Your Thoughts: The Muppet Show Comic Book

[Drtooth]

I thought that implied by Amy or someone in the thread? The Muppet Babies characters used to require a different license purchase under Henson ownership, but I'm not sure how that's all handled these days under Disney.

That's the confusing thing. I never thought it was for "legal reasons" so much as terms of the license, and as they don't want to focus on Muppet Babies yet and want to keep that part separate, or just ignore it completely. I'm sure there's a specific reason and terms of the license that they have to keep it ambiguous and can't name her (were we supposed to believe that she's his other long lost sister Shirley that we just made up?).

Someone's gotta sit down and explain exactly what the deal is with her.

 

[King Prawn]

I found these coloured covers for Muppet Mash but didn't really want to start a thread specifically for it, so i'll put them here

http://www.tfaw.com/Profile/Muppet-Show-8___364619?pagemode=popup&from=profile

I really like the Gonzo/Camilla cover

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

Cool!

I like the Gonzo/Camilla cover, also. It's like a parody of a poster for a Dracula movie.

 

[dwmckim]

I kinda dig the constant references to "Scooter's Sister" only because every time i read that it reminds me of one of my all-time fave groups, Shakepear's Sister (and Sam doing a HILARIOUS Shakespeare routine in the same issue helps too!) and makes me want to play my new import copy of their awesome new album every time i finish reading it!

I'm hoping Rowlf gets a cool role as this arc continues - he's the only one of the Muppet Babies characters that didn't really get to have any interaction with "Sis" in the first issue (i'm not counting Bunson, Beaker, or Bean). Loved the one panel of all the original crew (except for Piggy who was pouting in her dressing room and the already mentioned missing Rowlf) together...and for some bizarre reason Animal had something resembling his bonnet on his head in that shot!

I would probably declare Issue 4 my favorite so far even though i'm not a Muppet Baby fan and normally would have not cared to see Skeeter cross over into Classic Muppet territory. Many hilarious moments throughout (I think "Gary Mayo! Gary Mayo!" will be one of those classic Muppet lines for years to come), and the arches splash was a major winner - Fozzie's clutching his neck (this issue was chock-full of running gags), Amy's take on Luncheon Counter Monster, the teeny tiny tease of the Java Muppets. I agree that Roger/Amy make a great team! I love love LOVE Langridge's wild stylations (i'd love to see him be even wilder like the original preview) but somehow when he puts his energy toward just the writing instead of doing both the writing and the art, it just seems stronger - and Amy's take is so awesome (and it's really cool to see her doing a book drawing the Muppets as themselves in the theatre)

While i'm on the subject of Roger's writing, he's actually done something really amazing with this issue. Scooter's character took one of the biggest hits with Muppet Babies as his baby incarnation's personality was nothing like the real one's. Yet somehow, Langridge was able to take the MB elements of Scooter and incorporate them seamlessly (musta used the Henson Stitch) into a modern Scooter story. Come to think of it, even though he was a major part of The Muppet Show, there never were any real backstage plots that could really be described as Scooter-centric (even his "introduction" episode was more built upon the others' reactions to him) - the closest example i can even think of as a "Scooter story" was his skateboard obsession in the Anne Murray episode. So because he's never had much opportunity to be the center of a plot, there's still much of Scooter's personality that could be fleshed out - and Roger gives us a really great Scooter tale that recalls elements of his baby persona but all the while feeling like "Real Scooter". (In fact, much like how i mentioned the Jim Nabors episode was more centered on the others' reactions to Scooter, this issue was more a "Scooter story" than a "Skeeter story" with the others' reactions to her).

On first reading the ending came across as really sweet - then i realised this wasn't a stand-alone but the first part of an arc and on second/subsequent readings i picked up on its more ominous tone/hints of deeper complications. I'm really looking forwards to the rest of this arc.

Wonder if S&W will eventually bore of Muppet chess and break out the Muppet Uno or Muppet Monopoly?

...and now i'm off to listen to Scooter's Si...uh i mean Shakespear's Sister! ("It's a trip/When you're young and hip...")

 

[minor muppetz]

Come to think of it, even though he was a major part of The Muppet Show, there never were any real backstage plots that could really be described as Scooter-centric (even his "introduction" episode was more built upon the others' reactions to him) - the closest example i can even think of as a "Scooter story" was his skateboard obsession in the Anne Murray episode. So because he's never had much opportunity to be the center of a plot, there's still much of Scooter's personality that could be fleshed out - and Roger gives us a really great Scooter tale that recalls elements of his baby persona but all the while feeling like "Real Scooter".

