Comments on: Maker Jim Henson in 1969: HOWTO make a puppet

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

the video you asked about is called “Muppets on Puppets”. It’s on youtube, and also available as a bonus feature on the “Very best of the Muppet Show” dvd I believe.

By: The Mudshark

The Mudshark — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Is this what you were looking for?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sgspBtCi44

You may want to skip to 4:00 past the uploaders introduction.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

What a wonder he was! How I wish they could re-run every Muppet show again. It would outshine anything on the tube now running. I smile just thinking of them.

By: VagabondAstronomer

VagabondAstronomer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

God, I miss Jim, but seeing Don Sahlin is a real treat (he died in 1978). Not only a puppeteer (and the inspiration for Crazy Harry, so I’ve heard), but also a rocketeer, a pyromaniac and in general a mad genius.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Man I miss him.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I have never seen Jim Henson on video before, especially hearing his real voice, it was super cool.I can hear Kermit when Jim speaks, it puts a face, or shall I say voice, on the Frog that most people recognize! The Muppets on Sesame Street where considered cool in my day, but I think in these times, Sesame Street is a “Very Cool Program” for the children of this modern day and age when alot of entertainment for children tends to be
either violent or misleading. I think Jim had a true passion for
the work he did, and a true heartfelt message he tried to convey thru all the Muppet characters he created. I respect and admire
anyone, male or female, young or old, who has a true passion
regardless of what it is, and uses it to make the world we live in, a much “Better and Super Cool” place to live!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Am I the only one who heard Frank Oz?

By: pentomino

pentomino — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I remember Henson put out a long-form documentary about how some of the advanced Muppet effects worked, with lots of fourth-wall-breaking. It was brilliant. I’ve searched for it on Netflix, didn’t find it there, and gave up.

By: Cactaur

Cactaur — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lol at the styrofoam penis on the shelf. Jim you scamp you.

By: bkad

bkad — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

What impresses me about puppeteers is the way they make puppets look alive, even if the puppet isn’t ‘doing’ anything. I don’t know exactly how the effect is created. I imagine some of it is the distracted looking around the room or little shifts in posture that real people do even if they are just standing around. But if I tried to create the effect, it would look really forced.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The puppets who were voiced by someone other than Mr Henson sounded a lot like the puppets in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe…

Mr. Rogers, is that you under there?

By: Arnoud

Arnoud — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Check out how Jim inspired my son (6) to create “Forky” within 5 minutes after watching this HOWTO –> http://moby.to/8p6pdc

By: JayConverse

JayConverse — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Jim Henson was my #1 personal hero, even before he died. His spirit lives on in his son, and the Muppets, and Frank, but he’ll never be replaced.

Only the good die young.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Well thanks a lot. I now want to give up my 9-5 to become a puppeteer.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The brilliant thing about this is that by interjecting talking and playing with the puppets inbetween the construction of the different types, Jim showed not only how to make a puppet, but why to make a puppet–how it looks and feels when brought to life. And it filled up the space, too! I wonder how many puppeteers this video spawned.

By: BadIdeaSociety

BadIdeaSociety — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It really wasn’t a long-form documentary. Henson produced a “How Muppets Work” episode of his short=lived TV series “Muppets Tonight.” He started the show out the show explaining how video editing makes Muppets able to interact with things.

Gonzo touches a phone receiver. They switch to a shot where the receiver is attached to Gonzo’s hand. He has a conversation. He attempts to end the call, but the edit where he is no longer attached to the phone doesn’t happen and he is stuck.

The episode, and a few other Storytellers and Muppets Tonight episodes were sold as a package to Nickelodeon in the early 90s.

By: BadIdeaSociety

BadIdeaSociety — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sorry… it was called the Jim Henson Hour. I forgot Muppets Tonight was later.

By: Blaine

Blaine — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Contrary to other opinion, I always thought of Disney as the evil empire and Henson as the real source of childhood magic.

That video brings a tear to my eye the same way seeing Kermit and the gang in commercials for Disney puts a downward turn to the corners of my mouth.

By: Thad E Ginataom

Thad E Ginataom — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Genius

By: Thad E Ginataom

Thad E Ginataom — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hey! My brain is alive again!

It took this to cure me from the 10-minute GIF animation! :)