2013 has been a crazy year. We’ve been learning all about Muppets Most Wanted, we lost a lot of people who were important to the Jim Henson legacy, and we got a lot of new, quality Muppet content to rave about. With such a jam-packed year, we thought it best to revisit some of the news items and articles you may have missed.
Below, you’ll find our picks for the biggest news stories, the most fun ToughPigs commentaries, and all the best Muppet happenings from the past 12 months.
January:
2012 Year in Review – It’s just like the thing you’re reading right now, but like, a million years ago!
Cookie Monster appears in Google Play commercial – Didn’t see this one coming. Cookie Monster reminded us that Google Play is a thing that exists.
Sesame Needle Drop – Grin & Giggle with Big Bird – With so many Sesame Street albums out there (and on iTunes!), they all deserve to have some special notice. We’ve given that notice to two albums. About a thousand to go.
Tina Fey confirmed for Muppets Most Wanted – We didn’t know a thing about the new Muppet movie, but we knew that it would be great because of Tina.
“The Muppets… Again” announced as new Muppet movie title – Little did we know that this news article would soon be completely false.
Fraggle Rock shoes are a thing – And they were the dopest thing. Just totally dope. You all have your own set by now, right??
Why isn’t there more classic Muppet stuff on DVD? – A very good question. One we ask a lot. Hence this article, where we get a little angry about it.
The Swedish Chef appears in SportsCenter commercial – Even athletes need to eat. Unfortunately, some of them were served by the Swedish Chef.
“Muppets… Again” alternate title suggestions – We didn’t have “Muppets Most Wanted” on our list, but how freaking cool would it have been if we guessed that one??
First Muppet sequel details revealed – And we’re off! Both our expectations and our speculations start running wild.
February:
RIP Ed Koch – Former NYC mayor and Muppets Take Manhattan guest star passed away.
Grover is the Monster at the End of Twitter – In a very clever (and very viral) use of Twitter, Grover spoofs his own “Monster at the End of This Book”. Spoilers: The tweets end with a monster, not a hashtag.
The Wider Worlds of Jim Henson – The book featuring a series of academic essays about the Jim Henson universes beyond the Muppets is released, thus bringing me one step closer to figuring out how to get a PhD in Muppetology.
Julie Andrews’ Step Into Spring DVD announced – Oh boy, I can’t wait to see this! I sure hope it doesn’t get canceled!
Toy Fair 2013 – Our annual coverage of all the Muppet merchandise found at Toy Fair. Coincidentally, it’s also our annual disappointment that there isn’t more Muppet merchandise to be found.
Fraggle Rock coffee table book on its way – The book has since been delayed to 2014, but that just gives us more time to buy a coffee table.
Everyone should date a Gonzo – Gonzo could be the ideal boyfriend. Unfortunately, you may not be ideal for him, unless you happen to be sporting a set of feathers.
Muppet Hot Wheels cars – The time has come when you can own your own miniature version of the Electric Mayhem bus. The world is finally starting to catch up to my fantasies!
Did you know The Muppet Show is a comedy? – It’s true! That’s what all that laughter coming out of your mouth hole means!
Ricky Gervais and Pepe release YouTube video – Easily the most EPIC video ever seen by human eyes. Just watch Ricky’s thumbs soar across his phone!
Louise Gold will perform in Muppets sequel – Easily more exciting than any celebrity cameo rumor, the return of the Muppet Show performer (and her signature character Annie Sue) made us all jump for joy.
March:
Paul Williams interview – In our entire careers as Muppet bloggers, meeting and interviewing the legendary Paul Williams is absolutely a highlight.
Purple Kermit appears in new video – You think it’s not easy being green?? Those purple frogs probably have something to say about that.
Sesame Street YouTube channel gets 1 million hits – Not only is that enough to merit a mention on this list, but The Count’s video response (featuring his first performance by Matt Vogel) is one of the best videos of the year. I can’t help but wonder what they’ll do when they hit 2 million.
Video from new Doozers cartoon – The Doozers are making the jump from puppetry to animation. I wonder how many Doozer sticks it takes to make a cartoon.
A history of Muppets getting hit with pie – In celebration of Pi Day (3/14), we created a list of all the times Muppets got hit with pies. For the greater good of the internet at large.
Another video featuring Ricky Gervais and Pepe – Those guys are, like, best friends. I look forward to the continuation of their best friendship in Muppets Most Wanted. That’s probably what the movie’s about, yeah?
Tom Hiddleston announced for Muppets sequel – If there’s anything the internet goes nuts for, it’s Tom Hiddleston. If there’s a second thing the internet goes nuts for, it’s Tom Hiddleston doing stuff with puppets. It’s a good thing we’ve got a few of those on this list.
