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Jim Henson Idea Man
Back to the Rock Season 2
Bear arrives on Disney+
Sam and Friends BookAfter reading the comments on the new Muppet cd cover art, and thinking about all the Muppet cover art from the last decade, I've got to let loose...
I wish that I, or one of us, were in charge of promotion and marketing. It's not that I'm not thankful for Muppet products, but if they're gonna release them- let's release them in an exciting, alarming way- I've had it with generic computer age CRAP.
Remember that glorious Muppet Movie poster which featured Kermit and Piggy and it said "Frankly Piggy, I don't give a hoot" (or something to that effect)... it was brilliant. A true artist came up with it... just as a true artist came up with the original Dark Crystal and Labyrinth posters, which were intricate little... masterpieces... as far as I'm concerned.
What is with the dumming down of Henson's master creations? Yeh, theyre colorful, and great if the primary audience has turned to only children- but put some OOMPH into it. Children aren't stupid anyway, and we're not dealing with a primarily pre-school audience. You want your full audience back... then target the adults who grew up with Jim Henson.
Same reason I know I'll be disgusted with Kermit's Swamp Years. Same reason that Muppets From Space, which had so much potential, bit the dust. Same reason that the Muppets are not popular anymore. Just because the creator has passed away, doesn't mean you let his creation rot away. And just because they're still being tried out for the public in different ways does not mean they are not rotting. Why can't the marketers take a look at what made the Henson products so appealing, in the same way that Palisades has gone all the way... It's saying something when a toy company does more for the Muppets than anyone else has in years.
I could almost throw up looking at the Disney-Muppet video covers that were drawn like a coloring book... then I got so hopeful when the movies were coming to dvd. But alas, they looked like a People magazine cut out. First thing that stands out in a music store or in a dvd section are COVERS... Seeing the Muppets on a cover alone won't do very much, there's plenty of Muppet things to choose from for the average customer. So ya gotta make something that stands out.. something that says "Yeh its the Muppets... but look at the beauty in the cover- something that makes us nostalgic or curious enough to buy it. An example: Instead of making that hideous "Dark Crystal" dvd cover in 1999... they should have put the original poster art on the dvd- I guarantee it would have made happier customers. Take a look at the back of the Dark Crystal dvd, and imagine just the photo as the cover, imagine all the typing and 2 extra photos gone- only the title above the silhouettes- boring- but even that would have made a better cover because it would have had a touch of class and mystery.
I recently wrote to the Henson company, complimenting them on Columbia's box set of DC and Labyrinth- it's another sign of great promotion, even if it was just for a quick buck. I also recommended that they release the entire Fraggle Rock series on dvd. Now, granted this is only in my dream, but we could go the cheezy route with clip art and Best Of episodes (a whopping 2 or 3 per dvd) or... if we had brains...
We could release the full series, compacted -jam packed- onto only a few dvds, with an extra dvd that contains every episode of the Fraggle Rock animated series. I suggested they release the dvds in a case that is shaped and colored, and looks for all purposes like a real rock. Perhaps it could be foamy or spongy, but durable- I'm kind of thinking of that "Evil Dead" latex cover, but with dents, the appearance of holes... and nothing else on the rock, unless "Fraggle Rock" must be engraved into it.
My feeling is that everything that is missing from the new Muppet material (films, tv) is also missing from the marketing... a sense of naturalism, effort, dignity, appeal to grown ups and collectors.
It's the difference between Tri-Star releasing dvds with widescreen on one side and full screen on the other... and Disney releasing full screen only. It's the difference between releasing only a few songs from the Muppet soundtracks onto a hits compilation, (when a hits compilation should be reserved for the hundreds of Muppet Show songs that have not been available since the 70's or ever) and releasing each soundtrack in remastered glory, maybe with bonus material or demos and original GOOD artwork. It's the difference between being a notch above the rest and being a caterer to Happy Meal kids.
