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A mere three days after my Chuck Jones tribute piece, I find that it's time to commemorate the birthday of another late legend in the entertainment world, the brilliant Jim Henson (1936-1990). For years, I was just a casual fan of Henson's work with the Muppets, but I've recently done some in-depth studying of his career, and the man truly was a creative genius. From mere foam rubber and fabric, he could bring life, wit, and personality. And his ideas were amazingly versatile - it's a far cry from the kid-friendly educational air of "Sesame Street" to the unhinged yet sophisticated showbiz stylings of "The Muppet Show" to the strange and upbeat underground world of "Fraggle Rock"...and, of course, the mystical fantasy of The Dark Crystal. And to think it all started with the goofy antics of "Sam and Friends".

I couldn't ignore the lasting effect that Jim Henson has left on popular culture. Here's the man himself, surrounded by many of the excellent characters that he helped bring into our collective consciousness. Of course, he didn't perform them all, but without him, they wouldn't even exist.

(Through an amazing coincidence, September 24 is also the birthday of Steve Whitmire, the Muppeteer who took over the role of Kermit the Frog in 1990 after Henson's untimely death. The rainbow connection is stronger than it lets on...)

Description
A mere three days after my Chuck Jones tribute piece, I find that it's time to commemorate the birthday of another late legend in the entertainment world, the brilliant Jim Henson (1936-1990). For years, I was just a casual fan of Henson's work with the Muppets, but I've recently done some in-depth studying of his career, and the man truly was a creative genius. From mere foam rubber and fabric, he could bring life, wit, and personality. And his ideas were amazingly versatile - it's a far cry from the kid-friendly educational air of "Sesame Street" to the unhinged yet sophisticated showbiz stylings of "The Muppet Show" to the strange and upbeat underground world of "Fraggle Rock"...and, of course, the mystical fantasy of The Dark Crystal. And to think it all started with the goofy antics of "Sam and Friends".

I couldn't ignore the lasting effect that Jim Henson has left on popular culture. Here's the man himself, surrounded by many of the excellent characters that he helped bring into our collective consciousness. Of course, he didn't perform them all, but without him, they wouldn't even exist.

(Through an amazing coincidence, September 24 is also the birthday of Steve Whitmire, the Muppeteer who took over the role of Kermit the Frog in 1990 after Henson's untimely death. The rainbow connection is stronger than it lets on...)