The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

David Quesal sent a link to his YouTube channel, where all of his David Quesal Puppet Troupe projects can be found. Great work, David!

BJ Wanlund sent link to the professional websites of several voice actors from the Muppet Babies cartoon of the 1980s! Click to visit each below:
Katie Leigh
Frank Welker
Alan O’Day
Dave Coulier
Howie Mandell

Katie Cook is a very talented artist with several comic book and other art projects under her belt. Recently she submitted several pieces to the Henson Company to be considered for their new Fraggle Rock comic book. She posted the work on her website, and it’s fantastic!

Paul Williams recently commented at the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame 40th Anniversary how much he enjoyed writing songs for Jim Henson. “He would add a scene to a movie just to support an idea for a song.”

ToughPigs.com has had a string of great posts on their blog recently! Not only some great stuff with Roger Langridge – actually plenty of really good general Muppet comic book chatter – but also the recent Muppet Show Haiku project is hilarious!

Take a look at Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits for Life initiative. You can download the caregiver materials from the website in English or Spanish, and can watch the video supplements too!

Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun is the newest child-themed addition to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. We’ve talked about it many times on the MC, but Busch Gardens also has a theme park in Tampa, FL. And, just as many people had hoped, Sesame Street will be coming to that park in a year or two.

The Food Network Challenge episode tackling Sesame Street cakes has had its airdate moved up. Look for it on July 26 at 8PM Eastern. Check local listings and set your DVRs accordingly.

The Jim Henson Company has announced a new partnership with Archaia to publish new comic books and graphic novels based on popular Henson titles as well as new co-branded properties. Should be very interesting to see what they come up with. At this point, we know their first project is likely to be a new Fraggle Rock book.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page, the Twitter feed, and the Facebook group to stay up-to-date with the show!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

Big news from Orlando: Steve Whitmire will appear at the Orange Co. History Center April 4 and 5, to present select screenings at the ongoing “Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” screenings. Visit the Center’s website for details.

Let’s face it, times are tough, and practically no one is immune from the economic downturn – including Sesame Workshop. Similar to the Disney company, Sesame is having to learn to operate with less overhead, and that means fewer bodies. Hopefully those let go will soon find new pursuits, and our very best wishes go out to them, as well as our hopes for better days around the corner for Sesame Workshop.

Ricky Gervais recently taped some segments for Sesame Street’s 40th season, and later did an interview for a news agency alongside Elmo (Video rated PG-13). Hilarious stuff!

Also check out Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun this summer at Busch Gardens! Highlights of the new park area include the new Alpine Express children’s roller coaster, a new performance stage, wet and dry playgrounds, a flume ride, and a shot-n-drop ride. Meet the characters and take pictures with them in their special photography studio! Visit their website for more details.

Congratulations to the Jim Henson Company for being selected to receive the Fred Rogers Award!

The Henson Company has been hard at work getting Sid the Science Kid on TV screens across the globe! The preschool science preparedness program is set to air now in France, Spain, the Middle East, Israel, and the UAE.

The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA has the honor of displaying a special “Platinum Edition” Pinocchio puppet created by master puppeteer Bob Baker of Los Angeles. See the video of the unveiling here.

Listener Max sent a link to a rare Henson instructional video, in which Jim, Frank Oz, and Michael Frith all explain the finer points of Muppet puppetry. Wonder who their audience was?

If you’re looking for Muppet Treasure Island on DVD, hopefully this Amazon link will help you out.

Tom Stewart of PuppeteersUnite.com sent a link that will hopefully aid another listener in the search for a beloved childhood toy. Is this what she was looking for?

Listener Ariel sent two more University of Maryland links (UMD was Jim Henson’s alma mater). See the 2003 Kermit statue dedication and an updated page of all UMD Henson internal links.

