Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005), two theatrical films:The Muppets (2011) andMuppets Most Wanted (2014), aprimetime series (2015–2016), the Halloween specialMuppets Haunted Mansion (2021), and most recently the streaming television seriesThe Muppets Mayhem (2023).
Throughout seven decades, the Muppets have been regarded as a staple of the entertainment industry andpopular culture in the United States and English-speaking areas around the world. They have been recognized by various cultural institutions and organizations, including theAmerican Film Institute, theHollywood Walk of Fame, theLibrary of Congress, and both Academies ofMotion Picture Arts and Sciences andTelevision Arts and Sciences.
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The Muppets were created by puppeteerJim Henson in the 1950s; Henson claimed that he coined the termMuppet as aportmanteau of the wordsmarionette andpuppet.[4] Among Henson's earliest creations wasKermit the Frog, who became his most recognizable character. Originally conceived for anadult audience,[5] the Muppets were introduced in 1955 inSam and Friends, a short-form television series produced forWRC-TV inWashington, D.C.[6] Developed by Henson and his future wife,Jane Nebel, the series was the first form of puppet media not to incorporate a physicalproscenium arch typical of such works, relying instead on the natural framing of thetelevision set through which it was viewed.[7]
During the 1960s, the characters—in particular, Kermit andRowlf the Dog—appeared in skits on severallate-night talk shows and on television commercials, includingThe Ed Sullivan Show. Rowlf became the first Muppet character to appear regularly on network television when he began appearing withJimmy Dean onThe Jimmy Dean Show. In 1966,Joan Ganz Cooney andLloyd Morrisett began developing a children'seducational television program and approached Henson to design a cast of Muppet characters during this stage. Produced by theChildren's Television Workshop, the program debuted asSesame Street in 1969 onNET, and laterPBS.
Henson and his creative team became closely involved withSesame Street during the years that followed; Henson waived his performance fee in exchange for retaining ownership rights to the Muppet characters created for the program.Sesame Street garnered a positive response, and the Muppets' involvement in the series was said to be a vital component of its increasing popularity, providing an "effective and pleasurable viewing" method of presentation for its educational curriculum.[8][9]
In the early 1970s, the Muppets continued their presence in television, primarily appearing inThe Land of Gorch segments during the first season ofNBC'sSaturday Night Live. The Muppet characters featured inThe Land of Gorch behaved boorishly and made frequent references to drug abuse, sexual activity, and consumption of alcohol; adult themes that Henson wanted to explore with the characters in an effort to not let him nor the Muppets be typecast as entertainment for children. The writers ofSaturday Night Live clashed with Henson's vision for the program, often refusing to commit to writing the segments, and several cast members bemoaned the inclusion of the Muppets. Eventually, the collaboration proved too divisive, and the Muppets departedSaturday Night Live after the conclusion of the first season.As his involvement withSesame Street continued, Henson began developing a network television series featuring the Muppets;[10] but distinct fromSesame Street; this series would be aimed at a more adult audience and would satirizesketch comedy. Twotelevision pilots,The Muppets Valentine Show andThe Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, aired onABC in 1974 and 1975, respectively.
