New York Comic Con is about to get a little more Muppetattional as they've invited a few Muppet performers as guests.
Every year NYCC gets some big celebrities and while this year's list is very long and impressive, as the following names will sure bring a surge of excitement to Muppet fans.
Muppet performers Matt Vogel, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and legendary Muppet builder Bonnie Erickson are all scheduled as guests.
But that’s not all, Muppet comic strip artist, Guy Gilchrist will have a booth in Artist Alley.
The rumors circulation around the web about the possibility of The Muppet Show returning have been CONFIREMED to indeed be true!
Disney and The Muppets posted the following on their social media platforms:
It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to get things started as The Muppet Show returns for a triumphant event on Disney+ in 2026 with special guest star Sabrina Carpenter!
This brand-new installment from The Muppets Studio and Point Grey Pictures will feature Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and the gang as they return to the Muppet Theatre to put on a variety show filled with music, comedy, and plenty of chaos.
Now, before you get your hopes and expectation too high, so far this is being labeled as an "Event" special and not a full series.
The Muppet Show will return in 2026 as a Disney+ special starring (and executive produced by) Sabrina Carpenter — next year marks the 50th anniversary of the original variety series. The hope is for the Muppet Show special to serve as a backdoor pilot for a new season of the iconic series that debuted in the ‘70s.
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee will executive produce the special for Point Grey Pictures. David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach executive produce for The Muppets Studio.
Albertina Rizzo will write and executive produce; Alex Timbers will direct and executive produce. Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson are also executive producers. Longtime Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman and Matt Vogel will all perform their classic characters.
Very exciting news, let's hope this The Muppet Show special becomes a full on revival of the series!
To celebrate Jim Henson's birthday, his alma mater, The University of Maryland, is hosting a lecture with Kermit the Frog.
To honor the life and legacy of distinguished alum Jim Henson ’60, the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) presents a special evening with “the world’s most famous amphibian,” Kermit.
Created by Henson in 1955, Kermit the Frog is a global icon of kindness, positivity, humor and heart. As Henson’s signature Muppet, Kermit starred in Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and numerous films and TV specials, always embodying his creator’s gentle wisdom and creativity.
At UMD, Kermit will be joined by Muppet performer Matt Vogel, along with ARHU Dean Stephanie Shonekan, for a vibrant evening of conversation, reflection and celebration featuring musical performances by students, faculty and members of the community—and of course by Kermit himself.
A signature event of ARHU, this event is co-sponsored by the Arts for All initiative with support from the American Banjo Museum, and created in partnership with the UMD School of Music and the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.
A Q&A will be included.
Tickets and info here. Tickets are free but registration is required.
In case you've missed the past few episodes of their show ,The Barretta Brothers have recently welcomed Muppet performers and guest stars Julianne Buescher, Alice Dinnean, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Ricky Gervais, Matt Vogel and Bobby Moynihan!
Check them out below:
Live Q&A #01 with Julianne Buescher and Alice Dinnean:
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph:
Ricky Gervais and Matt Vogel:
Bobby Moynihan:
You can these episodes and more on the The Barretta Brothers Youtube channel.
Matt Vogel's new podcast Below The Frame with Matt Vogel premieres Wednesday.
Matt announced today that not only will episode 1 be available Wednesday, but episodes 2 and 3 as well. Guests include:
Episode 1: Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Episode 2: Peter Linz Episode 3: Carmen Osbahr In the premiere episode, Matt will also talk about "Arm Rods"/Not Puppets" and Martin P. Robinson will share a non-Muppet related story.
Sesame Street began filming their 50th(!!) season last week and with it came a brand new episode of Below The Frame.
The entire episode is a tribute to Caroll Spinney who retired from the show.
Matt Vogel mentioned that the powers that be at Sesame Workshop allowed him to share three clips from Caroll Spinney's retirement party... and here they are!
Last night was "Disney Night" on ABC's Dancing With The Stars. The contestants two-stepped to a trove of familiar Disney tunes from Steamboat Willie to the upcoming Coco. They even overlaid a few of the animated characters into the performances and practice videos which was a nice touch.
The one Disney star actually in attendance was Kermit the frog himself. Kermit made taped appearances throughout the episode, then hopped behind the judges table to watch Drew Scott and Emma Slater waltz to "The Rainbow Connection."
You can see their dance below, which Kermit gave a unofficial "10."
The dance even saved the couple from being eliminated and the song itself was so beautifully reworked its a shame it was so short. Disney should seriously consider releasing a full length version.
There was much also much more Kermit in this episode then just in this brief video and we'll update this post as more come online.
As a side note, this was Matt Vogel's first prime time appearance as Kermit.Overall it was really good, though I think he Matt could use a bit more enthusiasm in his "yeeeaaaahhss."
The long awaited "Muppet Thought of The Week" featuring Matt Vogel's debut as Kermit is finally here!
After being delayed almost a month, presumably to wait until the media frenzy/ fan fury over Steve Whitmire's firing subsided, today The Muppets released the first "Muppet Thought of The Week" featuring Kermit.
Why they didn't just use videos featuring different characters is a bit of a mystery. Anyway without further ado here's this week's "Muppet Thought of The Week"...
Hmmmm. While it may grow on me, so far it sounds similar to the poor imitation Kermit we got at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009. It's a shame because Matt's nailed all the other characters he inherited.
As a comparison, let's take a look at Kermit's evolution.
Here is an early appearance of Kermit on Sam & friends (1955):
Kermit as he appeared in the first season of Sesame Street in 1969:
Kermit and Jim Henson on The Dick Cavet Show in 1971 (10:16 mark):
Henson's Kermit in 1979's The Muppet Movie:
Jim Henson performing Kermit for the last time on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1990:
Steve Whitmire's first performance as Kermit later that year in The Muppets Celebarte Jim Henson (5:09 mark):
Whitmire's Kermit in 2011's "The Muppets":
and finally Steve Whitmire's last performance as Kermit at the Vulture fest last May:
Our friends at ToughPigsand The Muppet Mindset (thanks for reaching out to us BTW) have finally put to rest the rumors that have been swirling around the Muppet fan community for months:
Steve Whitmire is "No longer working with the Muppets."
That is the statement they received from the folks at Disney when asked.
We here at Muppet Stuff heard this a few months ago from a VERY reliable source. Despite the growing concern among fans, we were politely asked to keep it quiet.
Steve Whitmire and I in 2002
It looks like the cat (or frog) is now out of the bag. While we won't get into the details we heard - let's consider them office gossip and not worthy of our time - it still comes as a shock.
We, like the rest of you were still holding out hope that this was merely a rumor, temporary, or just a matter of scheduling and convenience.
The news to us, is that instead of hiring a new performing or elevating the ranks of a current assistant puppeteer, Matt Vogel will be Kermit the Frog's new right hand man. We'll also get to see the first footage of Matt's as Kermit in next week's “Muppets Thought of the Week” video.
Whitmire had been with The Muppets since the third season of The Muppet Show where he originated the roles of Rizzo and Lips. Hewas personally selected to take over Kermit after Jim Henson passed away in 1990.
Steve recently also stepped down from his role as Ernie on Sesame Street where he was replaced by Billy Barkhurst.
There's no word yet on replacements on Whitmire's other characters or if he will work with The Henson company on their much delayed Fraggle Rock feature film.
We wish Steve all the best. He's been a great steward of Kermit and all characters he's played with The Muppets for the last 40 years.
Check out these recent videos of Matt's great work performing everyone's favorite new Muppet Constantine as well as carrying on the tradition of performing Floyd.
