Happy 5th Birthday Muppet Central!

[Phillip]

It's unbelievable time has gone by so fast, but five years ago on January 28, 1998 Muppet Central debuted.

I have heard "Internet time" often referred to like dog years. Meaning, everything changes so fast with the eb-and-flow of the Internet that each year you survive is really like seven years. Sites come and go each month and it is because of all of you that Muppet Central continues to grow and is enjoyed by many. Hopefully we can be here five years down the road too.

Never in my wildest dreams could I image all the wonderful experiences, friends, and Henson folks I would meet through this site (especially meeting my wife). Also special thanks to the Muppet Central staff and featured contributors who are such an important part of our team.

We are going to be doing some things to commemorate five years on-line. Maybe these questions will generate some good discussions on where we have been and where we are going.

(1) Tell us how you found Muppet Central for the first time and what you remember about the experience.

(2) What have you enjoyed most about the site over the years?

(3) What would you like to see us do in 2003?

 

[Zack the Dog]

Happy 5th Birthday Muppet Central!!! Thank you Phil and Cindy and the whole MC crew!

I've been here for three year's first coming in Febuary 2000 i think. My family finaly got a real computer and the internet for the first time right after Chirstmas as a late chirstmas gift, so i was really excited! I search for all this muppet stuff but most of the site's were outdated and abandoned, then i found MC, i thought it was so cool to see those MC buttons with all the classic Muppet characters on them, i couldn't belive my eye's!
other people actauly loved the muppets as much as i do!

only i was afraid to sign up for the board, my mom told me to becareful on-line and i have been, it seemed safe so after a month of just looking every once and a while, i signed up!

I remember it perfectly LUKE was the first person i replyed a message to, My younger borther thought this was weird, other people liking the muppets as i do, so he told me to ask Luke if he could be my "pen pal" because he like the muppets a lot too, LOL!;-)

Chat's were unbelivable! i remember chatting to Mar for the first time, and ofcoures i had already seen Mar's muppet page, i was actting like she was a super star! "your mar?!?! Mar from Mar's Muppet page?!?! WOW!
lol what a mook i was;-) she was really sweet though.

there are many memories i've had with Muppet Central, Thank you Phil for bringing us all together, I feel like we are all stuck together like glue! Muppet Lab's glue to top that!

Zack)Rowlf the, i remember typing my first "Rowlf the" endding...i don't remember what it was...but i remember typing it, go figure?;-)Dog.

 

[Ol' Buddy Bert]

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations to each and every person (past and present) who has been involved in making this website such a terrific success.

I found Muppet Central back in 1999 while I was at working for Arthur Andersen as an associate multi-media producer. My supervisor and I would often have conversations about the muppets having both been amateur puppeteers and one day during some down time I happened upon this site. What I really enjoyed were interviews with some of the muppeteers, as well as the articles that Danny Horn had contributed from his muppetzine. It was also a treat to discover the forum and interact with many of the knowledgeable regulars. I have learned a lot about the Muppets in the four years I have been visiting here.

I have recently appreciated Muppet Central Radio which has done a lot to encourage my own personal Muppet audio collection - jogging my memory on some lost and forgotten experience of my as a youth and also introducing me to newer Henson productions such Bear and Big Blue House.

This is a site that I visit every day and I have appreciated the conversation and the opportunity to learn from people who have been blessed with incredible knowledge and insight into something which has always been an important part of my life - the Muppets.

cheers,

Scott

 

[Sir Didymus]

Thanks Phil for creating one of the best Muppet Sites on the web! I've had so many great times here, and I hope that This site will always be up! I first heard about Muppet Central 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to meet Dave Goelz. I remember he said that Muppet Central was the best Muppet site out there, and that he comes to visit quite often, because Muppet Central has the best news updates, and that you guys know more about The Muppets than he does! I couldn't agree more that this Is the best Muppet site ever! Happy 5th Muppet Central!!

