Works Cited Primary Sources

Home , Caroll Spinney, History of Sesame Street, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, The Muppet Movie

Works Cited

Primary Sources

"40 Years and Counting." SesameWorkshop.org. Sesame Workshop. Web. 19 Feb 2013.

This is Sesame Workshop's official timeline for Sesame Street. It provides information on the

show's conception, its international coproductions, and Kevin Clash. I also quote Barack

Obama from this timeline.

"AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs." AFI.com. The American Film Institute, 22 Jun 2004. Web. 19

Feb 2013. .

This is the list of AFI's top 100 songs from American movies. "The Rainbow Connection" is

number 74 on the list. This exemplifies the timelessness of some of the great Muppet songs that

have been written.

Bailey, Joseph A. Memoirs of a Muppet Writer. New York: Walnut Press, 2012. Print.

This book was written by one of the writers for Sesame Street. He has worked with many of

the people behind its creation. He also wrote for The Muppet Show. He recalls what it was

like to work on the show, and the show's success. I quote the book on Sesame's creation, and

the Muppet Show's popularity.

Baciocco, Grant, perf. "Basic Puppeteering Using a Monitor." The Henson.com Podcast. The

Jim Henson Company, 27 2010. Web. 2 Dec 2012.

This is an episode of the Jim Henson Company's official podcast. In it, Henson Company

employee Grant Baciocco shows how the puppeteers at the company use monitors to watch their performance. This is basic puppeteering training. It uses the techniques that Jim Henson

created for the Muppets. It also tells viewers that most of the employees at the Jim Henson

Company have professional puppeteering experience prior to joining the company.

Clash, Kevin, perf. Sesame Street Behind the Street (part 3). 2009. Web. 31 Mar 2013.

This is a video of Kevin Clash explaining the history of Elmo. It starts with Elmo being built, and

ends with Elmo being given to Kevin. I use and quote some of this information in the

"1980s1990s" page.

Cokliss, Harley, dir. Of Muppets and Men: The Making of the Muppet Show. Dir. Peter Berry,

and Prod. David Lazer. 1981. Film. 30 Nov 2012.

This documentary shows behind the scenes footage from The Muppet Show. It explains parts

of the process of making an episode, and informs viewers about the puppeteers. It also features

interviews with Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It takes viewers into the puppet room, into the

writers' room, and under the sets. There is no other documentary that shows the way that

episodes of The Muppet Show are made to the degree that this documentary does.

Falk, Karen. Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal. San Francisco: Chronicle Books,

2012. Print.

This book, written by the Jim Henson Company archivist, is an adaptation of Jim Henson's

private journal. It goes through the history of the Muppets using Jim's own documentations. It

is also filled with pictures of the things Jim worked on. Many of these pictures are Jim's

drawings and illustrations. Information about Jim's family life is provided too.

Frog, Kermit the. Before You Leap: A Frog'sEye View of Life's Greatest Lessons. 1st ed. Meredith Books, 2006. Print.

This book tells the story of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets from Kermit's own point of view.

(It is a secondary source because, while it is officially licensed by Muppets Studio, it was

written by a ghost writer who has worked for the Muppets many times.) I quote Kermit on The

Muppet Movie from this book.

Finch, Christopher. Jim Henson: The Works. 1st ed. New York and Toronto: Random House,

1993. Print.

Christopher Finch's first Muppet book was Of Muppets and Men, but this book focuses on

Jim Henson's career as a puppeteer and filmmaker. Jim Henson had spoken to Finch about

making this book in the 1980s, but it was finished in the 1990s, and thus includes more history.

It includes a small section (with pictures) on his childhood. It shows the Muppets' success (with

a section on all of the Muppet merchandise that people collect.) Unlike other Muppet/Henson

biographies, this one goes beyond Jim's lifespan and has a few pages devoted to The Muppet

Christmas Carol, the first Muppet movie made after Jim's death.