Finally, thanks to The Count and David Counterman for their help in some of the media clips in this episode. David has a great Kermit tribute set to the song “Frog Kissin”.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

Check with our friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts to see what’s new for 2009. Subscribe to their email newsletter and mention that you’re a MuppetCast listener when visiting to receive some special discounts!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

Don’t forget, on January 30, William Paterson University will be hosting “Sesame Street at 40: A Night of Celebration and Discovery with the Legendary Cast“. This special evening’s panel discussion will feature Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Marty Robinson, Fran Brill, and David Rudman. Also on the panel are Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, and writer Tony Geiss. Author Michael Davis will be the evening’s moderator. Tickets are still on sale, call 973-720-2371 or email boxoffice@wpunj.edu to reserve your seats.

Fans who plan on attending the Sesame event at WPU can read and participate in this discussion going on at the Muppet Central Forums. Maybe we can all meet up somewhere during that weekend!

The newly revamped Electric Company makes its debut on PBS this week! Read all about it in this article from the LA Times.

Sesame Workshop has received four CINE Golden Eagle awards. One for an episode of Northern Ireland’s Sesame Tree, and three for its Educational Outreach Initiatives: Here For You, Let’s Get Ready!, and Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes.

The historic 40th season of Sesame Street will have an overarching theme focusing on nature and the environment. A great deal of research goes into everything the Workshop produces, and much of that research is done directly with youngsters who watch the show!

The 2008 Jim Henson Honors were recently announced, and Shigeru Miyamoto, GM of Nintendo Entertainment is the top recipient, receiving the Jim Henson Celebration Honor. Other honorees included the Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Center (Creativity Honor), artist Shepard Fairey (Community Honor), and the video game Spore (Technology Honor).

The JHC also announced recently the relaunch of its Consumer Products division. This group, lead by newly appointed Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Melissa Segal, will manage all product development and licensing for Henson Company products once the existing agreements with HIT Entertainment expire early this year.

Brian Cronin posted an opinion article from “John Seavey’s Storytelling Engines” on GoodComics.com talking about what made the Muppets continually fresh and funny. Good analysis of Muppet characters and humor.

Thanks for downloading and listening to the podcast! The MuppetCast couldn’t continue to produce new weekly episodes without the continued support of listeners like you.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voice line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

Check with our friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts to see what’s new for 2009. Subscribe to their email newsletter and mention that you’re a MuppetCast listener when visiting to receive some special discounts!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

On January 30, William Paterson University will be hosting “Sesame Street at 40: A Night of Celebration and Discovery with the Legendary Cast“. This special evening’s panel discussion will feature Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Marty Robinson, Fran Brill, and David Rudman. Also on the panel are Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, and writer Tony Geiss. Author Michael Davis will be the evening’s moderator. Tickets are still on sale, call 973-720-2371 or email boxoffice@wpunj.edu to reserve your seats.

Along with the Jim Henson Hour, we remember beloved Muppeteer Richard Hunt this week. Richard passed away January 7, 1992 and fans are sending much love to Richard and his family through the Richard Hunt Lover’s Club (RHLC) on the Muppet Central Forums.

The Jim Henson Company moves forward with another science readiness program for preschoolers (along with Sid the Science Kid) with the new show Dinosaur Train. This 3D-animated show, which to my knowledge doesn’t use the HDPS puppetry system, is slated for PBS KIDS in fall 2009.

The JHC is also still delighting adult audiences with their live improv show Puppet Up! Uncensored. Brian Henson talked with LAWeekly.com about how they approach puppetry in that show.

Actor Pat Hingle passed away on January 3 at age 84. Muppet fans will remember him as Gen. Luft from 1999’s Muppets from Space. He also played Commissioner Gordon in multiple Batman films.

Do you own a cell phone? Chances are you do, since according to a new study more than HALF the world’s population owns one (boy did you get into the wrong buisness). The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is now looking at ways to harness mobile technology to promote learning. Just as Sesame Street brought new learning opportunities to children via TV, mobile learning is naturally the next platform, and the next target for Sesame Workshop.

