People sure do like making New Year’s resolutions, whether they’re to lose weight or to live a greener lifestyle or to get a redesign for better eye focus (it’s all about that magic triangle!). My resolution for 2009 was to reach out to a bunch of people who are prominent in the worlds of the Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Muppet fandom to see what their resolutions for 2010 are. Thankfully I got it in just under the wire! Let’s see what these folks are hoping to get resolved in the New Year…
Terry Angus, Fraggle Rock puppeteer: The usual is losing the weight and I am going to try and get in shape to puppeteer again so that means going to the gym. Both are hard but worth it if I can.
Michael Davis, author of Street Gang: I resolve to refrain from using the non-word “uh.” Y’know?
Ryan Dosier, The Muppet Mindset administrator: No more watching Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody after midnight. I will no longer watch Sesame Street in my dorm room. Too many awkward conversations. In 2010, I will see every Disney movie possible in hopes of funding The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made. I will participate in weekly memory reconstruction experiments in hopes of having Studio DC removed from my mind. I will try to go to sleep without reading “The Monster At the End of This Book” and subsequently checking the end of every other book I own for monsters.
Cory Edwards, writer/director of the upcoming Fraggle Rock movie: I will learn to play the banjo, and maybe join a jug band. I will stop heckling comedians from my box seats that I share with my elderly friends. I will start an illegal dogfighting ring, but with Twiddlebugs vs. Doozers. I will replace my real hair with that awesome Muppet hair that is made of ostrich feathers. I resolve to finally roll cameras on a freaking Fraggle Rock movie this year!!!!! Can you feel my pain?
Jay Fosgitt, Muppet fan artist: I resolve to bring the Land of Gorch Muppets to the top of the Muppet popularity ladder, even if I have make room for them by leaking a story to the press that Elmo was caught snorting Lik-Em-Aid with H.R. Pufnstuf and Alf!
Louise Gikow, Sesame Street: A Celebration author: Like the new and improved Cookie Monster, I’d like to eat healthy in the New Year.
Danny Horn, Muppet Wiki administrator and co-founder: Actually watch all the Muppet appearances that I’ve Tivoed and then forgotten about. I bet they’re funny. Sell my old Muppet stuff on Ebay so I have money to buy new Muppet stuff. Stop letting work, sleep and a social life get in the way of doing the really important things in life, like adding to Muppet Wiki.
Dave Hulteen, Muppet fan artist: My Muppet resolution for 2010, is to draw so much fanart that the Muppets either hire me, or send me a cease and desist.
Amy Mebberson, Muppet Peter Pan and Muppet comic book cover artist: I will remember that Janice is a leftie BEFORE I start drawing instead of 3 issues in. (Seriously, annoyed the CRAP out of me when I spotted that…!)
Rob Mills, Fraggle Rock puppeteer: I resolve to make at least one peach and garlic pie just like Ma Gorg used to make. If it tastes lousy I’ll keep mum about it.
Shelli Paroline, The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space one-shot artist: Stop *wanting* to go to Dog City and actually *go*! (Dog City was critical in my Muppet-upbringing, I’d love to see it again, but my Jim Henson hour VHS tape seems to be forever lost.)
Pepe the King Prawn (by way of Bill Barretta): I would like to get more monies, womens and…more monies, okay.
David Petersen, Muppet comic book cover artist: I would like to see any future Muppet TV projects (like a revival of The Muppet Show) to go back to the vaudeville theater style show. All the TV versions after that went to a TV setting and the mystique and charm seemed to go away as well. I know some people think the theater setting is out-of-date, but I say that it was back when the Muppet Show was originally airing (vaudeville had died out in the 30s and 40s). If that is really an issue I’d still think that framing new content within the idea that these are “from the vault” or “never before seen,” perhaps with a Muppet explaining how these old film reels were uncovered and being shown for your pleasure.
Grace Randolph, Muppet Peter Pan writer: My new year’s resolution is make sure I return Miss Piggy’s calls immediately – never keep a pig waiting… (SHUDDER)
Craig Shemin, Muppet writer: I had so much fun working on Muppets’ Kitchen, I would like to work on more Muppet stuff next year (although that’s not entirely up to me). I also plan to try to uncover more hidden and lost Muppet video treasures to share with fans.
Peter Savieri, Muppet fan artist: One is to continue fighting the good fight to coax Puppet Heap into making those subtle changes to Piggy to help her regain her crown of Premiere Cochon pour le Monde! Mainly though, I’m in the middle of shooting my directorial debut. It’s a short film called Disbelief starring an all-puppet cast. My resolution is to finish it by mid-year.
Steve Swanson, MuppetCast host: To report on real progress on a Henson-produced feature film. Hey, anything could happen!
And what about us at ToughPigs? We resolve to keep you informed with all the latest news, snarky reviews, and general crankiness that you deserve from a Muppet fan site. That, and to see Stonehenge.
Many thanks to all of the above people for confiding their resolutions with us! Here’s hoping they’ll all ring true in 2010!
Click here to resolve to visit the ToughPigs forum more often!
by Joe Hennes – joe.toughpigs@gmail.com
