Throwback Thursday: New Viral Videos!

Last week two very different Muppet viral videos made their debut:

The first, a new 4th of July video from The Muppets:

The second, is a mash-up by "Mylothecat" combing scene from Follow That Bird with the Beastie Boys' Sabotage. 

It's kind of sad that at that time of this writing the unofficial mashup has over 1 million views, while the official Muppet video has only slightly more the 28,000!

Steve Whitmire Responds To Departure!

Our friends at ToughPigs discovered what appears to be a newly created blog by non other than Steve Whitmire. 

While the blog has yet to be verified, the bio sounds very authentic:

About Me

When I was a kid growing up in Atlanta, I’d beg my parents to let me stay up to see Rowlf the Dog on The Jimmy Dean Show. Though I was only five, I distinctly recall his large, black mouth on our black and white television, and thinking it was something you could climb inside of. Little did I know…Even then, I knew he was a puppet, but I was mesmerized by the ‘magic’ of how he was able to do what he did. 

The Muppets have been a part of my whole life, and by the time I was ten they became an undeniable calling. After nine teenage years of being the nerdy puppet guy, I met Carroll Spinney at a puppetry festival and after seeing my puppets he suggested I contact Jim Henson to audition. I joined The Muppets less than a year later in 1978 at age nineteen and was involved in virtually every Muppet endeavor up to 2016. Who knows what the future will hold…that’s what the edit button is for. 

Though I may be most well known as Jim’s choice to step in as Kermit the Frog, in all honesty arguably my favorite work goes straight back to Rowlf when I would assist Jim as Rowlf’s piano playing hands. 

My immediate goal for this blog is to leave anyone interested in the Muppets at any level, past, present, or future, with the deepest possible understanding of my discoveries in taking the intangibles of Jim’s unique methodologies and giving them a basis in fact.

Still the nerdy puppet guy at heart,
S

That certainly sound like same guy that took this photo as a kid:

 In his first post, Steve directly addresses the issue of his leaving The Muppets.  

It’s Time To Get Things Started…

Dear Friends, 

In 1978 when I was asked to join The Muppet Show, the Muppets were the hottest thing on the planet. I was invited to sit at the feet of the true masters, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz; working alongside them, absorbing different skills from each, as we, along with many talented others, contributed towards the same shared vision, the vision of one man. The result became a skill-set for myself that was sort of a compilation of the best of them all. 

For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible to resist way of life. This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero.

As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting. Through a new business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call. I wish that we could have sat down, looked each other in the eye, and discussed what was on their minds before they took such a drastic action. 

I have remained silent the last nine months in hopes that the Disney company might reverse their course. Doing what is best for the Muppets is the lens through which all my interactions have been filtered. Given the opportunity I remain willing to do whatever is required to remedy their concerns because I feel my continued involvement with the characters is in the best interest of the Muppets. 

For decades, you have been an invaluable partner in co-creating the existence of the Muppets, and I am humbled by your devotion to them. There is so much more for us to talk about so I have created this site as a place to connect and share on all things Muppet, past, present and future. 

Please forgive any faux pas as I have not been active in social media previously and have a serious learning curve. I just want you all to know that I am sorry if I have disappointed any of you at any point throughout our journey, and to let everyone know that I am devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero.

It appears this was Disney's decision and not just Steve "retiring" or "moving on." There's still a part of me that hopes there is a way for reconciliation between them.

I hope Steve continues to be the beacon of light that Jim, Jane and the whole Henson team knew he could be, whether or not that light is in the frog or not. 

Sesame Street Sleep Masks!

Have you ever wanted to sleep next to Cookie Monster? Freak out the person next to you on a plane? How about see what darkness lies behind Oscar's eyes?

Well, Kalan has your dreams/nightmares covered!

As we saw at Toy Fair, Kalan has a line of Sesame Street sleep masks that has made their way to Five Below stores. 

As you can see they come in Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Oscar.

I'm sure you'll look great (if you can see) while you dream of cookies, trash, and whatever Elmo dreams of. Let's say 2D crayon inspired worlds.

You can pick these at Amazon, or Five Below locations.

Skin & Ink Magazine Talks Dark Crystal!

Sometimes you find Muppet stuff In the most unexpected places! The latest issue of Skin & Ink Magazine has a feature on The Dark Crystal including interviews with Tim Clark and Mike Quinn.

Besides the interviews and photos of Tim and Mike in action, 

Tim Clark

Mike Quinn

there are some great photos of the characters on display at The Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, along with Tim and Mike's personal behind the scenes photos, and even a few Dark Crystal inspired tattoos (it is a tattoo magazine after all).

They even have a page dedicated to Dark Crystal toys:

Unfortunately, the interviews (especially Tim's) are riddled with typos and punctual errors. So much so that it's actually painful (maybe like a tattoo?) to read at times. 

Fozzie is named "Fuzzy", The Empire Strikes, but not "Back" according to a few notable errors in the article which, by the way, was conducted by the magazine's own editor!

Therefore, I can only recomended the issue for the insights in the interviews and the photos. If you're looking for something that doesn't read like a 5th grader's book report, you'll be sadly disappointed. Apparently this is what constitutes an actual cover story in a national magazine these days. 

Gluttons for punishment can pick up your copy at Skin & Ink, Barnes and Noble and wherever magazines are sold. 

Steve Whitmire "No longer working with the Muppets."

Our friends at ToughPigs and 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. He was 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.

Diamond Select Toys Muppet Action Figures Series 3 Now Available!

After a couple delays, last week Series 3 of Diamond Select Toys' Muppet Action Figures were finally released!

This wave includes, Rowlf, Crazy Harry, Mahna Mahna, Floyd, Janice, Miss Piggy, Foo-Foo, and a Penguin (not Gloria Estefan).

Here's how they look in their packaging:

We will have a more in depth review soon, but in the meantime check out these great shots of the figures in action! (Be sure to click on them to the see them in all their HD glory!)

You can get them now though Amazon, directly through Diamond Select Toys, and at your local comic shop. These will NOT be sold in less accessorized versions as Toys R Us and Barnes and Noble. 

Mini Disney Store, Mini Muppets at JCPenny!

Once upon a time, there was a department store JCPenny. Inside that department store was a miniature Disney Store. And inside that miniature Disney Store you could find various Disney products including some small items featuring The Muppets!

It's no fairy tale. It's not a throwback thursday. This magical place is real.

On a recent visit, we discovered smaller versions of Disney Store's 2011 Muppet plush:

As well as both the large and small Muppet Tsum Tsums:

JCPenny's Disney section can be found in the children's clothing area. 

To find a JCPenny near you click here.