The Brand New Ask Jim Lewis Thread

[dwayne1115]

I'm glad you like it, and if you ever need any help with any questions let me or Ryan know.

 

[Beauregard]

I have a bunch of fashion based questions for the Oracle...I mean, Jim. But need time to assimilate them

 

[Count von Count]

Do Not Send This To Jim.
I would like to know if our qustions has been sent let? It's been a while.

 

[theprawncracker]

Do Not Send This To Jim.
I would like to know if our qustions has been sent let? It's been a while.

It has... I'll send tonight.

 

[Beauregard]

Hey Jim, just me again...I wondered if you could tell us anymore about Miss Piggy's recent return to fashion circles -- with three interviews (that's we've found), the Macy's display, and a Marc Jacob's connection that's even got her onto the Vogue and Elle websites! Can you tell us if this fashion return had been planned for a long time, or was it someone prompted by Lady Gaga's appearance wearing a coat of many Kermits? (And/or the designer who made said coat.)

Also, who's your tailor...I think I've made this joke before...

- Beau

 

[theprawncracker]

Questions for Jim Lewis: August 27, 2009

From minor_muppetz…
In season 5 of The Muppet Show, a new addition to The Electric Mayhem was added, a trumpet player named Lips. Though he didn't really develop a personality, he did appear alongside the band for years, most notably in The Great Muppet Caper and A Muppet Family Christmas, but he hasn't been seen since The Muppet Christmas Carol. Some fans officially consider him part of the band (and that's me), while others don't. He's rarely appeared in storybooks or illustrated form, even when the rest of the band was present. Now, what I'm wondering is, do you consider Lips to be an official member of The Electric Mayhem?

Actually, I think he was more of a session player. He sat in with the band, toured with them, even probably shares in some of their recording royalties – if they had ‘em. But, the core group – Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Zoot, Janice – remains the official line-up. But what do I know? Real Mayhem-heads will probably stone me!

From Count von Count…
Hey Jim!
Can you tell us any thing about what the shooting In Disney Land is for, what that is all about?
That has been on my mind a lot.
~Thanks! ~ Mace

Sorry. Can’t say anything. Ignorance, for me anyway, is bliss.

From Beauregard…
Oooh! New answers! Sweeeeet! (Now there's an expression I've never used before and will never use again, although I bet Prawncracker could get away with using it.) I recently heard, on the wireless (wireless radio, that is, not wireless internet), that a man named Charles Ross (Stage performer of 'One Man Star Wars' and 'One Man Lord of the Rings') is doing something related to, "casting the Muppets in shortened versions of classic films" but he didn't say if that would be an audio type thing, a comic type thing, a book type thing or a movie type thing. Have you heard of him? Or this? Or can you shed any light on what he referred to as Muppet-TopGun?

As we used to say at the newspaper where I began my career: “if it’s news, it’s news to us”. And your question contains all manner of news I never heard before this moment. That said: if you learn more I’d love to hear about. Then, perhaps, I can start submitting questions to you. (Probably be a lot more interesting than me.)

From BobthePizzaBoy…
Jim, you might not be the person to ask about this but you might know: all these years, I've always wondered if there any point in production of either of these two where It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz were considered for theatrical releases?

Not to my knowledge, but as you are well aware: my knowledge comprises a very small sovereign area that would get its tail kicked by the Duchy of Fenwick. So, they might have been considered for theatrical releases, but not within earshot of moi.

And also, are you working on Dinosaur Train at all?

No. In fact, not only am I not working on it, I don’t even know what it is. Of course, I’ve worked on lots of stuff without knowing what it is, even after it’s been made. But in this case, I am (as per an earlier answer) in a state of bliss.

From frogboy4…
Hi Jim. A few fun answerable questions from me this time.

The Muppets are filled with all types of characters. Is there any particular type that you feel is missing?

I don’t know what you mean. Really. The Muppets are kind of an Ellis Island of characters – give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break into show biz. The Muppets take all comers, and I think they’ll always be open to new characters. But those characters need to come from someplace. As a writer, I can think up a character, but the performer must become that character – and understand it more than the writer ever could. After all, the performer is the character, especially when doing a live appearance. So, if the performer has an idea…or gets the idea that the writer has come up with…or best of all, sees a magnificent design for some new Muppet and brings it to life…then a character happens. It’s really organic, so asking for a “type” seems, to me, counterintuitive. Does that make any sense? I’ll be at Ellis Island if you need me.

