It’s been a crazy year. We’ve had Presidential nominees talking about Big Bird, huge live events, awesome music videos, the loss of important Muppet people, and more. A lot of ups, a few downs, and even more to look back on and remember.
Let’s take a look at the past 12 months and recall all of the most prominent events, product releases, and ToughPigs articles that filled our 2012.
January:
2011 Year In Review – Okay, it’s a bit of a cheat. But it was our first article in 2012, just like this one is the first of 2013, and it’ll probably make it onto our 2013 in review article too.
Interview with Bonnie Erickson – The fantastic Bonnie Erickson was kind enough to sit down with us to talk all about designing Miss Piggy, running the Jim Henson Legacy, and a career filled with Muppety gems.
Muppets at Build-a-Bear – Ever want to stuff your own Muppet? Over at Build-a-Bear, you could make your own Kermit or Piggy puppet, along with size-appropriate costumes. Puppeteer’s hand is extra.
Muppet Band-Aids – Finally, a good opportunity to plaster Muppet stickers all over your body! All you needed were some open wounds!
“Life’s a Happy Song” wins Critics’ Choice Award – The trend of giving awards to the Muppets begins early this year.
The Muppets receives Oscar nomination – Their first Academy Award nomination since Muppets Take Manhattan. Boy, I sure hope they win!
Tale of Sand released – We get to see the lost screenplay written by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, beautifully illustrated and bound like the work of art it deserves to be.
February:
Fraggles appear in shoe ads – The mini-comeback of the Fraggles starts here, with a glimpse at the rebuilt Red and Traveling Matt puppets. And Fraggles don’t even wear shoes!
Miss Piggy at BAFTA Awards – The Muppets made a lot of TV appearances this year (far too many to mention in this article), but the best of the bunch may be Piggy’s interviews of famous celebrities on the red carpet at the BAFTA Awards. We would’ve reacted the same way if we got to touch Jon Hamm too.
“Man or Muppet” wins an Oscar – Bret McKenzie’s Academy Award for “Best Song” makes the first Oscar win for the Muppets. I’d thank the Academy, but they should’ve done this back in 1979.
Scooter at TED conference – In what might’ve been the most surprising live appearance of the year, Scooter gave a speech at the TED conference in favor of puppetry over CGI in film. And then my black-framed glasses melted in a pool at my feet as all geek levels went off the chart.
March:
Statler and Waldorf at Secret Policeman’s Ball – It was funny enough to see Statler and Waldorf brandish their own critical-old-man-type of humor at the Secret Policeman’s Ball, but the real winner is the bizarre video remix where their heads are replaced with those of kittens. Thank you, internet!!!
Goldman Sachs executives call their employees “Muppets” – Yes, the word “Muppet” is sometimes used as an insult. And yes, we wear that insult with pride.
The Muppets on Blu-Ray – We were pretty pumped last year when we got an honest-to-Frog new Muppet movie. So it’s a real highlight of 2012 to be able to actually own that movie.
Muppet paper towel commercials – Never have we been so pleased to watch commercials about absorbent disposable towels rolls.
I Am Big Bird announced – We’re getting a documentary about Caroll Spinney??? THANKS, SANTA!!!
Muppets get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame – Finally, the Muppets join countless other celebrities who get stepped on every day.
April:
April Fools: ToughBears.com – And then there was the time when ToughPigs became ToughBears. Aw, we’re just kidding. You should see your faces!
Muppet Madness winner announced – Congrats to Kermit the Frog for finally winning our annual Muppet Madness Tournament! I voted for him because he just looks so good in a tux.
Fozzie’s Noggin – Here at ToughPigs, we feel that it is our duty to ask the difficult questions. Which is why we launched into a tirade about whether or not Fozzie’s headbang at the end of The Muppets fixed or ruined the total amount of telethon donations.
Muppets become ambassadors to NYC – If you’ve visited New York City this year, it’s all because the Muppets were there to hold the gate open. At least, that’s what I assume happens over there on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel.
Jim Henson’s Fantastic World at Carnegie Hall – The Muppets, the Sesame Street gang, and the Fraggles (along with lots of puppeteers, celebrities, and various Henson puppets) reunited for one day only at Carnegie Hall. I think a few thrown penguins would’ve really classed up the place.
Celebrity Apprentice does Stuffed and Unstrung – Donald Trump sent his potential apprentices to study under the wing of Brian Henson as they performed with the Stuffed and Unstrung crew. Easily the only good thing Trump has ever done.
Muppets sequel announced – We know nothing about this movie except that it’s happening. Good enough for me!
Threadless Sesame Street t-shirt design contest – Hundreds of design entries, some terrible and some brilliant, all with the potential to end up on your torso.
