Immediately’s deep-cut ToughPigs article was contributed by puppeteer, puppet builder, and banjo plucker David Stephens! Make sure to try David’s work and social media through his web site. Thanks for all of your exhausting work, David!
There are a lot of myths, legends and secrets and techniques that populate the world of the Muppets. Muppet followers are conversant in the well-known “Henson Sew,” which, when utilized correctly to Antron fleece, is claimed to miraculously cover a builder’s seam work.
Likewise, followers have heard of the “Magic Triangle,” the time period Don Sahlin coined to speak in regards to the alignment of a puppets’ eyes, pupils and nostril to create a personality’s sense of focus.
“Wacky-Stacks,” the legendary unicorn of Muppet constructing provides, used primarily for creating eyes, which Jim Henson purchased out when the corporate producing the youngsters’s toy folded.
There are some Muppet mysteries we are going to doubtless by no means unravel akin to regardless of the “camel story” is that Dave Goelz ribs Frank Oz about on the finish of Muppet Guys Speaking.
Till a latest ToughPigs article, one secret I assumed could be misplaced to time involved the genius of Muppet designer Michael Ok. Frith, whose work with the Muppets because the mid-1970’s helped form the worlds of Gortch for Saturday Evening Stay, The Muppet Present, Fraggle Rock and on and on. His sketches are unmistakable and, for me, immediately recognizable. He was additionally one of many sensible artists, like Joe Mathieu, who signed his work.
However what, if something, might Frith credit score for his genius? The ToughPigs article about an exhibition of his work held the reply: The Faber-Castell Col-Erase 1276 (Blue). Finally I knew the key!
I used to be not one bit discouraged when the article defined this blue pencil had been discontinued from being manufactured. This, I assumed, is why man invented eBay. Just a few clicks and a “Purchase It Now” possibility later, I waited for an unused field of outdated inventory Col-Erase 1276’s to reach in my mailbox. I used to be going to attract Muppets like Michael Ok. Frith!
I did really feel a bit of responsible sharpening considered one of these relics upon its arrival, however I remembered the aim of my buy and obtained out my handy-dandy pencil sharpener. With sharpened 1276 and a contemporary yellow authorized pad current and accounted for, I declared, “OK, magic pencil, do your stuff!” After a number of moments of the 1276 simply laying there, it occurred to me to select it up. No AI on this course of, I suppose.
Think about my dismay when after a number of hours of transferring the 1276 throughout the web page, I used to be left with not a web page stuffed with goofy wanting characters engaged in hilarious shenanigans, however as an alternative with a number of stick figures, some curly-cues, a sport of tick-tack-toe and an countless spiral that took up a complete part of the decrease proper nook.
“These aren’t Fraggles!” I exclaimed. “These aren’t Doozers or Junior Gorgs or King Ploobises or Winnie the Brief-Order Cooks or Beauregards! These are simply doodles!” However earlier than I might go away detrimental vendor suggestions on eBay, I spotted I had solely the identical instruments as Michael Ok. Frith, not the talents nor the expertise – the genius.
I didn’t snap the sharpened 1276 in half, however I did crumple the doodle sheet from my authorized pad and tossed it in my wastepaper basket, a bit of sadder however a bit of wiser.
I’ll say, in all foolish seriousness, I’m fascinated and curious in regards to the instruments and strategies utilized by the oldsters within the Henson Workshop to create the seemingly countless worlds that sprang from imaginations and conversations to drafting tables and workbenches; from paper and pencil to foam and materials. However it’s so essential to do not forget that the individuals utilizing these instruments made the Muppet magic occur by quite a lot of ability, expertise and quite a lot of exhausting work.
Cheers to the Faber-Castell Col-Erase 1276! Cheers to Wacky-Stacks! Cheers to Antron Fleece! Cheers to all the opposite discontinued supplies and instruments for which we now have to endlessly search in useless to seek out enough substitutes! And cheers particularly to the coterie of parents that Jim Henson gathered to create worlds of marvel for us all to take pleasure in.
Click on right here to sharpen your pencils on the ToughPigs Discord!
by David Stephens
