My 14 year Muppet Central anniversary!

[beaker]

It was about 14 years ago this week that I finally joined the Muppet Central forums (the old delphi)

I think there's a few people on here who were in diapers when I first joined But instead of wishing certain people had come back or longing for the old days (when you could chat in real time with Jerry Nelson or bug Baretta and the origins of the "muffining")

I will simply ask: What are some of your fondest memories of Muppet Central *and* what are you most proud/excited for that has transpired because of MC or Muppet related?

Im happy to have gotten to officially enter the muppet t shirt contest and to have attended
the two main live muppet shows(Muppetfest 2001 and Tribute to Jim Henson Carnegie Hall 2012) as well as having made some neato friends on here.

I thought the new film and the hype surrounding it would have brought a lot of people here, but apparently not...regardless, Im happy this forum still exists

 

[dwmckim]

Happy anniversary to a fellow original veteran. It's a real shame the delphi posts are forever lost.

 

[Hubert]

Though I haven't even been around for one year, happy anniversary, beaker! It's really great that you were able to stick around for almost a decade and a half.

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

I think there's a few people on here who were in diapers when I first joined

Haha. I was two months old. XD

Congrats! Hope you continue to stay on the forums!

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Happy Anniversary! 14 years is a long time to be apart of a forum. I doubt that I will be staying on here that long but hopefully I'll at least make it to two years. I tend to lose interest in forums fast I think the longest I've ever been part of one is 3-4 years. However I hope you are here for 14 more!

 

[D'Snowth]

Congrats on your anniversary beaker!

 

[Aaron]

Happy anniversary to a fellow original veteran. It's a real shame the delphi posts are forever lost.

I'm fairly certain they can still be accessed via the wayback machine

 

[beaker]

Ha, thanks everyone! I'm very grateful MC is still around. It's definitely been an interesting journey.

When I first got online regularly in 1996, there really was not many sites about the Muppets. Yet when I discovered Muppet Central one day in 1998, it seemed like I hopped on board RIGHT when things started to get interesting. A new muppet film had just begun production, with some of the people involved(including Jerry Nelson) chatting in real time with fans. There was also a Sesame theatrical film being filmed(Elmo in Grouchland) AND they made the Dark Crystal prequel announcement. Plus fan tape trades were coming of age and some truly rare gems were being found. Muppet Race Mania came soon after, and it just felt exciting. Plus Bear in the Big Blue House was taking off in a big way.

Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, The Muppets, etc were all owned by Jim Henson Company...tho, they officially were owned by the corrupt German media company "EM.TV". Sesame Workshop finally became independent in 2000. And most of us were very firm in not wanting Disney to buy the Muppets. We were collectively elated when JHC bought themselves from EM.TV in 2003 yet disappointed when Disney bought them a year later. Little did we know it wouldn't be for another 7 long years til Disney finally would put some big muscle behind them.

However 2002 through 2005 would be the biggest Muppet merchandise blitz not seen since the early 80's. Palisades changed the game forever. And soon fans almost seemed to have a hand in shaping the products of what was considered a dream line(Even I had my name printed on the back of one of the beaker packages)

It's been interesting. 2011 was the avalanche, yet MC didn't seem to be too impacted by the new film and the hype surrounding it. What we did see was quite a few gen x parents taking their kids to see the film and turning it into quite a success. I think given the ever growing younger demographic of the forum, we have seen proven time and time again that the Muppets appeals to the very young instead of "just to the 20-30 something nostalgia crowd" as we had originally thought for so long. So it's a testament of the magic. I believe the Muppets and Jim Henson's creations will be here in some form as long as people exist on the planet.