The new Electric Company debuts on PBS on January 23. MySanAntonio.com gives us an inside look at one of the actors in the new series.

If you’re looking for a copy of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street on DVD, I think listener Sean W. found it for you. The DVD gift set Happy Holidays from Sesame Street contains 3 Sesame holiday specials: Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays, Elmo Saves Christmas, and of course Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.

Listener April sent two photos from a recent book signing event for “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street” in Lincoln Triangle, in NYC. VIPs included author Michael Davis, Roscoe Orman, Christopher Cerf, Caroll Spinney, and Sonia Manzano. Check out the MuppetCast Flickr Page for the photos!

David Q. has an extensive YouTube channel featuring himself and the puppets of the David Quesal Puppet Troupe. The newest addition: “Hey, A Movie!“, starring everybody and David. Kevin Williams and his friend Muley the Mule also have quite a series going. How crazy does Muley get around Christmastime? See for yourself.

Listener Don sent a link to German singer Mary Roos (pronounced in English as “rose”, I later realized) and the Electric Mayhem from the German Die Muppet Show.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voice line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

And some of the actual puppets used in Dog City are on display at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta! How cool is that?

Thanks go out to Sam Pynes and Melanie Nazelrod for their recent donations to the show! Also thanks to my parents for their donation – we Swansons stick together!

Check out the brand new MuppetCast Amazon Store! Go directly to the Muppet items you’re looking for and pick them up in our store! The price is exactly the same that you’d pay when shopping at the normal Amazon site, and this way a percentage of the sale goes back to help The MuppetCast. It’s win-win!

It’s time to vote for the July special edition episode! Shall we do an episode devoted to The Muppets Take Manhattan or Muppets From Space? Both movies were released in the month of July, and to celebrate YOU get to vote for which movie will be featured in a special episode completely devoted to it. Vote now on MuppetCast.com!

Voting for the contest winner also continues on our website. Voting ends July 27.

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page for the most recent listener Muppet photos!

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World and Muppets, Music & Magic are both in the Washington DC area, and they’re enjoying a humongous response! Swarms of people are reportedly showing up to the screenings and the exhibits. Jim’s work, his magic, and his legacy are still very much a part of all of our lives, and this really shows it.

Sesame Workshop will soon unveil a new website just for Sesame Street. The current website (which will still exist alongside this new one) focuses more on Sesame Workshop and their various projects. Look for SesameStreet.org to debut on August 11, the same day as the television show debuts Season 39!

Jim Henson Company Archivist Karen Falk was recently on NPR’s All Things Considered talking about Jim Henson’s Fantastic world. It’s a short listen, but very interesting.

Joel Brown from MeeVee.com recently got to spend some time at the Jim Henson Company lot in Hollywood, CA, mostly looking at the “set” of the new series coming soon to PBS, Sid the Science Kid. It’s wonderful to read how, if they wanted to, the JHC could actually use the Henson Digital Puppetry System to do a LIVE show with Sid!

Michael Winship from BuzzFlash.com actually got to spend some time with Kermit Love during the course of his life. He writes about a day spent with Mr. Love and Caroll Spinney, and just how much time and care Kermit put into Big Bird, keeping both the character and the puppeteer in top working condition. Truly an amazing man has left us.

Have you seen the video of singer Feist singing her hit “1,2,3,4″ on Sesame Street yet? No? Well, check it out at either of these two websites!

Looking for the new official Muppet YouTube videos? LOok no further! Just click here to find:
Sam Eagle
Gonzo
Beaker
The Swedish Chef
Statler & Waldorf

Sesame Street is almost 40 years old. Remember back when it was only 20? Yep, way back in 1989, those were the days. Listener Francine found the complete 20th Anniversary special on YouTube, posted in six parts, and here they are:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Thanks to KermiClown and The Count for helping me with Dog City!

Check out our friends at The Muppet News Flash and Tough Pigs for truly unique Muppet-y content you won’t find anywhere else!

