For our latest ToughPigs Book Club installment, we're straying a bit from the norm by critiquing (and outright mocking) a comic book, rather than a children's book.

The comic book in question is Muppet Babies #15, published by Star Comics (an imprint of Marvel Comics), and the story from this issue that we'll be looking at is "The Magic Book". While all of the Muppet Babies comics are pretty bizarre, this one takes the cake. Things get pretty meta as the Babies don't just break the fourth wall, they take a sledgehammer to it and put it in a blender with some yogurt and bananas.

After reading the comic (remember to click the images to make them, y'know, readable!), I implore you to stop by the ToughPigs forum or send me an e-mail with your comments, criticisms, and colloquialisms. The best of the best will show up right here on your friendly neighborhood ToughPigs website.

Enough of my yammering! Enjoy the comic book! All the cool kids are doing it.


Suggested Discussion Questions:

1.) Is this a story about the Muppet Babies entering a comic book, or becoming self-aware as comic book characters? Do they also know that they are fictional characters? When they "snap" away in the last panel, are they being erased from the existence of their comic book universe?

2.) How creepy is it when Piggy looks right at you??? Even though she's kind of a bitch about it, saying you have big eyes and then "Hah"-ing in your general direction.

3.) Compare and contrast "The Magic Book" to Grant Morrison's "Animal Man." Go ahead, I dare you.

4.) What do you think Scooter Googled to find out that they were in a comic book?

5.) This gag doesn't really work as well on the computer as it would in a real comic book, does it? Does the change of medium affect the Muppet Babies' crisis at hand?
Click here to share your thoughts on The Magic Book on the ToughPigs forum! Magically!!!

Labels: book club, reader participation

Earlier this month, I posted everyone's favorite multiple personality disorder-inducing Sesame Street book, Just Like Ernie, which you can read in it's entirety by clicking here. Unfortunately, if you missed out on reading it way back when, then you missed out on saying funny things about it, and then getting your name up in lights (pixels on your computer screen are like lights, right?).

Thankfully for all of us, we've got some funny folks over on the ToughPigs forum who did the heavy lifting, as well as a few readers who sent in their comments via e-mail. But don't take my word for it, let's see what those cats had to say about Just Like Ernie:
IDENTITY THEFT:

Mo: Ernie is a wise man. By nurturing his friend's self-esteem, he may have headed off a wicked case of identity theft at the pass.

Jog: Bert's not the only one with an identity crisis... what's Ernie's reason for wearing a "cool jacket" and sunglasses anyway? Isn't the whole point of the book that you're cool in your own style; in Ernie's case, sans sunglasses and with a good old stripy sweater?
That jacket, for instance, reveals a desire to be more like Scooter.

Michal: Bert is no match for Ernie's burgeoning social life. Between Ernie's weekend gigs and telling jokes to his sycophantic playground pals, Bert has been getting zero Ernie face-time. He won't stay Ernie's best friend for long unless he does something drastic. His only recourse is to assume an alternate identity, Mrs. Doubtfire-style.

ERNIE IS COOL; BERT IS LAME

Michal: Good gravy, I wish Chris and the Alphabeats would ask *me* to play a set with them every time I ordered ice cream. What a life Ernie's got. No wonder Bert wants in.

Ryan: I know we're supposed to feel sorry for Bert when nobody laughs at his joke, but to be fair, it's a pretty sucky joke.

Steven: If Bert is depressed that no one likes him, just get some cookies and persuade Cookie Monster to be his friend for them since Cookie Monster only cared about what's inside Ernie's lunchbox.

Jog: I wonder if Ernie uses his cool image to take the attention away from that dorky tricycle of his. Dude can't even ride a real bike.

Ryan: "Ernie ordered a Banana-Dana Super Sundae. Bert had a small dish of vanilla ice cream." Ernie may be cooler than Bert... but we'll see who has the last laugh when Ernie gets a cavity!

Jenny: This book makes a laughable attempt to pass Ernie off as "cool", when in reality he's nothing but a sadistic jackhole. The other denizens of Sesame Street see Bert as a warning - this will be them if they don't placate Ernie, and so they pretend to admire him. Lately Ernie's ego has inflated dangerously - he's tired of the "Bert and Ernie" dichotomy, and he's made it known to his friends that Bert will be ignored if they know what's good for them. Bert, in a desperate, last-ditch effort to ingratiate Ernie, begins to imitate him, and fails disastrously. Ernie is unimpressed by this sad parody, and makes his disproval clear by usurping Bert's possessions - insinuating Bert won't be needing them for much longer, unless his Ernie homage does the man justice. Rather than up his game, Bert opts for the sweet release of death, rather than the living hell of being Ernie's roommate for another 40 seasons.
BERT’S HAIR

Mo: I am worried that if I ever meet someone with that hairdo, I will accidentally bread and fry their head in juicy cutlets. Mmmm... Muppet-head Parmesan...

Michal: His slicked-back hair may look hip now, but just wait until he busts out into "You're the One That I Want."

Jarrod: Bert's little "cool dude" hair is just a comb over that makes him look like he's balding. And no-one likes bald people. Besides Gordon. That dude RULES!
ERNIE’S UNDERWEAR

Ryan: So, why DO we see Ernie in his undies? I was so sure it was going to turn out that Bert had stolen his pajamas, but that never happened. In fact, we never even find out whether Ernie found his pajamas. So where are they? I demand a sequel!

Michal: Either Ernie's boxers bunched up, or his naked bum has a wacky tanning pattern. But I refuse to believe that Ernie wears briefs.

Lara: I have just seen a mostly naked childhood friend in his underwear. And I have nothing more to say.
THE LUNCHBOX

Cathy: So when did Cookie Monster get a licensing deal and why don't any of his friends find that odd?

Ryan Mead: Cookie Monster isn't even startled that his own picture is on the box- he's just curious as to the contents. Given that he probably thinks there's cookies inside, I'm not surprised, but it seems rather unusual that his first thought would be "me want cookie" rather than "oh yeah, me remember posing for that lunch box" or "hey, that unauthorized use of me image." But then again, Cookie Monster doesn't seem like the type who would know about either licensing deals or legal matters.

Beth: Isn't it a bit odd that Cookie Monster is depicted as a superhero, when this is usually Grover's job? Maybe Cookie is trying to steal Grover's identity as well!

Cathy: Also, Ernie finds it strange that Bert is trying to be like him, but he doesn't see a problem with carrying a lunchbox with his friend's face on it? If one of my casual friends started carrying around a lunchbox with my picture on it, I'd probably be a touch creeped out. Perhaps Ernie is the one with the case of identity envy?

Jarrod: Is Super Grover aware of this sudden new Super Cookie? Or is he a villian? The Cookienator. Watch your back, Grover. It's always the person you'd least suspect...
UNDER BERT’S BED

Scott: What's Ernie doing snooping under Bert's bed while he sleeps? It's not like he just noticed a box of paper clips and went in closer to investigate. He actually had to go out of his way to get down on the floor (in his underwear) and move away the blankets that were obscuring his view. Does Ernie regularly check under Bert's bed after he goes to sleep? I can imagine a sketch on the show in which Ernie creates an idea in his head that looking under Bert's bed is imperative to his friend's safety. But it's harder to grasp in storybook land where Bert and Ernie don't fly planes or drive cars, but instead go to school and carry lunchboxes.

Joe: Yeah, but if they tried that on the show, Ernie would look under the bed and find Frank Oz.

Steven: Unless, Frank Oz puppeteers Cookie Monster who is under the bed looking for cookies crumbs since his sleepover there with Ernie.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Jes: You had me at Ernie's underwear....
Click here to dress like your roommate on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I totally dropped the ball on the last Book Club. Sadly, I chose a book that held many fond childhood memories for everyone, which nobody wants to mock in the fashion that we ToughPigs hold so dear. But look at the bright side, at least you got to read an awesome Grover book for free!

This time around, I think we'll have better canon fodder because of one thing: Ernie in his skivvies. So go ahead and read "Just Like Ernie", and post your introspective/anal-retentive/ridonkulous comments on the ToughPigs forum. Or if you'd rather do the e-mail thing, feel free to send them to me directly. In a couple weeks, I will post the best of the best right here on ToughPigs.com for the whole world to see. Now, on with the oversized glasses show!Suggested Discussion Questions:

1.) Is Bert just dealing with a mild case of depression (as always) in a new and creative way, or is he suffering from Single White Female Syndrome? Or is he perhaps using imitation as an outlet to express his true feelings for Ernie?

2.) If imitating Ernie doesn't make Bert less lame, what else can he try? Lord knows those saddle shoes aren't doing him any favors.

3.) Where can I get me one of those Super Cookie Monster lunch boxes?

4.) Do the Alphabeats go through drummers like Spinal Tap? And what does it say about their professionalism that they'll pick up a new drummer at Hooper's Store on a whim like that?

5.) How does the Figgy Fizz bottle cap hold up against the American dollar in this economic climate? Apparently they're worth at least the cost of a jacket, sunglasses, sneakers, joke book, and lunch box. Should we be adding Figgy Fizz bottlecaps to our investment packages?

Bonus question: Does Ernie wear boxers or briefs? Oh wait, nevermind.
Click here to share your thoughts on Just Like Ernie on the ToughPigs forum, just like Ernie!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

Back in this post, I showed you the cover of the new 25th anniversary DVD release of Follow That Bird, and pointed out the sneaky move of putting Elmo on the cover when doesn't have any kind of significant role in the movie. Then I asked you to come up with your own Follow That Bird covers.

I got some great responses, so how about we look at them now? Do yourself a favor, and click on these to make them bigger!

Scott H:


Jarrod F:


Paul B:


Joe H #1:


Michal R:


Mike C:


Phil R:


Joe H #2:


Mo W:


Frank:


Joe H #3:

I tell ya, if Sesame Workshop would just put any of these designs on the real cover, they'd sell... well, they probably wouldn't sell many copies. But Tough Pigs readers sure are a creative bunch. Big thanks to everyone who submitted a cover, and don't forget to look for the new Follow That Bird DVD on March 24th!

Click here to follow that DVD on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: DVD, fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

It was recently announced that a new 25th anniversary edition of the Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird will be released on March 24, 2009. Extras will include a featurette and an interview with Caroll Spinney.

All of which is great. Follow That Bird is a fun movie with good songs, touching moments, and the lesson that it's okay for a six-year-old to jump from a moving truck. So we Muppet fans really have nothing to complain about here... but that's never stopped us before.

See, where the previous DVD release basically just duplicated the original movie poster, this release has a brand-new cover. And it's hard not to notice that Elmo is prominently featured along with the other Muppets, despite the fact that the film was made before he was really a character, and he only appears onscreen for about two seconds as part of a crowd scene (and not performed by Kevin Clash).

We've been talking about this over on the Tough Pigs forum, and one thing led to another, and now we're asking ourselves: Could we do a better job? A couple of forum members have already whipped up their own alternate versions, and I'd like to see more from the Tough Pigs reader population at large. (Longtime TP readers will recognize that this is the same concept as the highly successful "Muppets Magic Extreme Makeover" commissioned by Danny Horn way back in 2003.)