May:
The Random Muppet Challenge – Though we don’t do them very often (only two to date so far), our new favorite recurring ToughPigs segment is the Random Muppet Challenge, where we try to stump each other on Muppet character trivia with the help of the Muppet Wiki’s “Random Character” button. The tension is nail-biting.
Sesame GPS packs – I don’t own a car, but if I did, you’d be sure to hear the voices of Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Oscar telling me where to go.
Cookie Monster at TED – Following in Scooter’s footsteps, Cookie Monster made an appearance at geek mecca to talk about something. Probably cookies and the proper scientific methods involved in their consumption and digestion.
Being Elmo on DVD – Despite the revelations that came after the release of the documentary, Being Elmo is still a fantastic movie. You should watch it, get inspired by it, and then watch it again.
June:
Steve’s Hair – It’s articles like this, which offers a deeper analysis into the history of Steve Whitmire’s various hairstyles throughout the years, that completely justify the existence of this Muppet fan site.
Muppet horses – Who would win in a horse race featuring all of the Muppet horses?? If this question never occurred to you, then I don’t even know what you’re doing here.
Lost Muppet Dads – We see a lot of Muppets and their mommies, but why don’t we see too many fathers? We’ll just avoid talking about how Muppet babies are made and talk about the dad thing.
Sesame movie announced – The Sesame gang is heading back to the big screen! Here’s hoping it’s more “Follow That Bird” than “Elmo in Grouchland”, if you know what I mean.
More Emmy wins for Sesame – Fun Fact: This article title will appear in our Year In Review every single year.
Muppet Funko Pop toys – If you like toys with giant heads, soulless eyes, and minimal articulation, then boy do we have good news for you!
July:
The Great Muppet Road Trip – Now, wherever you go in the United States (and parts of Canada), you’ll be able to find all of the Muppet-related sights and locations! I honestly can’t think of any other reason to leave the house.
Doozers goes into production – Did you think Fraggle Rock had too many, y’know, Fraggles? While you wait for the inevitable Gorg series, get excited about the new Doozer cartoon.
Share It Maybe – Cookie Monster stars in this “Call Me Maybe” parody. We prefer to think of it as the original, and Carly Rae stole his idea.
Muppet comics: The Four Seasons begins – The last miniseries of Roger Langridge’s Muppet Show Comic Book finally sees the light of day. Then, four issues later, we all have a good cry.
Cookie Monster’s rise to #2 – Sure, Elmo is #1, but how did Cookie Monster make it to the second-most beloved Sesame Street character? It probably has to do with those haunting eyes.
Henson Company quits Chick-Fil-A – The Jim Henson Company pulls all connections to the controversial fast food chain. And we decide to never eat there again, despite the fact that their chicken is so damn tasty.
Fraggle Fragrances – Who smells better, Wembley or Mokey? The answer may surprise you.
Muppets at Just for Laughs festival – The Muppets appeared at this comedy festival in Montreal, where they told a few jokes about our neighbor up north that we pretended to understand.
August:
Elmo the Musical – For those of you who were clamoring for an update on the Elmo’s World formula, Sesame Street bumped it up tenfold with higher quality, more toe-tappin’, and less repetition in Elmo the Musical.
Fraggle t-shirt art contest – Following the lead of the Threadless and WeLoveFine t-shirt design contests, The Jim Henson Company asked fans to submit pictures of the Fraggle Rock gang so they might end up on a t-shirt. Lucky for us, about 50 of them make for some pretty awesome fan art.
Kermit Freakouts (updated) – We’ve had some great ToughPigs articles in the past, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need updating from time to time. That includes this one, which features the very best of Kermit’s patented freakouts (usually aimed at Piggy).
Jerry Nelson passes – Perhaps the biggest and saddest news of the year was the passing of Muppeteer Jerry Nelson, known for The Count, Floyd, Robin, Gobo, and literally hundreds more. We’ll continue to remember Jerry for the immense library of fantastic Muppet content and his prominent role in Henson history.
September:
Other places to read about Muppets – The internet is a big place, and there are more websites than ToughPigs out there (if you can believe it). Read Muppety things on Muppety websites on this Muppety information superhighway of ours!
Fraggles and Ben Folds Five’s “Do It Anyway” – Thanks to Ben Folds Five and The Nerdist, we got the triumphant return of the Fraggles! Seriously, who saw this one coming? Other than the Trash Heap, I guess.
Keep Fishin’ vs. Do It Anyway – “Do It Anyway” featured the return of the Fraggles, “Keep Fishin'” featured the return of the Muppet Theater. And this article featured the return of us making unfair comparisons for no discernible reason.
