Thursday, March 31, 2011

Camden, ME

    Image courtesy of cardcow.com

    There are so many great towns in New England. I have always considered myself fortunate to have grown up here for numerous reasons and one of them was the two weeks every summer we spent in Washington, Maine. It is a tiny town about 5 hours from Boston and my mother's family had a home there, so she and her siblings alternated weeks there in the summer months.

    It was two weeks of swimming in the lake, flashlight tag, gin rummy games, and for one day....a trip to Camden. Most of the 14 days we vacationed there, we were homebodies- just enjoying being in the middle of nowhere, but when we went to Camden it was about walking around the town, window shopping, and eating out. My brothers and sister and I would get so excited for this single day trip and it never disappointed. The picturesque harbor town with its variety of shops, historic buildings, and natural beauty was, and is, the idyllic New England experience.

    I have only been back once since my childhood and it was in autumn with my not yet husband, but even then I continued to be enchanted. Now I am waiting for my youngest to be just a bit older and we will make that 5 hour drive to spend few days in Camden again.

    If you are considering a trip to Maine, I found the site camdenmaineexperience.com and it has a list of all the events, from the Windjammer Festival to Christmas by the Sea, for 2011. It is well worth the visit...
    Image courtesy of brittanica.com

    Image courtesy of camdenme.org 
      Image courtesy of Boston.com
    Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Jason Segel and Amy Adams Are Crazy (about The Muppets)

    Greetings, Muppet fans! Do you remember a few months ago when we couldn't go a day without having a News Update featuring loads and loads of cameo rumors, on-set pictures, Jason Segel interviews, and more all about this fall's The Muppets? Well, since they wrapped filming news has been pretty quiet from the Mouse House and the mouth of Segel--that is, until yesterday, when all smell broke loose (it smelled like strawberries) (rethinking that... this could be a bad sign).

    Tuesday was CinemaCon 2011 in Las Vegas where all the big studios (Paramount, Dreamworks, Disney) got together to show off their biggest upcoming features to theater owners wanting to get butts in their seats (or seats in their seats, even). Disney's big show included action sequences from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, revealed that the Monsters, Inc. sequel would in fact be a prequel, and showed off stuff from Winnie the Pooh. But... of course you don't care so much about that. What you want to know is... what the heck did they say about The Muppets?!

    Well, it turns out... a lot. According to quite a few sources (including The Hollywood Reporter), Jason Segel and Amy Adams were on hand to introduce the first official footage from the film. The Reporter states that "Disney impressed" with the footage, which is either journalistic fancy wording or a really good sign. Jason and Amy also revealed that there are four new songs in the film, along with callbacks to classic Muppet songs, as reported by LatinoReview. (e.g., "Rainbow Connection," "Mahna Mahna," which we had heard about previously.) Also semi-notable... this article confirms that Miss Piggy is relocated in Paris after the Muppets separate in the film. The Wrap also highlighted Segel's joking that, "I do not do any full frontal nudity. Kermit on the other hand..."

    Then yesterday the news kept coming in, especially from CinemaBlend, which posted an exclusive, awesome video interview with Segel and Adams along with a very enlightening article about what was included in the footage shown and what else went down at the presentation. Be sure to read the article then watch the video below:



    I don't know about you... but that video not only made my day (yesterday), but it made me even more incredibly excited for this movie--which I didn't know was possible (okay, yes I did). The tone that Jason and Amy have already is exactly perfect for the film and if they carry that through the movie--even plussing it--then we are in for quite a treat. I love Amy saying, "We're really putting on a show!" and "It takes a real, concerted effort to be joyful." I am so excited to have both of these incredibly talented actors to play along with the Muppets in this movie. And I firmly believe that it is going to be nothing but joyful.

    Finally, our friends over at StitchKingdom confirmed that the title treatment we showed off in January is indeed the official title treatment for The Muppets. Make sure you enlarge the picture on the webpage linked above to see it hi-res. The Kermit M is textured and fuzzy and I love it. (PS - That logo makes an epic desktop background... just sayin'.)

    And in case you somehow still don't know...

    The Muppets will be released in United States theaters on November 23, 2011







    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Henry Darger

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: The Gingerbread Men

    Today's brilliant little article is written by Anthony Strand, a frequent contributor to ToughPigs and friend of The Muppet Mindset making his debut appearance here on the blog. As you'll soon see, Anthony shows off his huge fandom for one of the most fully-baked musical groups of any generation. The album covers come to us courtesy of Joe Hennes, who until this point had no connection to this blog whatsoever... darn it.