So here's your assignment: Come up with a new Follow That Bird DVD cover and send it to me at ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com. That's it. It can be a legitimate redesign, or it can be silly, and a few weeks from now I'll post the good ones here. Here's something I just came up with to give you some inspiration:

Look, Big Bird has a moustache! And glasses! And the movie is called Follow That Cow! Ha ha!

Okay, that's really terrible. I know you can do better... so get to it.

Click here to do something or other on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: merchandise, news, reader participation, Sesame Street

My New Year's resolution for 2009 is to post a new Book Club entry on ToughPigs. And why not just get that over with so I can start eating my chocolate-covered pretzels and ignoring my treadmill?

Let's celebrate 2009 by laughing at the worst day in Grover's pitiful existence. Please enjoy "Grover's Bad, Awful Day", and afterward pop your head into the ToughPigs forum to give us your discussion comments, witty observations, and run-on sentences. Or, if you're not the forum kinda person, you can e-mail your comments to me at joe.toughpigs@gmail.com. Then, in a couple weeks, I will post the best comments here on ToughPigs for everyone to ogle.

Why am I still talking? Let's go watch Grover's Job impression! Remember, clicky the images to make them biggie.












Suggested Discussion Questions:

1.) What is the root of Grover's problems? Is it living in a single-parent household? Or the lack of a properly nutritious breakfast?

2.) Which of Barkley's four performers do you think Grover is trying to draw?

3.) Why does Oscar get to bring his garbage can into class? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of Bert and Ernie bringing their apartment to school?

4.) Does Herry Monster's penchant for pointing out the obvious help or hinder Grover's bad day? Because that'd bug the bejeezus out of me.

5.) Wouldn't the grossness of grape ice cream just make Grover's day even worse? Ick.
Click here to add your comments/concerns/conundrums on the ToughPigs forum! Or click here to e-mail them directly to Joe.

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

Welcome, everyone, to the 2008 Ugly Muppet Toy Pageant. In case you've forgotten how this works, here are Sad, Pathetic, Broken-Eyed Cookie Monster and Drum Major Oscar to present the rules:

Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

Just look at that thing. That right there is an ugly Gonzo doll, sent to me by Tough Pigs' close personal friend Marianne. He's hideous, isn't he? And yet, I'm only including him here as a runner-up. It gets worse from here, friends.

There they are... It would take a mother to love any one of them. Send me your ratings now at ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com, and check back here in a couple of weeks for the results!

Click here to talk about ugly toys and their mothers on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: contest, merchandise, reader participation

Hey, remember this guy? He's a Fozzie mini-bean plush made by Sababa, and in 2005 he was hideous enough to win the Tough Pigs Ugly Toy Pageant.

It's been a while since 2005, so it's high time we had another Ugly Toy Pageant around these parts. Now, I know there are scads of ugly Muppet toys that have never been featured in a pageant, but there's no way I can find them all myself. Which is where you come in.

Send me photos of ugly Muppet toys! You can send your entries to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com, and you can send as many entries as you got. They can be from Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, whatever. Just keep in mind this rule: Toys that are ugly because they've been beaten, abused, or manhandled don't count. Only toys that were ugly straight from the factory.

The deadline for entries is October 7, 2008. Then I'll post the nominees for Ugliest Toy, and you'll judge their ugliness and send in your votes. And yes, I know the pageant has traditionally been an April Fool's Day event, but let's just pretend it's an April Fool's Day joke that we're doing it in October.

Now, to inspire you, here are the winners of the pageant from 2004, 2003, and 2002:






Click here to talk about ugly toys on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: contest, merchandise, reader participation

Season 39 of Sesame Street is coming to PBS this summer, and we're all vibrating fiercely with excitement. As usual, it's going to be a star-studded affair, and we've already seen announcements about several celebrities who will be dropping by the neighborhood to educate, entertain, and maybe grab a milkshake at Hooper's.

Which celebrity appearance do you think will be the coolest? Will it be Canadian rocker Feist, who is reportedly doing a variation on her hit "1234"? Will it be LL Cool J, whose very last name has often been the Letter of the Day?

What about David Beckham, who will be teaching Elmo the meaning of the word "persistence" as only a Spice Girl-marrying soccer star can? Maybe Sandra Oh of Grey's Anatomy will be the highlight of the season, as she portrays the Cookie Fairy. Ah, but Neil Patrick Harris just might top her -- he's playing "the greatest fairy in the world," the Fairy Shoeperson.

I know which one I'm most looking forward to, but which one are YOU anticipating? Let us know by dropping by the Tough Pigs forum to answer the very important question: "Which upcoming celebrity appearance on Sesame Street is gonna be the awesomest?"

Click here to place your vote in this poll on the Tough Pigs forum! (Hey, didn't I just say that?)

ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com

Labels: poll, reader participation, Sesame Street

posted by Ryan Roe  # 12:49 PM

Well, there you are! Welcome back! This is the second installment of Most Treasured Muppet Possession stories submitted by Tough Pigs readers. The first installment can be found here. Now, what the heck are we waiting for? Let's hear about more Kermit dolls and junk:

Marianne:
Unfortunately the Most Treasured Muppet Possessions I had in mind a little earlier are now outdated, since I just received MR Gonzo for my 16th birthday today (and he’s all adorable in his wittle purple tux, aww, etc.) So it’s a whopping three-way tie between that and the drawing I received from Elmo in Long Island:


And the 500 piece puzzle I glued to my wall (contains Lew Zealand, Angus McGonnacle, Sal, Bobo, Link Hogthrob, AND Clifford: what are the odds)



Mary Catherine:
My most treasured Muppet item would have to be my Fisher-Price Rowlf puppet. Last spring, my mom picked me up in Albany after exams were over, and we went on a road trip to the University of Maryland so I could see the Jim Henson exhibit they had set up, watch Muppet clips at their library, and of course, take a picture at the bench with Jim and Kermit.

On the way there, we stopped in Princeton, NJ to visit my aunt. Before we left her house, she announced that she wanted to pass on a family heirloom to me that she had been saving for almost thirty years. I opened up the bag she handed me...and inside was the Rowlf puppet. She said that it had been a Christmas gift from my dad (her brother) to her when she was in high school and, amazingly enough, a really big fan of The Muppet Show.

Not only is it a pretty cool Muppet item to have, but now I have proof that my dad, for all of his grumblings about my fandom, does not hate the Muppets. Which means that all is right with the world.

Emma H:
My favourite Muppet possession is probably my 1984 baby Miss Piggy doll. I had one when I was little and stupidly threw it away when I was a sulking, miserable teenager. My brother trawled eBay to buy me one for my 21st birthday. It had to be the 1984 version, though - all the others of baby Miss Piggy are hideous. Especially the 1987 version, ugh.

I'm also very fond of my copy of Miss Piggy's Guide to Life and It's Not Easy Being Green because they both contain, in their own ways, some excellent advice... The thing I miss the most from my childhood Muppet fandom, though, is my Muppet Babies wallpaper. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but I remember it being white and covered in Muppet Baby heads! My parents let me choose it when I was about four, and they were worried I'd give myself nightmares. Never.

The two Muppet things I'd like most in the world are the complete collection of Muppet Babies on DVD (a dream that I suspect will be unfulfilled forever) and a Miss Piggy purse I once saw on eBay - it was covered in sequins and was very glam. She would approve. But I've never been able to find it again. Gosh, this was a long post. Apologies!

Tim:
Number 1 is pretty easy, though I have to mention several runners-up. This Kermit was released the year I was born, and has always been one of my most treasured possessions. I have no idea how he's managed to stay in good nick.

I was also terribly fond of my Baby Rowlf, though (like the Baby Kermit I have) the costume change puzzled me somewhat. I also have Piggy and Fozzie. Muppet Babies arrived at exactly the right time for me to latch onto it properly so it remains one of my favourite Henson properties.

Much uglier but also holding special places in my heart were the Fisher Price Piggy and Fozzie beanbags. They're fairly horrendous but in the flesh they have a bizarre charisma. Judging from the picture on the wiki, I should be glad that they had to hang out with the larger Kermit instead of his beanbag counterpart.


Alex G:
My most treasured Muppet item is a Kermit wired stuffed animal I picked up in a small shop in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. I was just beginning my Muppet fandom, but Kermit accompanied me on The Ride Across Minnesota, raising money for Multiple Sclerosis.

He accompanied me not once, but twice as I completed the ride. I changed it up for two years, once with a Ernie rubber ducky and an Animal stuffed animal (hehe), but both years suffered problems... Because I didn't have Kermit. For these reasons it is my most cherished and beloved Muppet item, even topping my 1986 Sesame Street figures (some of my first loved toys), or my Palisades exclusive Adventure Kermit, which I draw enjoyment from every day.


Wes:
My Most Treasured Muppet Possession is my Pigs in Space metal lunchbox! When I was younger my grandparents managed a Mini-Storage place and they would pay me a few bucks to clean the abandoned units and if I found anything I got to keep it. Needless to say, I found a Pigs in Space lunchbox and kept it.

Several years later it went missing... I think someone stole it when everyone was in a metal lunchbox craze. Well, last year my brother got me one for Christmas, better than the old one, in mint condition and even has the thermos. My apartment's small so I proudly display it in the bathroom, so everyone can enjoy it when they come over.

Joe:
My MTMP is a Kermit the Frog beanbag doll. I've had it as long as I can remember and it's accompanied me to my first day of school, my first summer at sleep-away camp, college, apartments, and so forth. And it's still with me today. Somewhere along the line, the Frog went all pirate on me and lost his right eye. The eye has never turned up, and I've long since stopped searching. I still expect to find it in an old Cracker Jack box or something one of these days.

A few years back, a friend gave me the Fozzie Bear beanbag that completes half of the full set, which elates me to no end. So, while my one-eyed, droopy, lumpy, never-washed Kermit might not win any beauty pageants, he's a prom queen in my book, and I love him so.

Christer:
My Most Treasured Muppet Possession has to be, as with most people I suppose, my oldest. And that little treasure is the Norwegian version of the Fraggle Rock album, on tape. As a kid I *loved* the Fraggles! Actually I loved most puppetry, but the Fraggles were my absolute favorites, and I nagged and nagged until I got the tape, and then I played it and played it until my parents nearly lost their minds.

Somewhere along the way I managed to lose the cover (how could I lose that cover, and not lose the covers of any other tapes I had at that age!), and the tape is obviously pretty worn now, but listening to that soundtrack just puts me right back to when I was five years old and Fraggle Rock was the most exciting, scary and exhilarating place on earth. I never believed in Santa, I never believed in Jesus, or The Tooth Fairy, but I *believed* in the Fraggles! Just look at Travelling Matt - they were out walking around us!

Some few years later, a little older but still a huge Fraggle fan, I experienced the biggest high and the biggest low, Henson-wise, in my life. I read in my local paper that Mr. Fraggle himself, Jim Henson, was working on a project filming a book by Roald Dahl, one of my all-time favorite authors, and certainly my favorite at the time. This project, of course, was The Witches, a book which I had recently read and loved. The best part was; they were going to be filming in my hometown! Norway in the book was going to be represented by Bergen, and they would be filming right where I lived, in the yawn of a city where nothing ever happened! I was extatic!