Jake

 

[frogboy4]

My Muppet Central Memories

I found my way to Muppet Central in mid 2000. To tell you the truth, I didn't surf the web much (or do anything web-related for that matter) until 2000 because I had an outdated Power Mac. Of course, now I have a degree in Multimedia Ars!

My first post wasn't until January of 2001, though I was quite the lurker. My post was about the architecture of the Muppet Show Theater and I received a flood of different answers. LOL! I knew then that MC was the place for me.

I soon began creating colorful signatures soon after. It was an attempt to perk up the look of the old Delphi forum. There were only a few signatures at that time and everyone began going signature crazy! Sadly they have all been put out to pasture, [ click here ] but I am pleased with the new avatars.

Later that year I offered my graphic services to Muppet Central and heard back nearly a year later when I was commissioned to make buttons for Muppet Fest. The success and popularity of them led to other work (graphics, collectibles images) and finally to the new site design.

I always admired the content of Muppet Central, but wanted to tie it together into a fun professional package. We've had about a 98% success rate so far and more projects in the works. Of all the Muppet sites out there, Muppet Central has always been king in my eyes, and now it has a look to suit that status. Last year was dedicated to revamping the design and this year's focus is on content.

What a place! I am very proud to be here and lucky to have met all these wonderful Muppet fanatics! Happy 5th Birthday, Muppet Central. Here's to 5 more!

 

[EmmyMik]

**puts on party hat**

Happy Birthday MC!

I first discovered MC in the fall of 2000. At the time I wasn't much of a Muppet fan (just a beginner). I was much more of a voice actor fan. One day, out of boredom, I has watched "Muppet Classic Theater". I thought it was somewhat funny, but I really loved Jerry Nelson. I loved his voice, and how many characters he did. I wanted to know more about him. I found the interview here at Muppet Central and read it. I then read the interviews for the other Muppeteers, and I was hooked.

For the longest time I was a lurker. Every now and then I would post, but it wasn't often. I would go to the chats, but I would mostly lurk (I *still* do that, but that's what I do). Eventually Jackie came along, and then I *really* started to post, lol (so now you know who to blame! ).

More than anything else, I love the silly atmosphere. I have been to various (non-Muppet) internet sites that just take themselves waaaaaaaay too seriously. And you just can't have that with a Muppet site.

When do we eat cake?

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

snatches Emmy's party hat, puts it on

Happy Birthday, MC!

Guess I'm "the world's oldest poster" here untill others in my league come along...I first discovered MC in the summer of---get this, folks---1998---yep, not even in this century!

It was SOOOOOOO wonderful, I chatted at home on my parents' computer prac'lly EVERY NIGHT (I was home goin' to community college at the time), and I LOVED how the chat was---you could change your name, and I would magically turn myself into The Count, Janice, Junior Gorg, and a host of other Muppet characters "chatting" along the way, whenever I could appropriately become certain characters.

I met muh oldest online buddy there that summer---Quinnnnnnnnnnnn himself. We ignited a friendship that continues to this day, and I even have a few things from him that I treasure and keep visible around muh pad.

It was just aMAZing to find this place...I--I had never had a Muppety friend before. My sister did and still appreciates the Muppets, but she's not as passionate about 'em as I am. I had no idea there were SO many OTHER "Muppaholics" out there!!

Fondly do I remember a summer day in 1998 when I was at a weddin'...I thought of "Somebody's Getting Married", but, more importantly, I thought of my first ever "trade package", arrivin' from Phil (some eps. of TMS). It was a BLAST to get muh first "internet package"! And MUPPETY, at that!!

Then in August I went away to school---but didn't forget MC. As a matter of fact, that's what got me through the transition of goin' away from home---I was SOOOOOOOOOOO excited those first few days at the thought of aNOTHer package arrivin' soon, and that literally did help me. I was SUCH a homebody back then, and the thought of "college" kinda freaked me out... But the excitedness of my newfound love for the Muppets (and expectin' my 2nd package!!) kept me comforted!