After ABC passed on the pilots and other networks in the United States expressed little interest in the project, British producerLew Grade approached Henson and agreed to co-produce the series forAssociated Television. Debuting in 1976,The Muppet Show introduced new characters such asMiss Piggy,Fozzie Bear, andGonzo, alongside existing characters such as Kermit and Rowlf. Aired infirst-run syndication in the United States,The Muppet Show became increasingly popular due to itssketch-variety format, unique form ofvaudeville-style humor, and prolific roster ofguest stars.[11] It was nominated for twenty-onePrimetime Emmy Awards during its run, winning four, includingOutstanding Variety Series in 1978. The success ofThe Muppet Show allowedHenson Associates to diversify into theatrical films, the first of which,The Muppet Movie, was released in 1979.[12]
FollowingThe Muppet Movie wereThe Great Muppet Caper andThe Muppets Take Manhattan, released in 1981 and 1984, respectively. Collectively, the three films received fourAcademy Award nominations.The Muppet Show ended its five-season run in 1981. In 1983, Henson debutedFraggle Rock, which aired onHBO in the United States until 1987.[13]
In 1989, Henson entered negotiations withMichael Eisner andThe Walt Disney Company, in which Disney would acquire Jim Henson Productions and, in turn, the Muppets. Disney expressed interest in purchasing the company for $150 million.[14] Eisner was also interested in acquiring theSesame Street Muppet characters, but Henson declined that proposal, considering it a "non-starter" for the deal.[15] An "agreement in principle" for the acquisition was publicly announced by Disney and Henson at theDisney-MGM Studios theme park inWalt Disney World Resort on August 28, 1989, along with plans for Muppets-themed attractions to debut at that park andDisneyland the following year.[16] In anticipation of the acquisition, the television specialThe Muppets at Walt Disney World premiered on May 6, 1990.[17]
However, the proposed merger was cancelled after Henson's death on May 16, 1990.[18] Nevertheless, Disney initiated alicensing agreement with Jim Henson Productions to continue developing Muppets attractions and the use of the characters within the Disney theme parks.[19] The following year,Muppet*Vision 3D debuted at Disney–MGM Studios, the only attraction successfully developed from the original plans.Walt Disney Pictures also co-produced the fourth and fifth Muppets films,The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) andMuppet Treasure Island (1996), with Jim Henson Productions.[20] The characters subsequently starred inMuppets Tonight, which aired on ABC from 1996 to 1998; and a sixth film,Muppets from Space, released byColumbia Pictures in 1999.
In 2000,The Jim Henson Company was sold toEM.TV & Merchandising AG for $680 million.[21] However, EM.TV's stock collapsed and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003, with the exception of theSesame Street characters, which were in the interim sold toSesame Workshop.[20]
Fourteen years after initial negotiations began, Disney acquired the Muppetsintellectual property from the Henson company for $75 million on February 17, 2004. The acquisition consisted of a majority of the Muppet film and television library, as well as theBear in the Big Blue House television series.[1][2][3][22] Exceptions included theSesame Street characters;[23] theFraggle Rock characters, which were retained by Henson;[12] thedistribution rights to four films:The Muppets Take Manhattan,Muppets from Space, andKermit's Swamp Years, which were retained bySony Pictures Entertainment; andIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, retained byNBCUniversal Television Distribution.[22] Following the acquisition, Disney formedThe Muppets Studio (originally The Muppets Holding Company), a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for managing the characters and franchise. As a result, the term "Muppet" became a legaltrademark of Disney; under license from Disney, Sesame Workshop continues to use the term for their characters, as well as archival footage of Kermit the Frog.
Henson retained the rights to several productions featuring the Disney-owned Muppet characters, includingEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas;The Christmas Toy;Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting;Henson's Place;Billy Bunny's Animal Songs; the originalDog City special; andDonna's Day. While some of these have since been released uncut, most current releases ofEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas andThe Christmas Toy omit the appearances by Kermit the Frog. The 2015ABC Family airing, the 2017 DVD and the 2018 Blu-ray releases ofEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and theAmazon Prime Video release ofThe Christmas Toy reinstate Kermit's scenes.
