Ask Ken at Palisades

[minor muppetz]

Back when the license extended to include Muppets Tonight, did you ever have any desire to produce any Muppets Tonight-related playsets?

Also, I wasn't a member at the time, but shortly after the action figure line announcements, you listed characters by how popular you concidered them (big guns, secondary, and fan favorites). If you can remember, were those fan faves you listed mentioned in the contract?

 

[matleo]

not Ken, but I actually remember that list. Ken was actually referring to how characters would be released within the lineup. The initial plan was each wave would consist of a) 2 heavy hitters, b) 1 supporting player, and c) 1 fav favorite

So for example...

Series 3 contained a) Scooter and Rowlf, 2) Zoot, and 3) Lew Zealand.

As I recall it consisted of about 30 somewhat essential characters and they ultimately all got made. I don't recall anyone TOO obscure being on that list.

But to give it a little perspective, and Ken would have to verify this, but I believe that Beauregard was also one of the guys that Henson was anxious about them making intially just cause they felt he was too obscure. That might have been the case with Mahna Mahna as well.

 

[matleo]

Wow, I could get lost in that old thread...I saw this while I was looking at the page...I wrote this about someone asking about Star Wars Muppets.

Great suggestion, but probably for naught. Would you ever want to be faced with the possibility of facing the legal juggernaut known as Lucasfilm? Well, neither does anybody else!

Ironically, that is EXACTLY what I faced when I made those C-3PO and R2-D2 based designer bomb figures. Funny how stuff works out.

We need to get Travis in here cause he had a great story he told me one year at ToyFair about Lucasfilm and "Adventure Kermit". When I get a chance I'll poke him and see if I can get him to pop in and tell it. If not, I'll definitely post it.

 

[minor muppetz]

As I recall it consisted of about 30 somewhat essential characters and they ultimately all got made. I don't recall anyone TOO obscure being on that list.

I recall that list including Showered Rossell, who was a Sesame Street character (I think everybody thought he meant Louis Kazagger). I think that Annie Sue Pig and Thog were also on that list, yet weren't made as figures (Thog was only made as a mini-PVC). But it did include Lips, who is probably too obscure but I am really happy that a Lips figure was produced.

 

[matleo]

ah, we must be talking about two different lists then. The list I was thinking of was very early on. Lips, Annie Sue, Thog, etc didn't come up in discussion until much later on when they knew they were going beyond 4 waves.

--Matt

 

[minor muppetz]

ah, we must be talking about two different lists then. The list I was thinking of was very early on. Lips, Annie Sue, Thog, etc didn't come up in discussion until much later on when they knew they were going beyond 4 waves.

Well I think we are thinking of the same lists. It's hard to find it using the internet wayback machine (I can find older versions of Muppet central, but the delphi forum still doesn't seem to come up). I know that Tough Pigs included that list, along with other info that came from the posts. It seems like this Palisades news was eventually taken down from the site.

And I'm not too sure whether Annie Sue or Thog were listed (I am more sure about Thog), but I'm sure Lips was in that list, even though several months later Ken said he asked about Lips and Henson wasn't too sold on the idea. i recaall Lips being there because he was one of the top five characters I wanted most and was excitted to see him listed.

Of course that list was a bit odd. Ken said he wanted each series to have two big guns, a secondary, and a fan fave, but the secondary list had both Dr. Teeth and Bunsen listed (I figured Dr. Teeth was the secondary in this case, before realising the lsit was from Muppet Show standards). But I think series 2 and 3 were really the only ones to follow the rule based on that list (thought he originally announced series 4 line-up - with a TBD Kermit variant, Sam, Dr. Strangepork, and Janice- did follow that pattern).

I think that deep down the people at Palisades did plan on more than four. When series four was announced, Link (with Pigs in Space playset) and Dr. Strangepork were announced, but there was no First Mate Piggy announced for series four. And a Gonzo variant was released before a regular Gonzo, which didn't come out until series 5.

Still, that list had some choices that I foudn odd. I thought it was weird that Beaker and Sam were listed as big guns, sicne those two were hardly ever made as merchandise (Beaker merchandise had just started being made two years prior to that). I was more surprised, though, that Bunsen and Beaker were categorized differently. I also found it odd that Link Hogthrob and Robin were listed as fan faves instead of secodnary.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The Henson company being split up caused all kinds of issues. I miss the company being whole.

I think we all suffer that same loss.

 

[frogboy4]

I remember Angus Mcgonagle going on the original lineup and the idea was revisited later. Sal, Mahna Mahna, the Snowths, another Dr. Teeth, Pajama Animal, Beaker single re-release, Vets Hospital cast, Muppet Wizard of Oz cast, Bobo, Mulch, Seymour & Pepe, the MTM Muppet Babies, Reporter Gonzo, MFS Gonzo, Rat packs, Gobo and likely some Doozers and additional Fraggles were all in the planning stages as I recall.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

You know, I would say I only needed 4 more characters to be completely happy:
Articulated Robin
Sal Manilla
Bean Bunny
Bobo the Bear

I really consider that the very best Muppets merchandise EVER was from Palisades. Cheers to them for all the great characters we did get! Including Super Grover!

 

[minor muppetz]

You know, I would say I only needed 4 more characters to be completely happy:
Articulated Robin
Sal Manilla
Bean Bunny
Bobo the Bear

You know, those characters aren't among the top ten that I would have most wanted. But I guess we should be thankful that, aside from releasing Johnny Fiama but not Sal, Palisades didn't start any character duos or groups without completing them in the line. They didn't realease Bill and Gil but not Jill. They didn't release half of Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers. Of course, they did release Polly Lobster (as a pack-in) without releasing Mad Monty or Clueless Morgan, and we did get Pepe but not Seymour, and only a few Muppet Treasure Island variants were released, but I don't know if those should count. Same with tuxedo and vacation variants.