Sadly, the joy did not last. Before the movie reached Norwegian theatres, both Jim Henson and Roald Dahl had died, only a few months apart. My euphoria had turned to absolute devastation, and I had to do some pretty quick growing up. Many years would pass without me thinking of The Fraggles as anything other than a show I loved as a kid.

This all changed when, five years ago, I happened to stumble upon my old tape. I put it on, and the memories all came instantly flooding back. After singing along to all the lyrics I still knew by heart, when I reached the end, I heard the instrumental version of All Around The World, a track that featured on most of the European releases. As a kid I always used to skip that track (I couldn't sing along to it!), but when hearing it again as an adult, it was just about the best darned piece of music I had ever laid ears on!

Today I own pretty much every Fraggle music release (as well as a fair bit of other paraphernalia, of course), and have about 10 copies of the 7" single of All Around The World, including mint, sealed and picture disc releases. People tend to describe me as a true Fraggle nut, walking around the office donning my "I Appreciate The Muppets On A Much Deeper Level Than You" T-shirt. Your post is filed with the tag fanaticism, and my Most Treasured Muppet Possession is the single piece of merchandise that truly launched the avalanche that took me from Fraggle fan to Henson fanatic - for the second
time in my life.

I hope I can still get a tape player when I'm 60. Or 80.

Scott E:
This one's easy, because my most treasured Muppet possession is my most treasured possession, period. Several years ago, a group of my friends decided to get me a Christmas present…why… I don’t know. Anyway, one of them is very big into books and frequents a lot of used book sites on the net. On one of these sites, he stumbled upon a copy of Of Muppets and Men. He knew I would love it, so he checked it out only to find that it was an autographed copy.

The woman who was selling it bought it in a huge estate sale and was selling off all the pieces that didn’t interest her. The inscription in the book reads “Christmas 1981. To Buddy with our love, Kermit the Frog, Jim, Dave, and all the gang”. My friend contacted the Henson archive to see if it was authentic and who Buddy was. They responded that it was authentic and that the book had been given as gifts to everyone who had appeared on the Muppet show that year, so Buddy was, in fact, Buddy Rich.

They also asked who my favorite Muppets and sent picture of the main Muppets, autographed by Animal and Pepe with their response. So…as a huge Muppet fan, who happens to be a drummer, and whose favorite Muppet is Animal, this book is by far my most treasured possession. It spends its days on prominent display in my great room.

It's Ryan again.  I know this wasn't a contest, but we can all pretty much
agree that Scott won, right?  I mean, I'd love to own any copy of Of Muppets 
and Men.  It doesn't even have to be previously owned by an awesome guest
star like Buddy Rich... I'd settle for one of the lesser ones, like Shields... or
Yarnell.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the great submissions. And take care of your
Muppet stuff!

Click here to comment on this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

Muppet fans love their Muppet stuff.

Beth:

My treasured Muppet possession would have to be the Palisades Muppet theatre backstage playset. I mean, how cool is it? It's a perfect small Muppet show set that I can transport back and forth between college and home. And all the Palisades action figures that go with it of course, especially Sweetums.

Amy:
My Fisher Price Sesame Street Little People playset.

I got it for Christmas when I was four or five years old. I remember being upset that David and Maria weren't included amongst the Little People, but being very happy to have Mr. Hooper and Susan. (Guess I didn't give a rat's ass about Gordon!)

Big Bird, Oscar, Ernie and Bert were cool to have, too, but Mr. Hooper and Susan really made me happy. Mr. Hooper reminded me of my grandfather, and Susan was my favorite female role model at the time. She was a nurse, she drove a VW Bug, she wasn't afraid to talk back to Oscar -- how cool was that?!

Possibly the thing that fascinated me the most about the playset was looking into Bert and Ernie's apartment and counting the bottlecaps on the wall. They had the most interesting domicile of the apartments. My brother and I also had the Fisher Price Castle. We used to have the Sesame Street people look around in the Castle for the Count. We also pretended that Snuffy lived in the dragon's dungeon in the FP Castle. Kind of dumb, but we had an awful lot of fun with that fantasy. I still have Susan and Big Bird someplace. I miss Mr. Hooper.


Jenny:
A plastic Snuffy wearing a scarf and beret. It was a toy at my grandma's until one day I never saw it again. Then, years and years later in high school, my theology teacher had the exact same toy on his desk, and I had a huge SIRE* moment. I tell him the story and he freaking GIVES it to me. Snuffy now resides on my Ledge O' Crap. (despite the name, it is where the most esteemed plushies and figurines live)

*[Editor's note: SIRE, for those not in the know, is a Tough Pigs-coined acronym for Sudden Instant Recall Effect]

Martha:
My oldest, most-loved Muppet posession has to be my Grover puppet, circa 1974. I absolutely love him. I remember taking him to kindergarten - when he was much prettier than he is now - for show and tell. I have a picture with me, age 4, with my brand-new Grover puppet, which arrived at about the same time as my brand-new baby brother. Guess which one I was more excited about...

It's not really a posession, but I'm also awfully proud of the INEBG* Bathroom, which has a brand-new Kermit display shelf.
*It's Not Easy Being Green

Melissa:
I have several, I don't have the Fisher Price puppet but I got the doll, I'd say out of TOYS, it would be that, my Rowlf puppet and my Fisher Price Ernie doll that looks like he was hiding out where they found Saddam Hussein. But I can't part with any of them.

As far as NON toys, my genuine Big Bird feather that they gave me as a Henson intern, my Muppet Treasure Island crew hat that Steve Whitmire gave me when I visited the set, and all my autographs and photos with Henson folks.

Peter:
My favorite... was probably a 3D stacking Big Bird puzzle. I can't find a picture of it anywhere on the Internet, though. My brother once mischievously hid the various pieces throughout the house and I don't know how long it was before I found the last piece in the cream cheese. I had once actually decided to give it to Danny or Scott for Christmas, but then I couldn't find it. And then I decided that even if I ever found it, I was too selfish to let it go.

Cathy:
My very favoritest Muppet thing is actually two things. When I was a wee little tot, my parents got me a Miss Piggy trinket box. It was a knockoff of a Sigma piece and it was obviously handmade, but you could tell it was made out of love.

Anyway, my parents spotted this thing at a garage sale and the person selling it said that his daughter had made it, but had "outgrown" her Muppet phase, so they sold it to my parents for a dime. I loved this little box so much. It always made me happy when I looked at it because it reminded me of how much my parents loved me and supported me and my love of Muppets.

Anyway, a few years ago when I got married, Danny (who didn't know about my knockoff Piggy box) gave me the real Sigma Piggy box as a wedding gift. And it was such a great gift, because I could tell it was really thoughtful and given from the heart. And now both boxes are displayed proudly on my shelf, and while one reminds me of the awesomeness of my parents, the other now reminds me of all the awesome people I've met through the years here. All because of a shared love of the Muppets. Who knew?


Yancey:
Well... I would have to say my Miss Piggy Fisher Price dress up doll. My younger brother gave her to me for Christmas (probably in 1982?). I sewed her a number of spectacular outfits. She is one of my Muppet things I've owned the longest. I'm also very fond of my Piggy Enesco Marie Antoinette and Cleopigtra dolls. They're just so awesome. I got those off of Ebay about 6 or 7 years ago.

Anthony:
As for my own most treasured Muppet possession . . . I've never been much of a collector of things that you can't watch, read or listen to, so it's not a toy or anything.

Actually, I've gotta say the first Fraggle Rock LP. The kindergarten teacher in my hometown found it in her classroom and gave it to me when I was about a freshman in high school. I had only seen a few episodes of the show at the time, and I used to spend hours lying on my bed listening to that record over and over and over.

Even now, when I've seen all of the first 72 episodes of the show and several of the last year, those are the Fraggle Rock songs that always come to mind - Follow Me, Wemblin' Fool, The Friendship Song, Muck and Goo, Do It On My Own, Doozer Knitting Song, Easy is the Only Way to Go, and The Beetle Song especially.


Kyle:
My most favorite Muppet possession would have to be a several because I can't just think of one. The first one would be my plush 80's Big Bird. My mom said I carried that sucker everywhere. It was mine and nobody could touch it unless it was my mom or my sister.

But my then for some reason my dad told my mom that he had to throw it away because i had ripped its head off, but my mom thinks he threw him away because I was getting too old for it. I've been looking for him everywhere but can't find him. Hope I find it on ebay one of these days.

The second one would have to be the Oscar the Grouch in a can where you blow into the hose and his head pops out of his trash can. Not mine but my cousins', and I played with it all the time.

Third one was a Fraggle Rock drum set, but then I busted out pretty much all the drums and that was it for that set of Fraggles. I feel really sorry that i destroyed lots of my toys as a kid so now if I find something I had as a kid I save it and keep it from bad little hands.

Fourth one would be still not be mine but still I played with it. It was the Kermit the Frog puppet just like the one on the front page. It was my cousins but a different one from the first one.

Fifth one would have to be a Baby Kermit that sat inside of a wheel that looked like a Ferris wheel and spun around. Don't know why I liked it but it I did.

Sixth one would be a Oscar the Grouch puppet that came out in the late 80's or early 90's. He's still in his can but you could move the mouth. It was one of the Fisher Price ones. I now have a Cookie Monster one too that I found at Goodwill. That about does it but that's pretty much my Muppet Treasured stuff I have.

Quinn:
This is impossible for me to narrow down. The Palisades action figures, taken altogether, are probably my favorite Muppet possession, but not necessarily the most "treasured." I love every single one of them, and there are some highlights like Adventure Kermit and the Jim Henson figure that stand out above the rest.

While they were all made with attention to detail and more care than most Muppet toys we had seen up until that point, there was something special about some of the figures. Purple Tux Gonzo is still my favorite version of one of my favorite Muppets, and even seeing the Master Replicas Gonzo--the eight dollar piece of plastic is a better likeness, and more fun, than the version I'd have to pay hundreds of dollars for. And because of that, I appreciate Palisades' work on the Muppets line.

As for the most treasured...this is probably a cop-out, because it's not technically a Muppet possession. My Rubber Duckie. Even though he's not a licensed Muppet(TM) product, I only have him because Ernie has a Rubber Duckie. My brother gave me Rubber Duckie for my 17th Birthday, which was 17 years ago. And even though now I'm on Rubber Duckie II, I still have that same unnatural attachment to, and affection for, my Rubber Duckie.

He goes on every trip with me, and Miles and Carter consider him almost as much a part of the family as they are. They know when it comes down to it, he's been in the family longer than they have, and if I have to make a choice, it'll get dicey. I have more expensive Muppet toys, I have rarer Muppet toys, I have a piece of Gonzo's fur on my fridge from Muppets in Space--but it's Rubber Duckie that I love. I feel a song coming on.


Great stuff, eh? And I'm only a little bit envious at all the cool merchandise other people have that I never had. Click here to jump to Friday for more sappy nostalgia!

Click here to comment on this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

A few weeks ago, I posted a very important reader participation project for the ever-so-loyal readers of ToughPigs.com. It was a book about togetherness, about helping your fellow man, about finding that missing piece to complete your life’s goals.

Now, what do I have that needs a helper? I have an article that won’t fill itself with silly things to say, and snarky observations about a 37-year-old book. Who has something good for a ToughPigs article?