After the acquisition was complete, Disney gradually began reintroducing the franchise to the mainstream,synergistically promoting the Muppets across different parts of the company.[20][24] The Muppets made appearances onDisney Channel and starred in the ABC television film,The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005).[20] A television special,A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, premiered onNBC on December 17, 2008.[25] As a method of regaining a wider audience, Disney produced a series of vignettes forYouTube andDisney.com.[20] Acover version ofQueen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was among these projects and immediately wentviral, ultimately amassing 90 million views and winning twoWebby Awards.[26] In 2010, the Muppets starred inThe Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora, which co-starredCat Cora and showcased cooking demonstrations.[27] That same year, Disney used the Muppets to promote theirvolunteerism program at the company's theme parks.[28] A Halloween special featuring the Muppets was developed during that time and expected to air on ABC that October, but was canceled.[29]
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In 2011, the Muppets were featured in an eponymous seventh filmThe Muppets, intended to serve as a "creativereboot" for the characters.[30]Walt Disney Pictures had been furthering development on a Muppets film since 2008, when it considered adapting an unused screenplay byJerry Juhl. Directed byJames Bobin, written byJason Segel andNicholas Stoller, and starring Segel,Amy Adams,Chris Cooper, andRashida Jones,The Muppets was a critical and commercial success, becoming thehighest-grossing puppet film of all time and winning theAcademy Award for Best Original Song forBret McKenzie's "Man or Muppet".[31] During the film's publicity campaign, the Muppets appeared in promotional advertisements and marketing efforts by Disney and were also featured in a promotional video forGoogle+.[32] In March 2012, the Muppets received a collective star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[33] That year, the Muppets hosted aJust for Laughs comedy gala inMontreal.[34]
Following the release ofThe Muppets, Disney announced an eighth film in 2012, with Bobin and Stoller returning to direct and write, respectively.[35]Muppets Most Wanted was released in 2014 and starredRicky Gervais,Tina Fey, andTy Burrell.[36][37] The film received positive reviews but was a commercial disappointment at the box office.[38]
Disney Theatrical Productions announced in 2013 that a live show based on the Muppets was in active development and that a 15-minute show had been conducted byThomas Schumacher to see how the technical components would work.[39]Muppet Moments, an interstitial television series, premiered onDisney Jr. in April 2015. The short-form series features conversations between the Muppets and young children.[40]
After the release ofMuppets Most Wanted, Disney was interested in expanding the Muppets' presence across other media, particularly in television.[41] Discussions for a newprimetime series began internally within The Muppets Studio.[30] By April 2015,Bill Prady was commissioned to write a script for a pilot with the working titleMuppets 2015.[42] In May 2015, ABC commissionedan eponymous series, co-developed by Prady andBob Kushell and directed byRandall Einhorn.[43][44] Developed as aparody of othermockumentary-style series such asThe Office,Modern Family, andParks and Recreation,The Muppets portrayed the everyday personal and professional lives of the Muppets inLos Angeles as they produced alate-night talk show hosted by Miss Piggy.[38] The ABC series portrayed the characters in more adult situations than previous incarnations, including depictions of alcohol consumption, sexual innuendos, and mild profanity.[45] The series premiered on September 22, 2015, in the United States,[46] and received mixed reviews, with critics praising the show's adult humor but criticizing the writing and characterization.[12][47]The Muppets was canceled after one season, which concluded on March 1, 2016.[48]
On September 24, 2016, The Muppets were featured in a benefit concert called "Puppets for Puppetry," hosted by theJim Henson Company for theCenter for Puppetry Arts.[49] This concert honored PuppeteerDave Goelz and celebrated the 30th anniversary ofLabyrinth. Musical guestsGerard Way andRay Toro ofMy Chemical Romance, along withJarrod Alexander,Matt Gorney, andJamie Muhoberac performed a tribute toLabyrinth with a medley of songs including "Underground" and "As the World Falls Down".
In September 2017, the Muppets performed a live concert series at theHollywood Bowl, hosted byBobby Moynihan.[50] This performance was followed by a second event in July 2018 at London'sO2 Arena, their first outside of the United States.[51]
In February 2018, Disney announced that astreaming television reboot series was in development forDisney+.[52] The project, known asMuppets Live Another Day, was intended as alimited-run series set in the 1980s after the events ofThe Muppets Take Manhattan and depicted Kermit recruiting the Muppets to locateRowlf the Dog after his disappearance.[53] The series was intended to be directed byJason Moore; written byJosh Gad,Adam Horowitz andEddy Kitsis; produced byABC Signature Studios andThe Muppets Studio, and feature original music byRobert Lopez andKristen Anderson-Lopez.[53] After an executive change at The Muppets Studio that prompted a different creative direction for the Muppets, Disney canceled development on the project in September 2019.[54][55] A second Disney+ series,Muppets Now, a short-formimprovisational comedy series, was announced in August 2019 and was released on July 31, 2020.[56][57]Muppets Haunted Mansion, a Halloween special based on the Disney attractionof the same name, was released on October 8, 2021.[58]
A third Disney+ seriesThe Muppets Mayhem, was ordered in March 2022. The series was developed and written byAdam F. Goldberg,Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes and starredDr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, alongsideLilly Singh andTahj Mowry.[59][60] The series received fiveEmmy Award nominations at theChildren's and Family Emmy Awards, winning one for Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series.