Grover and Cookie parody The Hunger Games, Doctor Who, etc – There ain’t nothin’ like a good Sesame Street parody. Thankfully the people at Entertainment Weekly agree, as they cajoled Grover and Cookie Monster into doing send-ups of The Avengers, Newsroom, and more. I’m eternally grateful for just the image of Grover as a blue, furry Time Lord.
ToughPigs Mailing List – Did you miss some of the ToughPigs articles on this list? Never miss another one again by signing up for our mailing list! Or by visiting us every couple hours. Either way.
October:
Mitt Romney hates Big Bird – I’m pretty sure Big Bird helped Obama win the Presidential election. Thanks, Mitt, for saying you’d fire Big Bird. You just talked yourself out of a job.
Awesome Ludo costume – We cornered a Labyrinth fan who made his own Ludo costume and made him tell us how he built it. He owed us after we untied him when he was dangling upside-down and being tormented by goblins.
Jerry Nelson memorial – Muppet fans gathered for a touching tribute to Jerry Nelson in New York City.
November:
ToughPigs election – Grover and Cookie Monster were pitted against Gonzo and Rizzo for the all-important ToughPigs Presidential election. I mean, it was pretty much the most important election going on at the time, right?
Old School v.3 – Sesame Street released another batch of classic episodes and clips onto DVD, making a whopping 0.05% of all Sesame episodes available on home video.
2012 Halloween Parade – Muppet fans are really good at dressing up in impressive costumes. And we’re really good at stealing your pictures and posting them on the interwebs.
Gersberms – The Swedish Chef made a surprise appearance in The Nerdist’s music video parodying the “Ermegerd” girl, because he’s obviously the most famous gibberish-speaker in the world.
A Special Sesame Street Christmas on DVD – One of the worst (making it one of the best) Sesame Street specials is finally on DVD. Michael Jackson’s cameo and Leslie Uggams’ sweater are now captured in high quality for our collections.
Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street – More sad news for 2012: Kevin Clash, Executive Producer and the performer of Elmo, has resigned from Sesame Street. We still don’t know the implications of this move, but we’ve been assured that Elmo will live on.
Muppets and CeeLo’s “All I Need is Love” – The Muppets were featured in CeeLo Green’s music video for “All I Need is Love”. And the album. And the live show. And all of the press appearances. Shoot, they might as well make it the Muppets’ music video with guest star CeeLo.
The Comeback: One Year Later – A full 365 days after The Muppets premiered in theaters, what has changed? Or, more importantly, what changes are we still waiting on??
2012 Muppet Fan Shopping Guide – Inquiring minds really want to know what Muppet swag we can buy. Because we all really just want more swag. I mean, seriously you guys.
December:
The Muppet Movie Blu-Ray announced – Following the footsteps of Muppet Christmas Carol, The Muppet Movie is heading to Blu-Ray. And we’ll be able to read all of the articles in the Variety magazine with the ad looking for frogs who want to become rich and famous.
Kermit on 30 Rock – Since 30 Rock is winding down its final episodes, it seems like the perfect time to waste the rest of their budget on big name guest stars. Hence: The Frog.
Ty Burrell cast in Muppets 2 – Modern Family’s Ty Burrell is the obvious choice to replace Christoph Waltz in the upcoming Muppet movie. I mean, tripping on the broken stair in his house is kinda like being a Nazi, right??
Imagination Illustrated – The Jim Henson Company did us a solid by publishing their entries from Jim’s Red Book in actual book form. And it’s the bomb.
Muppet Christmas Music Suggestions – We love Muppet Christmas music! Including, but not limited to, these jams.
Why Muppet Family Christmas is the best – There’s no denying that Muppet Family Christmas is the best. But we can’t be sure until we’ve compared it to every other Muppet Christmas production, because why the heck not?
Ricky Gervais cast in Muppets 2 – Ricky Gervais has been cast as the human lead in the upcoming Muppet movie. Though when it’s released in the US, it will be starring Steve Carrell.
Muppet Christmas Carol on Blu-Ray – It’s true, wherever you find awesome Muppet Christmas Blu-Rays, it feels like Christmas.
Muppets on WWE’s Tribute to the Troops – The Muppets waxed their bodies, spouted their catchphrases, and participated in some good old fashioned soap opera drama when they appeared on WWE’s Tribute to the Troops. How macho!
Who is Santa? – We decipher the true identity of Saint Nicholas the only way we know how: By his appearances in Muppet productions. Otherwise known as the scientific method.
Charles Durning passes away – The Muppet Movie’s Doc Hopper has passed away, leaving us with some wonderful Muppet memories.
Muppet fan/non-fan watches Muppet Family Christmas – A Muppet fanatic and his not-as-much-of-a-fan girlfriend watch Muppet Family Christmas, and they both fail to heed any warnings of the impending icy patch.
Click here to wonder what 2013 will bring on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
