Universal Studios Hollywood Announces New Dungeons & Dragons Experience With Henson Creatures!

Jim Henson's Creature Shop is bringing to life a classic Dungeons & Dragons character for a new limited attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. 

Xanathar, the larger-than-life floating head with tentacle eyes and his beloved goldfish Sylgar, will be brought to life by the Creature Shop, for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep.

The attraction is part of Universal Fan Fest Nights, a brand-new immersive experience, kicking off April 25.

According to the official description fans will "join fellow Harpers on a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS quest to save Waterdeep from the clutches of the notorious beholder, Xanathar the Beholder, in the in-world action-packed DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep."

The event will take place on select nights: April 25–27, May 2–4, 9–11, and 15–18, 2025. Guests can look forward to themed culinary creations from Executive Chef Julia Thrash, exclusive merchandise, cosplay, and immersive experiences across a variety of popular franchises, including Star Trek, Back to the Future, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Wicked, Harry Potter, and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™.

Tickets and information about Universal Fan Fest Nights can be found here. 

Information about the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep experiance can be found here.

National Day of Puppetry Festival at the Abington Art Center!

We're thrilled to be a part of the Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild’s inaugural National Day of Puppetry Festival.

The Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild’s FIRST-EVER National Day of Puppetry Festival at the Abington Art Center focusing on connection, creativity, and community.

The festival will include demonstrations, workshops, performances, and puppet venders. We'll be there with a bunch of Muppet and puppet related items for sale.

This all-day event includes a vibrant lineup of puppet shows, hands-on workshops, puppet-building, a puppet film festival, and more. From morning until night, the art center will be alive with puppets in every corner — onstage, on film, in motion, and even on parade.

Below is a schedule of events and performances:

Vendor's Row (9:30 AM – 4:30 PM): Puppets, art, and handmade delights 

● Opening Ceremony (10:00 AM) 

● Live Shows All Day! Including: 

○ Puppet Club Zoo (10:15 AM) 

○ Makin’ BreakFAST (10:45 AM) 

○ The Magic Pot with Digger & David (12:10 PM) 

○ Some Bunny to Love (1:30 PM) 

○ Billy Goats Gruff’kin (2:30 PM) 

○ The TRUE Story of the 3 Little Pigs (3:00 PM) 

○ OVERSOULED (3:15 PM – Ages 16+) 

● Film Festival of Puppet Shorts (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM) 

● Hands-On Workshops: 

○ By A String with Gabriel Hazuda (11:00 AM – Ticketed) 

○ Recycled Rod Puppets (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM) 

○ Stop Motion Puppetry Animation (2:30 PM – 4:00 PM) 

● Food Vendors: FlatBelly Veg & Jillan Bakes (11:30 AM – 6:00 PM) 

● Puppet Parade (4:20 PM) 

● Closing Ceremony (4:30 PM) 

● Evening Events: 

○ Pre-Slam Social (6:00 PM) 

○ Just * Do It – Adult Puppet Slam (7:00 PM – Ticketed)

Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM 

Abington Art Center – 515 Meetinghouse Rd, Jenkintown, PA 

Tickets Required 

Get 20% Off All Day Tickets til 4/24 - Use PROMO CODE at Checkout: NDP20%OFF

https://www.greaterphillypuppetryguild.org/event-details/gpapgs-national-day-of-puppetry-celebration

More Info: greaterphillypuppetryguild.org and be sure to follow @GPAPG and @AbingtonArtCenter on Instagram. 

Celebrate Sesame Place’s 45th Birthday!

Sesame Place turns 45 this year and the park is inviting you to celebrate!

Sesame Place’s 45th Birthday Celebration kicks off Saturday, April 26th featuring furry birthday fun all spring and summer long. The park will be adorned with bright balloons, colorful garland, fabulous birthday presents, and more fun décor! Fan-favorite entertainment across the park will be transformed with birthday-themed twists, including the return of the spectacular, fan favorite Sesame Street Birthday Parade. 

This colorful, musical, and show-stopping parade will get the whole family dancing with contemporary and classic Sesame Street tunes, showstopping performances, and an interactive birthday song. “It’s an incredible honor to create lasting memories every single day for our guests,” said Cathy Valeriano, Park President of Sesame Place Philadelphia. “Our park has transformed so much over the past 45 years, but our love for Sesame Street and dedication to our guests has never changed. We’re so excited to celebrate with more special events and surprises coming up next season!” 

You can pick up your FREE Sesame Street Birthday Party hat, balloon, and party favors inside the park on Saturday near the Sunny Day Carousel when the park opens at 10am. And FREE birthday-themed stickers will be available at the Sesame Place Store or Mr. Hooper's Gift Shop all day.

