Questions for Fraggle's Terry Angus

[ButchCat]

Hi all,

Here we are back at it again. I’m sorry I didn’t get to answer you guys last night. I was really tired last night and just couldn’t do it. Tonight because I forgot the other night I’m going to answer Skeeter Muppet aka Kim. Skeeter’s question was:

How did you get into making puppets like the ones you auction off on E-bay?

I started building puppets way back in high school at around grade 10 if I remember right. I needed puppets to perform with and lets face it store bought puppets did not have the quality that a professional puppet has. Of course at that time my home made puppets had a long way to go. Once I got in with Fraggle Rock I learned a lot about puppet building and applied it to my puppets. One day in 2001 I had my car in for repairs and the guy who I take my car to said that I should put my puppets up on e-Bay. I was not sure if it would be a good idea at first but I tested out two puppets on ebay and they didn’t do too bad at all. So I continued and as I got the word around the puppets sales did very well and for a few years I was doing pretty good. Sadly not everything can last and suddenly other people started doing the same thing and my ebay sales fell badly. This is one reason that you do not see my puppets up on ebay as much anymore. I just couldn’t compete. Thanks Skeeter.. er I mean Kim.

Hi OverUnderAround, I had nice memories of the whole series of Fraggle but seriously there’s really not a lot that I can add to what I haven’t already said in the Muppet Central article about my audition. You also asked me what it was like the first day that I walked on the set. I remembered that I was very excited to see the sets. I was given a tour of the studio this was a week before we started shooting the Pilot. As I walked through everything I thought to myself, “Wow I’m finally going to be working with the Muppets.” I remembered wanting to get right to the puppets and play around with them. I was riding on a high for a very long time. Thanks for your question OverUnderAround.

BlueAm asked:

Terry, do you remember which specific Muppets you performed in "The Muppets: A Celebration of Thirty Years"?

Well for most of the special I was working Mulch over at the monster table. Mulch was the blue Frankenstein monster like Muppet that was on the Muppet show episode that had Debbie Harry from Blondie as well as a couple of other episodes and he showed up on Muppets Tonight too but he became a she for that. I also remember performing a Frackle at the vegetable table. I was on the left. I had link Hogthrob on for the photo session. The most fun scene I got to do in that special was where I was performing Kermit for Jim in a seen where Miss Piggy is being introduced. I had Kermit clapping and nodding his head approvingly as the camera zooms into Miss Piggy. Sadly Kermit is very small in the shot but hey, it was a trill to get to operate him at the time. Boy I was charged. Oh I almost forgot I was working Floyd in the Band area too. That’s all I can remember working at this point. I’m sure there where a couple of others but I can’t remember. Thanks BlueAM.

Hi again Kimp the Shrimp. I did quite a few puppets for MFC as well. I’ll tell you who I remember performing. I was operating Lew Zeland for the opening truck shot, Gladys the cow for the “Deck the halls” number. I got to even lip sic to her solo line in it. Zoot watching the Muppet Babies film for the “Santa Clause is coming to town” song. I am not sure but I think I was Grover where Piggy slips on the icy patch. I was operating Floyd behind the couch for the big fireplace sing a long that was fun, I even lip sinked to Jerry’s live Floyd lines ie: “It’s the only place Animal ever sleeps man” On the other side of the fireplace sing a long I played a brown grouch. Finally I operated both Bert and Ernie for the “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” song. The MFC was hands down my favorite of any of the Muppet specials that I worked on. Thanks Kimp The Shrimp.

Now finally Gorgon Heap aka Dave Ebersole. Sorry it took me a while to answer you. Although it was just as well as you found your answer and changed your question which was:

Do you still keep in touch with any of your FR cohorts?

I have kept in touch with a few of my Fraggle cohorts. I call or e-mail Karen Prell once or twice a year. I send an update to Jerry Nelson a couple of times a year. I send Mike Petersen an e-mail once a year and I use to send Jerry Juhl yearly updates. Sadly I lost track of Myra Fried. Tim McElcheran and Tim Gosley. Finally Martin Baker has told me to keep in touch.

There we have it for now take care, everybody.

Terry Angus

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

wow you got to be ernie and bert

 

[Frogster]

Terry,
First off- and I'm sure you've heard this before- thanks so much for the wonderful characters you've given us on Fraggle Rock; I'll never forget seeing Born To Wonder for the first time! That being said, I'd like to know, which episode was your favorite? Also, which song was ur favorite? Thanks for your time!

 

[Gorgon Heap]

I have kept in touch with a few of my Fraggle cohorts. I call or e-mail Karen Prell once or twice a year. I send an update to Jerry Nelson a couple of times a year. I send Mike Petersen an e-mail once a year and I use to send Jerry Juhl yearly updates. Sadly I lost track of Myra Fried. Tim McElcheran and Tim Gosley. Finally Martin Baker has told me to keep in touch.

Small point of clarification: did you lose touch with Tims McElcheran and Gosley, or still keep in touch with them? It's unclear b/c of the punctuation. Thanks.

Btw, you're doing great with this thread.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Hi, Terry. Thanks for letting everyone ask you questions here in this Q&A thread!

If you're in touch with anyone, invite them back to MC! Karen and Jerry used to be pretty frequent and are missed.

When we were at MuppetFest, Karen mentioned the Fraggle Pond, and how it had a rubber base on it over the floor, across which there were dozens of electrical wires, etc. Had that burst it would have been BAD. What were the dangers of working on the show (besides forgetting the "S" in "World's Oldest Fraggle" [just kidding! ]) and did any injuries happen?