The principal characters ofThe Muppet Show and subsequent media includeKermit the Frog,Miss Piggy,Fozzie Bear,Gonzo,Rowlf the Dog,Scooter,Rizzo the Rat,Pepe the King Prawn,Dr. Bunsen Honeydew,Beaker,Statler and Waldorf,The Swedish Chef,Sam Eagle,Walter, andThe Electric Mayhem, consisting ofDr. Teeth (vocals, keyboards),Animal (drums),Floyd Pepper (bass, vocals),Janice (guitar, vocals),Zoot (saxophone), andLips (trumpet).
As well asThe Muppet Show, the characters are popular for their appearances onSesame Street andFraggle Rock; and also feature inSam and Friends,The Jimmy Dean Show,The Jim Henson Hour,Muppets Tonight,Bear in the Big Blue House,Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony,The Muppets, andThe Muppets Mayhem. An adult-oriented segment,The Land of Gorch, was a regular feature in the first season ofSaturday Night Live. Guest stars onSaturday Night Live occasionally include both the Muppets andSesame Street characters, as well as Muppet likenesses of real people; these likenesses appear recurrently in early episodes ofThe Muppet Show and onSesame Street, and appear occasionally on other series such as30 Rock.
Following Disney's acquisition of the Muppets, puppets created by The Jim Henson Company are no longer referred to as Muppets. Puppets created byJim Henson's Creature Shop, including those inLabyrinth andThe Dark Crystal, have never been considered Muppets,[61] as they are generally more complex in design and performance than regular Muppets. At Henson's suggestion, theStar Wars characterYoda was originally performed byFrank Oz,[62] and has been loosely described as a Muppet in media and reference works; he is not, however, and Henson otherwise had no involvement in the character's conception.[63][64]
From 1962 to 1978,Don Sahlin was the primary designer and builder of the Muppets and was described by Henson as “the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets.”[65] Sahlin's designs are often recognizable for theirspheroid heads partially bisected to create large mouths; several characters designed by Sahlin includeRowlf the Dog,Bert and Ernie,Grover, andCookie Monster.
The majority of the Muppets are designed ashand puppets, with several characters utilizingrods. Common design elements of the Muppets include flexible faces with wide mouths and large protruding eyes. Most of the Muppets are molded or carved out of various types of foam and covered with any felt-like material. The characters may represent humans;anthropomorphic characters; realistic animals; animate inanimate objects; robots; extraterrestrial or mythical creatures; or other forms of abstract characters.
The Muppets are distinguished fromventriloquist dummies, which are usually animated only in the head and face, in that their arms or other features are also animated. They are also generally made of softer material. They are presented as being independent of the puppeteer, officially known as a "Muppet performer", who is usually hidden behind a set or outside of the camera frame. Using the camera frame to this advantage was an innovation of the Muppets. Prior to this, a stage was used to mask the performers, as would be the case in a live performance. Sometimes, they are seen full-bodied; in most cases, invisible strings are used to manipulate these puppets, with vocals added at a later point.[66] Performers often usedollies to mimic walking.[67]
Since 2006, Disney has contractedPuppet Heap to produce and maintain newer models of the Muppets.[68] During most performances, the performer holds the character above their head or in front of their body, with one hand operating the head and mouth and the other manipulating the hands and arms, either with two separate control rods or – in the case of "live-hand" Muppets – wearing the hands similarly to gloves. One consequence of this design is that most of the Muppets areleft-handed, with the performer using their right hand to operate the head while operating the arm with their left hand.
