Muppet Stuff: Fun.com Labyrinth Jareth & Loungefly Muppet Animal Mini-Backpacks!

Join me as I take a quick look at Fun.com's new Labyrinth Jareth & Loungefly's Muppet Animal Limited Edition Mini-backpacks.

Be sure to check out more videos on our Youtube Channel.

RIP Michael Gambon (1940-2023)

Michael Gambon who played the role of the StoryTeller in The StoryTeller: Greek Myths has died. 

Gambon provided the voice of the Ultragorgon in The Jim Henson Hour's "Monster Maker" episode, 

and played Sir William McCordle in the film Godsford Park which included digital effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. 

He may be best known to audiences for taking over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. 

Michael Gambon was 82.

Henson Names MGA Master Toy License for Fraggle Rock!

The Jim Henson Company has named MGA Entertainment the Master Toy License for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock as well as the classic Fraggle Rock series.

The agreement includes toys based on the Apple TV+ series as well as sub-licensing opportunities for other product categories.

“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock has introduced a whole new generation to the joyful and hilarious Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs that inhabit Fraggle Rock,” said Chris Lytton, President and COO of The Jim Henson Company. “The show’s themes of embracing empathy, celebrating diversity, and of course dancing your cares away are as relevant today as ever. With a deep understanding of and respect for this iconic Henson property, the creative team at MGA Entertainment are the perfect partners to bring the world of Fraggle Rock to life in toys that fans everywhere will love.”

The initial line of toys from MGA Entertainment will include plush and feature plush based on characters from the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock series. They will be available online and begin to be on shelves in retail stores in Fall 2024 and will be featured throughout the Fall and Holiday seasons. The agreement also includes sub-licensing opportunities for both Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and the classic Fraggle Rock IP with MGA’s brand Little Tikes, and in other categories such as children’s apparel and home, beginning early 2025.

“We are so proud to partner with The Jim Henson Company, the people who have brought smiles, joy, and educational entertainment to millions and millions of children around the world for generations,” said Isaac Larian, Founder and CEO, MGA Entertainment. 

“MGA continues to grow with our own new and existing IP and as the licensee for other important brands. We look forward to bringing new, innovative, and fun toys from the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock series to life.”

MGA Entertainment is one of the largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment properties, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™, Fluffie Stuffiez™ , Na! Na! Na! Surprise™, Micro Games of America™, Baby born® Surprise and Zapf Creation®.

Largest Sesame Street Store in the World Coming to Sesame Place Philadelphia!

The original Sesame Place in Philadelphia is set to open the largest Sesame Street store in the world. 

The 6,800 square feet store will be filled with park exclusive merchandise, souvenirs, plush, and mementos featuring everyone’s favorite furry friends.

The Sesame Place Store enhances the park's entry with architecture and scenic details inspired by iconic locations in Philadelphia and New York, transporting guests into the world of Sesame Street.

Since the store is located before the park's entrance, guests won't need to purchase a ticket to access it. 

The grand opening is scheduled for October 7th, but the day before Season Pass Members will be among the first to shop at the Sesame Place Store with exclusive hours from 12:00pm – 9:00pm. In addition, Season Pass Members will receive a special discount, in addition to their Season Pass discount, exclusively for the Sesame place Store!

On Saturday, October 7, Sesame Place Philadelphia will bring the fun of a classic Philly block party to the park to celebrate the grand opening. Guests can gather at Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Stage for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:00am, followed by a bubble-filled dance party, games, tasty treats, and exclusive giveaways until 1:00pm. The Sesame Place Store will welcome shoppers directly following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Beginning October 8 on non-operating days, the Sesame Place Store hours will be 9:00am-5:00pm. On park operating days, the Sesame Place Store will open at 9:00am and will close one hour after the scheduled park closing time.

“The biggest Sesame Street store isn’t in London, Paris, or Dubai; it’s right outside Philadelphia,” Sesame Workshop EVP, Head of Global Enterprises Whit Higgins said in a press release.

Additionally, guests who visit the store between Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 will receive an exclusive discount.

“Sesame Street is one of the most universally beloved and respected brands today,” Park President of Sesame Place Philadelphia Cathy Valeriano said in a statement. “The Sesame Place team has been hard at work creating this amazing new experience, and we can’t wait to celebrate the opening of this iconic store with our guests.”