Finch, Christopher. Of Muppets and Men: The Making of the Muppet Show. 1st ed. New York

and Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, Incorporated, 1981. Print.

Much like the documentary of the same name, this book goes behind the scenes of The Muppet

Show. This book has several photos taken on the set by the author. It describes the way that

the show's puppets were built, lists the guest stars, introduces readers to the Muppeteers, and

explains the history of how the show came to be. There are many nice quotes about the

individual puppeteers. It even describes the readthrough, band call, prerecord, special

effects, and waiting around. Henson, Jim, and Cheryl Henson. It's Not Easy Being Green and Other Things to Consider. New

York, NY: Hyperion, 2005. Print.

This book is filled with quotes from Jim Henson. It also includes quotes from his family, his

fellow puppeteers, Muppet characters, Muppet songwriters, and a few others. These quotes

are all related to the works of Jim Henson and the Muppets. They reveal a lot about the

Muppets' purpose, and Jim's personality. There is a short biography of Jim Henson at the end.

Henson, Jim, and Karen Falk. Jim Henson's Red Book. The Jim Henson Company, n. d. Web. Web.

30 Jan. 2013. .

This website is sort of both a blog and a database. Before there was Twitter, Jim Henson was

noting in a small number of words what he was doing at the time. Because he included dates,

readers of this website have access to the exact dates when Muppet productions were being

made or Jim was working on a project. Many articles are curated by the Jim Henson Company

Archivist. Using all of the information and documents available in the Henson Archives, Karen

Falk expands on what Jim was doing. She provides many photographs, and rare documents, such

as business letters.

Henson, Jim. Interview by Judy Harris. Cinefantastique. Fred Clarke. 1983. Web. 2 Dec 2012.

http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/henson.htm.

In this interview, Jim Henson talks about puppetry, his early work, the creation of the term

"Muppet," and his entire career. He was interviewed by a fan, so the interviewer knows all

about Jim's early work. This means that rather than describing what he did, he talks more about

how he did it and how he feels about it. This interview took place after Jim Henson had

recently been successful with The Muppet Show, but was also around the time when his film

The Dark Crystal was unsuccessful. Our Mission. N.d. Video. SesameWorkshop.org. Web. 30 Jan 2013.

This video comes from Sesame Workshop, which owns Sesame Street. It features video

footage of Sesame Street's pitch reel, and the first episode. More importantly, it gives

Sesame's purpose, giving children the basics of education. It explains that research and

evidence shows how children gain from it. This is important because it means that Sesame is

still making a big difference and will continue to. According to the video, different versions of

Sesame Street are on television in some 150 countries and are designed to meet the specific

needs of children in their local areas.

Sesame Place Park Map. 2011. Sesame Place. Web. 31 Oct 2012.

This is a map of Sesame Place. Sesame Place is the first and only amusement park to have

been based upon Muppet characters. It was the first amusement park designed to be

educational for children, and the map shows the various attractions, some of which are

educational, other are just for fun. It shows where families can watch shows, ride rides, dine,

etc.

"Sesame Street." Henson.com. The Jim Henson Company. Web. 19 Feb 2013.

This is the Henson Company's official page on Sesame Street. It explains that the characters

were sold to Sesame Workshop in 2001. This information is used on the "2000Today" page.

Shane, Phillip, dir. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer. Dir. Constance Marks, and Perf. Kevin Clash.

2011. Film. 2 Dec 2012. This tells the story of Kevin Clash, who was the puppeteer of Elmo for most of Elmo's time on

Sesame Street. It leads up to the success and incredible cultural impact that Elmo has had,

including being made into the hottest toy on the market in its day "Tickle Me Elmo." The

creator of this documentary spent years working with Kevin Clash to get the story right, and to

record many of the things he does. Kevin tells much of the story himself, but it also has many

interviews with his coworkers and family.

Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird (And the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons

from a Life in Feathers. New York: Villard, 2003. Print.

Caroll Spinney, better known as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, writes about his experience as

American icon Big Bird in this great book. He discusses how he got hired, the creation of Big

Bird and Oscar, and the creation of Elmo. He also mentions Big Bird's cultural and educational

impact, and Sesame Street's cultural and educational impact, describing the way that Sesame

adapts to meet the needs of the audience. It also includes stories of interesting parts of his life,

including visiting China and the White House, conducting orchestras as Big Bird, working with

famous people like Bob Hope, and meeting six First Ladies. Nice illustrations, Caroll's own

drawings, are all over this book.

Swanson, Steve, and Frank Oz, perf. The MuppetCast. N.p., 20 Jan 2013. web. 30 Jan 2013.

This show is mostly an interview with legendary puppeteer Frank Oz. Frank was probably

Jim's closest friend and colleague, so the information that this gives about Jim is quite accurate.

Frank also talks about how he met Jim and got hired, which is an important part of Muppet

history. He recalled how the Muppets became successful, what it was like working on The Muppet Show in England, and many other things about Jim. Other portions of this podcast

come from Jim Henson's Memorial Service.

"The Muppets." Henson.com. The Jim Henson Company. Web. 19 Feb 2013.

This is the Henson Company's official page on the Muppets. It explains that the Muppets were

sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2004. This information is used on the "2000Today" page.

"The World of Jim Henson." Writ. Sarah Lukinson. Great Performances. Public Broadcasting

Service: 1994. Television.

This documentary explains Jim Henson's career starting with Sam and Friends and ending with

some of the last projects he worked on and his death. It features many interviews with his

family and coworkers. It also provides some clips from the many different works of the

Muppets, some of which are quite rare. It includes information on Jim Henson's children's

series Fraggle Rock, which was specifically designed to be broadcast to different countries.

Unlike most Muppet documentaries, this one takes viewers inside the Henson Creature Shop,

where hitech animatronic creatures were made for fantasy productions and movies like

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Secondary Sources

Bell, John. Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History. Detroit: The Detroit Institute of

Arts, 2005. Print.

This book gives a basic history of puppetry. It mentions the different types of puppets and

some notable puppeteers. It looks at the Europeans and their puppetry, and the Asian

puppetry, building up to television puppetry. This is useful for historical context knowing

about puppet shows before Jim Henson. It also provides photos of older puppets.

Blumenthal, Eileen. Puppetry: A World History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. Print.

This is a large examination of puppet history. It starts with very ancient puppetry, but does not

continue chronologically. Instead, it examines different aspects and applications of puppetry

puppets in violence, sex, and politics. This book provides great historical context for my topic.

It also shows how the Muppets are involved in the various areas of the puppetry arts.

Culhane, John. "The Muppets in Movieland." New York Times. 10 June 1979. Print.

This is a big story on Jim Henson and the Muppets from 1979. It talks about the early history

of the Muppets, the Muppeteers, and The Muppet Movie. It features quotes from Jim Henson,

some of which I used. It explains how the Muppets are performed. Because it takes place

during the run of The Muppet Show, it provides a good idea of how popular the Muppets

were.

Davis, Michael. Street Gang, The Complete History Of Sesame Street. New York: Viking, 2008.

Print. .

"A wonderful book" according to Frank Oz, this long biography is an incredible resource.

There was a huge amount of research put into it, in order that every single detail from Sesame Street's history could be included. It features material from several interviews, goes more

indepth on the show's creation than any other book. It starting with the early lives of all of its

creators. One thing that makes this book quite unique is that it has one of the best descriptions

of the HensonDisney sale that almost took place in the early 1990s, which is an important part

of Muppet history.

Down at Fraggle Rock: Behind the Scenes. HBO: 13 Jul 1987. Television.

This is a documentary about Fraggle Rock. It is hosted by Jim Henson and explores the

show's innovative technology. I quote the documentary in the "1980s1990s" page.

