MuppetFest 2?

[Luke]

Originally posted by beaker
Only Muppet Ive heard actually on the net was Gonzo for that webcast Luke told me about.

Yeah that was a classic webcast - i couldn't believe i was actually quizzing Gonzo on the net, on video right in front of me. It would be sooooooo cool for Henson to take advantage of the net and do some Muppet webcasts at Henson.com - it could really get a lot of the characters over with the fans and even bring out some obscure ones. You take about them getting interactive with the fans at Muppetfest - but this could be much more often and it's fairly cheap to do. I've been saying for ages that maybe a community 'Fan Club' site for the Muppets would be cool - kinda an offline thing with an online prescense. I may well write to some Henson people about this !

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Originally posted by beaker
though since Muppets dont really have aposable thumbs,

Muppets have thumbs, index (pointy), middle (in their case a ring finger), and a pinky. SOME even have 5 fingers. Some, in Gonzo's case, have only a thumb and 2 fingers.

Go figure.

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Luke
Yeah that was a classic webcast - i couldn't believe i was actually quizzing Gonzo on the net, on video right in front of me. It would be sooooooo cool for Henson to take advantage of the net and do some Muppet webcasts at Henson.com - it could really get a lot of the characters over with the fans and even bring out some obscure ones. You take about them getting interactive with the fans at Muppetfest - but this could be much more often and it's fairly cheap to do. I've been saying for ages that maybe a community 'Fan Club' site for the Muppets would be cool - kinda an offline thing with an online prescense. I may well write to some Henson people about this !

Wow, was it a voice chat or just typed words, with a live feed of Gonzo? Either way very cool. I wonder why we never heard about it on MC? hmmm...

Yeah it would be really cool for JHC to do more stuff like this, more fan appreciation stuff. See, if you and I were working for JHC we could propose cool stuff like that. I still hope they use my idea for a "Pepe and Gonzo going up to random people on the streets of Time Square segment" for the new show or some MTV thing.

But yeah, seeing the Muppets interact with fans is pure gold!

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by beaker
Wow, was it a voice chat or just typed words, with a live feed of Gonzo? Either way very cool. I wonder why we never heard about it on MC? hmmm...

OK, Gonzo was a guest on this web TV channel called 'Play TV' and the host was kinda a Letterman style person. It was a realtime video chat with voice and everything - but you could send questions for Gonzo via ICQ. As the interview went along the host started asking questions from his ICQ screen and i guess few people were watching because they just used all my questions - it was like i was doing the interview ! LOL ! I think they were plugging the Muppet book of crafts because they had a Henson rep there too speaking more about the book.

It was heard about on MC but i think people thought it would just be like a regular straight TV interview than interactive and it was happening in the U.S daytime on a weekday for some reason, only myself and Phillip ever really showed any interest in it, and from what i remember he was working so unfortunately missed seeing it.

It was such a classic though - Dave had Gonzo talking about how he felt about Puppets, Camilla, German Media Companies. I remember asking Gonzo if he had been brushing up on his German language skills now that EMTV were in charge. The Muppets really need to do more of this online and promote it - it really worked !

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Luke
The Muppets really need to do more of this online and promote it - it really worked !

Indeed, we need more adventurous and innovative ideas from JHC this year!

 

[Luke]

yeah exactly - 'innovation' i think should be a keyword for them - they have all this technology at their hands, they have their own studio - all they need is to put 2 + 2 together and get all this technology working for them. We need tons more stuff like this interview - yet we get Muppetworld and the worse use of Flash ever at Henson.com

Theres no reason why they couldn't start a new official Muppet fan club. Promote the Muppetfests through it, have stuff going on all year round, and also send out an offline magazine or newsletter with promotion for all the TV apperances and merchandise. For a small subscription fee they could probably make it pay for itself AND use it as a free promotional tool to reach fans directly. I would be sooooo up for that !

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Luke
yeah exactly - 'innovation' i think should be a keyword for them - they have all this technology at their hands, they have their own studio - all they need is to put 2 + 2 together and get all this technology working for them. We need tons more stuff like this interview - yet we get Muppetworld and the worse use of Flash ever at Henson.com

Theres no reason why they couldn't start a new official Muppet fan club. Promote the Muppetfests through it, have stuff going on all year round, and also send out an offline magazine or newsletter with promotion for all the TV apperances and merchandise. For a small subscription fee they could probably make it pay for itself AND use it as a free promotional tool to reach fans directly. I would be sooooo up for that !