You can find more info about the park at Sesame Place.com

Happy Birthday, Jim Henson!

In honor of what would have been Jim Henson’s 87th birthday and the Museum of the Moving Image’s Rowlf centric celebratory program today we present a selection of Rowlf/ Jim clips. 

Rowlf's First Appearance on The Jimmy Dean Show:

   

Muppet Purina Commercials - Rowlf and Baskerville (1962-1963):

 

Rowlf Meets Lassie - The Jimmy Dean Show (12/26/1963):

   

 The Jimmy Dean Show - Rowlf's Flu:

   

 Vintage Jim Henson Commercial - Ideal Toys:

   

 Rowlf The Salesman (1966 IBM Film):

   

 Rowlf - "What a Wonderful World":

 

I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along - Rowlf the Dog and Kermit the Frog (1979):

 

 The Organization of Muppet Dogs (1989):

   

 Jim Henson, Kermit, and Rowlf on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989):

 

The Muppets at Destination D23 2023!

Last weekend Disney held their special Destination D23 convention.

While there weren't any specific Muppet-related announcements, our fuzzy friends did pop up multiple times throughout the panels which, thanks to Attractions Magazine, you can watch below:

In addition to honoring Dave Goelz's 50 years with the Muppets, backstage Walt Disney Imagineering surprised Dave by making him an “Honorary Imagineer."

This honor came with a name tag and hard hat for Dave, with a matching hard hat for Gonzo.

UPDATE: D23 released an official recap of event featuring even more video featuring The Muppets!

Again, while there weren't any Muppet-related announcements, it was nice for Disney to have  the characters representing different aspects of the company.  

Oscar the Grouch Gia Pet!

NECA has new a somewhat bizarre, yet somewhat has us asking "how has this not been done before?" Sesame Street item  - an Oscar the Grouch Chia Pet. 

The Oscar is of course bald in the package, and then you help him grow to resemble our favorite green curmudgeon.

The both the image on the package and the over concept work a lot better then the only only Muppet given the Gia Pet treatment so far - Kermit. Which would have worked better had it be billed as "If you can't beat em', join em'" Kermit from The Muppets Take Manhattan. 

You can preorder the Oscar the Grouch Gia Pet from Toy Wiz, which should begin shipping in October. 

A Jim Henson Birthday Celebration: Jimmy Dean & Rowlf’s 60th Anniversary!

Sunday marks what would have been Jim Henson's 87th Birthday. To celebrate, the Museum of the Moving Image is hosting a new compilation of Rowlf's appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show. 

A Jim Henson Birthday Celebration: Jimmy Dean & Rowlf’s 60th Anniversary

In 1963, The Jimmy Dean Show premiered on ABC-TV and a new comedy team was born: Jimmy Dean and his “hound dog buddy” Rowlf (performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz). Originally designed by Henson and built by Don Salhlin for a Purina Dog Food commercial, Rowlf made weekly appearances alongside Jimmy Dean throughout the show’s three season run, eventually garnering more fan mail than the popular country singer and becoming the first major Muppet star on network television. We’ll celebrate the 60th anniversary of Rowlf’s Jimmy Dean Show debut with a brand-new compilation of clips from the show, including some rare commercials featuring Jimmy and Rowlf.

Sunday, Sep 24, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Shout! Releasing Farscape 25th Anniversary Blu-ray!

Shout! is releasing a Farscape Blu-ray box set celebrating the show's 25th Anniversary.

The 22-disc set will include all 88 episodes, the Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars miniseries, and hours of new and previously released extras.

For those unfamiliar with the series:

John Crichton. Astronaut. Flung through a wormhole and lost in a galaxy far from home. He finds himself in the middle of a prison break, surrounded by hostile aliens, soaring through space inside a glorious living spaceship called Moya. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with his unimaginably alien fellow refugees and searches for a way home. So begins the epic sci-fi classic Farscape.