For more complex Muppets, several performers may operate a single character, with the performer controlling the mouth usually voicing the character. As technology has advanced, the Jim Henson team and other performers have developed several means to operate the Muppets for film and television; these include the use of suspended rigs, internal motors,remote manipulators, and computer enhanced and superimposed images. Creative use of different technologies has allowed for scenes in which the Muppets appear to exhibit complex movements wholly independently of the performer.
In his book,Street Gang, author Michael Davis wrote that the characters tend to develop "organically", alluding to the performers taking up to a year to develop their characters and voices. They are also "test-driven, passed around from one Henson troupe member to another in the hope of finding the perfect human-Muppet match".[69] When interacting with them, children believed that Muppets were living beings, even when the performers were present.[70]
| Performer | Principal characters |
|---|---|
| Matt Vogel | Kermit the Frog, Uncle Deadly, Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Constantine, Crazy Harry, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Lew Zealand, Pops, Sweetums |
| Eric Jacobson | Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam Eagle, Marvin Suggs, The Newsman |
| Dave Goelz | Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot, Beauregard, Waldorf, Chip |
| Bill Barretta | Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Big Mean Carl, Bubba the Rat, Howard Tubman, Mahna Mahna |
| David Rudman | Scooter, Janice, Beaker |
| Peter Linz | Walter, Statler, Lips, Joe the Legal Weasel, Robin the Frog, Link Hogthrob, Foo-Foo |
At the start of the Muppets' formation, Jim and Jane Henson were the group's only performers. In 1961, Jane retired to focus on raising their children. Seeking additional performers, Jim Henson came into contact withFrank Oz that year. Although interested, Oz initially declined due to his youth and commitment to high school, and instead suggestedJerry Juhl, who worked with Oz at the Vagabond Puppet Theater inOakland, California. Upon graduating, Oz subsequently joined in August 1963, which then consisted of Henson, Juhl, and Muppet designerDon Sahlin. By the timeThe Muppet Show began, the primary cast of performers grew to consist of Henson; Oz;Dave Goelz;Jerry Nelson;Richard Hunt; and later,Steve Whitmire, while Juhl became head writer for the series. FromThe Muppet Show onward,Kevin Clash;Kathryn Mullen;Louise Gold;Karen Prell;Fran Brill,Caroll Spinney; andBrian Henson performed several minor characters and assisted the main performers with puppeteering. Many of these puppeteers performed characters acrossThe Muppet Show,Sesame Street,Fraggle Rock, and other Henson-related projects.
Jim Henson, Hunt, and Nelson continued performing until their deaths in 1990, 1992, and 2012, respectively.[71] Goelz, Whitmire, andBill Barretta, who joined the main cast of performers in the mid-1990s, assumed Henson's characters, with Whitmire cast in the role of Beaker and Nelson cast in the role of Statler, both previously performed by Hunt. The remainder of Hunt's characters were left without a stable performer untilDavid Rudman was cast in those roles in the 2000s. Oz continued performing until his retirement from puppeteering in 2000;Eric Jacobson was cast as his characters beginning in 2002.[30] At Nelson's behest,Matt Vogel gradually began performing his characters in 2008.Peter Linz joined the main cast in 2011, debuting the role ofWalter inThe Muppets.[68]
Whitmire wasdismissed from the cast in 2016, with Vogel cast as Kermit the Frog in 2017, and most of Whitmire's other characters were assumed by the remainder of the cast, primarily by Linz.[72] The Muppets are currently performed by a core cast of six principal puppeteers: Goelz, Barretta, Jacobson, Vogel, Rudman, and Linz,[71][30] with the occasional ensemble of "additional" Muppet performers that includesJulianne Buescher,Tyler Bunch,Alice Dinnean,Bruce Lanoil,Leslie Carrara-Rudolph,Drew Massey,Mike Quinn, andMichelan Sisti.
On September 17, 2002,Rhino Records releasedThe Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More, a compilation album of music fromThe Muppet Show and subsequent film releases. WithJohn Denver,John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together was produced and released in 1979.