Then our favorite furry friends will have a very special performance to start the party and kick off the 45th Birthday Celebration at 10:30am at Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Stage.

There will also be birthday themed arts & crafts​, party games, and Season Pass Members can go to the Sesame Place Party Room to receive a Sesame Street-themed pencil!

For more information and tickets head over to Sesame Place's website.

Muppet Stuff - Toy Fair 2025!

In our latest video, we scour Toy Fair at the Javits Center in New York City, for all the latest news and get a look at the upcoming toys featuring our favorite characters from The Muppets, Sesame Street, and other Jim Henson productions. 

You read more about our trip to NY Toy Fair here. 

Be sure to check out even more videos on our Youtube channel.

Coming Soon "A Very Fraggle Holiday" Book!

"A Very Fraggle Holiday," a new activity-filled storybook adaption of the Fraggle Rock: Back to Rock episode “Night of the Lights” will be released this fall. 

It’s the Night of the Lights at Fraggle Rock, and all the Fraggles are excited for the night’s festivities. The Ceremonial Lights are lit, Boober’s root cake is served, and each Fraggle makes a wish. Everyone keeps their wish a secret, except Wembley who wants to see the biggest, most special light ever! And so begins the night’s adventure down unknown tunnels, past the Gorgs, and into the dark where the Fraggles get lost! Will they find their way home and catch the biggest, most special lights?

"A Very Fraggle Holiday"  will be released October 28th and can be pre-ordered form Amazon.  

Note: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Bryan O’Connell Joins The Jim Henson Company As VP Children’s Television!

The Jim Henson Company has appointed Bryan O’Connell as Vice President of Children’s Television. 

A seasoned industry executive, O’Connell most recently held the position of Director of Development at Disney Jr. In his new role, he will lead the creative development of a dynamic lineup of children’s programming, including both animated and live-action series such as The Kissing Hand and Monster Mix, along with reimaginings of beloved classics Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train.

O’Connell becomes part of the Creative Affairs team at The Jim Henson Company, working alongside Tara Billik (VP of Feature Films), Delaney Shiokari (VP of Primetime Television), and Tim O’Brien (Production Executive). The team also includes in-house producers John Tartaglia, who serves as Creative Supervisor for Fraggle Rock, and Halle Stanford, Co-Creator of the upcoming series Wowsabout. Brian Henson and Vince Raisa of Brian Henson Productions continue to develop a robust slate of film and TV projects under the Company’s banner.

Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, shared her enthusiasm about the new addition:“I have had the pleasure of working with Bryan over several years. It is clear he has a deep understanding of and respect for creating engaging and entertaining content for children. Whether it be wholly new worlds yet to be discovered, or the beloved legacy worlds our audiences know and love, Bryan will be managing an ambitious and exciting slate of shows for our next generation of fans,” said Lisa Henson.

Bryan O’Connell said, “As a longtime admirer of The Jim Henson Company and its iconic properties, I have appreciated the Company’s universal appeal and enduring productions that have spanned generations. Stepping into this new role, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop a slate of live action and animated children’s projects, drawing from a global community of creators and artists that share my commitment to continue and expand this legacy of creating entertaining and impactful content for kids around the world.”

Before joining The Jim Henson Company, O’Connell spent a decade at The Walt Disney Company, contributing across Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Most recently, he led development efforts at Disney Jr., guiding the creation of numerous series, shorts, and specials for the preschool audience. He also collaborated closely with Disney’s franchise division to extend properties into merchandise and live events. His earlier experience includes roles at Silvergate Media, Sprout, Illumination, DreamWorks, and Sesame Workshop.

Premium Collectibles Studio - "PCS" - Teases Kermit Statue!

Premium Collectibles Studio, also known by the acronym "PCS", teased on social media that they might be making a new statue of Kermit.

The post might be a little cryptic, but see if you can figure out the mystery item:

 "Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection…"

A little nostalgia, a little mystery. Can you guess what’s coming?  

 

A real head scratcher for sure!

OK, while it's pretty obvious a Kermit statue - presumably on a log playing his banjo - is on the way, we don't yet know any specifics or details.

Below is an example of their 1:1 scale model of the Henson Creature Shop Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles coming out of the sewer as seen on the poster for the original Turtles film.

At $2,5000, that statue isn't cheap, nor is anything else on their site, so whatever Kermit related item is coming expect it to be incredibly detailed, but not cheap.

We'll keep you posted and when more Info is reveled, but in the meantime, you can see the rest of their items at https://collectpcs.com/.

