Muppet Comics Cancelled?

[minor muppetz]

I can't believe that Boom! keeps the rights to any unpublished comics, requiring Disney to buy the comic rights if they want them released. I don't think Boom! would be allowed to release it if the contract for Muppet comics has expired.

Regarding Farscape comics and the lack of coverage of post-2004 Henson productions on various Muppet websites (The Muppet Mindset, Muppet Wiki, etc.), I wonder if it'd be a good idea for somebody to start a blog about the Henson productions that don't get covered on The Muppet Wiki, maybe even an equivilent to The Muppet Mindset. I wouldn't be up to it, but maybe somebody else would.

Though The Muppet Mindset does occasionally allow other Henson properties besides Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock, I think on a case-by-case basis. I got to do a "Weekly Muppet Wednesday" article on Baby Sinclair, and I think there have been articles on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. The site recently mentioned a report on a recent Puppet Up event that Neil Patrick Harris attended. And I wonder if Bear in the Big Blue House articles would be welcomed (the website recently did an interview with Noel MacNeil, primarily discussing Bear, but MacNeil has performed on Sesame Street and in other Henson productions; Then again, I don't recall the interview including any discussion of Noel's work in Eureeka's Castle, which is probably his most famous non-Henson work). Muppets and Bear are both owned by Disney under the Muppets Studio company (and the two properties are hardly related).

 

[dwmckim]

I tried to do that with Muppet Freak but after the job/finance fiasco, that's had to be put on a permanent hiatus until i have a decent job/disposable income again.

 

[minor muppetz]

I tried to do that with Muppet Freak but after the job/finance fiasco, that's had to be put on a permanent hiatus until i have a decent job/disposable income again.

I know Ryan is currently on vacation, but I wonder if it would be a good idea to suggest he do a sub website like that.

 

[beaker]

I think the main reason that the major Muppet fansites don't cover the Farscape comics is because they aren't Muppet titles. It's the same reason their isn't much coverage of all the Sid the Science Kid or Dinosaur Train merchandise on the Muppet fansites.

I've long opined at how I consider most franchises by JHC to be "Muppets"(even going so far as to argue for Dinosaurs and Puppet Up)...but I definitely don't consider Sid or Dinosaur Train in the realm of Muppets.

Farscape was a big thing for many of us early MC folks, especially in the 1998-2001 period, but admittedly interest has dramatically waned.

 

[beaker]

I'll admit...while I enjoy the exclusive small niche and underground feel of Muppet fandom online, I was a bit bothered in 2002-2003
when online Farscape fandom was this huge rage(with even street protests) YET mainstream visibility and fever for Muppet fandom seemed MIA. Well guess things have changed...now Firefly has a bigger fandom despite only having a few episodes, and the Muppets seemed poised for quite the comeback.

But...will it be forcing it too fast? It's almost April, a little over half a year til the big movie...and nada in way of promotional material or teasers or merch. Disney is going to have to haul butt and last minute shoe-horn all the stuff we expect from them

Anyways, I'll be at Wondercon in San Francisco in a couple weeks. BOOM! and Archaia were there last year, so I'm guessing they'll be there again. I'll ask what the real story and latest news on the Muppet comics are, and see what's in store for Fraggle Rock.

Say...anyone else a little worried Disney might screw up and miss opportunities with Muppet merch this fall? I mean, just look at "UP"

 

[Drtooth]

Anyways, I'll be at Wondercon in San Francisco in a couple weeks. BOOM! and Archaia were there last year, so I'm guessing they'll be there again. I'll ask what the real story and latest news on the Muppet comics are, and see what's in store for Fraggle Rock.

Say...anyone else a little worried Disney might screw up and miss opportunities with Muppet merch this fall? I mean, just look at "UP"

I personally blame Ratatouille for the appalling lack of Up merchandise. They cleared that out long before the movie even came to DVD. I think they were backbuttwards by only having very large plush of ALL the major talking dogs. Dug was the only one that sold. Still, I don't see why they decided to keep those figure sets so underground when they literally had a gluttony of unsellable Handy Manny sets. Really, had I known, I would have tried to buy that one when I saw it. Sigh... at least there's that Dug bean bag.

As for the Muppets, I'm seeing T-shirts and odd clothing hit Target, Kohls, and other places all the time... but the Disney store solidly lacks anything. Sigh... if only they gave Pookalooz another chance. The Muppet ones sold once the price started going down, leaving everything but NBX ones on the shelves. I understand that they have Toy Story and Cars Merchandise and they milk those constantly, and I understand they want to slowly do things once they get to the movie... but we only get a random burst of Muppet stuff once a year, usually over the summer... and seasonal stuff that gets cleared out at that.