Under Disney ownership, The Muppets album releases have been released byWalt Disney Records; including new album releases and albumreissues, such asThe Muppet Christmas Carol in 2005 andThe Muppet Movie in 2013. Legal music publishing rights to Muppet songs are administered by Fuzzy Muppet Songs and Mad Muppet Melodies, imprints ofDisney Music Publishing.
Similar to other Disney characters, the Muppets appear at theDisney Experiences, having first appeared atWalt Disney World Resort in 1990. Their first featured attraction,Here Come the Muppets, was a live stage show that opened shortly after Jim Henson's death and ran atDisney's Hollywood Studios (known at that time as Disney-MGM Studios) for a year.[73]Muppet*Vision 3D, a4D film attraction that also usesAudio-Animatronics characters, opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991, exactly one year after Henson's death.[74] It is Henson's final directorial effort.Muppet*Vision 3D subsequently opened atDisney California Adventure, on February 8, 2001; this version closed in 2014. The version ofMuppet*Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios is scheduled to close on June 8, 2025.[75]
The Muppets also were featured inThe Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History at theMagic Kingdom from 2016 to 2020; and theMuppet Mobile Lab atEpcot since 2007.[76][77] The latter attraction is a free-roving vehicle with Audio-Animatronics ofBunsen Honeydew andBeaker. As part of Disney's Living Character Initiative, it premiered at Disney California Adventure[78] and later made appearances at Epcot andHong Kong Disneyland.[79][80]
In 2010, the Muppets were the face of the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" charity campaign. Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Sweetums appeared in daily parades atDisneyland and Magic Kingdom.[28] The Muppets appeared in television and print ads for the campaign and were featured prominently on the campaign's web site.[81]
Disney has released numerouscollector pins featuring the Muppets since 2004. These include Limited Edition pins,Hidden Mickey pin collections, mystery pin sets, 2008 pin sets promotingThe Muppets, cast lanyard pins, and assorted individual rack pins. Over 100 pins displaying the characters have been released overall.[82]
In November 2024, it was announced that theRock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be re-themed to the Muppets.[83]
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Among other print media, the Muppets have featured incomics since the 1970s. An eponymouscomic strip byGuy and Brad Gilchrist first ran on September 21, 1981, in over 500 daily newspapers, six months afterThe Muppet Show ended its five-year run. By the end of its run in 1986, the comic strip was seen in over 660 newspapers worldwide. Many of the strips were compiled in various book collections.[84] Special strips were also created in color, exclusively for issues ofMuppet Magazine.
Muppet Magazine was published from 1983 to 1989. The magazine was presented as being run by the Muppets themselves and included such features as celebrity interviews and comic stories.[85]
The only Muppets film adapted as acomic book wasThe Muppets Take Manhattan. Thecomic book series was adapted byMarvel Comics in 1984, as the 68-page story inMarvel Super Special issue #32. The adaptation was later re-printed into three limited series issues, released under Marvel'sStar Comics imprint (November 1984 – January 1985).