 

[ButchCat]

Hi all,

Here are some more answers and the first one is from Frogster

I'd like to know, which episode was your favorite? Also, which song was ur favorite? Thanks for your time!

Thanks Frogster, There where so many episodes that I liked. A couple of my favorites are “Born To Wonder” as I really enjoyed playing two versions of The Storyteller, “The Bells Of Fraggle Rock” I loved the song we did for the closing credits and “The Day The Music Died”. I liked “I Don’t Care” as I think that’s when the stories really started hitting their stride. Oh Boober Rock was another one I liked as I enjoyed playing one of many Boobers. Loved the washtub scene. I liked “Wembley’s Flight” and I liked “Wembley and The Mean Genie” episode. Heck! There are a lot I liked. Now as for songs you’ve given me a hard choice there too as there where lots of songs that I liked. Junior’s song “How wide, How Far, How Long”, Most of the songs that Karen did as Red. “Free And High” from “Wembley’s Flight”, finally the big song that I can’t remember the name but I think it’s ‘We Are The Children Of Tomorrow” from the episode “A Tune For Two”. The list could go on and on but I think I’ll stop here and move on to the next topic. Thanks again Frogster.

Gorgon Heap asked:

Small point of clarification: did you lose touch with Tims McElcheran and Gosley, or still keep in touch with them? It's unclear b/c of the punctuation. Thanks.

Sorry about that Dave I meant that I lost touch with Myra Fried. Tim McElcheran and Tim Gosley. Thanks for letting me know that I’m doing ok.

Hi Fozzie Bear yes Karen was right about the Fraggle pond problem and I had to get under that myself a few times. The thing that made it doubly dangerous was the fact that our arms where really stuck in the gloves because of the water pressure pushing the rubber gloves against our arms. They had to put baby powder on our hands and arms so that we could get in and out but it did little good if we had to get out we needed help. Only other dangerous thing that I could remember was the Gorgs climbing down a ladder head first. How could this be dangerous? Well the Gorg heads where really, really heavy and if Rob or Gord slipped on the ladder they would have fallen head first and that could break or damage their necks. So we where holding our breaths as they did this stunt. See what we do for your entertainment. I don’t remember if anyone got hurt or not on set. Thanks for your question Fozzie Bear.

There we have it for now take care, everybody.

Terry Angus

 

[Luke]

I don’t remember if anyone got hurt or not on set.

I can take care of this one for you Terry, i think plenty of Doozers were maimed during filming!!!

Ok if i may have the honor of asking your good self a question :-

I expect you own or have seen the Fraggle Rock Season 1 DVD set. What are your opinions of it, and what would you like to see done for the possible upcoming Season Two release in terms of presentation and extras? Let's hear your own personal wishlist!!

Hope you're well and doin mighty fine Terry!!!

 

[Gorgon Heap]

I have kept in touch with a few of my Fraggle cohorts. I call or e-mail Karen Prell once or twice a year. I send an update to Jerry Nelson a couple of times a year. I send Mike Petersen an e-mail once a year and I use to send Jerry Juhl yearly updates. Sadly I lost track of Myra Fried. Tim McElcheran and Tim Gosley. Finally Martin Baker has told me to keep in touch.

Hmm, all those you mention keeping in touch with have screen names here, with the exception of Mike Petersen and Martin Baker. Unless they do and we just don't know it?

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[ButchCat]

Hi all,

I have been pretty busy for the last three days but now I can take some time here and answer the last two questions tonight. First with Luke

I expect you own or have seen the Fraggle Rock Season 1 DVD set. What are your opinions of it, and what would you like to see done for the possible upcoming Season Two release in terms of presentation and extras? Let's hear your own personal wishlist!!

Hope you're well and doin mighty fine Terry!!!

Ok Luke I do indeed have the Fraggle Rock Season 1 DVD set and I love it. It was good to see the gang and I am so glad that they put the making of Fraggle Rock in the set. Lets see what would I like to see put into the season 2 set? More interviews of course. It would be nice to see some of us Canadian performers get interviewed but I know that would be more likely not happen and that would be more than likely due to money problems. It would be nice to see more behind the scenes footage but I don’t believe there was very much done in the way of behind the scenes aside from the Making of episode and that’s in the first DVD set. Maybe there could be stills of us at work. I know Karen took a lot of pictures as did I. I also believe Bob Stutt took a far amount of Pictures too. To be honest I don’t want to see the animated version that ripped off the songs and did not use any of us as the voices. None of us liked it. That’s all I can think of for the second box set. Like I said before more updated interviews would be nice maybe talking about the different episodes of that season. Oh and some more of Michael Frith sketches would be nice too. Oh and Luke…. I’m doing fine, Thanks.

Now for David “Gorgon Heap” Ebersole’s question.

Hmm, all those you mention keeping in touch with have screen names here, with the exception of Mike Petersen and Martin Baker. Unless they do and we just don't know it?

David if Mike Petersen and Martin Baker have screen names I don’t know about it. I never asked them if they did or not. Like you said they maybe oh and we don’t know it. Thanks David.

Well that’s it for now so take care all,

Terry Angus

 

[Vic Romano]

Fascinating! Thanks so much Terry for your time in answering our questions, it's greatly appreciated and I'd like to thank you as well for your tremendous work with FR!

Also; I have a question; without being too intrusive, did working on FR allow you to have a comfortable living?