Ask Ken at Palisades

[Gorgon Heap]

Ken: a response to your response

So the S & W roughs are done- which do they look more like, old or new? Or neither?

So they'll have their theater chairs- that's good. No berrybush? Oh well, probably too obscure anyway. But could something like a teacup, a hearing aid, or programs still fit the bill as a smaller accessory for them?

They will probably have cards and some veggies or something as well.

Cards? As in playing cards or what?

Janice will have a repaint only short pack figure too

Are there any missing commas there? I take it that means the repaint Janice will be short packed, like 1 per case, and still have the same instrument. Does that go for the repaint Zoot too? I remember you were in favor of him coming with a clarinet.

Well, if I really want a stretcher, I can figure out a way to make one.

One part you missed- Strangepork still have his ray gun or does MAMMA fill the budget on him? I'm assuming the former.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[ResidentLilly]

Strangepork will come with MAMMA and a SwineTrek lunchbox. The Dissolvitron will be in the playset.

Cards are scorecards.

Stat and Waldo look like their more modern versions...like everything else we can't go too far back in the puppet "look".

All band repaints are one per case. No new instruments for any. That goes for Floyd, Zoot, Janice, L--...um, well, just those first three.

Ken

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Re: Gonzo's outfit

Is it purple or maroon? In the first two seasons, and variously thereafter, Gonzo wore the standard chorus outfit of a maroon tuxedo. From the third season on, he wore a lavender suit (or tuxedo- never payed much attention to the difference).

I just checked the pictures in Jim Henson: The Works; the outfits are exactly the same except one is solid maroon (the chorus tux), and the other is lavender with deeper pinkish purple lapels and bow tie. If you have a copy of The Works, check pages 91 (picture of Gonzo and Elke Sommer) and 118 (picture of Dave Goelz and Gonzo) to see what I'm referring to.

My suggestion was to do both, one regular and one a repaint. Seeing as the outfits are the same this should be easy enough.

Just for my future reference, will Gonzo in Series 5 come with his trumpet? I'm in favor of it as it's something even non-Muppet fans remember.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Cards are scorecards.

Ah. Hmm... I honestly don't know how I feel about scorecards. Nice nod to the Diana Ross episode but not something they used on a regular basis. I take it then that veggies and scorecards are the remaining accessories they'll come with and that things like teacup, hearing aid, and programs are out? Actually they never used programs except in a publicity photo of Droop invading S & W's box, but if they had programs it would be super neat-o!

Stat and Waldo look like their more modern versions...like everything else we

Pity. But they're not exact replicas or anything, just meant to capture the spirit, and that's OK by me.

All band repaints are one per case. No new instruments for any. That goes for Floyd, Zoot, Janice, L--...um, well, just those first three.

Ken, what are you saying? Does this mean...?

(the correct response is "YES, IT DOES!" Dramatic music. See Pigs in Space on the Judy Collins episode/second Muppet Show album.)

Does this mean I should do what I was thinking of doing anyway and asking Henson.com for any sort of Lips bio they have? Not just for you guys at Palisades, but for the board's curiosity. I'd kind of like to know what Steve's take on the guy was and/or if he ever wrote any sort of biography for him (as some actors- and puppeteers- do.)

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[frogboy4]

Taking some time to weigh in.

I think that by the time wave 6 comes out that accessories will be tough to think up. That's where I think the penguins could come in. Maybe each one could have their own theme too - i.e. regular, Hawaiian, etc. They really wouldn't have to be too articulated and it would make for some very interesting play with the rest of the cast.

There are other pack-in type characters that could be really cool too. Maybe some of the simpler abstract Muppets in classic bits. I'm not saying that they'll take up the whole case, just as a small include among a couple other items.

Ken- BTW - How does Waldorf look? It is a major subject of debate (like the current Piggy look) that the older version of Waldorf looks the best. Many of us fans around here feel that way. Just a heads up. He's really looked so screwy from project to project that I honestly don't think Henson would even notice anymore, but we do. He looks rather alienish now.

 

[Corbet]

Ken-
What is your opinion on McFarlane Action Figures?

 

[matleo]

Ken,
Seriously, are you really doing Lips??? it's not nice to tease us with a nugget lik that and not spill, man. A lot of us are die-hard band fans and would LOVE to see Lips. You don't have to say where you have him placed but a yeah or nay would be real cool. of course, I also realize a lot is subject to change with this line.
--Matt

 

[Rufus]

Hey, I wanted to throw this out, because I haven't seen it mentioned here and it's been floating around in my head for awhile...

If you wanted to do a Pigs In Space (hm... just realized it's not a good idea to abbreviate that...) Piggy variant, you could just paint the whole think gray, like when she was turned to stone in the Tony Randal episode. You could also get rid of all the joints, as she couldn't move when she was like. A super-cheap repaint to do - wouldn't even have to be painted if it was molded in a gray speckled stone like plastic! Unfortunately, it may be too obscure, and more casual Muppet fans and the general public would probably think it looked cheap (no paint job and no joints).
But, since she is coming with the playset and if you needed an excuse to release a version of her separately...!

- R -

 

[ZootandDingo]

Well, before I read this post from Ken, let me just take a big sip of milk first....

Originally posted by ResidentLilly
All band repaints are one per case. No new instruments for any. That goes for Floyd, Zoot, Janice, L--...um, well, just those first three.

PPPPFFFFFTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

Boy, spitting that milk out sure felt weird on my.....lips? : Dr. Evil pinky-finger to mouth motion:

Of course, I'm assuming you didn't mean LINK is coming with any instruments.

 

[Gorgon Heap]

One more time

Ken, two quick questions and then I'm off to bed:

One: the Newsman is slated to come with a small desk. I'm guessing a chair may be in there too. Would it be at all possible to include a newsroom backdrop? Just a flat, scale-cheated cardboard or plastic surface with a little stand to clip it into to hold it upright. With the Newsman sitting down it could look all right, and it could be made to fit within the confines of the packaging. What's the skinny?

Two: I can't believe I was so dumb for not having realized I could ask this. I suggested a stretcher earlier to come with Vet's Hospital, not realizing it could, or more likely SHOULD, come with one of the Vet's Hospital figs in the series, either Dr. Bob or Nurse Piggy. If their medical instruments aren't already set in stone, will you consider it?

Thanks. Going to sleep now, have to work early, but have Saturday night off. If only that actually mattered

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole