The Brand New Ask Jim Lewis Thread

[Colbynfriends]

And LAST. Mister Lewis... What sort of Muppet merchandise you got? Any Palisades figures? Master Replicas photo puppets? Do you now, or have you ever had a WHATNOT? Hmmmmmm?

If I may add on to that question, did you have to pay for any of it? Kind of like, if you work on a TV show or something, do you get the box set free. I think you should, but I digress. Merry Christmas!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Jim! Jim! Mr. Jim! I have a question! How do you breathe? Wait, no! That's not a question! Well, it IS a question, but not THE question--Sorry, I've been hyperventilating over here. Is finals week and happy Muppet news with 24/7 quiet hours preventing proper squeeling. ...RIGHT! I had a question. It was, um--OH! That. JIM! Are there any tricks to writing Dr. Teeth so that he actually sounds like Dr. Teeth? I mean, is there a Dr. Teeth approved thesaurus out there or something? I have been wondering this because Dr. Teeth sounds very much like Dr. Teeth as of late. And early. And... I HAD a brain around here somewhere, I SWEAR I did... Anyway. Happy Holidays, Jim Lewis!

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Jim, one more question. Forgive me if this has been asked, but did you ever get the opportunity to work alongside Jerry Juhl and did he ever end up teaching you a thing or two personally about the characters?

 

[dwayne1115]

Wow I have been away for a little bit cause of lack of internet connection. These questions are great! Ryan will you send theses questions?

 

[theprawncracker]

Wow I have been away for a little bit cause of lack of internet connection. These questions are great! Ryan will you send theses questions?

Sure thing, pal! I'd be glad too!

 

[theprawncracker]

Questions for Jim Lewis: December 10, 2008

From Erine81981…
I was looking around on the internet and bumped into two shows that air on Comedy Central. One is called "Jim Henson Outtakes" and the other one is "Jim Henson Company Uncensored." Here's the link to where i found them at. They don't have anything on them being they are from the Comedy Central Wiki online.

Comedy Central List of Programs

So do you have any info or idea what these two shows might be about?


No idea. Couldn’t link to them, so I’m pretty useless on this. All I can imagine is that someone compiled outtakes (as seen over credits on some of the shows done in the past 15 years) and from other sources and put these together. And as for Jim Henson Company Uncensored: this could be Puppets Up! Which as most of you probably know is the puppet improv group put together by Brian Henson. Wonderful, funny stuff. Though I personally (and financially) don’t believe in working without a writer.

From BobthePizzaBoy…
Hey Jim!

Perhaps I should re-phrase the question. What I meant was is this book going to be leaning more towards the writing style of Before You Leap (chapters written in a self-help format) or It's Hard Out Here For A Shrimp (little 'nuggets' of wisdom)?

Okay, so I don’t understand questions clearly. It’s a habit I picked up in Mrs. Bowers Second Grade class back in Boonton, NJ. Sorry. The Piggy book is mostly of the “nuggets” of wisdom style found in the Pepe book….but with a special section on relationships and what’s wrong with men and frogs that’s written in a style which only Miss Piggy could pull off. Hey, I just type it. She’s the brains.

From Colbynfriends…
This is a question inspired by Marty (Bill Bubble Guy). First off, do you know about the show Ren and Stimpy? When writing for Pepe and Seymore, did you have them in mind a few times, or any onther duo for that matter?

Yes, I know the show Ren & Stimpy. But no, I didn’t know it all that well. And really Pepe and Seymour were an invention of Bill Barretta and Brian Henson, who defined their relationship and the dynamic of their nonsense. I just typed. Were Ren & Stimpy an influence and inspiration for them; could be, not sure, don’t know, can’t say, won’t guess.

From theprawncracker…

Pardon me, mister Jim, but a few simple questions I doth haveth for YOU!

FIRST of all, SIR, if you really ARE you! WHAT, mister Jim, is YOUR favorite of the Muppet Christmas specials? Hmm? Hmm? HMM! I SUPPOSE you don't HAVE to include It's a VERY Merry Muppet Christmas Movie if you don't want to--but THAT is up to YOU!

My favorite Christmas special – A Muppet Family Christmas. Seeing all the characters from the Muppet Show, Fraggle, Sesame together, and even an appearance by the Muppet Babies and, of course, Jim himself. That’s magic for me.

