Remembering Jim Henson

[Phillip]

It's hard to believe that it has been 23 years since Jim's passing on May 16, 1990. Like many of you, we'll never forget that day. Share your memories of May 16, 1990 and the impact Jim Henson continues to have on your life.

Read our Jim Henson tributes for many stories from the days and weeks after Jim Henson's passing. Our "Remembering Jim Henson" menu designed by Jamie is also now on our home page.

Join us in celebrating his legacy that will live on for generations.

 

[zns]

At least we have Jim's biography to look forward to on his birthday. This is truly a special day for all of us Henson fans as a time of remembrance.

 

[dwayne1115]

A sad time indeed, I do remember the day I found out that Jim had passed. I was still very young, but knew that this was going to change everything for the Muppets. I also thought that I would never like anything the Muppets would do,or if the would do anything else.

I think the things that I have learned from Jim, where how to be a good leader,and yet also allow yourself to join in the slyness at times as well. As a parent of six kids that lesson is almost imperative. Jim could make me laugh with Ernie,sing with Rowlf and Dr. Theeth, and know that even if your green life can still be easy with Kermit.

I miss you Jim, I'm sorry we never had a chance to meet, but through your work it's like we didn't have to.

 

[charlietheowl]

Jim Henson was really awesome. He was not only a great puppeteer, he created some amazing characters, hired some amazing people to work with him, and made some great movies and television shows. His legacy lives on today whenever someone new discovers the Muppets for the first time.

 

[theSHE124]

I wasn't even born yet when Jim died. But the Muppets truly met much to me in my early childhood. At first, I didn't know who the 'Jim Henson' in the company's name was until I saw my parents watching a bio of his on TV. It was curious for me to see this man being associated with Kermit and the Muppets and some other, somewhat realistic puppetry I've never seen before! (It must've been scenes and stuff from The Dark Crystal. Haven't seen it yet, but I heard the story and love the visual appearance! )

Anyway, the bio left for commercial break before breaking the idea that they were going to explain Henson's death next. That was when I left the room the TV was in. I was about 9 years old at the time. 9/11 didn't happen yet, but my Granma Dee just died from some kinda cancer. I never knew why people made such a big deal about death. (Strange as it sounds, I still don't! I don't seem to grieve for the dead as I might do for the living. )

I went on with my life thinking he must've passed away when I was still a preschooler, but it surprisingly wasn't the case when I heard the date! He was dying around the same week Mom was shooting home videos of my older sister, then an only baby!! Nothing was making sense to me! I mean, how do I seem to know him closely if he never lived long enough to see me???

I guessing now it could be an autistic reaction: whatever first few things you know in life are likely gonna develop who you are. I'm getting a college degree for animation, but I also wanna do puppeteering, making anything come to life like how those Muppet performers would do. Especially Fraggles!

That's right, I wanna be part of Fraggle Rock! When I first heard of what the core purpose for the show was about, my mind just flipped, thinking 'Wow! Maybe this can work!!' I have all four seasons on DVD collections (though I made a Solemn Oath of the Fraggles to myself to personally NOT see the last 3 episodes until I absolutely for-sure-ally know a real FR movie is coming out!). And I often thought Jim is very close in true personality to Cantus the Minstrel, as, since I never saw him at all, I--I guess he'll always be mysterious to me. After all, I didn't knew Cantus was technically a Fraggle until I got my chance to see that traveling Smithsonian exhibit, "Jim Henson's Fantastic World". Y'know, the one where it has that poster he once drew for some festival happening on a May 16th?

Come to think of it, didn't FR finish production by May 16th, 1986??
Weird...I guess everything happens on May 16th...

 

[muppetlover123]

This day is sad for everyone

 

[MelissaY1]

In tribute of Jim's passing, I'm wearing a very spring green blouse and my Kermit watch today at work for our first open house office party. Also have the gut wrenching photo of a sad Kermit sitting in Jim's director's chair that was a magazine cover after he passed as my computer wallpaper.

 

[muppetmommy]

Every May 16 is hard and ironic for me. When Jim died, I was in college studying theatre performance and production. I felt as though my best friend had died. I also felt as though the world had lost a large chunk if its innocence. 21 months later, I was sitting in my college apartment, watching Sesame Street (No one is too old for Sesame Street) watching Cookie Monster singing "Healthy Food". I had already submitted the subject of my senior project to the advisors (puppetry) and was trying to figure out how Cookie worked, instead of being entertained, it hit me like a ton of bricks! I would do my paper on Jim Henson! With no public Internet, no car and access to only the campus and town libraries, I called Henson Productions for any information they could send me. The gentleman on the other end asked me what grade I was in. When I told him this was for my senior COLLEGE paper, he said "We'll, we'd better get that out to you right away!" Three days later, at no charge to me, a spectacular bundle of papers was at my door. Before the paper, Jim was a man who's work had touched and influenced my life in many ways. After writing the paper, Jim became a man who was a part of my heart and soul. His work to me is not just felt puppets entertaining the world. It is art that is sweet, innocent, provocative, thought provoking and world changing. Two years to the day that Jim died, my college career came to a close and I graduated with that degree in Theatre Performance and production. I went on to get married 1 month and 4 days later, became a mother of 4 kids who see and know Jim as an artist who touched the world before them with a gentle brush of heart and integrity. The Muppets are a way to bring our family together. They are also a form of therapy I advocate to myself and others when things are not going well. No one can be down when watching the Muppets. It is impossible. Thank you Jim (and Jane) for breaking into television by using your crazy puppets. Thank you for teaching me numbers, letters, and bringing my family together every Saturday night for 30 minutes. Thank you for helping me collect Fairytales and folk stories from around the world. Thank you for bringing innocence,insanity and integrity and sweetness into the world. Your spirit will continue to be I the legacy of the work you left behind, the artists you taught and the people you never knew who's lives you touched. Thank you.

 

[muppetmommy]

P.S. we must never forget that Sammy Davis Jr. died on the same day.

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

Jim Henson was awesome, if it weren't for him we would've never saw these characters, like Muppets, Fraggles and Sesame Muppets, R.I.P Jim Henson