    THE GINGERBREAD MEN

    Performed by...
    Frank Oz (Crumby)
    Jim Henson (Ginger-Brad)
    Richard Hunt (Frostington)
    Jerry Nelson (Clive Cookiepants)
    Dave Goelz (Ginger Spice)

    First appearance...
    The Jack Paar Show (1963)

    Most recent appearance...
    The Wayne Brady Show (2002)

    Best known role...
    Crumby: The cute one
    Ginger-Brad: The sensitive cute one
    Frostington: The goofball
    Clive Cookiepants: The wise older brother
    Ginger Spice: The dangerous one

    Memorable quotes...
    “Fresh out of the pan, sweet gingerbread man!”

    “Uh-huh.”

    “We’re bigger than Betty Crocker now.”

    WHO ARE THE GINGERBREAD MEN?
    The Gingerbread Men released their first album, Catch the Gingerbread Men!, in 1963. A massive success, it was followed by a dozen more albums over the next two decades, spawning such hit singles as “Cool Gingerk” (1964) and “All You Need is Crust” (1967). Often unfairly accused of coasting on their non-threatening good looks, the Gingerbread Men were actually one of the most innovative bands of the era.

    Unlike many so-called “teeny-bopper” groups, the Men played their own instruments from the very beginning. Realizing that traditional instruments could not be played by their two-pronged, mitten-like hands, they developed special apparatuses which allowed them to perform. Mitten-handed musicians have been grateful ever since. Even more impressively, they recorded some of pop’s most delightful harmonies even though 4/5 of the band had mouths which did not open.

    In the mid-60s, the Gingerbread Men took the world by storm. They released seven albums in as many years, and the public gobbled them all up. They appeared on dozens of TV shows, including Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore, The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine, The Flintstones (as The Gingerbrock Men), and Batman (as henchmen under Louie the Lilac, played by their fellow Muppet Show guest star Milton Berle.)

    However, as the 60s became the 70s, the band’s popularity declined. Their records were coming out less frequently, mostly as a result of increasing experimentation. While hardcore fans consider these albums to be some of their most savory, the general public preferred the original recipe. By the late 70s, it looked like they might be headed for the garbage can. That all changed when they got a call from Mr. Short, Green, and Handsome.

    Muppet fans, of course, remember the Men for their appearance on The Muppet Show in 1977, performing “Sweet Gingerbread Man,” the first single from their tenth album. What most people don’t know, however, is that they had nearly turned down that appearance, wary of sharing guest star status with bug-eyed comedian Don Knotts. But their manager Burny convinced them that appearing on a show run by other non-humans could have only a positive effect on their career.

    It did. For the next three years, the Men enjoyed a great rebirth. They gained new, younger fans and embarked on the Cinnamon And Sugar Tour, their first in nearly a decade. Still riding that wave of popularly, their next album was even more successful, containing their all-time biggest hit, “Rolling Pin.” An introspective sequel to “Mixing Bowl” from 1966, it looked at how that song’s title character had dealt with his time out of the kitchen.

    Sadly, the resurgence was short-lived. After two straight disappointing albums and little-attended tours, The Gingerbread Men were finally spit out for good in 1984.

    In the years after the Gingerbread Men’s break-up, only Crumby (and his working mouth) has had much success as a singer. In 1991 he released the smash-hit album Dough-ets, featuring songs with Martha Stewart, Graham Kerr, The Swedish Chef and other culinary legends. It won both the Yummy Award and the Taster’s Choice Award for Album of the Year.

    The others mostly left music to focus on other interests. Frostington turned to acting, most notably a well-received dramatic role in Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm in 2005. Ginger-Brad returned to modeling, his first love. He can be seen in any number of books for both bakers and children. Ginger Spice devoted himself full-time to improving life for the mitten-handed with a variety of gadgets designed specifically for them. Finally, Clive Cookiepants hosted the long-running talk show Delicious! With Clive Cookiepants in his native England.

    Despite those pursuits, the Men’s story wasn’t quite over. In 2002, Wayne Brady, a self-proclaimed “Sweet Tooth” (the name given to obsessive Gingerbread Men fans by the media) reunited the band on his talk show. To great applause, they performed a medley of their biggest hits. They were a little older, but they could hardly have been called stale. 40 years later they were, as ever, fresh out of the pan.