But what’s this? All of my ToughPig friends are racing toward me with seemingly random things in their hands! Why, there’s Beth with a Northern Exposure DVD! And there’s Tony with seventeen rolls of scotch tape! And Ryan R. with a bowling trophy! And Michal with a beard of bees! And Peter with a case of the blues! And Jog with an autographed 8x10 of Joe Rogan! And Erik with his identical twin brother! And Amy with a tap dancing penguin! And Anthony with the key to the men’s room! And Grant with the Internet! And Ryan M. with insomnia!

Special thanks to all of the above folks for making this happen. And feel free to read The Together Book by clicking here. Enjoy the funny!
Jog: "What do I have that needs a helper?" Sounds like the Sesame Street Book of Slavery.

Erik: I think they're all running with stuff because they heard Antiques Roadshow was in town. The fact that they're running past someone who needs help is just a coincidence.
THE ART:

Jog: What does the illustrator have that needs a helper? Reference material as to how many fluffy rings Big Bird has around his legs. Four? Five? Or, four on one leg, five on the other leg?

Ryan R: I love the art. I always like the more expressive takes on the characters. They didn't even bother to color within the lines, which sends kids the subtle message that one needn't always conforms to society standards in order to be helpful.

Tony: Bert looks like a neanderthal, Cookie looks like he's choking, and Grover looks like Fozzie.
BETTY LOU:

Ryan R: Betty Lou ordered a milkshake bigger than herself. I think she knew the whole time that she was going to need help finishing it, and she was just waiting for Pantsless Farley Guy to join her. She's just lucky he was the one carrying his straw collection... if it had been Herry, she would have ended up with fur in her milkshake.

Michal: No wonder she looks so terrified that her hair is about to fall off. She's facing a big enough milkshake to drown in, some Farley impersonator who forgot his pants is fast approaching, and her feet can't even reach the floor for a quick escape.

BABY MONSTER:

Anthony: Bert does not look at all pleased about having to help Sherlock Hemlock trudge that soapbox car through the snow.

Ryan R: Herry doesn't look very happy to be joining him/her on that sled. Something tells me Herry never really wanted to help, but he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be in the book.

Michal: Apparently, the Sesame gang all wear their regular outfits, rather than any gesture towards winter gear - or in a couple of cases, any clothing whatsoever - while trudging through the snow with their sacrificial offerings to the Baby Monster.ERNIE:

Jog: Most of these guys seem to be content with whichever one object leads to the solution to their problem, right? But look at Ernie with Cookie in the sandbox - that's right, he took EVERYBODY's stuff.

Ryan R: The next scene, which we don't get to see, is Ernie asking "What do I have that needs a helper? I need to get my stomach pumped!" And then the other characters run in carrying llamas, underwear, the corpse of Richard Nixon, etc.

Jog: Are we seeing a selfish side of Ernie, or did he simply say, "Guys, come on. Get real. It's a SAND CAKE. I can make a new one. No conflict here." And then everyone would be mad at Ernie, calling for help and letting them carry all those things for nothing, and Ernie would have said: "Hey, but, ya know? You can still leave all your things here. We'll find stuff to do with it."

Ryan M: The expression on Bert’s face when he's holding the wrench leads me to believe he plans to whack Ernie in the back of the head with it, perhaps as revenge for all the silly pranks Ernie has played on him over the years. NOW who's eating the sandbox?

Beth: No one seems to notice the problems involved in asking Cookie to help out with a falling cake either. Ernie is too ecstatic over the invention of a portable flat surface called a plate to notice the cake's sudden disappearance.

Ryan R: Before everyone brought their stuff, all Ernie had was a cake made out of sand. Now that Cookie Monster has offered his "help," it's only a matter of time before all the sand cake is gone. So I can't blame Ernie for wanting to keep the other stuff... at least until Cookie Monster eats it too.

Ryan M: Ernie is obviously to blame. Remember that Life cereal commercial where the two boys give their brother Mikey who won't eat anything a bowl of cereal and are surprised that he eats it? This is sort of the same thing- Ernie is obviously testing Cookie Monster. So Ernie decides to make a cake out of sand and then announce that the cake is going to fall over. Cookie Monster, glutton that he is, brings a plate in order to keep the cake from falling, and then proceeds to eat it. The expressions on both Ernie and Cookie Monster's face show that Cookie Monster is as satisfied as he would be eating a real cake, and that Ernie is obviously pleased that the con has worked. Continuing in the footsteps of Mikey, Ernie's next trick will no doubt be sharing with Cookie Monster a delicious snack of Pop Rocks and Coke.

FARLEY:

Tony: Why do all the male AMs have no pants?

Jog: What do Roosevelt Franklin and his friend have that needs a helper? Answer: blisters, since they've strapped their rollerskates around their bare feet... Or someone to stop Ernie from beating the green guy senseless with his sledgehammer.

Beth: No one thinks to help the rollerblade kid with a band-aid, an asprin, or the doctor in the neighborhood. Instead, the old geezer brings a tuba to "help" with his headache. Or to entertain everyone by blowing Little Bird out of it, a la Robin on the Julie Andrews episode of the Muppet Show.

Michal: I just noticed that Little Bird carries a copy of "American Gothic" to help Pantsless Farley Impersonator with his skates. Way to sneak in art appreciation, Sesame Street!

Grant: I like the two-page spread depicting Sesame Street itself, complete with a rare early glimpse around the corner. But if that's supposed to be the stoop of 123, then Big Bird's going to be mad when he finds out that they've replaced his nest with a fruit store, 29-cent oranges or no 29-cent oranges.

GROVER:

Jog: Check out Grover. He's sweating on practically every page.

Beth: I think Grover must be "helped" by creative usage of controlled substances. It's the only way to explain those eyes.

Michal: Grover's lucky to be a synthetic monster with no need for thermoregulation. Can you imagine him sweating through every waiter and bellhop outfit, running backstage to change twice per sketch?

Peter: This book is clearly a forgery, as it seems to be the first and only time Grover has ever tried to help someone and actually succeeded.

Ryan R: Maybe this was the first time Grover had ever tried to be helpful. Then, finding success, he got addicted and determined to be as helpful as possible for the rest of his life, only to fail hilariously. That explains why he keeps popping up with different jobs (waiter, taxi driver, professor)... he's desperate to recapture that one moment where he was actually useful.

CAPS:

Michal: So does anyone have any thoughts on the choice to put the resolutions in all caps?

Jog: They have to shout so that the senile old man can hear it too.

Ryan R: As many internet users can attest, saying something in all caps means it's indisputably true.

Jog: If this book were reissued these days, it'd probably read "ZOMFG! THEY FIT JUST RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111 ^_^ ROFL"

Amy: They ran out of lowercase type?

Beth: Again with the capitals. It gives me the feeling that this book was written as a satire on Sesame Street with its evil overlords and sadistic tuba players.
THE OLD MAN:

Jog: My favorite character is the senile white bearded man who runs in with the most useless crap, like a tuba.

Beth: Also, check out the old geezer on a snowy hill carrying a lawnmower on his head. No wonder there are no adults on Sesame Street. Clearly they all contracted Alzheimer's and were put in a home for their own safety.

Ryan R: Evidently it's the kind of lawnmower you wear as a hat.

Michal: Is this the same old man bringing the lawnmower and the tuba? Do you think he rode his lawnmower from his farm all the way to Sesame Street?

Ryan M: The [old man] looks somewhat like Professor Hastings with a green nose- if the lawnmower was running, perhaps this explains the character's mysterious disappearance by the early 1970s- narcolepsy plus running lawnmowers...not a pretty picture.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

Beth: I think you can sing the last pages: "Every day I need a helper. Every day you need one too... You help me, and I'll help you" to the tune of "Monster in the Mirror."

Click here to discuss the nature of togetherness on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

Hey, Muppet fans! Picture this scenario:

Late one night, you're enjoying a pleasant dream about dancing rats when you're suddenly awakened by a bunch of aliens. Using their powers of telepathy, they explain to you that they’re working on a comprehensive project to study Earth (last week they were studying entomology; next week is toupees), and they’ve just now gotten around to analyzing Muppets. They're going to take all your Muppet merchandise back to their home planet and you will never get it back, but they're going to allow you to keep one item.

So what will it be? Your vinyl LP of the Muppet Movie soundtrack that was the first album you ever owned? The Swedish Chef plush you got on your family's trip to Disney World? Or maybe a McDonald's Happy Meal toy of Mokey Fraggle driving an eggplant? Or a doll of Miss Piggy driving a carrot, a toy that actually exists but is sadly not on Muppet Wiki?

As Muppet devotees, we own a lot of stuff, and there are happy thoughts and memories associated with all of it. But I suspect I'm not alone in having one Most Treasured Muppet Possession. Mine is that guy in the picture up there: a 1978 Fisher Price "Muppet Puppet" Kermit.

For one thing, he's one of my oldest Muppet possessions. When I was just a tadpole of a thing, my parents went on a trip to New York City (leaving me in Grandma's capable care), and they brought me back this puppet as a souvenir. My parents provided me with a lot of Muppet toys in my early years, thus ensuring that I would grow up to be a total geek and spend the rest of my life wasting heaps of money on my Muppet collection. Thanks, Mom & Dad!

This puppet has been with me my whole life, just like my Muppet fanhood. It's moved from place to place (currently residing in my apartment in… New York City, which seems poetic somehow), and it's appeared in various school projects and home videos. When those trademark squinty eyes began to rub off, I filled them in with a black Sharpie, a fact that becomes painfully obvious on close inspection. (I can only hope that somebody, someday, cares enough to fill in my eyes with a Sharpie when I get old.)

What's your Most Treasured Muppet Possession? I want to know. Where'd you get it? How long have you had it? What's so special about it, anyway? You can tell me by sending an e-mail to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com, or just drop by the Tough Pigs forum and talk it about there. If you have a photo of it, that's great, but by no means necessary.

Then I'll post the best stories right here on ToughPigs.com. I'm not going to put a deadline on it or anything... Let's just say I'll give it a few weeks. And if you don't have a Most Treasured Muppet Possession, why not go out and get one? I bet you could find an old, used Baby Gonzo toothbrush on eBay for pretty cheap.

Click here to talk about your Most Treasured Muppet Possession on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

It's been almost a month since I announced the "Who Will Be Jim" contest, and we're ready to crown the winners! Ok, so there aren't any actual "winners," much like in a soccer game. Except that sometimes people do win in soccer. So maybe that wasn't the best analogy. The special prize for those of you who participated in giving us your thoughts on who could play Jim Henson and Company is getting to see your name in print in a Muppet Fan blog. Congrats!

Now let's get to the Jims (and Franks and Jerrys and Richards, etc)!