Secondly! Can you tell us IF the Muppets WILL be appearing on any talk shows ANY time soon to promote Letters to Santa? Miss Lylle BRYER suggested they might return to Today while giving an interview on the MuppetCast, but I DON'T know if she was serious.

I don’t know. If they are, my phone might ring and I might have to come up with funny things to say, in which case I won’t have time to answer the rest of your question.

And LAST. Mister Lewis... What sort of Muppet merchandise you got? Any Palisades figures? Master Replicas photo puppets? Do you now, or have you ever had a WHATNOT? Hmmmmmm? (From Colbynfriends… If I may add on to that question, did you have to pay for any of it? Kind of like, if you work on a TV show or something, do you get the box set free. I think you should, but I digress. Merry Christmas!)

The phone didn’t ring. So I’m here again. No. I have nothing. Honest. It’s a shame. Not a Master Replica. Not even a Palisades figure. Go figure! I’d love to get one of those Whatnots from FAO Schwarz; perhaps I should start begging, pleading…or saving up for it. Sorry to disappoint. I do have a few crew jackets though (MuppetVision 3D is my favorite)

Thanks Jim! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

From TogetherAgain…
Jim! Jim! Mr. Jim! I have a question! How do you breathe? Wait, no! That's not a question! Well, it IS a question, but not THE question--Sorry, I've been hyperventilating over here. Is finals week and happy Muppet news with 24/7 quiet hours preventing proper squeeling. ...RIGHT! I had a question. It was, um--OH! That. JIM! Are there any tricks to writing Dr. Teeth so that he actually sounds like Dr. Teeth? I mean, is there a Dr. Teeth approved thesaurus out there or something? I have been wondering this because Dr. Teeth sounds very much like Dr. Teeth as of late. And early. And... I HAD a brain around here somewhere, I SWEAR I did... Anyway. Happy Holidays, Jim Lewis!


Breathing? Oh dear, I’m so glad you mentioned that ‘cause I’d forgotten to do the whole inhale/exhale thing. Sure, it’s supposed to be an involuntary reflex, but ever since my lungs unionized, it’s been like this. So I owe you. Now, your question. Oh yes, Dr. Teeth. He’s a delightful character to write for, always talks with a chuckle like the world amuses him constantly. A rhyme here. A copacetic….absotively posolutely there….listen to Dr. John (the great musician who, in part, inspired Jim to create Dr. Teeth) and you got it, dig? It’s an old idiom of cool, and since I’m a bit of an old idiom myself, it comes naturally, more or less. Did you have a question?

From BobthePizzaBoy…
Jim, one more question. Forgive me if this has been asked, but did you ever get the opportunity to work alongside Jerry Juhl and did he ever end up teaching you a thing or two personally about the characters?


I was blessed with meeting Jerry early on during my tenure at Muppets. He gave me the finest compliment after reading an early script, saying “I’m so glad someone else can write these guys!” I learned by watching his work, by being around the characters and performers and by writing stuff that would bring forth Jerry’s famous: “Whaddayasay we crank up the title page and put in a new script”. He, like Frank and Jerry Nelson, was the perfect complement to Jim. I owe him much and miss him moreso.

 

[dwayne1115]

great stuff as always!

 

[Erine81981]

Thanks Jim for answering my question. Thanks alot.

 

[dwayne1115]

Here is my next question: Did you help write or setup the Muppet Monopoly game?

 

[theprawncracker]

Question! I have a question! *raises hand* *waits* ...Anyway!

Mister Lewis, I have been watching de Muffins over and over again d'is Christmas time, and one of my favorites, of course, es de Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie with Mister Dirk Hatcher as director of transportation, hokay. My question for jou es do jou have any theories as to what de other Muffins were doing in de Kermin-less j'universe? We know Fotzie es a pick-pocket, Miss Piggy es a failing telephone actress, Gonso lives in de malls, Ritzo got eaten by de Fear Factor peoples, Robin refilled bottles of de waters, Scooter danced in de cages... What about Rowlf? Or de Swedish Chef? Or Uncle Deadly, hokay? (Jou can skip d'at last one if jou really want to, hokay.)

Also, again, Merry Christmas to jou and jours! I hope jou enjoy A Muffins Christmas: Letters to Santa tonight, hokay! I know I will!