Ask Ken at Palisades

[Zack the Dog]

hmm, i can see your point with the shortend pants, but I'm glad to hear he is the tall's one yet, but even bigger then the chef?

It kinda looks like his legs were chopped off and he fell right on top of his feet perfectly, i don't mean to critisize it that way, i mean his legs were only shown once and on MTI at that.

But the yellow leg part just seems like it should be longer, not his bule feathered hips or anything. You know kinda like how a real eagles legs would be with a longer reach as to grab it's pray with....i know that has nothing to do with Sam the Eagle or action figuers at all but just an eagle point, but on the other hand if you were going arcording to a real frogs legs to the kermit fig, then you made kermit's legs way to big ken!;-) or then just about the right size because it is a small action fig.

 

[grail]

i think that the pic we're looking at isn't necessarily a dead-on shot of Sam. i think it's angled slightly downward, that's why it looks weird to us, but natural to Ken who has seen it in person.

of course, if you look at the drawing of Sam further down the page his legs ARE kinda short

 

[ResidentLilly]

It's always weird to see your favorite Muppets for the first time from the waist down when you aren't USED to seeing them from the waist down. Even Frank Oz expressed suprise when he saw Crazy Harry. Travis told me he said something like "Hmmm...I didn't even know he HAD legs!"

As for the Muppet Stage, right now we are discussing it at work and are debating whether to make it. At this point we aren't convinced the market can support a 50-60 dollar playset. It would HAVE to cost that much to be able to house other sets. Only other option would be to make it less to scale and not be able to put other playsets in it.

Thoughts? And don't say "Hey I would buy that!" because that isn't really a true litmus of market trends or consumer support. Heck, there are tons of people here who don't own a single figure, and so it has been really tough to figure out what Muppet fans want and don't want, would buy or not buy, for their Muppety collections. I am more curious about your thoughts on a stage as a REGULAR playset...one that cannot house the other playsets but that you could have some smaller "skit" type stuff going on for display.

Lemme hear it...

 

[GWGumby]

If the stage were smaller--which I would be okay with--then it would be really nice to have changeable scenery backdrops representing some of the different reoccuring Muppet sketches, Labs, Pigs In Space, At The Dance, Curtains, things like that.

 

[ResidentLilly]

Originally posted by GWGumby
If the stage were smaller--which I would be okay with--then it would be really nice to have changeable scenery backdrops representing some of the different reoccuring Muppet sketches, Labs, Pigs In Space, At The Dance, Curtains, things like that.

That's in line with what I was thinking...

 

[Luke]

Yeah i think a smaller playset style stage would be best - i agree that a $60 dollar jumbo playset would be incredibly risky. The backdrop ideas are nice and as long as you could put your figures on it and have a kinda 'play' it'd be cool enough. There are lots of funky decor things you can do to make it look special enough.

 

[matleo]

to me, the Muppet stage equals two things. You need a proscenium arch with a theater box for Statler and Waldorf and you need a curtain. After that, I kind of echo GW's thoughts. I'd do a few simple backgrounds that are representative of the show: the arches, the park with the fountain (used in Fozzie's sketches) maybe a brick wall, and the mybe the TMS logo. Having seen the Labs vs. EM set comparison on the Daily bit a few weeks ago, I think you think you set yourself up for some logistics problems as well as limit yourself creatively when you start trying to 'build a frame for them'. If you can do it, great, if not then that's cool to. Similarly I know you had plans to do rigging and pulleys and lights and scaffolding and again if you can, that's great. But I think you have to stop and ask "What, in it's purest form, makes the Muppet stage". Set that and the see how you can add to it and still make it cool without going insane.
So far you guys have done a good job of taking sets that have had two versions (like Labs and the kitchen) or taking sets that we don't really see much of (like EM) and remaining true to them. The truth falls into this second cateory. We've seen parts of it and our imaginations filled in the rest. Hope this helps.

--Matt

 

[grail]

personally, i would love to have the bigger stage. but then, i'm a completeist, and was planning on buying all the playsets anyway.

i think THAT is where you're going to find your answers, though. "how well are the playsets selling". i mean, if the whole idea behind the bigger stage is that it can house the "smaller" playsets, then only people that have the playsets are really benefitting. i know there are a lot of people that, like me, are planning complete sets...but let's be honest, a big portion of the Muppet fans don't have large chunks of cash to throw around (this actually includes me too, but i have whacked out priorities). with megas and pvcs on the horizon, a large stage may very well tank. it honestly pains me to say that, because i BADLY want the big stage, but this is me trying to think in terms of business, not fandom.

what about a possible compromise? you could do the stage as a smaller set, with backdrops of some of the other various sets already being made. (maybe even making new backdrops be accessories in future playsets) i mean, if you're gonna do Muppet Labs, then you put Bunsen and Beaker on the stage, in front of the "Muppet Labs" backdrop, then for the "closeup", you move them to the actual playset. might even encourage people to buy an extra set of Muppets...but probably not. anyway...then you could ALSO make the FACE of a larger stage, with maybe a floor that has a groove to hold a backdrop, and a couple supports. not the full thing by any stretch, but enough of it that it LOOKS like the full thing.

still...given the opportunity, i would buy the bigger stage in an instant...

 

[Crazy Harry]

I can be a rather cheap and petty person at times, and the idea of paying $60 for a playset kind of scares me. There's also the problem the finding space for a large scale theater.

 

[Gonzo]

Ken,

I'd be on board for the smaller stage playset too...especially with the interchangeable backdrops/scenery. I think the other playsets are wonderful as stand-alone sets, and I think the stage playset would be better if it didn't depend on having the other sets as plug-ins to make it more playable.

If that makes any sense. That and the lower price point and smaller shelf size make it more viable in my book. Like, as much as I'd like to HAVE the "U.S.S. Flagg" of Muppet playsets, I don't know if, when it came down to it, if I'd actually buy it, play with it, etc. Not that I'm a traitor, just that I think the smaller one may work better in many ways.

Quinnnnnnnnnnn