Oh Luke! A glossy color magazine like Farscape or Star Wars Insider is what JHC needs to do! Everything you said, the innovation, promotion with fans, actual Muppet chats on the net, etc. Sadly the reality is the company is hog tied by a variety of things. If only Muppet fans had the gusto of those crazy Farscape fans(if not a bit misguided at times)...if only Farscaoe fans cared a lick about JHC or th eMuppets...and if only any of that Save Farscape media hoopla even helped JHC financially. Sadly not even these fans could save the show.

Seriously, if *only* JHC were somewhat on thier feet. We *would* see that glossy magazine, we would see a muppets.com
(I mean a company who doesnt even use their main site!??!?!)
And that flash Henson site, please.

the reality is you, I, Jamie...we all should be working in some capacity for the Jim Henson Corporation. Oh Luke, I cannot tell you the kind of great innovative YET realistically implementible ideas I have for the Muppets...when business execs are coming up with more edgy material(ie: the mastercard commercial) than a 2 hour NBC movie...well...

Bottom line, if I had my say at JHC:

a NEW revamped www.muppets.com

a NEW slick glossy Muppets newstand magazine, that would feature everything from the Muppets, intl shows, Animal Jam, Bear, Farscape, Creature shop, etc.

Various ideas for the new show(one of course would be the 'Pepe and Gonzo on the street' segment)

A new marketing strategy

See, we the fans can see this...why cant they?

Hopefully JHC can sort all this buyout mess can settle, and someone with vision can lead the company back to greatness.

All I know is that Fox show is the key to everything at this point in regards to getting the Muppets back on top.

Impassioned about the Muppets and the future of JHC am I?
Oh boy...

 

[Super Scooter]

Originally posted by Fozzie Bear
Well, now, saying that we all sneaked down sounds so bad. Just say we accidentally found our way down there!!

It just sounds better.

FOZ

Man, if there's a second Muppetfest, I am going with you guys. I think I'd be too afraid to sneak in on my own.

Just think of it as doing your Muppet duty: To meet all Muppeteers. To see all of TMS at least twice. To figure out the scientific explenation behind boomerang fish!

the reality is you, I, Jamie...we all should be working in some capacity for the Jim Henson Corporation.

I want in. We could do so much for them!

All I know is that Fox show is the key to everything at this point in regards to getting the Muppets back on top.

Yes! Fozzie, whatever happened to your fund for saving up to buy JHC? We still doin' that? I got eight bucks!

Impassioned about the Muppets and the future of JHC am I?

Yes.

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by beaker
Seriously, if *only* JHC were somewhat on thier feet. We *would* see that glossy magazine, we would see a muppets.com

I think they CAN see it - they are just being very cautious right now. They are so used to thinking that people don't want to buy or see Muppet stuff, and they aren't interested in them to suddenly finding that people will buy action figures of obscure characters etc etc. Six months ago i'm told they had no intention to bring back Scooter but now we have him back. I guess all the old characters coming back in the movie was quite a test. I think they are realising it, and new products coming out this year will show that - but they're just feeling their feet and have to wait for the sale and see where everything goes. That said, they do usually have quite a stuffy attitude about doing anything new or taking a different route from the norm (say, in helping companies with promotion). We'll see how it goes !

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Luke
I think they are realising it, and new products coming out this year will show that - but they're just feeling their feet and have to wait for the sale and see where everything goes.

Let's hope so...2002 proved theirs a hunger out there for the Muppets...we know the merch factor will be huge this year...but what about abuyout, new direction, and the Fox Show?

Originally posted by Super Scooter
Man, if there's a second Muppetfest, I am going with you guys. I think I'd be too afraid to sneak in on my own.

Just think of it as doing your Muppet duty: To meet all Muppeteers. To see all of TMS at least twice. To figure out the scientific explenation behind boomerang fish!

Oh totally! I didnt really know anyone so I basically just stuck with like eithe rmyself or a couple people at the fest. Who knew JHC could take a ghetto *** crappy venue and make a 2 day fest of it.

As for watching all the TMS episodes twice? I havent even seen a good half of em yet, heh. But then again, my main focus is so expansive(Muppets, Sesame, Bear, Fraggle, etc) that I dont really focus on *just* the old TMS shows. Oddly enough I was more into classic TMS when I was little. The Jim Henson Hour was more my style.