RIP Richard Griffiths – He wasn’t jst Harry Potter’s uncle, he was Santa Claus in Letters to Santa. Now, how many actors can say that??
April:
April Fools: ToughPigs/Muppet Mindset switcharoo – We pulled an epic prank with the help of our pals at the Muppet Mindset. Next year, we’ll switch places with the Drudge Report.
Jane Henson passes away – We lost an important woman in Muppet history this year in Jane Henson, Jim’s wife.
RIP Roger Ebert – We also lost movie critic Roger Ebert, who appeared on Sesame Street and had a thing or two to say about all of the Muppet movies.
Fraggle Rock 30th anniversary plans – Fraggle Rock turned 30 this year, and had a bunch of new merchandise, events, and premiums to celebrate. Sadly, none of them were radish-flavored.
Muppet family remembers Jane Henson – We asked some of those closest to Jane Henson for memories and stories, and we ended up with a great tribute to a great lady.
RIP Jonathan Winters – Muppet Show guest star Jonathan Winters passed away, leaving behind a gypsy curse. So, thanks for that, Jonathan.
Danny Trejo gets another chance at Muppet movie cameo – After being cut from The Muppets, Danny Trejo is probably sitting at home hoping he actually makes it into the next one. And if not, I’m sure he’ll have another chance with movie #3.
Creature Shop reality show announced – The Jim Henson Creature Shop is getting its own reality show! Funny, I always thought the Kardashians could be animatronics.
Gobo and Red host Fraggle Rock-a-Thon – Not only were were pleasantly surprised to see new Fraggle Rock material on TV, but we got to hear John Tartaglia as the new performer of Gobo. Now that’s something to run a marathon for.
RIP Richie Havens – Sesame Street guest star (and I guess he was a pretty famous musician too) Richie Havens passed away this year. He left behind some great Sesame Street clips (and I guess some classic music too).
Muppets appear on Good Luck Charlie – Disney pulls the corporate synergy card again and sticks the Muppets into one of their sitcoms. I guess it’s better to have this than something with Miley Cyrus (although I would love to see Gonzo riding a wrecking ball).
May:
“Puppetman” pilot leaked – The rare and previously unseen pilot (which co-starred Richard Hunt as, what else, a puppeteer) made its way to the internet, and we were stoked to see it, even though we could totally tell why it never became a full series.
“Mando”, new Sesame Street human revealed – We met the winner of Sesame Street’s first ever open casting call in Mando. But the real winner is Mando’s hair, which seems to be in a constant state of mid-explosion.
Sesame Street comic book hits shelves – Finally, the crossover of Sesame Street and comics has succeeded and has resulted in something spectacular. Frank Miller, eat your heart out.
Fraggle Rock t-shirt design contest on Threadless – Threadless had already tackled both Sesame Street and the Muppets in their design contests, so Fraggle Rock had to be somewhere down the line. And we’re glad it was, as we got to see some really horrible (and some good!) artwork.
Julie Andrews’ One Step Into Spring DVD canceled – We knew it was too good to be true.
Permanent Jim Henson museum exhibit announced – There’s going to be a permanent Henson gallery next year at the Museum of the Moving Image. As Indiana Jones would say, the Muppets belong in a museum.
Video of Piggy, Oscar and Gobo at MOMI event – It’s rare when we get to see a Muppet, a Sesame character, and a Fraggle on the same stage, and it’s even less rare that we capture it on video. Consider this a present from us to you.
June:
RIP Jean Stapleton – Another Muppet Show guest star has passed away. We shot off a 21-explodaphone salute in Ms. Stapleton’s honor.
Ugly Muppet Toy Pageant 2013 – Continuing another ToughPigs tradition, we collected some of the ugliest Muppet toys and then made fun of their ugliness. It’s basically cyber-bullying, but without the guilt.
David Bowie’s face hidden in Labyrinth – We found Jareth’s face hidden throughout Labyrinth. Most of them were on top of David Bowie’s body, but there were some others too.
“Muppets… Again” is now “Muppets Most Wanted” – The movie title we’d been using all year is now something completely different, thus undoing all of the “…Again” jokes we’d been making since January.
British stuff in Muppets Most Wanted – With parts of Muppets Most Wanted taking place in the UK, we’re expecting a lot of British jokes and references. Also some bad teeth and boiled meats.
RIP James Gandolfini – Sopranos star and Sesame Street guest James Gandolfini passed away, and now we’re watching Where the Wild Things Are in a whole new light.
My Muppets Show app launched – The app that some of us love, some of us hate, and some of us wring our hands in frustration launched. It cost me 25 diamonds just to write this sentence.
