Muppet Coloring Book by Michael Frith?

[Convincing John]

Hey all,

I had a question for those who collect Muppet coloring books. In my collection once (I may still have it, but have misplaced it) is a coloring book from the mid to late 1980s that (I believe) Michael Frith illustrated.

The title of the book was either "The Muppets Around the World" or "Around the World with Jim Henson's Muppets". Something like that.

Anyway, this coloring book is very well illustrated (hence my theory that Frith may have done the artwork). The book is all about the Muppets going around the world and doing things in other countries. Some of the pages I remember were Animal playing the steel drums in the Bahamas and the gang on the Swinetrek on the last page with the caption "See you soon!". There's even an awesome two-page spread of Sweetums and Robin surfing! Another two-page spread showed Piggy and Annie Sue picking tulips in Holland.

I haven't even seen this coloring book on the Muppet Central Guide...or Amazon...but I KNOW it exists (I had/have it).

The reason I am trying to track down this book is that there is an illustration of Piggy doing the hula I am trying to find. If credible, I am going to use it as a reference for a piece of Muppet art I am making.

Normally, coloring books aren't the best resources for basing Muppet art on, but I remember these illustrations being very close to the original Muppets (like the "Meet the Muppets" coloring book or the "Fun and Games with the Muppets" from the late 70's). This particular Piggy illustration may answer a design question I had about her.

Does anyone have this coloring book in their collection? I just had a question about the "Piggy in Hawaii" page.

Thank you,

Convincing John

 

[muppetperson]

I remember there used to be a publicity photo of Miss Piggy wearing a lei and grass skirt and high heels.

 

[The Count]

Yeah... The book is titled something like that, Around the World with The Muppets.
Happen to have this one in my collection, though I think and apologize in advance that some of the uncolored pages might be a bit damaged. (Thinking of the one of Robin as a leprechaun for Ireland in the pot of golden coins in particular). The two-page Hawaiian spread is the gang having a luau, my eldest cousin on my dad's side of the family colored that one. Funny thing is she gave Scooter a bit of a blueish tinge on the tip of his nose/lip from the poi he was sampling.

LMK what you want to know, will do my best to answer.

 

[Convincing John]

A possible credible resource...

Hey, thanks, Count.

Well, here's what I'd like to know...

I just wondered who illustrated that book...because I remember the drawings were really well done and true to the characters.

What I am making is a piece of Muppet art for my aunt and uncle for Christmas. It's going to be a sculpture (Sculpey) of Kermit and Piggy snuggled up on a love seat looking at a photo album. (awwww....)

Anyway, when I put the base on it (it'll serve as carpet) the composition of the sculpture could use something extra on the left (Piggy's) side.

Getting an idea from a "light-up" Santa decoration of a similar theme, I thought of Piggy having her shoes off as she's sitting on the love seat. I thought the shoes would look good sitting next to the love seat on the carpet. The Santa I saw had him with his boots off and he was dozing in an armchair next to a fireplace. I thought this element would give the artwork that "being home and being cozy" feeling. (Maybe Kermit will have a mug of cocoa...depends on how much Sculpey I got left over).

So what's this got to do with Piggy doing the hula? Well, this is only one of two depictions of Piggy that I know of where she isn't wearing shoes. I wanted her feet to look right, but some sources I checked (such as the posers pictured in "Miss Piggy's Guide to Life") showed the legs merely ending in "feet" looking like Kermit's did from his "Sam and Friends" days, just some rounded off lumps to fill up the shoe (as done with many puppets in costume).

However, in the hula illustration (and in the Muppets at Sea) Piggy is depicted with toes. Like her fingers, I thought she was four-toed (like the Fraggles).

I'm trying to get a reference that looks accurate, but still would compliment the artwork. And yeah, I checked the Carol Channing TMS episode, but there wasn't much help there.

For legs, I'm going with on-screen references from the Muppet Movie, et al. But as for her feet, I'm wondering which reference to go by. I don't want to sculpt it wrong...

"Your feet's too big! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!"
"HIIIIIIIIII-YAAAAAAAAH!"

Convincing John

"Picked pigs' feet! How could I be so gross?"--Carol Channing

 

[The Count]

OK... So that's:
Illustrator.
Hawaii Hula Piggy's number of toes.

Will do my best and get back to you ASAP, not sure when that'll be though. But rest assured I'll do my best and ask someone to check it for me.

 

[Mistersuperstar]

I have two colouring books from the 80s. One called "'Round the World with the Muppets" that is illustrated by Carolyn Bracken and one called "Muppet Fun All Year 'Round" that is illustrated by John Stevenson and Karen Leigh Prell.

The first one is where the Muppets are traveling the world but there doesn't seem to be a picture of Piggy doing the hula. There is one where she is using chopsticks and dressed in traditional oriental dress, one dancing flamenco, dancing a Highland jig and one where she is sitting while Kermit plays ukulele in Hawaii. None of them show Piggy without shoes.

The only time I have seen Piggy without shoes is in "Miss Piggy's Guide To Life" where her feet in quite a few photos don't seem to have toes at all.

 

[Convincing John]

As for "Guide to Life"

Yeah, I have "Miss Piggy's Guide to Life", too. The legs used for the posers look...off. I'm comparing them to the ones used for full body shots of Piggy from The Muppet Movie (like where she's hitchhiking). As I mentioned before, the legs and feet look more like ones used just as posers. The feet (in sandals) are seemingly toeless, but also seem to be just rounded edges (like Kermit's "Sam and Friends" feet) bent at the edges (to make the poser stand up better, maybe?)

"Round the World With the Muppets"? Maybe that's the coloring book. Does it have the Swinetrek on the last page with the caption "See you soon!"? The two page Hawaii spread I remember has Piggy, Robin and Sweetums (I think) dancing the hula. The caption merely says "Aloha!" and Piggy is barefoot and four-toed (like the Fraggles).

Some other pages are Animal playing the steel drums in the Bahamas and Piggy and Annie Sue picking tulips in Holland. Count's description of Scooter with the poi also sounds familiar.

The other reference of Piggy shoeless I know of is the book "Muppets at Sea". near the end of the book Scooter says that the ship is sinking and Piggy jumps into Kermit's arms yelling "Save me!" One of her shoes falls off, and her foot looks like it has toes (though I can't remember how many). Four seems logical, since Piggy has four fingers. (shrug)

I'm just tryin' to get all the resources I can as I work. Last year for Christmas, I made a sculpture of Gonzo and some chickens. Of course, if I ran into trouble making the chickens, I just decided to wing it. (rim shot).

Convincing John