The Voice Of Big Bird And Oscar Is Retiring After 50 Years on Sesame Street

// After 50 Years On 'Sesame Street,' The Voice Of Big Bird And Oscar Is Retiring

 

Frank Oz: In confidence (2013)

The Puppets Inside Jim Henson's Creature Shop

What Might Have Been: Orphanage Animation Studios

Orphanage Animation Studios was created in 2005 by San Francisco based visual effects studio The Orphanage (closed in 2009). One of OAS's first projects was The Power Of The Dark Crystal (sequel to Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal) to be directed and produced by Genndy Tartakovsky. The production suffered considerable delays and setbacks and in 2010 the Jim Henson Company pulled the project. It's been shelved in some dark room ever since. Below is a short studio tour of OAS given by Genndy.





// Tartakovsky Adopts New Orphanage Animation Studios via AWN

// Animation Backgrounds by Scott Wills

CBS This Morning: At Home With Jim Henson (1989)

An Evening With Jim Henson and Frank Oz (1989)

In July 1989, Jim Henson and Frank Oz made an appearance at the Puppeteers of America national festival at MIT in Boston. The event was documented and added to the Puppeteers of America audio-visual archive with a special introduction by Frank Oz made in 1993. Throughout the one-hour discussion, Henson and Oz perform Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Cookie Monster, Animal, Fozzie Bear and Grover. Some of the topics include the history of Henson Associates, research on Sesame Street, and behind the scenes info about the Muppets, The Dark Crystal, The Jim Henson Hour, and Little Shop of Horrors. Frank Oz also demonstrates how they perform the Muppets on film and television.

Muppets on Puppets (1970 Documentary)

'Jim Henson and Rowlf the Dog explain the art and history of puppetry, and let the viewer in on some of the secrets in performing his own act, the Muppets.' via IMDB

And for those who didn't already know - the term "Muppet" is a combination of the words marionette and puppet.

Princess Diana meets Jim Henson and the monster Ludo

This was to cool not to post! Princess Diana meets Jim Henson and the monster Ludo at 'Labyrinth' premier 1986 via Neatorama

Also check out // Making of 'Labyrinth' via Behind The Scenes

The Muppet Show: Star Wars (1980)

With the new release of Star Wars EP1 3D and the new Muppets film I thought I'd post a classic example of how things were 31 years ago.

The World of Jim Henson (1994)

This great documentary about the life and work of Jim Henson. It's full of bits of wisdom on acting, staging, and character. 



















The World of Jim Henson (1994) 7/9

Of Muppets and Men: The Making of 'The Muppet Show' (1981)

I've been trying to scrounge up some good material on Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Mostly to glean some incite into how they puppeteered their characters. Found this 'Making of The Muppet Show' from 1981! It's pretty amazing!

Of Muppets and Men: The Making of 'The Muppet Show'

Jim Henson and Frank Oz interviewed for Dark Crystal (1983)