Amazon & Henson Develop Series Based on Froud’s "Faeries"!

According to Variety, "Amazon MGM Studios and The Jim Henson Company are teaming up to develop a series based on the work of Brian and Wendy Froud."

With the working title of “Faerie,” the series is described as a “modern Henson family adventure set in the magical world of Brian & Wendy Froud’s Faeries.”

The official series description states: “When the Faeries kidnap an unsuspecting father, his family must venture into the Faerie realm to rescue him. Through their journey, they will discover their inner strength and unique potential, challenging the expectations that the human world has put upon them. At its core, Faerie is a story of perseverance and the strength of a family’s love, filled with magic, adventure, and self-discovery at every age.”

It's family affair as Brian, Wendy, and their son, Toby will executive produce the project along with the Henson Company.

The Frouds have a long history with Henson. The couple met while working as designers on  The Dark Crystal and went onto work on Labyrinth and the Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Wendy also worked on The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, and fabricated the Yoda puppet for The Empire Strikes Back. 

Brian’s other credits include the Henson series The Storyteller. 

Outside of their screen work, Wendy’s other projects include illustrating the three books “A Midsummer Night’s Faerytale,” “The Winter Child,” and “The Faeries of Spring Cottage” by Terri Windling. 

Brian first published the  book “Faeries” in 1978 with Alan Lee and his concept art was featured in the companion book “The World of the Dark Crystal.”

His artwork serves as the basis for the “Faerielands” book series.

Henson Working on Adventure Series with Norman Reedus and the Frouds!

The Jim Henson Company is working on a new adventure series that will team Walking Dead star Norman Reedus with Brian and Wendy Froud.

Intended for a family audience, the primetime adventure series, will feature an entirely new universe of creatures created by the Frouds.

“Norman Reedus, the Frouds and the Jim Henson Company coming together to create a show is the mashup of my dreams,” said president of TV at The Jim Henson Company, Halle Stanford. “Norman is an artist, and when I suggested to him, what if we create a series with the Frounds together that explores his love of magical creatures, he was so excited.”

Reedus calls that “an understatement. They are masters in the fantasy world-building space. I mean, a show about goblins, trolls and otherworldly creatures? There’s nobody in the universe better suited for that than the Henson Company.”

“We want to make hope cool it is an urban fantasy. It will be a magical world. But I feel like Norman is going to help us bring the ‘punk’ back in ‘hope punk.’ I also think that people kind of like that punk in Henson’s legacy. The Muppets were the underdogs, our Labyrinth Goblin King with David Bowie was so cool…"

“When you say ‘Jim Henson,’ it invokes something in people,” she adds. “So I’m hoping those that felt inspired by him, like Norman Reedus, will look to us as a new home to create these types of stories that are transformative and entertaining, and having something to say, but also wanting to kind of push the medium of television.”

Stanford also talked to Variety about other Henson projects including Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Harriet the Spy, Word Party, and The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance.

“I just definitely felt the world needed more Fraggles. We needed more hope right now in the world,” says Stanford, who has clocked nearly 25 years at the company via various stints there. “We did a lot of talking to kids and teachers and parents, and we came up with a lot of topics that you can see them in the show. A lot having to do with science, and talking about sustainability, social justice and repairing problems that we create. We have a lot of conversation about identity. We discovered there’s a lot of anxiety in children.

“It feels so true to Fraggle Rock as it’s made by fans,” she adds. “They were very aware of how we had to transform it for a modern-day audience, not just with the topics we’re talking about, but the sophistication of comedy, the way that it’s filmed, making it exciting.”

Even though Netflix canceled The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance, Stanford hasn’t given up on figuring out a new way into that franchise.

“We are nimble, we are resilient. We are ready to jump. The minute anyone would like to jump back into Thra, it is a world that we will continue to build on and think about,” she added that the Henson Company is eager to expand further into family-oriented primetime fare in fantasy and science fiction. 

FaerieCon 2018!

The other weekend I took a trip to huntsville Maryland to check out Faerie Con. I had heard of the con before, but it didn't really appeal to me, that is until this year, when the theme was The Dark Crystal.  

 

Many booths had recently released Dark Crystal merchandise, including some Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and Storyteller items.

While there was good amount of official products, the con itself had much more handmade items. 

These Labyrinth and Dark Crystal inspired stained glass items were made by RockCrest glass owner Susan Humphrey.

She made this stained glass Jareth during the weekend of the show and people would stop in to check on the progress. 

Minds Eye Creation, another artist booth, created this extremely detailed Aughra mask.

It wasn't all crafts though. the con had a few celebrity guests as well. Caseen Gaines, author of The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History, was there promoting his books as well as Dark Crystal Tales illustrator and author Cory Godbey, Shadows of the Dark Crystal and Song of the Dark Crystal author J.M. Lee, and Wendy and Toby Froud! All were there for the fans and graciously signed items for free. 

Photo courtesy of Caseen Gaines

Wendy had a few of her amazing hand made troll and fairies for sale. 

Throughout the weekend, there were numerous panels discussing the film, puppetry, and the upcoming Netflix series. 

Toby Froud talking to a packed house about The Dark Crystal .

Caseen Gaines, Cory Godbey, and J.M. Lee  also participated in a panel about writing and illustrating both your own works and someone else's creations. 

One of the panel rooms included a display of fan Amy Baker's memorabilia. 

The con was small, especially after attending recent shows like NYCC, but it had a lot of interesting things to see as well as fun activities for kids. If you're into fantasy worlds and near Baltimore, I would recommend checking the con out. I'm hoping the do a Labyrinth themed version soon!

The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History Now Available!

The long awaited The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual hits books store shelves today. 

Caseen Gaines' in depth chronicle of the  making of The Dark Crystal features an introduction by Brian and Wendy Froud and a foreword by Cheryl Henson. 

Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History is the definitive collection of rare artwork, interviews, and on-set photos from the beloved Jim Henson fantasy classic.

A true masterpiece brought to life by the ingenious puppetry and peerless storytelling of Jim Henson, Dark Crystal is revered by an entire generation of fans. For the first time, this deluxe and highly comprehensive book tells the complete story of this deeply personal Henson project, highlighting the unique creative journey and groundbreaking techniques that brought the film to the screen. Drawing from unseen archive interviews with Jim Henson and new interviews with the film’s behind-the-scenes creative team, Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History leaves no stone unturned in chronicling the entire production, from the initial concept based on themes close to Henson’s heart to the ingenious conceptual design, puppet construction, and logistics of the shoot itself. The book also delves into the wider world of Dark Crystal, exploring the creation of comics, novels, and other official projects inspired by the film. 

This deluxe coffee-table book contains an in-depth look at the day-to-day production of the film and showcases a huge range of incredible visuals, including candid set photography, previously unseen concept art, storyboards, production notes, and more. The book also features a plethora of amazing removable items, such as script pages, notes and sketches from Henson, and other unique treasures. Definitive, enthralling, and revelatory, Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History is the last word on an enduring modern classic and the book that fans of the film have been waiting for.

 

Caseen Gaines will be joined by Cheryl Henson tomorrow evening at Barnes & Noble Tribeca to talk everything Dark Crystal, Henson, and Muppets and sign copies of the book. 

Want a signed copy of your very own, but can't make it to New York? Caseen was gracious enough to have a few copies signed by Cheryl Henson and himself available through his facebook page.  

Otherwise, the book is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and at a book store near you.