RIP "Teeny Little Super Guy" Animater Paul Fierlinger (1936 - 2025)

Paul Fierlinger, who animated the "Teeny Super Guy" shorts on Sesame Street, has passed away.

Fierlinger had a extensive career and earned three Peabody Awards for Still Life With Animated Dogs (2000) and A Room Nearby (2003), and was nominated for an Oscar for It’s So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House.

Fierlinger produced segments for Sesame Street and The Electric Company featuring letters, numbers, and more, but it was the “Teeny Little Super Guy,” segments that became an iconic contributions to children’s programming.

The superhero drawn on a cup and household objects became a standout character and has been adored by generations. 

Watch animator Tom Sloan demonstrate how the "Teeny Little Super Guy" shorts were made and a few Fierlinger other Sesame and Electric Company shorts below:

 

You can read more about Paul Fierlinger's life and work at CartoonBrew. 

Paul Fierlinger was 89.

Slushcult Unveils New Line of "Fraggle Rock" Grom Fingerboards!

Slushcult has a new line of Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboards.

Slushcult has just dropped a new line that’s sure to thrill Fraggle fans and fingerboarding enthusiasts.

Introducing the Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboards, a collaboration that brings the whimsical world of Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock to the miniature, high-speed world of fingerboarding.

Each board in the Fraggle Rock collection is designed with younger riders (or "groms") in mind, making them easy to handle, smooth to ride, and designed for both beginners and seasoned fingerboarding pros. The boards are made from high-quality maple wood, ensuring they are durable enough for all types of tricks, while still being lightweight enough for quick flips and spins.

The line includes:

Slushcult x Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboard Complete - Gobo

Slushcult x Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboard Complete - Red

Slushcult x Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboard Complete - Surprize!

Slushcult x Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboard Complete - Holding Hands

Slushcult x Fraggle Rock Grom Fingerboard Complete - Doozers

Specs:

• 34mm x 98mm
• Twin Tail Popsicle Shape
• Medium Concave / Medium Kicks
• Single Axel Metal Trucks
• Polyurethane Wheels With Real Bearings
• 2 Sheets Of Foam Tape Included
• Fingerboard Tool Included
• Pre-Assembled In Box, You Just Have To Grip It!

Slushcult's limited-edition Fraggle Rock Grom fingerboards are available now on Slushcult’s official website and using the links above.

Muppet Stuff - Pick 5 with Dave!

Join us as my guest, Dave (@RetroRestStop) takes us on a special tour of the Muppet Stuff Museum!

In this video, Dave selects 5 items from the museum's collection and together, we'll explore the history, behind each piece.

Follow Retro Rest Stop on Youtube

Be sure to check out even more videos on our Youtube channel.

Hallmark Reveals 2025 Muppet and Sesame Street Ornaments!

Hallmark’s new Dream Book was released this week and in it are photos of this year’s Muppet and Sesame Street ornaments.

As you can see for this year's Muppet ornament we’re not just getting Kermit playing his banjo on a log - but an signing ANIMATED Kermit sitting on a log playing "Rainbow Connection" on his banjo.

Hallmark's Sesame Street ornament is also playing it a bit safe with yet another Elmo ornament, this time featuring the little red monster ice skating.

Both will be available in Hallmark's first wave of ornaments in July.

Thanks to John Papovitch for the heads up! 

Henson Launches New Online Shop!

 The Jim Henson Company launched an official online store this week.

shop.henson.com launched this week featuring products from The Dark Crystal, Farscape, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and The Jim Henson Signature Collection.

So far the items offered are mainly printed goods like stickers, mugs, shirts, and pillows, with coasters being the first featured items. 

I'm not sure, but many seem to be print on demand items.

We're told more collections and items will be added in the coming weeks, including "licensed products that will be accessible to Company’s dedicated global fandom."

To promote the launch a collection of parody ads premiered on the Henson Company’s social media accounts which you can watch HERE, HERE, and HERE and below.

 “Our fans all over the world have wanted one definitive place for merchandise from our most beloved properties and shop.Henson.com gives them a wide selection of high-quality, exclusive products they will love,” said Nicole Goldman, Executive Vice President of Branding at The Jim Henson Company. “Encompassing apparel, accessories, housewares, collectibles and more, shop.Henson.com welcomes fans of The Dark Crystal, Farscape, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and of course Jim Henson himself, to discover their new favorite must-have item.”

Hopefully we'll get some Henson Company branded merchandise and access to any extra cast and crew items. That me be a bit of a stretch, but one can hope!

You can order all the goods at shop.henson.com