I had always been a Muppet fan, but my Muppet-fan-iness had been kinda "hibernatin' " for a while---I'd get a collectible every now and then in a thrift store, but it wasn't until I "met" the folks at MC that the Muppet in me rully exploded---which is just as it should be.

Back to the college thing, MANY a night did I spend in the library---what else?---yep, chattin' at MC! Huh? "Study"? (Actually, my grades startd to potentially suffer---but hey, at least it was fer a good cause! LOL!)

*sigh*

Fond, fond memories...

*feels guilty, gives party hat back to Emmy*

 

[radionate]

I too stumbled on MC in 2000. I was blown away. I had put aside Muppets for a short time in college. I hadn't forgotten them, I just had them on the back burner. But as I started to settle down into the real world and wind down college, I started to want some of my stuff that I had as a kid.

MC allowed me to find out about new projects coming up, and on the few projects I had missed (Muppets Tonight, I've only seen a handful of episodes). And then there were the message boards.

Being computer illiterate, I still am, I didn't post for the longest time. But in 2001 I did, it was all over then.

I've made some great online friends, something that I never really thought could be a real. (These are people that I don't hang out with in real life, but they know just as much about my life as my closest friends here in town).

Most importantly though, I've had fun, and can continue my addiction of Muppets.

Thanks MC!

 

[camilla]

Wow Happy Birthday!!
I'm actually very new. It must have been summer/ autumn 2002. I know I was subxcribed to the mailing list long before I really explored the site.I know I must have been searching for Muppet sites. i've seen loads. i check for them every now and then. I've always been a Muppets fan but have bursts of Muppet madness.

I discovered the forum ( well worked out gow to use it) in January and I am well into the forum.
It amazws me how much some people know! I'm learning but i do enjoy mucking baout on the games etc.

Thanks.
Long live Muppet Central

 

[Fozzie Bear]

WEE! 5 Years!! We gettin' OLD!

Hiya Hiya Hiya!!!

Well, gang, being of sound mind and body, you might well guess that I can't remember yesterday, or how many years ago it was that I stumbled across Muppet Central, and ever since then I've been visiting almost daily!

I hesitantly staggered into the Delphi forums, because I had to 'sign up' for it, and had NO idea what I was doing. But soon, I finally learned what was going on. Originally I wanted the screenname I'm using here now, but "Fozzie Bear" was taken at Delphi, so I assumed the name "FOZZI3B3AR" (as I introduced myself at MuppetFest as 'Fozzie Bear from Muppet Central--with 3's not E's' and got a good laugh from it).

Soon, Scott (Scarecroe) and I discussed that we had both been in the play "The Wizard of Oz" and I had played Tin Man, so he made me a signature of Fozzie as a "Tin Man," which (i think officially) it was Fozzie in some kind of armor).

I remember all my friends fondly from the old days until now, including (but not limited to and in no particular order): Byron, Emmy, Jackie, Warrick, Luke, Zack, Tom, Phil and Cindy, Jamie (Frogboy), Scott, Matt, Nick, Lori, David, and even received replies from Karen Prell, Jerry Nelson, and I think Bill Baretta posted once or twice.

When we got over to the new forum here, a few folks were kind enough to make my Avatars, and I've also met SOO many cool folks, including my pal Nate who lives in my hometown of Oxford, MS. I've gotten to know folks from Scotland, England, Australia, New Zeland, and that is too wonderful!!

I think everyone can recall the many times I've mentioned how much I love my Muppet Central Family. Sure, we've had a few jerks try to disrupt our peaceful living, but we just kept on being us and they finally left and here we are still, no jerks.

And some folks (Byron) keep getting picked on (Cory), but I think they (Whoever else) finally realize that they are still a big part of things around here (MC). Heck, I pick, too--and get picked on. That's the fun of it!

I think Muppet Central has lived up to the mission of Jim Henson that, while we do have our differences, ultimately we all come together as a family as fans of the JHC productions, not to mention exploding penguins.

Well, that's it for me for now,
Love ya'll,
FZ/Kevin