Questions/Comments can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Also make sure to stop by the Muppet Central Forums for the biggest Muppet fan forum on the web.

Have a great week!

-Steve

The deadline for contest submissions for the “Make Something Cool Contest” is June 15. I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!

The MuppetCast Care Package project continues to develop as well. I’ll come up with a web page outlining who’s involved and what we have so far, so look for that to pop up soon on muppetcast.com.

Bob McGrath’s Birthday is June 13. You know, Bob from Sesame Street? Yeah, good ol’ Bob! Google Video has four wonderful videos in which Bob talks extensively about his life and career. Check them out here (one, two, three, four).

The Southeast Puppet Festival is coming up this week. Special guests include Kevin Clash and Heather Henson. Check out their official website for details.

For those little kids (and the kids in us grownups too) that just can’t get settled down at bedtime, Jim Henson’s Pajanimals are coming soon to Sprout!

Read a little bit about just how Fraggle Rock might have shaped your life and your outlook on life, in some ways you might not have even considered.

The Celebrity Cafe has a nice article about Sesame Place, the Sesame-themed park in Pennsylvania. They can even tell you how to get there!

Sesame Workshop’s outreach program “Here For You” has named The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center in New York as one of its model hospitals. They’ve helped make it possible to place a full-time children’s behavioral health specialist at the hospital. Here For You helps children with serious illnesses understand and deal with their frustrations and fears surrounding their illness.

Listener Jonathan Melville sent a link to a wonderful new interview done with Jason Segel, regarding the new Muppet movie.

John Rick, host of the Disney Pincast, offers up some much-needed information surrounding the Rowlf Disney pin, recently seen in the Hidden Mickeys line. The pin was misspelled “Rolf”, and then this May was re-released with the correct spelling (”Rowlf”). The original pin can be seen here, and the revision is here (if you’re reading this on muppetcast.com and not on your iPod).

Questions/Comments can be sent to me@muppetcast.com, or called into the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. You can also stop in and say hello at the Muppet Central Forums! Yet another way to connect is to follow the MuppetCast Twitter Feed. Toss in the MySpace and Facebook pages, and how could you possibly miss out?

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book and Comic, located in Dayton, OH. Betsey (co-owner) talks briefly with us about the wonderful chaos that was Free Comic Book Day, held on May 3. Life should be more fun!

Our series covering the Jim Henson Hour begins this week with a look at the first two episodes. Along with a little in-depth discussion of the TV shows themselves, we take a look and listen to plenty of songs and segments from the two episodes.

Other topics of discussion:

Is May 9 the date of Kermit’s birthday? You be the judge.

For those of you in or near Connecticut, check out Scooter at the new display titled “Puppets Through the Lens“. The display is located at the University of Connecticut.

Seaworld’s Sesame Street Bay of Play is closer to opening! A few new details came out this week.

If you always wanted to visit Walt Disney Imagineering, the Jim Henson Studios, and the Walt Disney studios all within a six-day period, then maybe you want to check out this experience from Adventures by Disney.

Add David Beckham to the list of celebrities appearing on Sesame Street for the new season. Goal!

The BBC will be hosting a series of tributes to the late, brilliant writer Anthony Minghella. The BBC actually hosts plenty of searchable content and interviews from Mr. Minghella.

Remember the album Ol’ Brown Ears is Back? Read a little more about it here.

Kevin Clash and John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Johnny and the Sprites) have both been nominated for the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series. Good luck to both of them!

Sesame Workshop now has their second phase of the Talk, Listen, Conect program available at the main website. New videos for children and parents on how to deal with a difficult subject.

Check out our friends at Tough Pigs and the Muppet News Flash for all kinds up Muppet-y goodness! Also, check out listener Karl Birrane’s new blog.

One more thing, check out Ed Dolista at the IndyCast this week! New movie’s almost out!

Questions/Comments can be sent to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Also, check us out at the Muppet Central Forums.

Have a great week!

-Steve