Jim Henson, a Legend of Entertainment
At Ex Populus, each of us has been inspired by creators at different stages of our lives. This inspiration is a part of why we’ve all been motivated to dedicate our careers to make amazing films, games and other entertainment. We thought it made sense to share with the Ex Populus community some of the different artists, creators and entertainers that have inspired us.
Jim Henson
Jim Henson is a rare individual in entertainment because he used puppets in an era when special effects in film were becoming more-and-more advanced. He is most known for creating The Muppets, a TV series that leveraged puppetry to tell stories to children in a way that also entertained adults. Henson’s career included collaborations with George Lucas, Brian Froud, David Bowie and many others.
Early life
Jim’s first puppeteer partner was Jane Nebel, they would eventually marry and she helped run The Jim Henson Company. Henson hired the legendary Frank Oz in 1963 to work with him on his early productions. When Jim Henson passed on the role of Yoda in Star Wars, he recommended his friend and fellow puppeteer, Frank Oz. Jim would continue to work with George Lucas with Star Wars and later Labyrinth.
The Muppets
A key reason for the success of his puppets is that Jim realized he didn’t need to hide puppeteers behind a structure when they were in front of a camera. Henson teamed up with Loren Michaels to do “muppet” comedy sketches on the first season of Saturday Night Live. This eventually led to the creation of the Muppet Show. The Muppets gave birth to beloved characters including Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and of-course Gonzo. This brand of entertainment that targets children but also entertains adults would later be emulated by major entertainment brands including Disney, Pixar and others.
After The Muppets success, Henson began creating darker and more realistic fantasy films that did not feature the Muppets and displayed “a growing, brooding interest in mortality.” He co-directed The Dark Crystal with Frank Oz, “trying to go toward a sense of realism — toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive”. To provide a visual style distinct from the Muppets, the puppets in The Dark Crystal were based on conceptual artwork by Brian Froud, and it was a financial and critical success.
While making the Dark Crystal, Jim Henson assigned his team to build the world for a show that he pitched would end all wars, Fraggle Rock. He chose to be present but more hands off on Fraggle Rock so that his team can build this world he envisioned on their own and they did exceptionally well.
Labyrinth
One of Ex Populus CEO’s favorite all-time films, Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, with George Lucas as executive producer. Again, Henson collaborated on conceptual designs with Brian Froud. Terry Jones of Monty Python wrote the first draft of the film’s script early in 1984, drawing on Froud’s sketches for inspiration. It involves 16-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) and her quest to reach the center of an enormous otherworldly maze to rescue her baby half-brother Toby (Toby Froud) from Jareth, The Goblin King (David Bowie).
Despite some positive reviews; The New York Times called it “a fabulous film” — it was a commercial disappointment. This demoralized Henson; his son Brian Henson described it as “the closest I’ve seen him to turning in on himself and getting quite depressed.” The film later became a cult classic.
The baby in Labyrinth, is Toby Froud, the son of Brian Froud. Brain Froud was the Conceptual Art Designer for Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal. Toby Froud is the Design Supervisor for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019).
In his career, Jim Henson won 45 different awards for his works and got an Oscar Nomination. He taught his kids how the business works along with how to build and operate puppets.
Jim Henson died from Streptococcus pneumoniae on May 16th, 1990 at age 53. His legacy lives on as one of the greatest talents in the history of contemporary entertainment.
