Happy Halloween!

1981 Hallmark wall decoration

In honor of  Halloween, check out these great guest star monster moments from The Muppet Show:

PizzeRizzo Menu and Opening Date!

The Disney Parks blog announced the menu today for PizzeRizzo, the new Muppet themed eatery inside the Muppets Courtyard at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The menu will include personal-sized pies.

Entrees will be served with a side Caesar salad, and include personal-sized Pizza Pies, available in four varieties—vegetable, pepperoni, meat lovers and cheese, as well as a Meatball Sub.

Lighter options include the Antipasto Salad features a bed of Romaine lettuce piled high with tomatoes, Mozzarella, Kalamata olives, ham, pepperoni, salami and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

The dessert list is comprised of traditional Italian sweets like Cannoli and Tiramisu.

Specialty drinks will also be available, including a non-alcoholic Peach Bellini, and a Wildberry-Basil Lemonade Limoncello in addition to beer and wine for adults.

But that's not all, "inside guests will find décor inspired by Rizzo, as well as his extended family and friends who have visited PizzeRizzo over the years throughout the two-story eatery. Be sure to head upstairs to Rizzo’s Deluxe Supreme Banquet Hall, where there’s a wedding reception already in progress; join the party and show off your best moves under the disco ball to the world’s greatest party playlist!"
In case you didn't know, PizzeRizzo will occupy the space formerly known as Toy Story's Pizza Planet.

Check out the transformation below:

(PizzeRizzo Concept art)

Mark your calendars, PizzeRizzo is officially set to open November 18th!

Labyrinth Jareth Costume!

With Halloween only a few days you may be still scrambling to find that perfect costume. Well, we found the KING of all costumes - King of the Goblins that is!

As part of the film's 30th Anniversary, Spirit Halloween pop up stores have an official Labyrinth Jareth costume!

It's exclusive to Spirit Halloween stores, but don't worry if you don't have one in your area, as it's also offered online.

The wig is sold separately and for some reason NOT available on their website.  

Be the Goblin King of your Halloween party while you dance magic dance the night away!

"Sesame Road" Coming To Vinyl For Record Store Day!

First released in 1993 on cassette only then reissued two years later on CD, Sesame Road is now finding it's groove on record!

The limited edition vinyl record is being released as part of this year's Record Store Day - Black Friday. It will be limited to 2,000 copies and come in 4 colors red, blue, yellow, and green all randomly distributed. "Grouch" green being the hardest to find.

To find a participating record store near you check out the Record Store Day website. 

The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 3 Now in Paperback!

In case you missed in hardcover, The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 3  is now in paperback!

About the book: 

Brian Froud, legendary conceptual designer of the beloved Jim Henson fantasy film The Dark Crystal, returns to the world he helped create in this stunning conclusion of the official prequel to the original movie. The world of Thra is shattered. Following the events of the Great Conjunction, the once-powerful Urskeks have been split into two separate beings: the Skeksis and the Mystics. Only Raunip and Aughra know their true origins, but they are trapped in the bowels of the world of Thra, searching for the shard of the Dark Crystal. But as the aftermath of the Great Conjunction wreaks havoc upon the Gelfling tribes, the Gelfling may have no choice but to rely upon the one race offering aid: the Skeksis. The species of Thra will have to decide who they can trust if they hope to keep their world together.

Written by Matthew Dow Smith (Doctor Who, X-Files) and gorgeously illustrated by Alex Sheikman (Robotika) and Lizzy John (Fraggle Rock), this third volume is the epic conclusion to the Creation Myths saga and also features behind-the-scenes photos and concept sketches from The Jim Henson Company Archives documenting how creature and puppet designs that never made it into the film were adapted and brought to life on the page

Check out a few sample pages:

You can order the full book on Amazon.

Muppet Mad Libs Now Available!

The Muppets Mad Libs hits stores today!

 If you've always wanted to ____ and _____ with ________and ______ while _______  ______!                               (verb)      (verb)          (noun)           (noun)            (noun)              (verb) 

                       

Now you can, or something like it in 21 different stories!

You can order your own from Amazon. 

The Muppets 2017 Wall Calendar by Day Dream!

It may not even be Halloween yet, but now you can dress your wall up for 2017!

Day Dream's 2017 Muppet calendar uses a nice mix of standard stock images with some less seen illustrated  version of the characters.

As in previous years, this isn't the only Muppet calendar being released so stay tuned to see even more Muppet themed months!

The Day Dream 2017 Muppet calendar is now available from Amazon. 

"My Favorite Item" Celebrating The Muppet Show's 40th Anniversary - Part 4!

To celebrate The Muppet Show's 40th Anniversary we conclude our look at the Muppet communities favorite Muppet Show related items.

Rachel Herrick (Adorkable Rachel)

My favorite Muppet item is my copy of Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal. 

I was really lucky to visit the set of Muppets Most Wanted when they were filming in 2013. 

While there, I got all of the Muppeteers on set to sign my book, including Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Matt Vogel, Eric Jacobson, David Rudman, Bill Barretta, Peter Linz, and my friend Kevin Carlson. That was one of the best days of my life, and now I have proof that it happened.

Austin M. Costello
I’ll start with two honorable mentions and then a real favorite…

The Statler and Waldorf Igel figures (with their sofa): I originally purchased them from FAO
Schwarz in New York City as a kid for $35 each and the couch later on eBay. They’ve sat atop a bookshelf in my room ever since.