    GINGERBREAD MEN DISCOGRAPHY
    Catch the Gingerbread Men! (1963)
    Surfin’ Gingerbread Men (1964)
    Gingerbread Bread Men Turn Up the Heat (1965)
    Mixing Bowl (1966)
    Between the Sugar-Coated Buttons (1967)
    Crumby’s Factory (1968)
    Let It Bake (1969)
    Pastry Road (1971)
    Goats’ Head Gingerbread (1974)
    Darkness on the Edge of the Pan (1977)
    Bad Luck Streak in Baking School (1979)
    Moving Ginger (1981)
    Warm (1983)


    WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED THE GINGERBREAD MEN?
    Pfft. The Muppets should consider themselves lucky that the Gingerbread Men lowered themselves to make an appearance on that silly little puppet show.






    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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nifty signs

    If you have been to a number of weddings and have spent any time cruising design sites on the internet, you kind of feel like- between what you have admired in person and what you have clicked on while browsing- you have seen almost everything that can be done at a wedding reception.
    These signs by chocolate butterbean had me taking notice because they really seemed different. They can be painted or printed on wood or canvas and something about them caught my eye. The signs are not only for weddings, the nursery options are awfully cool as well.

    I like the feel of the fonts and the wood versions especially, but really when I scrolled through the gallery, they were all just so....nifty.

    Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Muppet Madness Tournament 2011: Final Four!


    Ah, The Muppet Madness Tournament... it seems like it grows up so fast. Why, only last week I could have sworn we were in the Regional, yet here we are, looking at the Final Four. And what a contest this is shaping up to be, huh? Out off the West we have Super Grover vs. Mr. Snuffleupagus and from the East is Rizzo the Rat vs. Statler and Waldorf. Odd how we tried to pair up the Muppets with Muppets from other productions yet we get Sesame vs. Sesame and Muppets vs. Muppets. Well anyway... here's how we see this all going down:

    Super Grover vs. Mr. Snuffleupagus
    Does Snuffy stand a chance against everyone's favorite furry, blue super monster? No... probably not. He may be big, but the sentimentality people feel for the shaggy fellow is not close to enough to topple such a huge fan favorite like Super Grover. One look at the adorable blue caped one and voters will most likely cast one towards him. He's Not just a favorite, he's a force to be reckoned with. If Super Grover wins the entire tournament I will not be at all surprised.

    Rizzo the Rat vs. Statler and Waldorf
    Some comments on the Tournament page have been saying that they're shocked at how far Rizzo has come. I'm honestly pretty surprised too. After upset victories over Sam Eagle and The Penguins, it seems that Rizzo, the rat who could, will finally meet his match in Statler and Waldorf. The fierce words and stiff competition being put up by the two old farts seemingly can't be stopped. Rizzo's American Idol journey will probably end here. ...Wait, what? Wrong show? Oh. Well... no one reads this anyway, so what's it matter?

    If my predictions are correct we'll be looking at a Super Grover vs. Statler and Waldorf championship round. And, honestly, I've been predicting that since the votes started pouring in for Round 1. Oh, and did I mention... you can now vote EVERY 4 HOURS! Yes, for this round ONLY, you can now vote in the Final Four every 4 hours! I am so excited! Oh, how I love Muppet Madness! I can't wait to see how it all plays out--and what surprises we have up our sleeves! (Yes, that's right, not even we know what surprises we have!)







    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Monday, March 28, 2011

"What the Living Do"


    Johnny, the kitchen sink has been clogged for days, some utensil probably fell down 
    there.
    And the Drano won't work but smells dangerous, and the crusty dishes have piled up

    waiting for the plumber I still haven't called. This is the everyday we spoke of.
    It's winter again: the sky's a deep, headstrong blue, and the sunlight pours through

    the open living-room windows because the heat's on too high in here and I can't turn it 
    off.
    For weeks now, driving, or dropping a bag of groceries in the street, the bag breaking,

    I've been thinking: This is what the living do. And yesterday, hurrying along those
    wobbly bricks in the Cambridge sidewalk, spilling my coffee down my wrist and sleeve,

    I thought it again, and again later, when buying a hairbrush: This is it.
    Parking. Slamming the car door shut in the cold. What you called that yearning.

    What you finally gave up. We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want
    whoever to call or not call, a letter, a kiss--we want more and more and then more of it.

    But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass,
    say, the window of the corner video store, and I'm gripped by a cherishing so deep

    for my own blowing hair, chapped face, and unbuttoned coat that I'm speechless:
    I am living. I remember you.