Bert and Ernie cause controversy on New Yorker cover – Jeez, can’t a guy watch the news while resting his head on his roommate’s shoulder without causing Fox News to freak out??
July:
The Muppet/Canada connection – The Muppets have had a long history with the country of Canada. Much more than Gobo Fraggle’s accent.
The Continental Congress: Muppets vs. Sesame – Who wore Ben Franklin’s bifocals best: Telly Monster or Floyd Pepper?
Eric Jacobson interviewed on CNN – Muppeteer Eric Jacobson was the focus of a segment on CNN, and we were introduced to his now-classic penguin character. Okay, “classic” is a strong word.
Muppet Sporcle quizzes – Think you know a whole bunch of stuff about Muppets? Take some tests! They’re worth 40% of your final grade.
Bill Barretta’s Sesame Place orientation videos – Want to know what it takes to work at Sesame Place in the 1980s? You can either watch these videos or build yourself a time machine.
First Muppets Most Wanted videos pop up on Disney Channel – We finally get our first taste of Muppets Most Wanted, and it’s presented by Disney tween stars. Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.
Cookie Monster is not the Veggie Monster – We made a handy article to send to people when they say that they heard that Cookie Monster is now the Veggie Monster. Then you can be comfortable with the satisfaction of having proven someone wrong about Muppet facts.
Kermit and Piggy congratulate the Royal Family – Kermit and Piggy made a special video welcoming the Royal Baby. I can’t think of a better baby shower gift than a message from the Pig and the Frog.
The Muppet origins of the Royal Baby – The baby’s name, George, is most obviously a Muppet reference. I mean, obviously
August:
Kathy Mullen interview – We had the rare and amazing opportunity to interview Kathy Mullen, and now we know more about Mokey Fraggle than we ever expected.
Cookie Monster sings “Me Want It” – Cookie Monster has a way of making us forget pop songs by singing superior parodies of them. He should spoof every pop song for that reason alone.
First Muppets Most Wanted trailer debuts – We finally get a clear look at Muppets Most Wanted, and Constantine’s glorious tap dance routine on Ricky Gervais’ head.
Muppets Most Wanted trailer analysis – We take a much deeper look into Constantine’s tap dance, Ricky Gervais’ hair, and everything having to do with that half-second of footage. And the rest too.
New Henson Company game show – The Jim Henson Company debuted a new game show over in the UK. It sounds very British. Probably because of the accents.
The Muppet Movie comes to Blu-Ray – Finally, we can see Doc Hopper’s Frogs Legs commercial in full HD!
Kermit and Steve Martin duel banjos – I love Kermit. I love Steve Martin. I love the banjo. I love everything. I even love you. Goodnight.
Unseen Muppet sketches of Michael Frith – Michael Frith was kind enough to let us take photos of the amazing sketches in his home. The result is a batch of awesome pictures that we can all look at whenever we want! Score!
John Tartaglia interview – Muppeteer, Avenue Q star, and the new Gobo Fraggle sits down for an interview with us, and we try not to geek out too much.
Great Muppet Caper and Muppet Treasure Island coming to Blu-Ray – The last two Muppet movies are released to Blu-Ray, although the lack of quality special features has us complaining anyway. You just can’t please some people! (Us.)
Secret Life of Toys coming to DVD – Another unreleased Muppet production finally becomes a released one. Just don’t look at the DVD if it’s not in it’s place or it’ll DIE.
September:
Mokey and Red reunite at Dragon*Con – Red Fraggle (with her pal Karen Prell) and Mokey Fraggle (with her cohort Kathy Mullen) showed up at Dragon*Con, and we totally geeked out over the fact that the four of them were in the same room at the same time.
Tom Hiddleston shares cookies with Cookie Monster – Hey, Tom Hiddleston made a second appearance on this list! This time, he’s teaching a valuable lesson about delayed gratification to Cookie Monster, who probably can’t even wait through the pronunciation of the phrase before diving at the nearest baked good.
Jim Henson: The Biography – The fantastic biography by Brian Jay Jones hits stores, and the Muppet fan community goes wild. Almost as important: The rest of the world goes wild, which was pretty satisfying.
Fraggle Rock tribute album released – A bunch of indie bands we hadn’t heard of covered a bunch of Fraggle Rock songs other people hadn’t heard of. It was a match made in heaven.
Muppets donated to the Smithsonian – The Jim Henson Company sent a bunch of Muppets to the Smithsonian because, as previously stated, they belong in a museum!
Jimmy Fallon and the Roots sing with the Sesame gang – It’s the greatest rendition of the Sesame Street theme we’ve heard in years, counting the one heard at the top of the show.