 A fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, Farscape features mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters all brought to life by the creative minds at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

 

Extras include:

• NEW “A Look Back At Farscape” With Executive Producer Brian Henson And Series Creator/Writer Rockne O’Bannon, Hosted By Adam Savage
• 30 Audio Commentaries
• “Memories Of Moya” Retrospective Documentary
• “In The Beginning: A Look Back With Brian Henson”
• “Making Of A Space Opera”
• “Farscape Undressed”
• Composer Guy Gross Discusses The Season Three Theme
• Season 3: A Look Back
• “Zhaan Forever” With Virginia Hey
• “Farscape: The Story So Far”
• Three “Inside Farscape” Featurettes: “Villains,” “Visual Effects,” And “Save Farscape”
• Twelve “Listening In With Composer Guy Gross” Featurettes: “The Way We Weren’t,” “My Three Crichtons,” “The Locket,” “Die Me, Dichotomy,” “Eat Me,” “Revenging Angel,” “The Choice,” “Into The Lion’s Den, Part II: Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing,” “Crichton Kicks,” “John Quixote,” “Terra Firma,” And “Bad Timing.”
• Deleted Scenes, Director’s Cut Scenes, And An Alternate Version Of The Season Two Premiere
• Behind-The-Scenes Interviews With The Characters, Cast, And Creative Team Of Farscape: Jonathan Hardy, Lani John Topu, David Franklin, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Ben Browder, Wayne Pygram, Gigi Edgley, Rebecca Riggs, Paul Goddard
• Video Profiles: Creator/Executive Producer Rockne O’Bannon And Executive Producer/Writer David Kemper
• Season 2 Bloopers
• Original TV Promos

Fans who order from the ShoutFactory.com store can receive an exclusive bundle of the Blu-ray set with a limited-edition 18×24-inch poster featuring a newly illustrated design by artist Joe Corroney, and three 2.5×3.5-inch retro prism stickers featuring artwork by Matthew Skiff.

In addition, ShoutFactory.com and Gutter Garbs have teamed to create the official Farscape Collectible Enamel Pin Set, exclusive to ShoutFactory.com and limited to 500 units. The set includes five enamel pins and a 6×5-inch backer card, with art by Matthew Skiff.

The Farscape 25th Anniversary Blu-ray set will be released November 21st and can be preordered from ShoutFactory.com and Amazon. 

Muppet Stuff Presents Long Videos For Shorter Attentions!

We noticed that our longer video weren't getting as many views as our shorter ones, so we decide to add multiple part versions for some of those longer videos.

This way you can watch them one part at a time, or all at once.

Our first multipart video is from my conversation with Chris O'Connor as we discuss our trips to "The Great Con-Junction" in Los Angeles & The Muppet Christmas Carol 30th Anniversary D23 Event in New York City!

Part 1:

   

 Part 2:

   

 Part 3:

   

 Part 4:

 

and of course there's the original full length version as well:

Be sure to check out more videos on our Youtube Channel.

Kidrobot Gonzo Window Clinger & Plush!

Gonzo is joining Kermit and Fozzie in Kidrobot's line of plush and window clingers.

Gonzo Window Clinger:

The Muppets’ renowned daredevil and performance artist Gonzo the Great plush is now ready to complete his most thrilling act yet... sticking to any window or smooth surface! Wearing his costume, cape, and safety goggles, the Gonzo Window Clinger by Kidrobot is 6” tall and comes equipped with four sturdy suction cups.

The Gonzo the Great Phunny Plush is 7.5” tall and also features the daredevil wearing goggles and a cape.  

You can preorder Kidrobot's Gonzo Window Clinger and Phunny Plush at Kidrobot using the links above.

Sesame Street Fan Youtube Channel!

Over the weekend Sesame Street launched a new YouTube channel aimed at "fans" of classic clips from the show. 

The Sesame Street Fan channel currently has playlist focusing on:

• Classic Sesame Street Songs
• Sesame Street Character Moments!
• Moments from the Decades!
• Classic Sesame Street Animation
• Parodies on Sesame Street

You can watch all the classic clips at the links above at the Sesame Street Fan channel on YouTube. 

Muppet Stuff - Retro Con 2022 Haul!

Join me as I look thorough a mystery box of donations as well my pick ups from Retro Con 2022.

Watch Cinema Sickness and I search the con. 

More info about Retro Con here.

Cinema Sickness and I will be at Retro Con this weekend, Sept 9th -10th in Oaks, PA. 

Stop by and say hi!

Be sure to check out more videos on our Youtube Channel.

