DVD - "Furry" packaging

[lad]

graphic design train wreck

Hello everyone. I'm new to this, so don't hate me. I love the Muppets and consider Henson to be one of the most influential artists in my life. I am a graphic designer by trade and could not keep silent about TMS Seaon One package.

TMS Season One boxed set is a graphic design nightmare.
I keep staring at the box wondering whether or not TMS logo was centered incorrectly or if my eyes are playing tricks on me. When I grabbed the box off the shelf I turned it over in my hands. My heart sank. Again, a hasty production by the Muppets. The package design is inconsistent through-and-through. The late 80's early 90's publicity shots (Kermit, Animal, and Gonzo on skateboards) not only bring up painful memories of the "lost years" (which it appears we are still in) but are just plain inappropriate to the content. For the life of me, I can't remember those three slapping on Hawaiian shirts and skateboarding in ANY season of TMS. The use of photographs like this tell me one thing: someone at Henson was afraid that their product might be "out of touch" with today's kids and in need of a modern spin. Yeah. Like this photo helps. It's just evidence of a marketing machine pushing a product they don't believe in.

THIS IS TRAGIC! What better product to sell than the most innovative and artistically creative show of our time?

Overall the packaging of this looks rushed and schizophrenic. It feels as though there are 3 visual styles competing for dominance. The use of the more recent publicity photos in place of actual images from Season One is disappointing. The modern pub shots, instead feel deceitful. If kids are excited about watching a skateboard adventure, they'll be surprised to find a much-less sophisticated Gonzo puppet (in a purple suit) expressing great melancholy. Miss Piggy also received a makeover and so does Kermit (who appears in 3 different poser forms. Maybe this, like the back of a cereal box, contains a game: Find the "Real" Kermit. My condolences to the designer. I'm sure he was doing his best. Unfortunately this piece looks like what we in the design world call a "camel"-(a horse designed by committee.) Considering other recent editions to the Mupppet Archives, A Very Merry Muppet Christmas & Muppet OZ, this doesn't surprise me.

Lastly, can there be a Special Edition when there has been no "Edition". Think about it. Don't lie to me, Henson! This is your ONLY edition. Stop pretending me you're doing me a favor. A great example of a well-designed special edition is the 50th anniversary edition of the Lord of the Rings. (Black leather in slipcase.) If you get a chance, take a look at it. It's a terrific design. Maybe the Muppets can re-rease a REAL special edition in the future and clean up this explosion of bad graphics.

HENSON CO., if you're listening! Please treat your fans with more respect! This piece looks hurried into production. You've got a great product on your hands. It's time to start believing that.

Thank you to everyone for letting me vent.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

...HENSON CO., if you're listening! Please treat your fans with more respect! This piece looks hurried into production. You've got a great product on your hands. It's time to start believing that.

The Jim Henson Company was not involved in the details of the production of this set. They sold the Muppets and all the rights to Disney last year. The WALT DISNEY CO. is the one who made the set and are running the Muppets. If you want to complain then complain too Disney. Henson did not make the decisions reguarding this product.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Hello everyone. I'm new to this, so don't hate me. I love the Muppets and consider Henson to be one of the most influential artists in my life. I am a graphic designer by trade and could not keep silent about TMS Seaon One package.

HENSON CO., if you're listening! Please treat your fans with more respect! This piece looks hurried into production. You've got a great product on your hands. It's time to start believing that.

one last rant: How can there be a Special Edition when there hasn't even been an Edition. Think about it. Maybe Henson Co. can clean up this mess and create a REAL special edition later. One that's designed well. Consider the Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Now that's a beaut! I was happy, at least, to discover the actual episodes were not tampered with.

Hi, Lad. And welcome to MC. Your opinions won't be flamed, so don't worry.

However, you may be out of touch with the history of the Muppets. The Jim Henson Company NO LONGER owns The Muppets. All products surrounding the Muppets has been sold off to a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company called The Muppets Holding Company, LLC. Via Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the MHC has released this season set. All stock photos are their ownership now. Disney also bought out Bear in the Big Blue House.

Jim Henson Company still owns Fraggle Rock, and HIT! Entertainment has rights to release these shows on DVD. They have no more rights regarding The Muppets, but are on a 7 year contract with Disney/MHC as consultants on how best to use the Muppets.

Sesame Workshop (which WAS Children's Television Workshop) now owns all the Sesame Street Characters, and purchsed those characters during the time that EM.TV owned The Muppets.

If you search around the MC site, and these forums, you can find news articles about the sales, the DVD set, and discussions about those topics here.

I do agree, though, that some of the package design is a bit blah. The group picture inside the set is from a giant poster used during MuppetFest and stars POSERS of the Muppets, but I do like the idea of the curtain rising above the feet of Piggy/Kermit/Fozzie--however, rather than photoshopping that I wish they'd have taken a new picture.

 

[lad]

Shame on Disney

Hey everyone,

Forgive me for blaming the Henson Co. I can only blame them for selling to Disney. And in that case...

DISNEY, how could you! Do you hear me? I'm mad, I say, MAD!

The poster of the curtain rising with the Muppet feet behind is a great photograph. When I opened the box and saw it I immediately thought, "Why didn't they put that on the front cover?" Its much more dynamic.

Like i said, though, the design is trying to be about 50 different things. It just doesn't work. They'd have done better to focus on SEASON ONE and sell that. Oh well. I hope Disney can get their mouse-ears out of their butts.

Again, thank you.