In the wake ofMuppet Babies' success, Star Comics adapted the series into abi-monthly title, of which 26 issues were produced.[86]
The final issue ofDisney Adventures, released in 2007, included a one-page strip byRoger Langridge. In 2009,Boom! Studios began publishing aseries of comic books based onThe Muppet Show, written and illustrated by Langridge. After two mini-series, an ongoing series,The Muppet Show Comic Book, was published for eleven issues. Additionally, Boom! Studios published fairy tale adaptations centered on the Muppets. In 2012, the Langridge series was transferred to Marvel Comics, which released an omnibus edition in 2013.[87]
The first video game in the franchise wasKermit's Electronic Storymaker, which was released in 1984 for theCommodore 64. In 1989,Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival, was released byHi Tech Expressions for theApple II,Commodore 64, andMS-DOS, the following year it was ported by theNintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990.[88] In 1996,Activision and in association withJim Henson Interactive released the CD-ROM game,Muppet Treasure Island (on which thefilm of the same name was based) forWindows 95. Later in 1996,Starwave releasedThe Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside, the second CD-ROM game was advertised for a January release,[89] and available in stores beginning in March.[90] In April 2000,Take-Two Interactive released theplatform game under the titleJim Henson's Muppets for theGame Boy Color.[91] In October 2000,Midway Games released the twoMuppet video games,Muppet RaceMania andMuppet Monster Adventure for thePlayStation console.[92] On April 18, 2002,TDK Mediactive acquired the rights toThe Muppets games,[93] and released two video games,The Muppets: On with the Show! (2002) andSpy Muppets: License to Croak (2003) for theGame Boy Advance andMuppets Party Cruise (2003) for thePlayStation 2 andGameCube consoles.[94] In 2014, Virtual Toys releasedThe Muppets Movie Adventures forPS Vita.[95] The mobile gameDisney Magic Kingdoms, developed byGameloft, includes characters and attractions based onThe Muppets franchise during limited time contents.[96]
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The Muppets' prevalence in popular culture is such that the characters have become regarded as celebrities in their own right.[97] The Muppets have a collective star on theHollywood Walk of Fame, with Kermit having been previously individually inducted in 2002.[33] The characters have appeared at theAcademy Awards andEmmy Awards;[98][99] madecameo appearances in films includingRocky III,[100]An American Werewolf in London,[101] andMr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium;[102] and have been interviewed on the news magazine60 Minutes.
Kermit was interviewed byJon Stewart onThe Daily Show;[103] was a guest host onThe Tonight Show,Jimmy Kimmel Live!,Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,America's Funniest Home Videos, and anApril Fools' Day edition ofLarry King Live;[104] and has served asGrand Marshal of theTournament of Roses Parade.[105] The characters also appeared onThe Cosby Show andThe Torkelsons,[106] among other sitcoms. The music video forWeezer's "Keep Fishin'" is aesthetically based onThe Muppet Show and consists of the band interacting with the characters.
On September 28, 2005, theUnited States Postal Service released aJim Henson and the Muppets postage stamp series.[107] The Muppets also appeared onDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on December 31, 2007, in which Kermit and other characters presented segments following advertising breaks. After one such segment, with Kermit inTimes Square, co-hostRyan Seacrest thanked "Kerms" for his assistance.[108] Miss Piggy has appeared as a guest onThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Kermit appeared onHollywood Squares and as one of the celebrity commentators onVH1'sI Love documentary series. The Muppets, as well as the title character ofBear in the Big Blue House, have made frequent appearances onThe Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
On July 25, 2007, theCenter for Puppetry Arts inAtlanta announced plans for the Jim Henson Wing, which would house up to 700 retired Muppet characters. The wing, featuring films, sketches, and other materials from the Jim Henson Company archives, was set to open in 2012 but eventually opened as a gallery within theWorlds of Puppetry exhibition at the Center in November 2015.[109][110][111]
Muppet-like characters star in the Broadway musicalAvenue Q, the concept of which is aparody ofSesame Street. ThePeter Jackson filmMeet the Feebles, a satire on the television industry, is largely reminiscent ofThe Muppet Show. A Kermit the Frogstuffed toy rigged to spray fake vomit was a recurring joke onLate Night with Conan O'Brien, and the Muppets were frequently preempted at the beginning of episodes ofYou Can't Do That on Television. The sitcom seriesGreg the Bunny centered on sentient hand puppets working on a Muppet-like children's show. Among other examples, television series such asThe Simpsons,Family Guy,The West Wing, andRobot Chicken have referenced the Muppets.
The term "muppet" is commonly used inIreland,Britain, andAustralasia to refer to a stupid or ineffectual person.[112]
In the months before his death in 1990, my father Jim Henson pursued extensive discussions with The Walt Disney Company based on his strong belief that Disney would be a perfect home for the Muppets.
It was really just a term we made up. For a long time I would tell people it was a combination of marionettes and puppets but, basically, it was really just a word that we coined. We have done very few things connected with marionettes.
Tragically, on May 16, 1990, the world lost Jim Henson at the age of 53.
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