P.S. I still want that Electric Mayhem double disc of hits and newly recorded songs (so would rock lovers and muppet fans everywhere)
I wish that I, or one of us, were in charge of promotion and marketing. It's not that I'm not thankful for Muppet products, but if they're gonna release them- let's release them in an exciting, alarming way- I've had it with generic computer age CRAP.
Remember that glorious Muppet Movie poster which featured Kermit and Piggy and it said "Frankly Piggy, I don't give a hoot" (or something to that effect)... it was brilliant. A true artist came up with it... just as a true artist came up with the original Dark Crystal and Labyrinth posters, which were intricate little... masterpieces... as far as I'm concerned.
What is with the dumming down of Henson's master creations? Yeh, theyre colorful, and great if the primary audience has turned to only children- but put some OOMPH into it. Children aren't stupid anyway, and we're not dealing with a primarily pre-school audience. You want your full audience back... then target the adults who grew up with Jim Henson.
Same reason I know I'll be disgusted with Kermit's Swamp Years. Same reason that Muppets From Space, which had so much potential, bit the dust. Same reason that the Muppets are not popular anymore. Just because the creator has passed away, doesn't mean you let his creation rot away. And just because they're still being tried out for the public in different ways does not mean they are not rotting. Why can't the marketers take a look at what made the Henson products so appealing, in the same way that Palisades has gone all the way... It's saying something when a toy company does more for the Muppets than anyone else has in years.
I could almost throw up looking at the Disney-Muppet video covers that were drawn like a coloring book... then I got so hopeful when the movies were coming to dvd. But alas, they looked like a People magazine cut out. First thing that stands out in a music store or in a dvd section are COVERS... Seeing the Muppets on a cover alone won't do very much, there's plenty of Muppet things to choose from for the average customer. So ya gotta make something that stands out.. something that says "Yeh its the Muppets... but look at the beauty in the cover- something that makes us nostalgic or curious enough to buy it. An example: Instead of making that hideous "Dark Crystal" dvd cover in 1999... they should have put the original poster art on the dvd- I guarantee it would have made happier customers. Take a look at the back of the Dark Crystal dvd, and imagine just the photo as the cover, imagine all the typing and 2 extra photos gone- only the title above the silhouettes- boring- but even that would have made a better cover because it would have had a touch of class and mystery.
I recently wrote to the Henson company, complimenting them on Columbia's box set of DC and Labyrinth- it's another sign of great promotion, even if it was just for a quick buck. I also recommended that they release the entire Fraggle Rock series on dvd. Now, granted this is only in my dream, but we could go the cheezy route with clip art and Best Of episodes (a whopping 2 or 3 per dvd) or... if we had brains...
We could release the full series, compacted -jam packed- onto only a few dvds, with an extra dvd that contains every episode of the Fraggle Rock animated series. I suggested they release the dvds in a case that is shaped and colored, and looks for all purposes like a real rock. Perhaps it could be foamy or spongy, but durable- I'm kind of thinking of that "Evil Dead" latex cover, but with dents, the appearance of holes... and nothing else on the rock, unless "Fraggle Rock" must be engraved into it.
My feeling is that everything that is missing from the new Muppet material (films, tv) is also missing from the marketing... a sense of naturalism, effort, dignity, appeal to grown ups and collectors.
It's the difference between Tri-Star releasing dvds with widescreen on one side and full screen on the other... and Disney releasing full screen only. It's the difference between releasing only a few songs from the Muppet soundtracks onto a hits compilation, (when a hits compilation should be reserved for the hundreds of Muppet Show songs that have not been available since the 70's or ever) and releasing each soundtrack in remastered glory, maybe with bonus material or demos and original GOOD artwork. It's the difference between being a notch above the rest and being a caterer to Happy Meal kids.
P.S. I still want that Electric Mayhem double disc of hits and newly recorded songs (so would rock lovers and muppet fans everywhere)
