Muppet Convention Thread #2: Where Should it be Held?

[dwayne1115]

I know I have been posting a lot in this thread today, but I wanted to let everyone know that I just shot one of the guys at Tough Pigs an e mail, about how they do things, and will let you know when I get a response.


EDIT


I found this Kickstarter project, and I think it's kind of what we are shooting for. I hope this link will maybe help give some of us hope!


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/759265949/lexicon-gaming-convention?ref=nav_search

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Dwayne, I know you're very passionate about the project at the moment, but I would say to leave all current plans and actions on hold. HensonCon (or the Untitled Puppet Fans Get-Together, re-named after the Henson legal department exchange) is currently on hold, and if it does come back, it'll have to come to agreements on all-sides quietly before-hand. Whoever is involved with HensonCon in the future will take care of this, but your support is appreciated to all.

Anyway, on a side note, I doubt Toughpigs would even answer that question. It's something you should leave to the team when HC becomes a thing again.

 

[dwayne1115]

Dwayne, I know you're very passionate about the project at the moment, but I would say to leave all current plans and actions on hold. HensonCon (or the Untitled Puppet Fans Get-Together, re-named after the Henson legal department exchange) is currently on hold, and if it does come back, it'll have to come to agreements on all-sides quietly before-hand. Whoever is involved with HensonCon in the future will take care of this, but your support is appreciated to all.

Anyway, on a side note, I doubt Toughpigs would even answer that question. It's something you should leave to the team when HC becomes a thing again.

Your giving up.......This is a sound idea, and there was support for it. Sure for whatever reason Henson shot the idea down, but that dose not mean you give up. If I've learned anything from Jim Henson and the Muppets is when you know you have something good to keep at it. OK so this first plan didn't work then we go back to the drawing board and come up with something else. I understand if you want to back out but the idea is sound and we could do it if we try.

 

[JimAndFrank]

Your giving up.......This is a sound idea, and there was support for it. Sure for whatever reason Henson shot the idea down, but that dose not mean you give up. If I've learned anything from Jim Henson and the Muppets is when you know you have something good to keep at it. OK so this first plan didn't work then we go back to the drawing board and come up with something else. I understand if you want to back out but the idea is sound and we could do it if we try.

You know, I've been keeping track of this thread and I think it's a great idea. Don't give up just yet. Maybe keeping it to the classic Muppets would make it a bit easier legally.

I wish I could help, but there's not much I can do from the other side of the world. In fact, I'd like to organise a MuppetCon in my own country.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Your giving up.......This is a sound idea, and there was support for it. Sure for whatever reason Henson shot the idea down, but that dose not mean you give up. If I've learned anything from Jim Henson and the Muppets is when you know you have something good to keep at it. OK so this first plan didn't work then we go back to the drawing board and come up with something else. I understand if you want to back out but the idea is sound and we could do it if we try.

I'm not giving up. Some things need to be fixed before anything moves forward.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Okay let me just go over a few things again...we were in talks at the time since the Henson company shot us down to just go forward with the event and sort of do what ToughPigs does and have one big party. To be honest you had to be on our side of the team when we got the rejection letter. We literally felt like that scene in TMTM when every door gets slammed in your face. Yeah we don't wanna take no for answer but at the same time we kind of had to. It sort of took our momentum away.

We have in NO WAY given up on this project we just don't know how to pick it back up again. But some of us had real life stuff come up too. It's great to see this thread alive again for the reasons already stated but it's pretty hard to go forward at this point. Because personally I don't wanna come face to face with Mickey Mouses legal team.

I like ToughPigs but they seem to not wanna be bothered too much with such things. And unlike them we do want to keep it family friendly. The biggest risk in all this is money. We need money to make this happen...and to be honest I don't know how many people outside the Muppet fan communities would come if we don't get some puppeteers to show up. Granted if we did this without the permission of such companies we might just get the puppeteers. Like we might get Steve but don't expect Kermit to make an appearance or Eric with Piggy and Fozzie. Because while the Muppets are under copyright I don't believe the puppeteers are bound to such agreements although I could be wrong. Plus it would also depend on their availability.

Although ironically enough the lawyer who we dealt with from the Henson company was named Jill. Therefore we thought we were dealing with Jill from the grill and apparently meat isn't the only thing that makes her ill so does conventions.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Oh and as of now we just call ourselves "people's is people's."

 

[dwayne1115]

I received an response from Joe, but I can't really give much into the details of how they do what they do. They try and keep there events as low key as possible, and that's all I'm going to say.
The issue of a name of the convention could be tricky, but it does not have to be. We would not be able to use any Henson, or Muppet name, but that dose not mean we can use the word PUPPET!

Even though we would want to have a solid representation from Henson/Muppet workers or what have you if we open up the focus of the event to Puppets it would attract more people. Especially if we held the event at the Center for Puppetry arts. Which after looking at there website I personally think that would be a wonderful place. That way would could invite Muppeteers and builders and they would be there as Puppeteers and builders who just happen to work with the Muppets.

I hope what I'm saying is making sense.

I really think that if we change the main focus to Puppetry as a whole it will also attract more people. Some people see puppetry as a hobby, or as something they have always wanted to try. As I'm typing this I am already thinking of different booths and things that would help introduce people to the art of puppetry.

Anyways I'm rambling. This is just an idea, and you all can take or do whatever you like with it.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Is there anyway you can inbox me the information Joe sent you? I would really like to know what he had to say. And considering I am on the "Hensoncon" team I do feel it's in my right to know.

And yes this was the other issue since we don't have permission from Henson and figuring Disney and Sesame Street would pretty much do the same we would have to come up with another name.

However while I do appericiate what your doing Dwayne I would like to run all the details by the other members on the hensonCon team. Yes we're not technically hensoncon but that's what I'm gonna use until another name is thought of. Hopefully new life has been breathed into this thing. I guess I could share the letter Ryan's friend sent me last year about having it at the Puppetry Center. She thought our idea was also great and had some great questions for us. I feel bad I never responded back to her. :/

But again we gotta come up with $$$$.

 

[MelissaY1]

I can say this much, I'm not sure how Tough Pigs runs their events or what's involved, but I do know as also a long time fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, almost ALL their fan conventions are run by the fans, with the exception of the few "big anniversaries" that 20th Century Fox has organzied. But all the other ones over the years are out of the fans' pockets, and they put on wonderful events, are able to screen the film, have had the actors from the film show up, rent out rooms and event halls in hotels. Yes in some cases, the people who have supplied the money have not made back all the money depending on the convention turnout, etc. But they somehow always pull it off.
I'm not sure what legalities are involved as far as if they need permission from Fox to screen the movie, I'm assuming there has to be some sort of contract with the actors and I know they've had to pay and cover the costs for travel, hotel, etc. for the actors. I have friends who have done this, so maybe I can poke around and ask.