Again, I fail to see why a Kermit Bean Bag will make everything come crashing down! And I also fail to see not letting Boom publish 4 more lousy issues is going to make a difference, when the magazines are clearly going to be Pixar oriented anyway.

 

[Drtooth]

Bump

Here are plans for the (ugh) magazine publications:

Disney Publishing is pushing further into the kids’ periodical market with four new magazines, including two standalone issues tied to Marvel’s upcoming Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger movies. Marvel’s comics division apparently won’t be producing content for the publications. A third magazine, based around Cars 2, will be monthly beginning in the fall, while the fourth, tied to the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb, will be bimonthly.

HEY! Muppets was not at all mentioned on that list! Wow! They've pulled the license for nothing! Cool.

Someone has to explain this to me... was the Muppet license married to the Pixar license, and that's the reason?

Phineas and Ferb mag sounds cool, though...

 

[beaker]

I personally blame Ratatouille for the appalling lack of Up merchandise. They cleared that out long before the movie even came to DVD. I think they were backbuttwards by only having very large plush of ALL the major talking dogs. Dug was the only one that sold. Still, I don't see why they decided to keep those figure sets so underground when they literally had a gluttony of unsellable Handy Manny sets. Really, had I known, I would have tried to buy that one when I saw it. Sigh... at least there's that Dug bean bag.

As for the Muppets, I'm seeing T-shirts and odd clothing hit Target, Kohls, and other places all the time... but the Disney store solidly lacks anything. Sigh... if only they gave Pookalooz another chance. The Muppet ones sold once the price started going down, leaving everything but NBX ones on the shelves. I understand that they have Toy Story and Cars Merchandise and they milk those constantly, and I understand they want to slowly do things once they get to the movie... but we only get a random burst of Muppet stuff once a year, usually over the summer... and seasonal stuff that gets cleared out at that.

Again, I fail to see why a Kermit Bean Bag will make everything come crashing down! And I also fail to see not letting Boom publish 4 more lousy issues is going to make a difference, when the magazines are clearly going to be Pixar oriented anyway.

I have a prediction: In ten years, if we still have the internet, you'll be making long rants about the Weinsteins, Pook a Looz, and the never finished Muppet comic arc. James, I kid! I love ya man.

Just teasin ya...yeah it's pretty tumbleweeds. Most workers at Disney store seem puzzled to learn Disney even owns the Muppets. Spencers does have some new Muppet stuff(bed slippers and panty briefs, to be precise) Otherwise nada enchilada for our fined furry foam pals.

You almost could be forgiven for not even knowing a movie was coming out in eight months...

 

[beaker]

Here are plans for the (ugh) magazine publications:



HEY! Muppets was not at all mentioned on that list! Wow! They've pulled the license for nothing! Cool.

Someone has to explain this to me... was the Muppet license married to the Pixar license, and that's the reason?

Phineas and Ferb mag sounds cool, though...

I swear I will get around to checking out Phineas and Ferb one day! In the meantime, I have to say I'm really liking the GI Joe Renegades show(hey, what can I say, Im slow to get into modern cartoons)

Maybe something Muppet comicy/magazine wise will show up.
I still say we should pull together to put together an epic Muppet print/pdf zine with comics/art/articles/etc

 

[Drtooth]

Just teasin ya...yeah it's pretty tumbleweeds. Most workers at Disney store seem puzzled to learn Disney even owns the Muppets. Spencers does have some new Muppet stuff(bed slippers and panty briefs, to be precise) Otherwise nada enchilada for our fined furry foam pals.

You almost could be forgiven for not even knowing a movie was coming out in eight months...

This really should start slowly in the mid-Spring... that is, it really should. It seems they're more interested in Cars 2 than anything else right now, and quite frankly, Cars can stand on its own 4 wheels... they've been solidly milking that since the movie came out. Now, we have a big movie coming out in November, and I can forgive them for not having a trailer yet (like they're going to unveil the thing during Mars needs moms... they knew full well no one would want to see that zombie looking crap), but really? What's the harm in letting Boom publish 4 last issues that are already finished? I mean, at LEAST let me order dessert before you kick me out of the restaurant because it's 8 minutes to closing.

I'm sure we'll see something just around the time the movie happens, but so far with the comics over, the season sets indefinitely stalled, and no small merchandise lying around among other things... well, it's time to start telling people who aren't on the net 24/7 there's gonna be a movie. Heck, everyone on the movie is promoting it on talk shows better than Disney at this point.

Maybe something Muppet comicy/magazine wise will show up.
I still say we should pull together to put together an epic Muppet print/pdf zine with comics/art/articles/etc

I'm thinking there's not even plans for a magazine at this point either, and the Muppet license was married to the Pixar one. They seem to be promoting the heck out of Marvel movies (ones they didn't even produce) coming out in a little while too...