    {Stevan Dohanos illustration via ondiraiduveau
    Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Upcoming Muppet Screening Events - Texas, New York, United Kingdom

    Everyone's favorite documentary about Kevin Clash (that I still haven't seen), Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey is screening at the Dallas International Film Festival this Saturday, April 2nd at 12:30pm. Cost is only $10 to get in and see this fantastic film, so if you live in the Dallas, Texas area and haven't had the opportunity to see Being Elmo yet... why haven't you bought your tickets already?!

    Speaking of the Longhorn State... the fantastic Jim Henson Legacy sponsored series Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy is showcasing several different screenings in the Austin, Texas area at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the coming weeks. Click the link above for all the information on the various screenings between March 29th and April 10th. I've seen a couple of the screenings being shown, including Inside the Sesame Street Vault and Sesame Street at 40 and they're both wonderful gems that are sure to delight any Sesame fan (and I'm sure the other ones are too) so if you happen to be in the Austin area and you need more Muppet goodness in your life, be sure to check this out!

    The Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy (pages 10-15 of the PDF) series is being showcased in the United Kingdom as well at The Filmhouse, home of the Edinburgh Film Festival. The screenings will occur from April 18th through April 27th (check the schedule in the PDF link above for specific screenings) and will feature appearances by Martin Baker on April 22nd, 23rd, and 24th at various screenings.

    The Tribeca Film Festival in New York City is hosting a screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan on April 23rd at 8:15pm at the Tribeca Drive-In. This is a free screening of the film and it includes, what sounds like, a very fun pre-show with face-painting, Muppet trivia, sing-alongs, and "fuzzy surprise guests." One can only imagine what that might mean. But if you live in the New York area and you've got yourself a free night on April 23rd, why not stop by and witness Miss Piggy's hideous 80's afro on the big screen?

    And, finally, for those Muppet fans who don't live near Dallas, Austin, New York City, or the United Kingdom (like myself)--and even for those of you that do--we have a new Super Grover video from Sesame Street to share with you all. It is, in a word Fantastic!









    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Eggshell Vases


    I know folks make fun of Martha Stewart all the time, but there are some darn good ideas that have come out of that empire. I usually find myself drawn to the little things they have come up with over there on her blog and this is one of those things.

    These eggshell vases in eggcups are perfect for a Spring or Easter table. They can be grouped together for a centerpiece or placed at individual seats. I am especially fond of the size-perfect for tiny blossoms like lilacs, lily-of-the-valley or pansies.

    Directions, courtesy of martha, just go to show you....sometimes those simple little things can make a beautiful difference.
    Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Sunday, March 27, 2011

(Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes, Week 3

    Casey Daron - Hello everybody! It's Casey again, I have another round of Muppet Quotes for you! These quotes I found in the three recent books written by Kermit the Frog (Before You Leap), Miss Piggy (The Diva Code), and Pepe the King Prawn (It's Hard Out Here for a Shrimp). I hope you like them as much as I do!

    "If at first you don’t succeed, complain loudly until they give it to you." – Miss Piggy, The Diva Code

    "The Muppets don’t judge me, don’t blame me, and don’t mind me. What is wrong with them, okay?!" – Pepe the King Prawn, It’s Hard Out Here for a Shrimp

    "There’s something about the English, who see absolutely nothing odd about letting a frog and a bunch of crazies have their own variety show." - Kermit the Frog, Before You Leap

    "Enjoy life's journey. Especially if someone else is paying for the gas." - Pepe the King Prawn, It's Hard Out Here for a Shrimp

    Thank you, and I'll see you in two weeks!








    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
    Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Saturday, March 26, 2011

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2011: Round 3


    Greetings, Muppet fans! Here we are again, already time for Round 3 of The Muppet Madness Tournament 2011--or, the Regional, if you like sports or glee club competitions. The match-ups between Muppets is getting more and more intense! We now have two classic Frank Oz character variants pitted against each other... and we have Statler and Waldorf facing off against Scooter. How will it all go?! Well... once again, here are our predictions:

    Character Variants
    Alistair Cookie vs. Super Grover
    Arguably the two most popular characters in this year's lineup, Alistair Cookie and Super Grover have been racking up record vote numbers since Round 1. It will be extremely interesting to see if their rampant fans continue coming out in full force to support them in the Regional. But who will win? Well, I've been calling for a Super Grover victory of the whole tournament, so my money is on the super monster who is furry, lovable, and cute, too. I suppose this race could go either way... but I find it hard to believe that the uber fan-favorite Super Grover could be beaten by Cookie Monster's Monsterpiece Theater character. Although, like I said last time, I've been wrong before!

