The MuppetCast - Show #52 - Happy Birthday!

[stephenjlizard]

It's the one year anniversary of The MuppetCast! Thanks for helping me make it happen. Sorry it took a little longer to post over here; the new computer didn't have the FTP information on it for my web account and I had to have a new password created (techie web stuff, don't worry about it, hehe).

This week's show is filled with listener birthday messages, some interesting news, and a few Muppet history tidbits. Oh, and yours truly being, for the first time, an interviewee on the show! Our friends Bryan Ripper and Jonathan "The Voice" Dichter have come by from the All About The Mouse podcast to interview me for the one-year show, and next week, since they started AATM one week after The MuppetCast, I'll be interviewing THEM on their one-year show! Should be great fun.

Two other interesting things going on in the life of the podcast this week. First, The MuppetCast Flickr Page has been updated with some sweet new Muppet-related pics. I am so painting my studio room like this (Ashley even said she'd led me)!

Second, I've started a new kind of contest this week. The contest will run for at least one month. The rules are simple: Make something cool for the show. It can be anything!
* Record yourself singing a song
* Design the first MuppetCast T-shirt
* Make a sculpture and take a picture of it
* Make up a segment for The MuppetCast and record it

Whatever it is, it has to be cool! The prize pack consists of the movie poster, DVD, and CD soundtrack to Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, or Muppet Treasure Island, winner's choice. Also in the prize pack is a free copy of "It's Not Easy Being Green, and Other Things to Consider", courtesy of the Jim Henson Legacy. I'll give you plenty of time with this contest, so get started early!

Thanks as always to Peter and Betsey at Bell, Book & Comic for their friendship and sponsorship over the past year. Here's to another great one. Life should be more fun!

Questions/Comments can be sent via email to me@muppetcast.com, or phoned in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. I'd love to hear from you.

Have a good one!

 

[The Count]

Hi Steve... Twas a pleasure to hear this latest podcast thingy. Sorry I didn't/couldn't drop you some means of celebratory congrats.

Thoughts:
1 The stories around my family are that I watched TEC (The Electric Company) as much as Sesame... But I don't have any own memories of such. What I do remember greatly and fondly watching when I was growing up on the edumacatiotainment level hand-in-hand with Sesame was Square 1 Television and Encyclopedia.
2 The news about Lionsgate acquiring all of HIT's portfolio productions... What I'm concerned about is how it'll affect the release of FR Season 4 later this year.
3 Prawnie's call... Gonzo, you stole that line from Lisa (TogetherAgain)! And he knows it. But it's okay, we have a habit of using each other's catch phrases and gags around here. Such dears we are. *Beat. But dear whats? *Laugh.
4 That bust of Rowlf you have... That's the one from Sideshow. The one you won by popular vote here on MC isn't it? Yeah, to think, we sorta knew you back then.
5 Steve Monster... If you're going to have a Honker nose, you need little trumpet ears atop your head too, but that's okay as the antennai can sprout behind them. What I'm curious about is can Steve Monster speak? Whether normal or monster-like English or just monster gibberish, that's what separates monsters from Honkers. Course, the advantage or disadvantage in talking solely through the honking of your nose is that only Big Bird understands what you're saying as he's fluent in Honker.

What's this Muppet wall you're mentioning in your previous post?

Great quotes at the end of the show. BTW: Nice you got those Disney guys to come and interview you first. That way you can cakewalk the interview next week and ask them the same questions.
Take care and here's to another great year of MuppetCasts.

 

[stephenjlizard]

Hi Count!

1. I don't remember Square 1 or Encyclopedia. They might have been shown my area, but I don't think I watched them. I do remember shows like Pinwheel and Today's Special, though!

2. I had, and still have, the same concerns about Fraggle Rock Season 4, taking into consideration this new distribution deal mid-stream.

3. Y'all are just crazy. I love it!

4. That is indeed the Sideshow bust, thanks for reminding me of the company! I actually bought it quite a few years ago, along with my Kermit bust.

5. I think Steve monster probably doesn't talk, and that's a good point about the trumpet ears. I think that's what I saw in my mind when I was describing him, but I literally came up with that description on the spot, so for an improvised character invented in mere seconds that probably wasn't too bad, hehe!

The Muppet wall I mentioned is featured in a recent photo from listener Ben Witter. He wrote me last week, and I just ran out of time in the email segment this week so I saved his email for next week. He did send me some amazing pictures, though. He paited one room in his house a perfect "Kermit" green color, and even used a lighter green color at the top of the wall in a perfect, pointed Kermit collar pattern. It is a sight to behold.

I hope you have a copy of "It's Not Easy Being Green", as it is a truly wonderful book, and a great collection of not only Jim's thoughts, but those of people who he knew and loved.

I don't think I'm going to just ask Bryan and Jonathan the same questions. I need to pay Jonathan back, don't you think!

 

[The Count]

Yes... You need to pay John back. And you can quip him that Jesse Ventura changed his nickname from "The Body" to "The Mind" when he became Governor of the state of Minnesota.
Steve Monster was a good character. Never mind my quibbling, that's just fan-ness coming through.
Square 1 aired on PBS around the late 80's and Encyclopedia was a joint-production between the Children's Television Workshop and HBO, airing around the same late 80's as The Ghost of Faffner Hall (which was more of a Muppet production than the other two). Square 1 and Encyclopedia were human-cast only, filled with skits and songs and some recurring or long-running gag segments such as Mathnet, Harry Blackstone's Magic Math, or the Frankenstein labs for teaching about various bodily organs. Square 1 even had some arcade game parodies like Math Man and Paulina's Perilous Pyramid.
Pinwheel and Today's Special are also cherished classics from when I was growing up. Shame there's not a place where these classics can be featured.