Jim Henson

Robert Downey Jr. (suggested by Kynan)


Steve Whitmire (suggested by Kellie)


Johnny Depp (suggested by Neil)


Josh Charles (suggested by Kynan)


Jeff Daniels (suggested by Brad)


John Cusack (suggested by Kynan)


William Hurt (suggested by Joe)


Jason Segal (suggested by Kynan)


Daniel Day-Lewis (suggested by Ryan)


Ryan Gosling (suggested by Brad)


Jeff Bridges (suggested by Joe)


Cate Blanchett (suggested by Peter)


Frank Oz

Peter Sarsgaard (suggested by Kynan)


David Cross (suggested by Brad)


Bernie Brillstein

Robert Prosky (suggested by Andrew)


Richard Dreyfuss (suggested by Kynan)


Jerry Juhl

Andy Richter (suggested by Ryan)


Philip Seymour Hoffman (suggested by Tom)


David Lazer

Tony Shaloub (suggested by Kynan)


Bradley Whitford (suggested by Kynan)


Lew Grade

Robbie Coltrane (suggested by Ryan)


Jim Broadbent (suggested by Andrew)


Bob Hoskins (suggested by Andrew)


Maurice LaMarche (suggested by Michal)


Richard Hunt

BJ Novak (suggested by Kynan)


Jay Baruchel (suggested by Kynan)


Hank Azaria (suggested by Joe)


Jane Henson

Maggie Gyllenhaal (suggested by Kynan)


Chris Langham

Hugh Laurie (suggested by Ryan)


Dave Goelz

Joshua Malina (suggested by Kynan)


So, if anyone from the offices of Penny Marshall are reading, now you know who to cast. See, we make it easy for you!

And if anyone has more ideas for who you think should play Jim & Co., please stop by the ToughPigs forum and let us know!
Click here to discuss the many beards of Jim on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

In honor of St. Valentines Day, I'd like to celebrate the notion of Love amongst Muppets. And in honor of those of us who are single, I'd like to avoid anything actually having to do with Love by presenting a book about the oh-so-generic notion of Togetherness.

And with that arousing sentiment, the ToughPig Book Club presents: The Together Book! Please have a readaround and head on over to the ToughPigs forum to discuss ad nauseum (or, for the camera shy, you can e-mail your clever comments to joe.toughpigs@gmail.com). After the mockery dies down, I'll post the best comments here on ToughPigs.com. Now stop reading this paragraph and get to the Togetherness!

















Suggested Discussion Questions:

1.) What is it about the residents of Sesame Street that urges them to run, not walk, with whatever object is nearby toward a Muppet with a minor stumbling block?

2.) What's up with Bert's devilish grin? Does he know that he's carrying something that is utterly useless to the situation? Is this how he gets his jollies?

3.) Is Cookie Monster setting a bad example for the kids by eating a sand cake? Is he setting a bad example for Ernie? Is Ernie the victim or the instigator?

4.) Is Farley two-timing Betty Lou by holding hands with Roosevelt Franklin? That hussy!!

5.) Can I hire illustrator Roger Bradfield to draw the story of my life? Because I think I love him.
Click here to add your comments/concerns/conundrums on the ToughPigs forum! Or click here to e-mail them directly to Joe.

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

Lots of folks got lots of ideas over on the ToughPigs forum about who's got the chops to play Jim Henson in a possible feature film. But as we all know, Jim's only part of the story. Who will play Frank Oz? Steve Whitmire? Jerry Juhl? Frank Biondo?

Yeah, all bets are off! Cast everyone in The Works! Get your tuchus over to the ToughPigs forum and add in your $0.02. Or, if you're camera shy, you can send an e-mail to yours truly at joe.toughpigs@gmail.com.

Image courtesy of ToughPigs' own Brad!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

According to the internets, it's official (or would that make it "e-fficial"?): there is a Jim Henson biopic in the works. The movie will be about Jim's life, successes, tribulations, and maybe some puppets. That is, if the Jim Henson Company, Disney, and Sesame Workshop can all allow the puppets to be in the film. Or else we might be getting two hours of a tall guy with a beard with nothing on his hands.

But the question remains: who out there can fill the shoes of the man behind the frog? I mean, other than this guy. Head on over to the ToughPigs forum with an idea or two. Feel free to post pictures (double points for fancy Photoshopping), and we'll post the results here on ToughPigs.com next week.

Prizes for the best choices will include bragging rights and a walk-on role in the upcoming Frazzle documentary.

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

This is part two of two of NicheMuppet. Click here to read part one! And now, some more made-up Muppets.

Skinny Blue, created by Quinn R
Target audience: Celebrities

Quinn says: "Skinny Blue" is a Paparazzi weasel who's new to Sesame Street. The paparazzi realized that Sesame Street was a magnet for celebrities, and sent this blue-furred cretin to get some exclusive pictures. Somehow he became convinced that Oscar was related to the Academy Awards, and won't leave him alone. With all the spoiled starlets out there, I figured that Sesame Street needs to make them feel like paparazzi are okay and misunderstood, much like Count von Count and Cookie Monster did for vampires and googly-eyed beasts.

Upside-Down Steve, created by Joe H
Target audience: Kids who walk on their hands

Joe says: You know what kids really love? Walking on their hands! You know what they love even more? Muppets who walk on their hands! Upside-down Steve has been walking on his hands for so long, he has forgotten how to walk upright. Oh, that crazy Steve! Most of his storylines involve looking for his missing shoe, which is ironic since he has no need for shoes.

Sister Mary Monster, created by Michal R
Target audience: Viewers seeking wholesomeness
Michal says: If you've taken part in the recent clamoring for a return to family values on television, we'd like to direct your full attention to Sister Mary Monster. Mary occasionally stops in at Hooper's for a nice, tall glass of milk, but generally tends to mind her own business unless someone needs something to count. She doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke, she doesn't swear, and she doesn't engage in premarital sex. Or sex of any sort. Which, considering that she's a Muppet, should be a given, but a surprising number of viewers consider this guarantee extremely valuable.

Reggie Monster, created by Leighanne M
Target audience: Sticklers

Leighanne says: Meet Reggie the Monster, who loves rules & regulations and makes his living updating them to suit the modern stickler. One of his favorite topics is food safety regulations, and he's lobbying hard to get the Five Second Rule legally amended to .05 seconds for barber shops.

Artie, created by Kyle W
Target audience: Artists

Kyle says: Artie is a full body Muppet character with brownish fur. He loves to draw and paint. He moved to Sesame Street from Paris, and he wears a striped white and red shirt and a beret. He's a little older than Big Bird, and has always wanted to be a famous artist. He's fun but also doesn't like criticism. Artie is fond of Baby Bear, who loves to draw with him. They both enjoy having fun with Hero Guy, and Artie really enjoys living on Sesame Street.

Naked Nate, created by Ryan R
Target audience: Nudists

Ryan says: Although characters like Big Bird and Snuffy never wear clothes, Nate will be the first humanoid Muppet to go au naturale. He just prefers to be nude, that's all. Like most Sesame Street Muppets, Nate is normally only seen from the waist up, so there’s no need for concern over indecent exposure. But if the script ever calls for a wide shot, Nate’s unmentionable areas can simply be blocked out with a black censoring bar, which may be adorned with the number or letter of the day. Nate loves grabbing lunch at Hooper’s Store, but he’s run up a massive tab because he never has any cash on him, due to the fact that a naked dude has no pockets.

Unseen Muppet, created by Quinn R
Target audience: Agoraphobes

Quinn says: This Muppet is really just a pair of eyes up in a window on Sesame Street--an agoraphobe who would like to be out playing with Elmo, Big Bird, and others, but can't bring himself to come out of his apartment and interact with them. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of him, but he's usually just out of sight. This will send a message of some kind to the agoraphobic children of the U.S. that yes, they have a problem, but there are millions of others out there just like them. In their apartments.

Milkie, created by Joe H
Target audience: POG collectors

Joe: The year is 1992 and POGs are all the rage! Every kid in America had to collect as many as they could and bury their friends in the fiercest of competitions. There was no badge more honorable than that of your favorite pop culture characters and actors on small circular bits of cardboard. So Sesame Workshop created a Muppet to cater to POG-loving kids. Unfortunately, Milkie debuted in the fall of 1999, long after the death of both the POG fad and the retro-POG fad. Milkie is currently living out her days at the Muppet Workshop, keeping a wobbly desk stable.

Guitar Hero Guy, created by Michal R
Target audience: Guitar Hero experts

Michal says: For the all the Guitar Hero addicts out there who would watch Sesame Street, if only they could wrench their fingers away from their consoles long enough to change the channel, Guitar Hero Guy is not necessarily eager to be your friend, unless you’ve brought your own controller. Muppets and humans alike from the Sesame gang periodically approach this enigmatic little animated fellow, hoping to cajole him into singing the Alphabet Song or even to eat lunch, only to be rebuffed with remarks usually lost under the deafening strains of a Van Halen cover.

Connie, created by Leighanne M
Target audience: Muppet performers

Leighanne says: Here’s Connie, who’s more tailored to a certain demographic of Muppeteers than viewers: those darlin’ performers must get awfully tired some days, so Connie’s here for the good folks who just need to lie down and work their Muppet magic from a prone position..

Maxwell P. Stache, created by Ryan R
Target audience: Children with moustaches

Ryan: Kids these days are growing up faster than ever, and that means more and more of them have moustaches. Maxwell allows the Sesame writers to cover topics such as moustache-growing, moustache-grooming, and moustache-having. And through the marvels of modern puppet wizardry, Maxwell’s moustache can actually move. Look for “Moustache-Dancin’ Maxwell” to be the next massively successful, must-have toy craze. And depending on what market research reveals, the show could introduce a sister for Maxwell, to appeal to all those little girls out there with beards.

And that wraps it up. Thanks to everyone who submitted characters!

Click here to comment on this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

How many under-served demographic groups could there possibly be in the potential Sesame Street viewing audience? Based on the data we now have available to us here at Tough Pigs, my informed, scientific answer is: a whole bunch. I asked for ideas for new Sesame Muppets designed to reach very specific sections of the TV audience (kinda like how Abby Cadabby was calculated to appeal to little girls), and I got some doozies. If Sesame Workshop wants to stay relevant in this age of narrowcasting, they should snap up the rights to each and every one of these characters.

Now let’s see what you came up with. This is part one of two; part two can be found here.

Minesweeper Grouch, created by Joe H
Target audience: Minesweeper addicts

Joe says: 85% of all kids today learn their 123s from Minesweeper. It's a fact. So why not make a lovable Sesame character for them? The Minesweeper Grouch is Oscar's Ukrainian comrade who, under cover of night, plants flags and question marks where he thinks numbers might be buried. His motivation is unknown, but the residents of Sesame Street feel safer knowing they won't be blown up by a mine when they go outside.

Zefrem, created by Quinn R
Target audience: Polygamists

Quinn says: Zefrem the Polygamist Rabbit and his wives are recent move-ins to Sesame Street. They've lived on a remote compound for most of their lives, and are enthralled at all the big city has to offer. There are thousands of polygamist children in the United States, and finally getting a "plig" Muppet on Sesame Street would be a real coup. They make fast friends with The Count, who's delighted at the many different ways the rabbits can breed. And inbreed.

I-Can-Sing-All-of-Rent-Monster, created by Michal R
Target audience: Rock musical devotees

Michal says: Can you sing all of Rent? Of course not; you’ve got better things to memorize, like the complete works of Gertrude Stein. But without thinking too hard, you can probably come up with half a dozen friends who, when reminded of a single lyric from the much-ballyhooed rock opera, proceed to sing straight through to the show’s end without hesitation. Who’s to stop these suggestible souls from similarly devoting themselves to Sesame Street? Enter I-Can-Sing-All-of-Rent-Monster, a charming gal with an enchanting laugh, a lilting singing voice, and the most visually arresting pair of pants this side of Fourteenth Street. You won’t be able to turn away. No one will.