    Creatures
    Mr. Snuffleupagus vs. Mahna Mahna
    Another hotly debated race. Snuffy and Mahna Mahna have been engaged in some of the most vocal and passionate competitions of this whole tournament. Snuffy's pull out over Cantus last round and Mahna Mahna's victory over the Doozers have solidified them both as heavy fan favorites. However, like always, Snuffy is heavier. I have to call a victory for Snuffy in this round. Yes, finally ready to prove he is so not imaginary by making it to the Final Four, Mr. Snuffleupagus will trounce Mahna Mahna. I'm sorry, Mahna Mahna fans... I just really don't think he can do doo do doo it.

    Animals
    Rizzo the Rat vs. The Penguins
    Some of these matchups... it's like picking favorite children! (Obviously the one that runs a Muppet blog is always the favorite.) While Rizzo is one of my very favorites... the Penguins define Muppet randomness and zaniness! How will we choose?! I don't know about you... but I'll probably go back and forth voting for both. I suspect that most casual fans will vote for Rizzo, simply because of his history and characterization. The Penguins may be fantastic but they simply don't have the character or wit and charm of Rizzo. Sure, they're great for tossing around... but they can't bat the rat and that is that.

    Humanoids
    Statler and Waldorf vs. Scooter
    Ladies and gentleman, the only matchup in the Regional that is completely one-sided! Unfortunately, Scooter just cannot stand up the might of Statler and Waldorf ("might" used here to mean overwhelming age). The two old geezers have the highest likelihood of going to the final round int he whole tournament. Poor Scooter just can't take that heat... No matter how much they may hate it (even though they probably secretly love it), I'm calling yet another all out victory for Statler and Waldorf.


    And there you have it, Muppet fans! I guess we'll just have to see how it all plays out. Now... go vote! In this round only you'll be able to vote every 8 hours instead of 12. So what are you waiting for?! Hop on over to http://muppetfans.com/tournament and make your vote count!






    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
    Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Friday, March 25, 2011

The Muppets Vinylmation Series 2 Update and Possible Release Date

    Our friends over at Destination Vinylmation have some great info on the upcoming Series 2 set of The Muppets Vinylmation available at the Disney Parks and online. Their post reveals the current planned release date for the set, April 15th and also pictures of the figures that are confirmed for inclusion so far. They include...

    DR. TEETH (new picture)

     DR. TEETH (same figure, different angle; provided by Daniel Moss)
     FLOYD PEPPER
    JANICE
    SAM EAGLE 
    Other figures, including GONZO and SCOOTER have also been confirmed (sans pictures) by Vinylmation.net. Every Vinylmation series contains 12 figures, so logically The Muppets Series 2 will include a dozen new figure designs as well. Six are confirmed, what others can we expect? Well... here's one Muppet fan's theories:
    • ANIMAL - It stands to reason that we'll see Animal in this wave, not only to tie together the Electric Mayhem, but also because he's one of the most popular Muppets and not including him probably just isn't an option.
    • ZOOT - Releasing an entire group of Electric Mayhem figures in this series seems to be the goal, so logically Zoot will be included. I hope the figure has Zoot's famous saxophone painted on.
    • PEPE - While they're busy including popular characters in Series 2, they might as well toss in Pepe. He's really the only other semi-major character not yet included in this or the previous series.
    • PENGUINS or CHICKENS - Two definitions of Muppets in feathered fowl form... it stands to reason that one of them will eventually be included. One would think that with the penguin orchestra of Muppet*Vision 3D we would see penguins... but who knows?
    • WALDO C. GRAPHIC - I don't really know how the Vinylmation artists would pull this one off... but considering Waldo is such a huge part of Muppet*Vision and the Vinylmation are sold at the Disney Parks, it would make a lot of sense to include Waldo.
    • TOURIST KERMIT - My prediction for the chaser figure of this line can also be seen in the above image with the Scooter prototype. It makes sense to have another Kermit in the line... he's sort of popular. Or so I hear.
    Well... only time will tell what The Muppets Vinylmation Series 2 will hold. Hopefully we will find out on April 15th, the date which both Destination Vinylmation and Stitch Kingdom have claimed as the release date for the series. I don't know about you... but I'll be hovering over DisneyStore.com that whole day to buy some!

    And, as always, check out The Muppet Mindset for more news on Muppet Vinylmation as soon as we get it!







    The Muppet Mindset by Ryan DosierSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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