Big Bird and Oscar appear on Colbert Report – Big Bird and Oscar have a lively debate on The Colbert Report. Counterpoint: It was amazing.
RIP Faz Fazakas – The Muppets’ technical guru Faz Fazakas passed away this year, and we’re reminded of his many, many, many important contributions to the Muppets’ artistry.
October:
Muppet Encyclopedia coming soon – Finally, we’ll get encyclopedic entries for Mr. Poodlepants, Gladys the lunchlady, and Fozzie’s identical cousin.
My Week in Japan – ToughPigs founder Danny Horn returns for a spotlight on all of the Sesame Street stuff he found in Japan. It is so much more bizarre than we were prepared for.
Sesame Street’s “The Furchester” announced – It’s Sesame Street meets Fawlty Towers, only without the Nazi references.
ToughPigs host Jim Henson: The Biography panel at Comic Con – Yet another highlight in our careers as Muppet fan site runners, we knocked “moderate a Comic Con panel” off our bucket lists.
Another Sesame Street t-shirt design contest on Threadless – Threadless just keeps on keeping on with their t-shirt design contests as they tackle Sesame Street… again.
First poster for Muppets Most Wanted revealed – A bunch of Muppets cut-and-pasted into an overcrowded group. Sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?
Sesame Street airs Count tribute episode – The Count (and vicariously, Jerry Nelson) gets a special spotlight in an episode of Sesame Street. That’s one, one amazing episode.
November:
Sesame Street performers remember Jerry Nelson – We interviewed Caroll Spinney, Matt Vogel, and Marty Robinson all about Jerry Nelson. The result was especially moving and enlightening.
The Count counts the ToughPigs – We got counted by the Count! It does not get any better than that.
Halloween Parade 2013 – Our annual compilation of Muppet costumes returns! Next year, I’m dressing as Mildred Huxtetter.
Oscar the Grouch meets Grumpy Cat – Could the Grouch be grumpier? Can the Grumpy one get her grouch on? Harumph, I say.
Pepe proposes to Whoopi Goldberg – Pepe liked it, so he put a ring on it. He must be a pretty big fan of The View.
Doctor Who Week – We celebrated Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary with a week’s worth of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Muppet articles.
Three new Muppets Most Wanted trailers – We’ve pretty much seen the entire movie by now, right?
New Muppets Most Wanted trailer analysis – We delved deeper into the new trailers and found a bunch of stuff you wouldn’t see without a speedy pause button.
The Worst of The Muppet Show: Rich Little – Here’s my impression of Rich Little: “Derpa derpa derp!” That guy is the worst.
Video of ToughPigs’ Jim Henson Biography panel at Comic Con – Did you miss our Comic Con panel? Thanks to the Nerdist Channel, you can watch the entire thing whenever you want! I watched it in the bathtub this morning.
Sesame Street, Jimmy Fallon, and the Roots team up for Macy’s Parade – Jimmy Fallon was all like, “Somebody come and play,” and the Sesame gang was all like, “Psshh, okay,” and the Roots were like, “Yeah”.
December:
Jerry Nelson is the most interesting Muppeteer in the world – I mean, we already knew that. But now there’s a meme, so it’s official!
Lady Gaga and the Muppets appear in holiday special – Lady Gaga got 90 minutes to promote her new album. The Muppets got an excuse to wiggle around on camera. Happy holidays!
First “Muppisode” debuts – The Swedish Chef took on Gordon Ramsay, and the results were epic (if not edible).
Muppet t-shirt design contest on Threadless – Our third t-shirt design contest of the year, and we’re still coming up with new ways to talk about Kermit’s eyeballs and Miss Piggy’s ear placement.
Counterpoint: The Muppets/Lady Gaga special is terrible – We thought our first Muppets/Lady Gaga special review was too nice, so we wrote another one that wasn’t quite as polite.
57 answers to 57 Muppet Family Christmas questions – In response to a recent Buzzfeed article, we explain who Lips is and why it’s okay for Muppets and Fraggles to hang out together.
34 questions about Christmas Eve on Sesame Street – Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is near perfect, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t have questions about the plot. Or about Cookie Monster’s arcane methods for contacting Santa Claus.
Robin makes a video for Ricky Gervais – Robin the Frog surprised us all with a short video for Ricky Gervais and his family. So of course, we co-opted it and pretended he was talking to us. It’s a Christmas miracle!
2013 in review – Hey, that’s the article you’re reading now! We’re making history!
Thanks to everyone who made 2013 such a great year! Here’s looking forward to a 2014 full of great Muppet content, more fun articles, and a Frog in every house!
Click here to keep up with the news on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
