What Happened to The Muppet Puppets etc?

[Buck-Beaver]

Originally posted by WiGgY
So, they don't throw them out or reuse parts. They lock them all up. I don't see how they would turn to dust though. I bet the fraggles are still somewhere in storage in the same shape they were in when they got put away. Too bad Gobo wasn't at Muppet fest, but as I read, they only sent Floyd for Jerry.

I hate to take issue with this Wiggy, but that's not entirely correct. Puppets do break down over time. The foam inside the puppets will break down eventually and turn to dust. How fast this happens depends on the type of foam and the storage conditions (puppets can last anywhere from 5 - 15 years, sometimes less with frequent use).

Past and present employees of the Muppet workshop have cited in the forum the Fraggles, Thog and Sproket as specific examples of puppets that haven broken down over the years because they are not in regular use. Also, Carol Spinney mentions in his new book that Bruno is no longer used on Sesame Street because the costume/puppet eventually fell apart.

I do know that the Muppet workshop frequently reuses parts of the old puppets when building new versions (again, Carol Spinney mentions this in his book - Oscar still has the same eyebrows as the original 1969 puppet). Some of the puppets (like Piggy) that are made from foam rubber and flocked have to be replaced several times during a shoot because the flocking will wear out.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure some Muppets are destroyed and thrown out. I think it's pretty safe to say that most of the important ones are retained and repaired/maintained though.

 

[Luke]

Yeah i had heard basically what Buck Beaver said although i think the main Muppets get replaced a lot quicker since they have to look in tip top condition and are used so much. The Fraggles as mentioned, we know for a fact are ones that have broken down because Terry who worked on the show saw them recently and said pretty much they were tatty and falling to bits with dust falling out of them. Sprocket i had heard different - i think there is at least one version of him that is sorta ok, i think they had it at Muppetfest but chose not so show him at the last minute (i guess because he's isn't 100% either). Obviously they can't have enough storage space to have kept the entire Muppet cast from the last 25 years (especially not with multiple versions of some puppets) so i would go with Buck Beaver.

If it's anything to go by though non-Henson - i know that with ALF running for four years (up until 91'ish), they had one main master puppet and 5 other duplicate puppets made due to him being used heavily everyday and needing to change costumes. They were used for the odd appearance until 95/96 when a movie was made and they had a new Puppet built. Since then i think there's been another new puppet built recently

 

[BlueFrackle]

Guys,

Caroll's Big Bird has just been rebuilt, The last rebuild was 1990 !

I think that Gobo and Sprocket, Maybe Matt too are still ok.

There were probably around 10 Gobo's, And about 8 Sprockets made, Im not sure who many Matts there were.

But you gotta remember, There was probably two built for each Co Production.

The last i saw Red and Matt in working order was '94.
Sprocket was in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

see ya

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I know that I always have wondered: Why not just rebuild it when it deteriorates?!

There will soon be about 4 or 5 new Muley puppets, only because I need the old one for stunts on video (falling, etc), one to be poseable for photos, one as Count DracMula, one as the Soul Mule (Muley as a Blues Brother), and 2 as puppets.

I'm sure there are just as many of main characters at JHC, if not more.

This also goes to my question of the many different versions of Mahna Mahna (or Bip Bipadotta on SS) and why they looked so different each time. I'm sure they didn't deteriorate that quickly.

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Fozzie Bear
I know that I always have wondered: Why not just rebuild it when it deteriorates?!

Well the Muppets are high cost puppets - they can only justify the money to rebuild them if they are actually going to get used. Hence the reason why most of the TMS background characters are gone and there aren't any plans to rebuild the Fraggles.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I wonder what they look like in their deteriorated states?

Hmm..

*Imagines what they must look like...*



Not too good.

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Fozzie Bear
I wonder what they look like in their deteriorated states?

Y'know in the film Beetlejuice where the bird pops out of his head, he has holes in his back, looks totally dead? I think it's kinda like that in a crusty dusty sort of way.

 

[WiGgY]

Darn. I guess the answer at Muppet Fest was more of a "tell them what they want to hear" kind of answer. It's kinda sad to know the Fraggles are gone forever. It is kinda good to know that if we see a new version of a character, it will be used.

Link must have been rebuilt lately since he was in MFS. I guess we can expect a come back for Link then, and maybe Dr. Strangepork, though the last time I saw him was in MCC.

But still, those poor poor fraggles will never be brought back for new appearances.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

They told us at MFest that the foam rubber they used on Fraggles and others would wear out or deteriorate over time; I think even Karen mentioned that was the reason she didn't have Red Fraggle there, because it gets so brittle and falls apart. Like you put your hand and arm in there and pull out a much of foam dust.

 

[muppet_dk]

Originally posted by WiGgY
Link must have been rebuilt lately since he was in MFS. I guess we can expect a come back for Link then, and maybe Dr. Strangepork, though the last time I saw him was in MCC.

Actually Dr. Strangepork were in Muppets Tonight in some of the "Bay of pigs" skits. So there may also be a fairly new version of him.