Also, if you had the choice which classic dormant Muppet character would you personally like to dust off and and write into a script?

If a character exists in the pantheon (and isn’t toast) we can always bring them to fore. I don’t think of the characters as being dormant; many of the Muppets work best as comedic punctuation (e.g. Lew Zealand, Marvin Suggs, etc). They have their one-trick obsession and it visits whenever possible, but they’re always there.

Who is your favorite Muppet (Muppet Show) monster?

Oh gee…Uh…well….I don’t have a favorite. I think of them in the agglomerate. In all of Muppet monster-dom, I think Scred the SNL pieces is my all-time fave.

From unclematt…
Jim,

Did you collaborate at all with Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller on their new Muppet movie script? Or is it possible that you may have written your own script for the new movie?

To answer both questions: No, I haven’t, and no, I haven’t

From dwayne1115…
I have a question a question of a question.

We have been trying and trying here at the ask Jim Lewis Home Office in Aloha Hawaii, and yet keep getting the same sort of answers. So as CEO and Chairpersons of this fine group of beloved fans, I think I have found the real question that people want to know the answer to.

"Do you Jim, kind Jim, sir, think that the Muppets—with all this re-launching that has been going on for some time now—do you think that they are ready for a big screen movie? Do you think that kids (which is who Disney really reaches out to) will respond and bug their parents to take them to the movie? Or will they think, “Oh, that it is Sesame Street”?

It also brings up the thought of which should come first, a movie a TV show, home videos, or having the Muppets come to my house and hang out and play Muppet Party Cruise with me.

Wow that was a big rant or something! Feel free to look over most of this and just answer whatever comes natural!

Wow, great rant. I’ve asked all those same questions. And I don’t have any answers. However, since you are running the Jim Lewis Answers Home Office, perhaps we could put some “Cash For Clunkers” money into developing answers to these questions. And how come I never get to visit the home office, except back in the days when it was located in New Jersey? Hmm?


From Beauregard…
Hey Jim, just me again...I wondered if you could tell us anymore about Miss Piggy's recent return to fashion circles -- with three interviews (that's we've found), the Macy's display, and a Marc Jacob's connection that's even got her onto the Vogue and Elle websites! Can you tell us if this fashion return had been planned for a long time, or was it someone prompted by Lady Gaga's appearance wearing a coat of many Kermits? (And/or the designer who made said coat.)

We had nothing to do with the Lady Gaga jacket. Love it, though—especially since it’s faux frog. Hate to lose our leading man to a pop-star’s wardrobe. As for all the other stuff, it’s a natural. Piggy is a diva, a muse to those who are hot in haute couture. She’s even done a fashion interview with the Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/08/25/miss-piggy-dishes-on-marc-jacobs-lady-gaga-and-the-new-muppets-movie/)

Also, who's your tailor...I think I've made this joke before...

Lincoln Road Tailors in Newark, NJ.

- Beau

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Ha-ha.

Whoever sends the next batch of questions to Jim, make sure you send him this link on Dinosaur Train so he's in the know: http://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/

But I do have a question for you. I was checking out your IMDB page for productions to ask about and I found one thing I've never heard of: Kermit & the Muppets Take Over Disney Channel from 1998. According to IMDB, this aired after Muppets Tonight ended so do you have any recollection of what this thing was?

 

[dwayne1115]

I have a question:

Have you read the book "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesmae Street", and did you have any talks with the author?

 

[Beauregard]

Jerm! (I've no idea where that came from? Weird accent?)

I saw the Kermit/Piggy appearance on America's Got Talent yesterday -- phenomenal Miss Piggy performance, by the way, agreed by all -- wondered if you had anything to do with it? The Emergency Use CD was a strike of genius and the pictures that appeared in the background (especially the one from Never Before!) were beautiful! It was also very striking and funny. (But enough about theprawncracker) Speaking of striking, that's how Miss Piggy looked! What a stunner! Feel free to tell her so I'm loving the curls and sparkle she seems to have gotten back!

Beaudilaly

 

[theprawncracker]

The Muppet Mindset has just posted an interview with Jim. Enjoy! http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-muppet-writer-jim-lewis.html