That Kermit wall sounds like a good idea... Thought it was more of a mural with different characters either in grid squared framed pattern or in some sort of group gathered display. Reminded me just now of this one we made for a friend (fictionally though) over in the defunct Hottubs thread. Not sure if you can find those older threads though.

Don't have a copy of that book. Maybe if it's in audio format I'll check it out later in the year while working on my massive figure displays.

At any rate, it's good to talk to you buddy and have a good day.
And tell Ashley hi from all of us here at MC.

 

[theprawncracker]

Just started listening right now, Steve! Will post my thoughts as soon as it's over! Very excited! And again, happy birthday MuppetCast!

 

[The Captain]

It's the one year anniversary of The MuppetCast! Thanks for helping me make it happen. Sorry it took a little longer to post over here; the new computer didn't have the FTP information on it for my web account and I had to have a new password created (techie web stuff, don't worry about it, hehe).

This week's show is filled with listener birthday messages, some interesting news, and a few Muppet history tidbits. Oh, and yours truly being, for the first time, an interviewee on the show! Our friends Bryan Ripper and Jonathan "The Voice" Dichter have come by from the All About The Mouse podcast to interview me for the one-year show, and next week, since they started AATM one week after The MuppetCast, I'll be interviewing THEM on their one-year show! Should be great fun.

Two other interesting things going on in the life of the podcast this week. First, The MuppetCast Flickr Page has been updated with some sweet new Muppet-related pics. I am so painting my studio room like this (Ashley even said she'd led me)!

Second, I've started a new kind of contest this week. The contest will run for at least one month. The rules are simple: Make something cool for the show. It can be anything!
* Record yourself singing a song
* Design the first MuppetCast T-shirt
* Make a sculpture and take a picture of it
* Make up a segment for The MuppetCast and record it

Whatever it is, it has to be cool! The prize pack consists of the movie poster, DVD, and CD soundtrack to Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, or Muppet Treasure Island, winner's choice. Also in the prize pack is a free copy of "It's Not Easy Being Green, and Other Things to Consider", courtesy of the Jim Henson Legacy. I'll give you plenty of time with this contest, so get started early!

Thanks as always to Peter and Betsey at Bell, Book & Comic for their friendship and sponsorship over the past year. Here's to another great one. Life should be more fun!

Questions/Comments can be sent via email to me@muppetcast.com, or phoned in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. I'd love to hear from you.

Have a good one!

Hey Steve, it's Jon from Edinburgh here, sender of the Victor Pemberton interview - Happy Birthday!

I started listening to the show today and am really enjoying it, just thought I'd post while I was passing.

I was wondering if you'd consider the Victor interview for the competition? It was a few weeks back so maybe I'm too late...?

I did hear the request on the show re: Fraggle Rock UK on DVD. The only version the listener could try for is the Region 2, UK edition. There's a great site here http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/HEN42411.htm that gives a list of prices and online shops that sell them but the safest bet is probably amazon.co.uk.

No word of a future full season release which is why I'm tempted to buy the US boxsets.

Happy birthday for the show once again and hopefully speak soon,

Jon

 

[Baby Gonzo]

After listening to that, I feel like it's group hug time. The last few minutes were really touching and the whole thing was great as usual. Not that I can remember I've ever been disappointed by the MuppetCast, ever, but that was a really nice show. I enjoyed the quotes from It's Not Easy Being Green. I have the book an now want to pick it up and reread it.

And I for one will be sure to say, "Thanks, Jim" this week. And thank you Steve for the MuppetCast. It really is something fun to look foward to every week to feed my Muppety addiction.


The contest sounds really interesting. I'd like to enter, but I have a feeling school work will be getting in my way for the next month and a half. I'll still be interested in what other people enter. This defiantly has the potential to be a whole lot of fun.

 

[theprawncracker]

*APPLAUSE!* Fantastic show Steve! Very moving, very powerful, and most importantly? Very, very funny. Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart for creating the MuppetCast and spreading Jim Henson's legacy across the world. I think our future as Muppet fans is truly bright, and I'm glad you and I and all the other "Jim seeds" get to be a part of this exciting time, and with the MuppetCast broadcasting week in and week out, it's sure to be a good time!

Thank you, again, SO much Steve! You're a treasure to not only the Muppet fan community, but also the world at large. Keep on keepin' on Steve my main man, and remember, don't hesitate to blow something up or throw a few penguins around!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MUPPETCAST!

 

[Erine81981]

Loved every bit of it. This was the best ever. I still enjoyed all the others as well as the tribute ones too. But this was the Birthday of them all. (get it?) (don't get it either) Can't wait for more to come and hope i can do some stuff for the show or that contest.

 

[erniebert1234ss]

Hi Count!

1. I don't remember Square 1 or Encyclopedia. They might have been shown my area, but I don't think I watched them. I do remember shows like Pinwheel and Today's Special, though!

Wow, Square One Television. That brings back memories. Hope that jogs your memory, Steve. Maybe SW would actually put this out on DVD sometime.

Oh, and I remember Ghostwriter. Wasn't that the same people, too?

BJ