The “It’s The Muppets” VHS series: I have SO many fond memories of watching these tapes with my family, plus it was my first exposure to The Muppet Show.

And now they are on Youtube!

It's the Muppets! - Meet the Muppets!

It's the Muppets! - More Muppets Please!

And finally,

The Playhouse Video series!

This set of 10 VHS tapes was a “best of” compilation of The  Muppet Show by theme. Rock Music, Country Music, a Fozzie collection, and 7 others were  among this ‘80s roundup of clips from our favorite show hosted by an amphibian. “Children’s Songs and Stories” was the first of these that I watched, having had rented it so many times from a local Blockbuster. 

“Muppet Weird Stuff,” hosted by The Great Gonzo from his trailer park mansion, was the next one I caught from eBay, and then the rest came over time. They’re super sweet and fairly hard to find compilations of the show with new footage of the Muppets to wrap around the clips. Each VHS has a gatefold cover with goofy Muppet facts on the inside (“Did you Know? Kermit The Frog’s middle name is actually THE, and Miss Piggy’s first name is actually MISS!”). 

Part of the fun of collecting these videos was the trailer at the end of the tape which announced each of the other videos in the series… for a teenage Muppet fan in the 2000s, this was a real hunt to find them all!

Here’s one of the videos from the collection! (Editor's Note: My favorite from the series) 

Rock Music with The Muppets
Stay tuned at the end for the trailer of other video features! 

Noel MacNeal (Bear in The Big Blue House)

The Muppet Show Game by Parker Bros:

I got it at the Lampson's (the other store that was not Woolworth) in our neighborhood. I loved playing with it and rediscovered it when I was cleaning out my mom's apt and my old room. It was in a box filled with my "Muppet collection" including my membership to the fan club!

Chris Stulz (Muppet Stuff)

Whenever people ask me what my favorite Muppet Show item is it's really hard to narrow it down to just one. But I'd have to say it's The Muppet Show album. 

You see kids, before the internet, DVD, and even before home video became popular, this album was one of the only ways of experiencing some of The Muppet Show's best segments over and over again. And boy was this record played over and over again at my house!

You can listen to the whole thing below:

Well that's gonna wrap up our look at the Muppet communities favorite Muppet Show related items, but before we go we'd like to thank everyone who shared their stories with us! 

Here's to the next 40 years of The Muppet Show! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Update on Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography!

Last week we shared an article through our facebook page about Max Stein's biography of Richard Hunt. 

Max Stein contacted us and let us know that the article was written 5 years ago and used an outdated version of her manuscript. We all want to make sure the newest information was available and to make sure you knew about the amazing effort she's been putting into this book.

About the book (from http://jessicamaxstein.com/funny-boy/):

Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography is the life story of Muppet performer Richard Hunt.

A born comedian, singer and entertainer, Richard Hunt enjoyed a masterful two-decade career with the world’s most popular puppet troupe, starring as a main performer on children’s television blockbuster Sesame Street and adult megahit The Muppet Show. He played a startlingly wide and wild variety of characters, embodying everyone from young gofers to mellow valley girls to wisecracking old men, using hand puppets, full-body costumes and remote-control technology to physically bring characters to life. Muppeteer Frank Oz calls him the “heart and soul of the irreverence of the Muppets”; his comic sensibility was integral to their phenomenal popularity. And he did it all while having a determinedly good time – even while time was running out.

Hunt’s fairy-tale rise to fame is a rags-to-riches story born of stubbornness and desperation. The oldest son of a large poor family, he felt driven to provide when his alcoholic father fell short of the task. He cold-called the Muppets at 18, apprenticed rapidly, and was barely 25 when Time magazine called The Muppet Show “the most popular television entertainment on earth”. Over 200 million people in a hundred-plus countries tuned in each week to watch the five men perform their iconic puppet characters alongside a who’s who of western entertainment.

Hunt began the 1980s ready to savor his happy ever after. But the decade quickly became a cat-and-mouse game with the AIDS epidemic, which picked off close friends, took his partner, and dangled a sword of Damocles over his own life. Yet Hunt seemingly never lost his signature irreverence, his dream of making “millions of people happy”. Both on and off screen he created a sanctuary of humor that continues to make life better for legions of people the world over. His strong will, hard work and unrelenting fun make his story a wry and engaging twist on the “tragic” AIDS narrative, for any story with Hunt at its center could only be an empowering comedy at heart.

I am established as Hunt’s biographer, having conducted 80 interviews with family members, colleagues such as Frank Oz and Brian Henson, and a broad range of lovers, classmates and friends, in addition to accessing numerous archival materials such as Hunt’s letters and a rare, lengthy interview with him. I have lectured on Hunt across the country, and my research on him has been cited in MSN TV News and the New YorkTimes.

Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography is a fitting biography of a man whose expansive spirit shines through his work. The book is lively and literary, scholarly and silly, elegant and edgy, a snapshot of a vibrant cultural moment, raising questions that remain controversial and relevant. Though his work is phenomenally famous, Hunt himself is curiously invisible – and his story is long overdue.

A few excerpts are also available on her website:

The opening paragraphs

An excerpt from the childhood section

An excerpt from the high school section

For more information about Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography and Jessica Max Stein visit Jessicamaxstein.com. 

Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History Now Available!

As we first reported back in May, Insight Editions' new coffee table book Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History is now available.

You can order your copy from Amazon.