The Irographs, created by Leighanne M
Target audience: Chart lovers

Leighanne says: This illustration has been brought to you today by the Irographs: Malleable little Muppets aimed at people who enjoy both (a) irony and (b) charts. Here they’re representing the different kinds of pies that people like, only they’re not doing it as a pie chart.

Monster Muppet Fan, created by Chris S
Target audience: Muppet geeks

Chris says: A huge fan of all the non-human characters that populate Sesame Street, Monster Muppet Fan is known to sit at his computer for hours at a time looking up every minute detail of his fellow Muppets’ lives. When he does leave his room, it's usually to follow his furry friends around, take notes on what they're up to or plans they are making, and then go home to post all about it his blog: "The Monster Muppet Fan Site".

He is also known to carry around his trusty video and still cameras to catch his friends in the act of not sharing, messing up the alphabet, or
forgetting their numbers and then posting the incriminating evidence on TMZ.com. Because of this, he is sometimes referred as "Paparazzo Monster". The only other reason Monster Muppet Fan will venture outdoors is to pick up the latest merchandise based on his Muppet friends, have them autograph it, then display his new found possessions in his room for the world (AKA him) to see.

Accessories: Video camera, Still Photography camera with wide angle zoom lens, Computer with high speed internet connection, specially configured laptop with harness to walk and blog at the same time, thick horned rimmed glass.

Appearance: Sometimes mistaken for Harvey Monster.

Cigarilla, created by Ryan R
Target audience: Cigar smokers

Ryan says: Not once in the history of Sesame Street has there been a Muppet who smoked cigars. Now there's Cigarilla, a cheroot-puffing gorilla who will finally fill that void and bring in all the formerly estranged smokers in TV-viewer land. His educational potential is considerable – he can build triangles, squares and rectangles out of cigars, he can teach the letter S (for stogie, smoke and stench), and kids will have lots of fun counting his hacking coughs. Unfortunately, we'll never know what kind of chemistry he might have with other characters, because none of the other Muppets can stand to be around him.

Tanner Monster, created by Anthony S
Target audience: 7^th graders

(Tanner was absent on picture day)

Anthony says: This Muppet is enthusiastic and friendly, but his ever-changing body keeps him from being as outgoing as he'd like. He can often be found counting the new hairs under his arms. Rosita makes him feel strange, and he doesn't know why. Ideally he would be played by John Tartaglia.

Tuna Salad, created by Joe H
Target audience: Picky eaters

Joe says: The Tuna Salad Muppet is for kids who aren't big fans of their regular fruits and veggies. Sure, there have always been Muppet characters like Broccoli, Scallions, Tomatoes, Apples, Grapes, and the like. But as the first Muppet to represent fish, celery, and mayonnaise all in one character, more kids will be chowing down on this deli-friendly snack in no time!

Benjamin Beaver, created by Quinn R
Target audience: (see below)

Quinn says: Benjamin Beaver's mother has Baron von Munchhausen Syndrome, so she makes lots of trips to Gina's veterinarian clinic. She doesn't ever really need to make them, but she's sure that Benjamin is sick, and she needs the attention herself. Benjamin likes Gina's office, and even though he doesn't start out sick, he usually ends up with a case of chicken pox or bird flu by the time he leaves.

Gus the Amicable Zombie, created by Michal R
Target audience: Zombies

Michal says: I can’t tell you how many times a member of the undead community has approached me on the street and said, unprovoked, “Gosh, Michal, I’d love to become a regular Sesame Street viewer, and perhaps even contribute vast sums of the fortune left to me by my late self to the public broadcasting cause, but I just feel so… so alienated. We’re talking about a show that regularly features monsters, a mammoth-like creature who can turn invisible, and an abominable giant bird. My goodness, they’ve even got a vampire with a daily segment – and yet the zombie population has never even merited a walk-on spot. I’ve never felt so insulted in all my undead life.”

Won’t someone think of the zombies? Won’t someone PLEASE THINK OF THE ZOMBIES?


That's it for part one, but click here to read part two! Click here to discuss this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

This just in! The deadline for NicheMuppet has been extended to Wednesday, September 12! NicheMuppet is the reader participation thingy where you come up with a new Sesame Street Muppet designed to appeal to a very specific demographic, be it a Muppet with a particular job or hobby or whatever.

If you need inspiration, consider Leo the Party Monster, a Sesame character who actually existed. All he cared about was partying, so he was destined to be a big hit with all the rave-goers in the audience. Except that the ravers probably stayed up late, which meant they couldn't get up to watch Sesame Street in the morning, which is probably why Leo the Party Monster didn't stick around very long.

But you get the idea. Send a description of your character, and a picture (if you feel artistically inclined), to me at ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com. Get it to me by September 12, then look for the best ones to be posted right here on ToughPigs.com. Don't be a procrastinating Muppet! Send your submission today!

Click here to rave about this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

Hey, everyone. Have you been enjoying the new season of Sesame Street? More importantly, have you sent me your NicheMuppet submission?

You can see this earlier post for the details, but basically, NicheMuppet is inspired by Abby Cadabby, the rising star on Sesame Street who was designed to appeal to little girls, and it's where you come up with a new Sesame Street Muppet calculated to reach a specific demographic, and send me a description (and a picture, if you're so inclined.) It could be a retired Air Force Muppet, a bobsled racing Muppet, or whatever, as long as it speaks to a particular segment of the potential audience.

Send your new character ideas to me at ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com. The deadline is September 5. Now if you'll excuse me, Abby is about to turn me into a pumpkin.

Click here to share your excitement about this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

The new season of Sesame Street (its 38th! Holy cow!) started on Monday, and it's as great and hilarious and star-studded as ever. Oh, and educational. It's that too. Word has it that every episode this season will include some kind of appearance by Abby Cadabby, the funny fairy with the poofy pom-pom pigtails. When Abby debuted last year, we heard a lot about how she was very carefully designed to appeal to little girls.

Now, it makes sense for a children's show to create a character aimed at little girls, because that's half their audience (not counting the grown-up nerds who still watch the show, like you and me). But it got me to thinking... what if Sesame Street wanted to target other demographics? More... niche-y demographics?

That's where you, the readers of Tough Pigs, come in. I want to hear your concepts for a brand-new Sesame Street Muppet calculated to appeal to a certain set of viewers. What if the show wanted to reach the stamp collectors in the audience? They could introduce a Muppet named Posty, who's covered in stamps, or who goes around sticking stamps on everyone. Or what if they wanted to grab the attention of the extreme sports crowd? They could bring in Gnarly Monster, who's obsessed with bungee-jumping off the roof of 123 Sesame St. or skydiving onto Hooper's Store.

Those are terrible examples, so you'll have to come up with a better one. Write up a description of YOUR idea for a new character -- their name, physical appearance, and who they're designed for -- and send it to me at ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you could include a drawing of your new Muppet... and if I like it, I'll post it here on the site. I reckon three weeks is a reasonable amount of time to get the job done, so look for the submissions to be posted here on or around September 6. I'll post a reminder or two in the interim, in case you're in the "forgetful" demographic. (By the way, that group already had its own Muppet representative.)

So what are you waiting for? The fly-fishing enthusiasts of the world need a Muppet that speaks to them! Send your submission to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com today!

Click here if you can think of anything to say about this article on the Tough Pigs forum.

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation, Sesame Street

With just over 2 weeks until the second season of The Muppet Show finally graces us with its presence, all of our internal timers have begun their ultimate countdowns here at ToughPigs.com. There has been a couple of early reviews popping up around the interweb and the news sounds good. But we would like to know what you're most excited about.

Is it The Muppet Valentine Show? Or how about the fact that Disney managed to get all of the episodes out without any unnecessary edits? I'm guessing it's the new Muppets on Puppets featurette. Yeah, definitely that. Or the ever-elusive Teresa Brewer episode. Yep, one of those two. Oh wait, I know, I know. You're a Weezer fanatic, so you're excited about their "Keep Fishin'" music video. Oh, what college has done to you!

Then again, you've been thinking about these titillating extras for months now. Perhaps you're more concerned about the features that didn't make it onto the new DVDs. What could those features be?

There's a very good chance you're missing the [sic] and twisted Muppet Morsels. Or maybe you had your hopes up for some straight-up commentary. Better yet, some interviews with the Muppeteers and writing staff. Or perhaps you're feeling jilted at the prospect of the Weezer music video without the accompanying making-of documentary that aired on MTV2. As for me, I'm quite upset at the gaping hole that is the Kermit-Gonzo-Animal Skateboarding picture. No Muppet production is complete without it. Or maybe you're upset that the Steve Martin episode has been completely cut. Just kidding.

So be a dear and head on over to the ToughPigs forum where you can cast your vote for stuff that doesn't exist and for stuff that will exist on August 7.

Click here and here to take the poll and the other poll on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, poll, reader participation, The Muppet Show

We at the ToughPigs Institution for the Arts hope you enjoyed our Book Club presentation of the classic "Wait For Me." We do understand that some of our loyal readers may not be as educated or highbrow as us, so we would like to share some of our observations so that you can steal them and present them as your own opinions.

Special thanks to all the ToughPigs who let their feelings be heard. Stay tuned for future Book Clubs on the ToughPigs Forum!

To avoid spoilers, click here to read "Wait For Me" in its entirety.

Insufficient Elmo:Of course Elmo's going to feel inferior if he's trying to jump as far as Big Bird, who is at least six feet taller than him. And has legs he can operate independently. ~ Anthony

Having a smaller kid in your hangout group SUCKS. They keep you from going biking with your friends or getting ice cream. (I quote: 'Helping Elmo,' said Grover SADLY.) ~ Jogchem

Nurse Grover:Grover is just as tremendously helpful at knocking people/Elmo/things/roofs over when he isn't in his SuperGrover disguise. But he is much better at first aid. ~ Beth

I like Grover's "After I take care of Elmo" which sounds tremendously threatening. ~ Anthony

The writer kept downplaying Elmo's wound: "At last he found a tiny scratch." "He washed Elmo's tiny scratch." "He put a tiny bandage on it." What is the point of this? I get it, it's tiny. Does it make Elmo a sissy for crying about it? Is this just to a amplify the image that Elmo is younger and littler? Like I needed any more imagery after watching him repeatedly fail at simple tasks, and see his "friends" leave him behind in the dust. ~ Alaina

I think Elmo's lying about his boo-boo in a desperate cry for attention, and Grover knows it. ~ Ryan R.

Emancipated Elmo:Patty in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street isn't the only child on Sesame Street to suffer from lack of adult supervision. Elmo needed a mommy to point out the obvious. A committee should investigate why there aren't enough mommies to go around and some children on Sesame Street are stuck with leftover grandfathers and Susan and Gordan on loan. No Child Left Behind, right? ~ Beth

And where are Elmo's parents during all this? Why didn't they help Elmo with his injury? Do they know their young son is off cavorting with an old man he just met? ~ Ryan R.