I always thought of the Lynda Carter episode as a Scooter episode as well. It really is more of an ensemble cast episode, but Scooter appears to be the leader in that one. He's the one who informs Kermit that he and some of the others were studying to become superheroes. And he's the one who reads the book on flying while the others attempt it. Lew Zealand is really the only other one who gets a significant superhero-study scene.

 

[minor muppetz]

Tough Pigs has a five-page preview for issue #5 (aka Family Reunion #2), the first-ever issue #5 in the Muppet Show Comic Book series. And it appears to have a completely different plot from the last issue. Instead of focusing on Skeeter, it focuses on............



....Wait for it.....



........Andy and Randy Pig. Somehow I have a feeling that all the issues will revolve around long-lost relatives to different Muppets. I am a bit surprised by this issue... Langridge and Mebberson both prefer The Muppet Show over Muppets Tonight (though I know that Langridge did watch some episodes of Muppets Tonight). And Andy and Randy are practically the Jar Jar Binks of the Muppet world (I'd have rather they give Pepe his own starring role). But then again, Andy and Randy do make the most sense since they are related to a Muppet Show character. And it's said that they'll only be around for a week (hopefully the next two issues won't take place within the same week).

And this is the first storyarc to feature different styles to the two-page spreads. The last issue had a two-page archs spread, and in this one the spread takes place backstage.

 

[Drtooth]

While i'm on the subject of Roger's writing, he's actually done something really amazing with this issue. Scooter's character took one of the biggest hits with Muppet Babies as his baby incarnation's personality was nothing like the real one's. Yet somehow, Langridge was able to take the MB elements of Scooter and incorporate them seamlessly (musta used the Henson Stitch) into a modern Scooter story.

Scooter was the character that was subject to the annoying 1980's "gang of kids" cartoon trope where one of them HAD to be a nerd. And of course, his sister being the other forced trope, the athletic kid. I could imagine the eager young go getter Scooter as vaugley nerdy. Maybe he was that smart all along, and just had trouble finding work, leading to his Uncle giving him that cushy job.

........Andy and Randy Pig. Somehow I have a feeling that all the issues will revolve around long-lost relatives to different Muppets. I am a bit surprised by this issue... Langridge and Mebberson both prefer The Muppet Show over Muppets Tonight (though I know that Langridge did watch some episodes of Muppets Tonight). And Andy and Randy are practically the Jar Jar Binks of the Muppet world (I'd have rather they give Pepe his own starring role). But then again, Andy and Randy do make the most sense since they are related to a Muppet Show character. And it's said that they'll only be around for a week (hopefully the next two issues won't take place within the same week).

I'm more amazed to see Bobby Benson and the Baby Band myself!

 

[minor muppetz]

I'm more amazed to see Bobby Benson and the Baby Band myself!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. I'm glad they're finally in a comic, even though I feel the babies don't look enough like the ones used on the show (or maybe they do and I just feel they don't... I read the preview when I was tired).

 

[mbmfrog]

Tough Pigs has a five-page preview for issue #5 (aka Family Reunion #2), the first-ever issue #5 in the Muppet Show Comic Book series. And it appears to have a completely different plot from the last issue. Instead of focusing on Skeeter, it focuses on............



....Wait for it.....



........Andy and Randy Pig. Somehow I have a feeling that all the issues will revolve around long-lost relatives to different Muppets. I am a bit surprised by this issue... Langridge and Mebberson both prefer The Muppet Show over Muppets Tonight (though I know that Langridge did watch some episodes of Muppets Tonight). And Andy and Randy are practically the Jar Jar Binks of the Muppet world (I'd have rather they give Pepe his own starring role). But then again, Andy and Randy do make the most sense since they are related to a Muppet Show character. And it's said that they'll only be around for a week (hopefully the next two issues won't take place within the same week).

And this is the first storyarc to feature different styles to the two-page spreads. The last issue had a two-page archs spread, and in this one the spread takes place backstage.

Good gravy, I remember those guys and they were a bit annoying.

Although I did forget that they were also Piggy's nephews.

However, I thought they were a bit....younger on the show ?

 

[minor muppetz]

I got a copy of issue #4 today. Looking at the cover, I can't help but wonder if I've found some "Hidden Mickey's". There are two sections where we see two shadowy heads covered in black with outlines, and can't help but think of them as Mickey's ears. In the bottom row we see two blackened heads and a star between them... The star could be covering Mickey's head. And in the top balcony there were two shadowy figures close together... We can see part of one body, the other head almost attached... and looking at a certain angle it looks almost shaped like Mikcey Mouse's head!

Also, at the end, when Skeeter is coming back to the stage, in the audience we see what looks like the back of a Honker's head. We don't see it's face, but it has horns like a Honker. I also saw a monster who looks like Telly but with horns.