Most people today are probably more familiar with the Muppets than the man who made them. That man was Jim Henson and he did a lot in his short life. By the time he died from pneumonia in 1990 at the age of 53, he had created a colorful cast of Muppets who touched the hearts of everyone who watched them.
Born in 1936 in Greenville, Missouri, Henson started working with puppets while still in high school. After making several successful television commercials, he created Kermit the Frog, one of the most recognizable Muppets, in 1955 out of ping pong balls and an old coat that once belonged to his mother. A few years later in 1958, he started what would later become the Jim Henson Company. Unlike many other puppeteers at the time, Henson used the camera to define the boundaries of the action instead of building a physical frame in which the characters would perform. He designed sets and used camera angles to keep the puppeteers out of sight while still allowing them great freedom of movement with the characters. This, along with the ways in which the characters were performed, made them more lifelike than most other contemporary puppets.
Henson’s first major success came in 1969 when he was hired to work on the show Sesame Street. The show became popular largely because of the characters he helped create and perform. Over time, the show’s success allowed him to get out of making television commercials and focus more on his own projects. These projects include, but are not limited to, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and a number of movies starring classic Muppet characters.
The Muppet productions made during Henson’s life featured enjoyable music, realistic characters, great comedy, fun adventures, and touching life lessons. While the Muppets are well known for their comedy, it can be easy to overlook the sad moments where all seems lost and their hope is gone. These moments tug at our heartstrings because Henson figured out how to tell engaging stories with puppet characters so brilliantly that we forget they’re puppets. Each Muppet has a distinct personality and feels like a fully-formed, relatable character. This makes it easy and natural to laugh when they laugh and cry when they cry. We want to see them succeed because we see ourselves in them. Fortunately, there are many wonderful moments in which they do succeed. My favorite Muppet moment is when Kermit sings “Rainbow Connection” in The Muppet Movie. I can’t explain why exactly but that song means a lot to me and perfectly matches how I’ve always seen my role in the world (plus Kermit is my favorite Muppet and I see a lot of myself in him). I remember crying happy tears at that song when I first heard it well over a decade ago and to this day it still makes me tear up.
Jim Henson may be gone, but his heart lives on in each of his Muppets. Whether or not we grew up watching his work, we all have plenty of opportunities to enjoy it and the many wonderful characters he created. His works are great for wholesome, touching, quality entertainment for people of all ages, which is why I greatly admire him. I’m glad I grew up watching his works and have the chance to share them with all of you in this blog post, and I look forward to sharing them with my future family someday.