Ernie & Bert & Big Bird:Ernie and Bert on a bench in the park reminds me of Statler and Waldorf in MTM. I expected them to call out something like " You call that a boo-boo? Booooo!" or "A red monster and a blue one! Lovey-dovey!" ~ Beth

Big Bird's roller skates are AWESOME. ~ Joe

Who do you think is pitching in the picture of Elmo striking out? My guess is Ernie, mostly because Bert and Grover don't have working fingers. ~ Ryan R.

Bert and Big Bird only got one scoop of ice cream on their cones, while Ernie got two scoops. Does this mean Ernie is a glutton, or just that Bert and Big Bird couldn't afford an extra scoop, in which case Ernie is a heel for eating his two scoops right in front of them? ~ Ryan R.

The Band:I think they are just random hobos who just picked up instruments. ~ Barry

Not all Muppet guitarists are lefthanded. ~ Jogchem

Grover's Grandpa:At first I was dismayed at the thought of Elmo and Grover's Grandpa "getting back at Grover". Grover is just a child. Then, I thought about how 95% of the things I do are out of spite...and I'm okay with that. Teach 'em young! ~ Alaina

I'm forced to wonder, did the events of this book force Grover to take precautions to never have his grandfather on Sesame Street again? It sure would explain a lot. And by "a lot," I mean it would explain one minor plot point. ~ Joe

Grover is related to a Professor Hastings lookalike. ~ Jogchem

Grover's grandpa sympathizes with Elmo's plight because if there's one thing people have less need for than a little kid, it's an old man. ~ Ryan R.

"Grover... was surprised to see Elmo in his grandpa's lap." That is completely sensible. ~ Ryan R.

Final Thoughts:"You're just the right size to fit on my lap" is a perfect pickup line. ~ Jogchem

Be patient with your scrawny friends, or else you'll miss out on ice cream and elephants. ~ Ryan R.
Click here to stop the waiting and chat more about this article on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

If you're new to ToughPigs, you may not be aware of something we like to call the ToughPigs Book Club. With the TPBC (not the accepted acronym), Muppet fans congregate to criticize, parodize, and maybe even say something nice about an old Muppet book. There may or may not be candy at the finish line.

Today's book is the classic "Wait For Me," starring the pre-talking-in-first-person Elmo and Grover's Grandpa, who was never seen before and has never been seen since. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.

After you read the book, please head on over to the ToughPigs forum and share your thoughts. It's the perfect excuse to join the club if you've been lurking about. Plus, y'know, making fun of Elmo. Isn't that the kind of thing the kids like to do these days? Then, next week we'll post the funniest and most brilliant responses here on ToughPigs.com.

Enjoy your Sesame book, and don't say we never gave you nothin'!




















Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What is the theme of "Wait for Me"? Is it how to deal with inferiority? Or learning about proper first aid skills? Or maybe the sweet sweet satisfaction that comes with revenge?

2. Is there a natural balance of powers between Grover and Elmo? While one is up, the other is down, and never the twain shall meet. Or is Grover's Grandfather just playing the two monster kids like puppets from behind the curtain for his own enjoyment? I mean, what else are you gonna do with an AARP card?

3. Who are those guys in that funky band playing across the street from the zoo? Do you think they ever play at Birdland?



Click here to discuss this article on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street

For generations, one question has been burning in the minds of heterosexual male Muppet fans - which female Muppet movie lead is the most attractive?

For years, there were only two contestants - Juliana Donald as sweet, adorable young Jenny in The Muppets Take Manhattan and Diana Rigg as high class hottie Lady Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper. The debate was civil in those days, as the two groups largely remained separate. The Jenny guys hung out at their personal Pete's Luncheonette, while the Lady Holiday men strove to find a 17 Highbrow Street of their very own.


Since the fabled Muppet comeback of 1992, things have gotten more complicated as three new contestants have entered the ring - Meredith Braun as Scrooge's (literally) scene-stealing lost love Belle in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Joan Cusack as delightfully evil vixen Rachel Bitterman in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and Ashanti as Dorothy Gale, the Kansas girl with big dreams in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. The argument rages now more than ever, and only your input can help bring it to an end.


So, which human is the hottest? Has Lady Holiday won your love with expository dialogue? Would you let Jenny fill in your moustache? Perhaps Ms. Bitterman stole your heart and replaced it with Club Dot. Maybe you look forward to being an old man just so you can go back in time and sing a duet with Belle, or you wait outside for the tornado that will take you to Dorothy. Whoever you prefer, vote now so the debate can end peacefully. The owners of 17 Highbrow Street are getting a little tired of all the Lady Holiday fans hanging around.

Labels: Muppet movies, poll, reader participation

Welcome back to the Tough Pigs art gallery! It’s part two of the Young Muppet Fans Art Extravaganza (part one can be found here), and today we’ll be looking at works from the past, submitted by the artists now that they’re older and taller and can grow moustaches. Well, some of them can grow moustaches, anyway.

Leighanne M is going to kick things off for us, with this pair of pics of Bert and Ernie she made when she was 4 and 5, respectively.

Regarding the caption on that first picture, Leighanne offers this word of explanation: “I made Ernie’s and Bert’s torsos way too long so I solved the problem by calling them worms. Imagine the Muppet News Flash that would've ensued if Bernice the pigeon were a wormivore.” Leighanne called the second picture “Sharing Schmaring,” and I think it’s a pretty good snapshot of our favorite odd couple.

Hey, I like Sesame Street characters. Let’s see some more. Here’s Mary Catherine O's Big Bird, drawn when she was around 5 years old.

The cool thing about this picture is that it’s a great recreation of an illustration in The Sesame Street ABC Storybook, from a story in which a knightly Big Bird is searching the kingdom for things that begin with the letter A... or possibly for foods which keep the doctor away, I'm not sure which.

Speaking of Sesame characters and books, when Michael H was 7, he affectionately paid homage to – or as he puts it, “blatantly plagiarized” – the literary classic Oscar's Book by creating this three-page work.

It’s powerful stuff. When Oscar begs you not to look at the book on the first page, it only ensures that you must dare to look at the second page, where he begins to warn you that the book will make you crazy, only to think better of it and declare that it’ll make you crazy.

Finally, he asks you to play “mud drag,” whatever that is (the artist has no recollection as to its significance). And you’re right there with him.

It’s a pretty ambitious work, but Michael wasn’t the only one experimenting with long form techniques as a kid. Here’s another selection from 5-year-old Mary Catherine. It’s her adaptation of A Muppet Christmas Carol, complete with “Miss Piggy twins.”

Now I’m going to force you to look at another one of my own childhood drawings. It’s Rowlf the Dog, drawn around the same time as the Kermit I showed you in this original post. (And most likely on the very same day – I work fast when I’m inspired.)

Go for it, Rowlf! Play the heck out of that tiny piano with your differently sized arms!

Here’s something different. When Josh H was 13, he took shop class, where he was assigned to create a shelf. When the teacher said the shelf could take any shape, Josh says his “Muppet senses kicked in, and a light bulb went off,” and he knew he had to make the class’s only Gonzo shelf. Nine weeks later, he had this lovely piece:

Shifting our attention now from Gonzo to Gobo, here are some Fraggle Rock watercolors painted by Justin P way back when he was only three years old. The first one is Gobo flanked by Red and Mokey, and the second one is Pa Gorg.

I’m pretty sure Pa is dancing there. For more Fraggles, we turn back to Leighanne, who drew individual portraits of the show’s main characters.

I think seven-year-old Leighanne could have gotten a job as a portrait artist at Six Flags Over Fraggle Rock.

Wow. Lots of great pictures. But we’re not done yet! Here’s another one from the prolific Mary Catherine – it’s an adorable rendering captioned “One day, Kermit asked Miss Piggy to go to the prom with him.”

After seeing that, I can only assume Piggy is wearing her prom dress is Mary Catherine’s next picture.

And finally, let’s close things out with Stevie B’s shot of the Muppet Show cast, drawn when Stevie was five.

If that picture doesn’t make you smile, you need to pay a visit to the smile repair shop as soon as possible. And that’s what this whole thing was about… the Muppets make kids smile, and kids draw the Muppets, which makes everyone else smile. We all win.

Yikes… this might just be the least cynical ToughPigs.com article ever. What have I done?!

Click here to discuss this article on the Tough Pigs forum! And stay tuned for a possible follow-up exhibition for grown-ups!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen and everyone else, to the Young Muppet Fans Art Extravaganza! The Tough Pigs art gallery is now officially open.

A while back, I asked for samples of Muppety art from kids past and present, and I received some really great submissions. I said “Awwwww!” many, many times while going through these pictures. In fact, I may buy a new refrigerator just so I can display all these works of art.

I’m going to divide up the pictures into categories, and post them in two separate articles, so as no to overwhelm you with cuteness. First up, some art from the kids of the 21st century.

Let’s start things off with two drawings of Pino. Pino is Big Bird’s counterpart from the Dutch co-production of Sesame Street, and he’s rendered here by 8-year-old Ana and 7-year-old Anouk.




He certainly looks happy to have achieved the dream of seeing his name in blocks. Next up, let’s take a look at a trio of Kermits. Inspired by a Fisher-Price puppet, 8-year-old Sofie drew a Kermit who seems to be saying, “Make love, not war:”

Next, 12-year-old H. used the time-honored medium of pencil to create this Kermit:

And 12-year-old J. drew our favorite flippered fellow chillin’ in the swamp. Note the accurate depiction of Kermit playing banjo left-handed, a detail some professional illustrators don’t even get right.


Speaking of Kermit, how about a picture that tells the timeless story of love between a frog and a pig? The pig’s little doggy is there too, in this work of art by 6-year-old Gillian.


The text reads: The Muppet Party Cruise: The Muppet Show

They love each other. They are family forever. They lived happily [ever] after.

Piggy: “I love you Kermit”
Kermit: “I love you too Piggy”
Piggy: “I love you Foo-Foo”
Foo-Foo: “roof-roof roof-roof”

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Thank you for coming to The Muppet Show.

A happier work of art I’ve never seen. You know what else makes me happy? The Electric Mayhem. And here they are, rendered by 8-year-old Sara. (Eight seems to be a good age for Muppet art. Maybe that’s when we reach our Muppet-drawing peak.)


I especially like Sara’s artistic choice of leaving the whole picture black and white except for Dr. Teeth’s gold tooth. Very striking. Also: Just how cool is Floyd? He’s so cool he can play in the band without his bass. Continuing with Sara’s theme of Muppet Show musicians, here’s Rowlf, joined by some singing chickens.


Say, those are some nice-looking Muppet chickens. It’s a good thing, then, that Sara continued the Chicken Period of her career with this flattering portrait of Camilla.


Among the e-mails I received in response to the call for entries was one from a Mr. Hai hoa, who writes:

“hihihihi”

Well hello to you too, buddy, but I’m afraid you forgot to include any Muppet art. Maybe next time get your kid to whip up a picture of Harvey Kneeslapper, or something.

Let’s close out this category of the exhibition with a series of Sesame Street character studies by 5-year-old Miles. First up, two Caroll Spinney characters – Shivers the Penguin and Bennett Snerf. Just kidding! It’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.


