ToughPigs is a website for Muppet fans who grew up. Our mission is to provide a website and forum for biting satire, poignant observations, and general wittiness related to the Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and all things connected to Jim Henson’s life and legacy.
Some of our most popular articles:
50 in 50: Reviewing All 50 Seasons of Sesame Street
The Muppet Show: 40 Years Later
Ugly Toy Pageants
Remembering Jim (Artists celebrate Jim Henson)
Video interview with Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, & Matt Vogel
Video interviews with Carmen Osbahr, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Rosita, and Abby Cadabby
Interview with Bonnie Erickson
Video interview with Caroll Spinney
Video interview with Kevin Clash
Frank Oz interview
Steve Whitmire interview
Jerry Nelson interview
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph interview
Joey Mazzarino interview
Donald Trump: The Anti-Henson
Characters Whose Names Sound a Bit Rude
Muppet Songs that Sound a Bit Rude
Hidden Gems of Sesame Street: Part 1, Part 2
Muppet Rawk 2009: Part 1, Part 2
Halloween Parades
Weird Science: A Guide to the Romance of Bunsen and Beaker
Bert & Ernie’s Pyramid Scheme: The Sesame Street Sketch You Might Have Repressed
News coverage, reviews, and commentaries on The Muppets (2011)
News coverage, review, and commentaries on Muppets Most Wanted
News coverage, reviews, and commentaries on The Muppets (2015 series)
Joe Hennes is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of ToughPigs.com. Joe is a former Clevelander, current Brooklynite, and all-around nice guy. He has previously worked as a stir-fry chef, a classic rock radio DJ, hoodie-maker, children’s television employee, and four separate costumed mascots. He enjoys playing the ukulele, reading DC Comics, and writing about Muppets. He can be reached at Joe@ToughPigs.com.
Joe’s favorite articles include:
The Muppets are Ugly
Gonzo and the Pursuit of Art
American Apparel Ruins Sesame Street’s Birthday
Crater Haters (or, No Praises for Lunar Phases) (Sesame Street’s history with the moon)
How Michael Jackson Saved Sesame Street
ToughPigs Election (with Anthony Strand)
My Day on a Muppet Movie Set
Making Sense of Muppets (analyzing a Muppet fan’s “Sixth Sense”)
Ryan Roe is also the co-owner, senior contributor, and editor of ToughPigs.com. Ryan used to live in Texas, and now he lives in Queens. He works at an audio visual company by day, and spends the rest of his time watching too much TV, reading, playing video games, and who knows what else. He can be e-mailed at Ryan@ToughPigs.com.
Ryan’s favorite articles by Ryan include:
Don’t Call the Muppet Performers Voice Actors
Nah, Elmo Didn’t Ruin Sesame Street
Hey, Pop Culture Writers! Here’s Some Advice on Writing About Muppets!
Sesame Needle Drop: Old-School Record Reviews
Debunking Veggie Monster
What is SIRE?
Stop Being Wrong
The Voice of Reason (Addressing the hysterics over the Sesame Old School disclaimer)
What’s the Name of That Dog? (Pronouncing ‘Rowlf’)
Muppets vs. Muppet (Complaining about the letter S)
My Favorite Muppet of the Day
Danny Horn is the previous owner and creator of ToughPigs.com. Danny created MuppetZine, the first Muppet fan ‘zine, from 1992-1997, and then wrote for ToughPigs from 2001 to 2005, when he handed the reins over to Joe and Ryan. In December 2005, Danny co-created the Muppet Wiki and is now employed by Wikia Inc. in San Francisco.
Danny’s favorite articles include:
Grover’sMom.com
China vs. Japan (Judging the countries based on Big Bird specials)
My Week with Muppet Breakfast
My Week with The Storyteller (written with Kynan Barker)
My Breakfast with Bear
Chris “Smig” Smigliano is a cartoonist based out of the Boston area and is responsible for the majority of the art seen on ToughPigs.com. http://smigliano.blogspot.com/
Matt Wilkie is a writer from Pennsylvania trying to survive in an L.A. world. He enhances whatever he writes with humor and sees the lighter side of everything. WritingWilkie.com.
Anthony Strand is an aspiring librarian, originally from Hatton, North Dakota, and currently resides in Fulton, Missouri. Anthony has written several articles for ToughPigs.com, and knows more about your favorite TV show than you do.
Contributing Writers: Julia Gaskill, Staci Rosen, Matthew Soberman, Louie Pearlman, Evan G.
Thanks to our guest writers: Michal Richardson, David Beukema, Peter Papazoglou, Leah Hooper, Max Stein, Kynan Barker, Scott Hanson, Andrew Leal, Shawn Pero, Wilson Swain, Chase Beecher, Peter Savieri, Justin Tonglet, and Rosalynn Strand. And thanks to Scott Hanson and Joshua Johnson for their technical support and website design.
Extra thanks to our donors Amy Frushour Kelly, Carolyn Wiesner, Martha Crannell, Peter Papazoglou, Leah Hooper, Cathy Whitlow, Smig, and Quinn Rollins! Please click here if you are interested in donating to the ToughPigs cause.
