Muppet Babies: Puppets vs. Cartoon

[frogboy4]

Yeah it definitely does, hehe, glad that's worked out!



I do definitely agree that they might be trying to make themselves look more adult now, but just end up seeming immature. I just don't think Muppets Babies is the culprit, so to speak, hehe. It was a good show all around (and I know you didn't say it wasn't ) and I don't blame it for the damage that was done later on. Jim was the leader, and when he was gone, the focus became confused. I would have been shocked if it hadn't happened to be honest. What he did can't be easily repeated, as you would agree.

I just wish I still had the pictures from the Muppets Take Manhattan exhibit in Central Park. They actually had a whole film about the Muppeteers performing the babies puppets from ceiling, floor-level and underneath. They also had some puppets. It was a very long time ago around the time of the film's release. Absolutely beautiful work! That's a big part of my lack of interest in the cartoon. Apples and oranges, I know. I did have a Baby Kermit plush once upon a time when they first came out.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I guess to me it just seems that a lot of the Jim-era projects are getting the blame for the problems now, which I just don't agree with. I think the problem is with the NOW, not the then. If that makes sense, lol. (And I'm not talking about you specifically ). To me, the past isn't the problem; it's the solution.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I just wish I still had the pictures from the Muppets Take Manhattan exhibit in Central Park. They actually had a whole film about the Muppeteers performing the babies puppets from ceiling, floor-level and underneath. They also had some puppets. It was a very long time ago around the time of the film's release. Absolutely beautiful work! That's a big part of my lack of interest in the cartoon. Apples and oranges, I know. I did have a Baby Kermit plush once upon a time when they first came out.

Oh wow, that's so cool, I had no idea they'd done that! You're right, that would have been great to see. And just to stand up for the puppet Muppet Babies for a minute (which I always loved too), my friends and I always laugh when Kermit says "Hi Gonzo! Hi Fozzie!" even though he's just been pulverized by his rocking hourse, lol. Funny moment! And the way you can see Baby Rowlf's full body when dancing and even going upside down, very impressive! And Piggy is just perfect in the whole thing. ("Cause I want to be a good mommmy too!")

 

[Redsonga]

The funny thing is I first saw the movie and thought the puppets were a knock off of the cartoon *lol* .
But I love both . I would not have minded if the puppets had done the tv series, but they did'nt so the cartoon was great to

 

[Drtooth]

I will say that Muppet babies, as well as the Preschool "WOW you're a _________" playtime videos were pretty much proof that Jim wanted to market the Muppets to kids, while he wanted to focus on creature shop type projects for older audiences. At least that's the impression I was getting.

I still have to say, some of the voices worked beautifully (Frank Welker and Greg Berg were spot on), while some fell short (Baby Piggy, I agree with you was too shrill. But she sounded like how she should after a while). Personally, a bigger contrast would be something like Fraggle Rock. The designs of certain characters, Gorgs and Majory being the main examples, were pretty off. it's hard to simulate that kind of style in limited TV animation. I think Junior and Ma looked the worst. And the voices tried to impersonate the characters. Tried. But while there were some close ones- Red and Boober, close enough ones- Gobo, Matt, Wembly, and how was that supposed to sound like the real character- Junior.

That's the big question. What if they actually tried to make MB a puppet show? it would be slightly different. Stronger at some points, weaker at others.

And on the subject of 1980's outsorced Japanese animation...(and cartoon versions of Puppets), I was watching the DIC/Saban produced ALF and I felt the animation and overall design of that show was excellent. There were even small subtile things in the back of the show that stood out. I almost wonder what would have happened if MB and FR had that same animation style.

That said, I always ask this question and bring up 2 examples. What's more important, the story or the animation? When both are going for you, you get a great project no matter what. But sometimes, one has a higher quality than the other. Pocahauntus had supurb animation. It looked beautiful, but watching it was dull. It had a poor storyline and a bad script (and a million buzzillion historical inaccuracies). And look at Rocky and Bullwinkle. Hideous animation, but it was so well written and delivered, it is still considered great. Even as an animator, myself, it's more important to have a strong story than just strong animation.

 

[Redsonga]

Pocahauntus had supurb animation. It looked beautiful, but watching it was dull. It had a poor storyline and a bad script (and a million buzzillion historical inaccuracies).

I really liked the movie . The story was funny, sad, and lovely to me, and I did'nt see it as a replacement for history, I just saw it as a Disney movie ^.^. And I am native american myself
I hate when someone says a Disney movie was boring like everyone in the world is going to agree with them . There are fans of just about everything no matter how bad you might have thought they were. I liked everything up until after Trazan. After that everything went to pot IMHO

But as from Muppet Babies, I did not mind if the animation was bad sometimes, the characters were good, and as for Piggy's voice well, I have a high voice to so I never have seen it as too high

 

[wiley207]

I still have to say, some of the voices worked beautifully (Frank Welker and Greg Berg were spot on), while some fell short (Baby Piggy, I agree with you was too shrill. But she sounded like how she should after a while).

I guess the reason why Baby Piggy was voiced by a woman instead of a man was to make her sound younger.

And Baby Skeeter was always voiced by a man. Frank Welker made a better Skeeter than Howie Mandel did, IMO.

I've noticed that Baby Piggy and Baby Gonzo's voices sometimes sound very similar. I guess if Laurie O' Brien was unavailable to voice Baby Piggy, Russi Taylor could fill in using her Minnie Mouse voice.

Looking at the REALLY old MB episodes from the first season, Baby Gonzo and Fozzie's voices sounded pretty odd. Fozzie had a slight accent and didn't sound much like how the adult version would, and Baby Gonzo's voice wasn't as high-pitched. By the second season, the voices became more well-developed, and by the third season, Dave Coulier took over from Howie Mandel (I think he did a better job with Animan and Bunsen, IMHO) and the animation became much more refined. Then when AKOM took over the animation in Season 4, it looked a little weird at first, but soon it began to look really good, that is, until 1990.

 

[Drtooth]

Looking at the REALLY old MB episodes from the first season, Baby Gonzo and Fozzie's voices sounded pretty odd. Fozzie had a slight accent and didn't sound much like how the adult version would, and Baby Gonzo's voice wasn't as high-pitched.

A common thing for voices to sound different in the run of the series. Pinky had a noticably different lower pitched voice when Animaniacs started. And by the time they got their own show, it was much softer sounding. Not as abrasive.

I think that at the beginning of the series, the voice actors were trying to mimick the puppeteer voices a lot more closely. They relaxed into the role, and it took off and became different. Kermit pretty much is the only Baby who sounded the same from the beginning to the end. Greg's Fozzie actually was pretty close to Frank's Fozzie when the Muppet Show first premired, actually. And Baby Rowlf was much lower, and more masculine sounding, closer to the gruff voice of Rowlf the dog.

 

[Redsonga]

I always loved Baby Rowlf's voice It was so dog-like :3

 

[CensoredAlso]

Actually myself and a couple other people have said Fozzie's voice was actually rather close to the real thing. ::shrugs::