That’s a nest of baby birds accompanying Big Bird there. Perhaps he’s babysitting for his Uncle Slim. Next, Miles gives us one of the biggest Sesame characters and one of the smallest. It’s Snuffy (joined by a baby snuffleupagus) and Slimey (puppet wire included).


Finally, here’s an image I’d like to have on a T-shirt: It’s Miles’ depiction of Cookie Monster.


What’s the matter with kids today? Not a thing, judging by these fantastic pictures. Muppet fan spirit is alive and well in the current generation, and I don’t know about you, but that gives me hope for the future of mankind.

Now that we’ve been amazed and inspired by those works of art, here’s some silly stuff just for fun. When I posted the call for entries, I suggested that those without access to pictures by actual kids could create some new artwork using kid-inspired techniques. I got a handful of entries… all of which came from my friends from the Tough Pigs forum… and myself. But here they are.

I want to mention that the next ten pictures you’ll see here were drawn wrong-handed, to simulate childhood motor functions, thus ensuring authenticity. Here’s a Sam the Eagle, drawn by me. In the interest of maintaining the joke, I’m going to say that I was eight when I drew this.


Here’s an obscure character and an old favorite – Marlon Fraggle from Fraggle Rock and Scooter. I’ll say I was 10 and 12, respectively, when I drew these.


And here’s my portrait of the Count with his girlfriend, the Countess. I think this looks like the work of a 5-year-old Ryan.


Next up, a series of fake childhood drawings by Joe. Here are three monsters – Cookie Monster, Telly, and a very specific Beautiful Day Monster (from a season one Bert & Ernie sketch.)


And here's fake young Joe's take on a Honker:


And now, from Michal, here are three Sesame Street characters: Herry, Guy Smiley, and Lefty the salesman.


And here’s Michal’s crayon drawing of a Doozer. It’s worth noting that Michal drew this upside-down in order to further the kid aesthetic.


Finally, we’ll close out this category with Shawn’s vibrant portrait of Kremit. I mean, Kermit.

I’m not sure whether Shawn used his right hand or his wrong hand to create that, but it captures the kid aesthetic nicely.

That’s it for part one, but click here for part two, featuring lots of great vintage fan art by kid Muppet fans who have since grown up to become mature, well-adjusted grown-ups who occasionally sing Rubber Duckie in their cars.

Click here to discuss this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation

Come with me as I gaze into the Muppet crystal! The way this works, is, you tell me when you were born, and I will use my powers of prognostication to tell you your destiny based on that the Muppets were doing in the year of your birth. Just call me Madame Shawn! Except, don't call me that.

Your results may vary. Side effects include people knowing how old you are, flashbacks to your childhood, or general ennui. As with all prescription horoscopes and fortune-telling, please consult with your family medium or religious leader.


Joe H.

Birthdate: January 1, 1982
Sign: The Dark Crystal

Joe, you were born under the dark sign of The Dark Crystal, which premiered in 1982. Which automatically makes your birthstone Dark Crystal, but it'll be tough finding a miniature plush teddy bear with a necklace that includes a piece at convenience stores.

Your personality: Unfortunately, this truly is a dark sign - you are tedious, and possibly too smart for your own good. You look pretty, though.

Your future: College kids will gather around you while high.


Michal R.

Birthdate: November 4, 1983
Sign: Fraggle Rock

Michal, you were born under the whimsical sign of Fraggle Rock, which premiered in the year of your birth.

Your personality: Michals are a noble race - fearless, dignified, and intellectual. They represent the very pinnacle of civilization and culture. A Michal is most assuredly the best of all possible creatures.

Your future: That movie deal you've been hoping for? Don't hold your breath.


Andrew L.

Birthdate: October 23, 1980
Sign: Shirley Bassey

Andrew, your sign is the Shirley Bassey episode of The Muppet Show, where she performed "Goldfinger".

Your personality: Everything about you shines, and people are always trying to... uh... steal you? Um, the crystal is fading, faaaadinggg...

Your future: You will become either a Bond villain or a Bond girl. Your pick.


Mary Catherine O.

Birthdate: February 9, 1988
Sign: Croonchy Stars

Mary Cate, you were born under the auspicious (and delicious!) Croonchy Star.

Your personality: You are both sweet and entertaining, like the cereal and the box it came in.

Your future: People will spend their entire adult lives trying to remember what you were like. Were you like Apple Jacks? Kinda. Yeah, let's say Apple Jacks. Croonchy Stars weren't around long but are fondly remembered. Not saying that should mean anything to you, just keep it in mind.


Catherine W.

Birthdate: November 14, 1975
Sign: Cher

Cathy, you were born under the star of Cher, whose show featured the Muppets on November 16th of your birth year.

Your personality: You believe in life after love.

Your future: Gay men will inexplicably worship you for many, many years. And apparently humor writers will exploit your very tenuous Muppet connections.


Elizabeth Anne E.

Birthdate: November 20, 1984
Sign: Lovable Furry Old Grover's Resting Places

Elizabeth, your sign is one of stability and comfort, as shown by the book Lovable Furry Old Grover's Resting Places, which featured a number of Grover's favorite 'resting spots' - colored spots on the pages you can rest yourself on.

Your personality: You always offer people a shoulder to lean on. And luckily for them, it's designated by a brightly colored circle, so they know just where to lean.

Your future: Get used to people pressing their body parts up against you.


Alaina B.

Birthdate: September 19, 1984
Sign: The Muppet Show On Tour

Alaina, your sign is an enigmatic one - The Muppet Show On Tour live show.

Your personality: You are like the wind, never putting down roots, flitting from place to place. Yet you create much anticipation and always leave people with a smile.

Your future: People will remark that you're a good five feet taller than you look on TV.


David B.

Birthdate: January 28, 1982
Sign: The Twiddlebug Game

David, your sign is The Twiddlebug Game, a Sesame Street-themed card game.

Your personality: Everyone loves you, David, because you're such a card! Get it? Because... because of the... you know... right?

Your future: Look, man, I'm really sorry about that joke. We cool?


Kellie B.

Birthdate: October 3, 1973
Sign: Sesamstrasse

Kellie, Ihr Zeichen ist Sesamstrasse, die deutsche Sesamkoproduktion, die 1973 anfing.

Your personality: Sie sind recognizeable aber zu Ihrem amerikanischen Selbst unterschiedlich, aber gerade, wie geliebt außer dieser rosafarbenen Schnecke. Dieses Kerls sonderbar, Mannes.

Your future: Sorgen Sie nicht sich um es - ich bezweifele jedermann, das geht, zu versuchen und darzustellen aus, was dieses sagt.


Peter P.

Birthdate: April 30, 1979
Sign: Shields & Yarnell

Peter, your sign is another enigmatic one: the Shields & Yarnell episode of The Muppet Show, which aired in October of 1979.

Your personality: Who the hell are Shields & Yarnell? Weren't they that campy pop duo? Oh, no, wait, that's The Captain & Tennille.

Your future: Hold on, I need to look this up. Okay, it says that Shields & Yarnell were mimes. Huh. Well, alright. You will be very quiet.


Anthony S.

Birthdate: December 30, 1984
Sigh - Another person born in 1984?

Man, you guys. There's only so much that happened in 1984 with the Muppets, you know? Unless you want to be another Sesame Street book.

Your personality: Okay, you know what? You're Muppet Babies. How do you like that? Maybe next time you won't be so born in 1984.

Your future: You will feel slighted by fortune tellers.

Want to have your Muppet Horoscope told? Let us know at the Tough Pigs forums!

Labels: fanaticism, lists, reader participation

It's the eternal question that separates all Henson fans. Do you prefer the intricate art and stylings of the Dark Crystal or the fun adventurous characters of Labyrinth? Would you rather see the Trial by Stone or a Firey rip off his own head? Are you all about the Crystal Shard or the Crystal Balls?

There's only one way to solve this matter. Head on over to the ToughPigs forum and cast your vote!

Click here to vote for Gelflings or Goblins on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: Creature Shop movies, poll, reader participation

This is another quick reminder that the deadline for the Young Muppet Fans Art Extravaganza is coming up next Monday, April 30. For guidelines on submissions, see this article.

Don't forget, if you don't have any Muppet fan art drawn by your younger self or a kid you know, you can create some new art in kid style for exhibition in a separate category.

The entries are looking great so far, so don't delay, send your li'l Muppet fan art to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com today!

Join us in talking about this over at the Tough Pigs forum.

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation

This is just a quick reminder that the deadline for the Young Muppet Fans Art Extravaganza is Monday, April 30, two weeks from today. For the details on submission guidelines, see this earlier article.

We've gotten some great entries so far, including some Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and Muppet Show art. So keep 'em coming! Send your kiddie Muppet fan art to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com today!

We're talking about this over at the Tough Pigs forum.

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation

I was just admiring this picture I drew of Kermit the Frog, back when I was about ten years old, and it gave me an idea. Surely I can’t be the only one who’s held onto his old work. There must be other Muppet fans whose childhood artwork was preserved for posterity after it came off the refrigerator, and I know there are some youngsters out there today with a few Muppety drawings in their tiny portfolios.

There’s something pretty wonderful about kid fan art. Just look at that Kermit drawing! I approached it with pure enthusiasm for the subject. I loved Kermit, he had given me a lot of happiness, and I wanted to return the favor by capturing that happiness in a likeness of him. The picture was drawn in pencil, but innocence was the true medium.

Or maybe that’s all a load of hooey and it’s just a chubby Kermit with tiny arms and an inexplicably white collar.

Either way, the fact remains that kid fan art is neato with a capital O. With that in mind, I’d like to announce a call for entries for a new, exciting, and extremely cute exhibition: The Young Muppet Fans Art Extravaganza! If you have any Muppet-related drawings, paintings, or sculptures created by kids, scan them or take photos of them, and e-mail them to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com.

Here are a few guidelines, because, let’s face it, you gotta have guidelines or you end up with pure chaos:

•Kid Muppet fan artwork must have been created by a child 13 years old or younger. Big kids’ art is tainted by the bitter, jaded worldview they inevitably develop starting on their 13th birthday.

•If you don’t have any of your own old work, you could submit some art by a kid in your life… your offspring, relatives, students, whatever. I’d love to see some contemporary Sesame Street works or some Bear in the Big Blue House art in amongst all the old Muppet Show stuff.

•If you don’t have any old work of your own, and you don’t know any children, I will allow submissions created in the style of a child for a separate exhibition category, preferably using one of these media: crayon, non-toxic markers, finger paint, or Play-Doh. For extra childlike authenticity, I recommend using your non-dominant hand. So if you’re right-handed, try drawing with your left hand, and vice versa.

•The deadline for entries is April 30, three weeks from today. That should give you plenty of time, right? I’ll post weekly reminders here until then.

Again, you can send your entries to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of art comes in. I’m sure we’ll get some masterpieces, and once they’re exhibited, the art world will never be the same.

Click here to discuss this article on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, reader participation

I simply MUST know! Could it be Harvey Fierstein? Or perhaps Large Lavender? Surely it's not Bernie!

Head on over to the Tough Pig Forums and go toe-to-toe with your fellow Muppet fans (I'll warn ya, some of them may have voted for John Candy).

Click here to join the debate on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: Easter, poll, reader participation