The Storyteller Augment Reality Pop-Up Book!

Canadian production company Felix & Paul Studios has made an augment reality pop-up book based Jim Henson's The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens.

Enter a realm of enchantment with Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens, an augmented reality pop-up book that draws from advancements in AR to transport you to the heart of a timeless tale narrated by award-winning author Neil Gaiman.

The magic of the fairy tale classic is reimagined through cutting-edge technology, creating a spellbinding experience that transcends traditional storytelling. Captivating visuals and interactive elements merge to bring the story to life.

 

You can watch a trailer showing how the story comes to life below:

CNET has more on this including this paragraph on when you can experience it for yourself.

The Magic Leap-based Storyteller experience was created five years ago and was intended to debut back in 2020. It was delayed because of the pandemic and because Magic Leap changed its path, shifting from creative-focused experiments to a business-targeted relaunch.

 The Storyteller experience emerged from the ashes to launch at the Venice Film Festival, but Felix & Paul Studios' co-founder, Paul Raphael, now sees the experience as being a stepping stone to making an actual book product for headsets sometime soon, possibly even for mixed-reality devices like Apple's Vision Pro or the Meta Quest 3.

Thanks to Lorna Mitchell for the info. 

Sneak Preview of Upcoming Muppet Pins!

Disney Pins Blog attended the Magic Hap-Pins 2023 pin event at Coronado Springs Resort and among the assortment of upcoming Disney pins were a few featuring The Muppets.

Three pins feature animated versions Animal with his drum set, Kermit with his banjo, and Miss Piggy with her dressing room mirror. While a fourth featured Fozzie and Kermit with The Muppets logo.


No release date was given, but I think we can expect to se them released before the end of the year.


You can watch the entire preview video below.

Thanks to Lorna Mitchell for the info.

FUN.com Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Shoes!

FUN.com has a pair of Dark Crystal & Labyrinth shoes.

The Dark Crystal shoe feature a fuzzy Fizzgig on the tongue, with Skeksis and Gelflings on the sides. 

The Labyrinth shoe has one of the iconic movie poster images on the sides of the shoes.

You can purchase them using the links below:

Dark Crystal Shoe: https://www.fun.com/the-dark-crystal-skeksis-high-top-shoes.html

Labyrinth Shoe: https://www.fun.com/labyrinth-shoe.html

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day, or today as we're calling it La-BO-Day, as we salute The Muppets second custodian, handyman, and sometime taxi driver, Beauregard!

 

RIP Jimmy Buffett (1946 - 2023)

Tropical rocker Jimmy Buffett has died. 

Best known for his 70's hits "Margaritaville", "Volcano", and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" with a large fan base of  followers known as "Parrotheads."

The singer songwriter sang "Mr. Spaceman with with Gonzo and Rizzo on Kermit Unpigged,

and performed "Caribbean Amphibian" with Kermit on Elmopalooza.

You can read more about his life at Variety. 

Jimmy Buffett was 76.

Exclusive Loungefly Animal Mini Backpack!

Loungelfly has new Mini Backpack featuring Animal and it's being released TODAY!

The mini backpack will be exclusively available through Your WDW Store beginning at 12pm EST. 

Below is the official description:

It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights, It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight!It's time to put on makeup, It's time to dress up right, It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight!

Waldorf: Why do we always come here

Statler: I guess we'll never know

Waldorf: It's like a kind of torture

Both: To have to watch the show

Kermit: It's time to introduce our guest star, That's what I'm here to do!

So it really makes me happy, To introduce to you...

ANIMAL!!!!!!!! AN-IM-MAL!!! Ya-Ya-Ya-Ya!

This mini-backpack is made of faux leather, has a top zipper closure, adjustable shoulder straps, side pockets, sturdy gunmetal colored hardware, matching themed lining, and features a zipper pull charm, applique, embroidered, debossed, and printed details.

It measures approximately 9”W x 10.5”H x 4.5”D. (Please note: width is measured across the bottom of the bag.)

Price: $90.00

Note: THERE WILL BE A STRICT LIMIT OF 2 PER ADDRESS. ANY EXTRAS WILL BE CANCELED.

You can order the Loungefly Animal Mini Backpack at Your WDW Store beginning at 12pm EST.