Fletcher, Dan. "'Bohemian Rhapsody,' Muppet Style."TIME. 30 Nov. 2009: n. page. Web. 18

Feb. 2013.

This is an article about the Muppets viral videos. It focuses on their successful cover of

'Bohemian Rhapsody.'

Gates, Anita. "Henson's Son Builds on Muppets Tradition." New York Times. 25 Dec. 1995. 17

Feb. 2013.

This article was written at a time when Jim Henson had recently passed away. It talks about

Brian Henson's new leadership, and what the Muppets were doing in the 1990s.

Gikow, L. Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street. New York: Black Dog

& Leventhal Publishers, 2009. Print.

While Street Gang is more focused on the events leading up to the show and the people behind

it, this coffee table book is more aimed at the production. It gives the history, starting with the

birth of the show, and then informing the readers about the first ten years, and so on. This uses

many onset and behind the scenes photographs, in addition to scripts from different episodes. This is one of the few books that takes an indepth look at the current Muppeteers, not just the

originals. Other things that make this book special include: a section on merchandise, a timeline,

a nice section on their short films, and a chapter on the show's writing.

Hennes, Joe. "Henson Company Gives Up ChickfilA Cold Turkey." ToughPigs. 21 Jul 2012.

Web. 3 Apr. 2013. .

This is the coverage (made by a Muppet fansite) of the coverage of the Henson Company's

actions regarding ChicFilA and GLAAD. (This led many people to make badges using

Muppet pictures to support gay rights and post these pictures on Facebook. While the writer is

biased, the information I quoted from the article is accurate as I have seen the evidence myself.)

This is story is one of the best examples of the Jim Henson Company appearing in the

mainstream since they sold the Muppets to Disney.

Inches, Alison. Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles. 1st ed. New York: Harry N. Abrams,

Incorporated, 2004. Print.

This book features a large amount of information from the Henson archives and Jim Henson

Legacy Archivist Karen Falk. It is a book of Jim Henson's designs, doodles, and sketches. It

is a collection of several drawings that Jim and his Muppet team used to build many of the more

famous Muppet characters, including Kermit, Beaker, Ernie, Bert, and Big Bird. These images

have captions with the year in which the image was created and the materials used to create

them. It also shows the kinds of sketches, posters, and comics that Jim used to do in high

school and college before he became famous.

Sinclair, Jessica. "The Muppets Attack Fox News at Press Conference." LongIslandPress.com.

31 Jan. 2012. Web. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

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This is a story on the Muppets "fight" with Fox News. It explains what Fox did, and Kermit

and Miss Piggy's response.

The Muppets at the Box Office. 2011. Box Office Mojo. Web. 4 Nov 2012.

This chart shows the grosses that the different Muppet movies made when first in theaters. It

also shows their grosses adjusted for ticket inflation. This is important to the history of Jim

Henson and the Muppets because it reveals that the Muppets were most successful with their

first movie, while the other two Muppet movies that Henson made were far less successful.

After Henson died, the Muppet team still failed to make as much money as the first Muppet

movie. It also shows that Muppets from Space was a flop. It shows that the most recent

Muppet movie, The Muppets, was basically a success.

Ramirez, Anthony. "Waiting for Elmo." New York Times. 08 Dec. 1996. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.

This article covers the unexpected success of the Tickle Me Elmo doll, which was the most

popular toy of the holiday season that year. It informs readers that customers at Toys "R" Us

ran to the dolly that was taking the dolls that had just arrived to their shelves. Elmo was a large

part of the culture at the time due to the popularity of this toy. The popularity was due to the

fact that children loved Elmo. This article helps to describe an important part of Elmo's journey

to becoming one of the most famous and adored characters in children's television.

Staff of Henson Associates, The. The Art of the Muppets. New York: Bantam Books, 1980. Print. Based on a museum exhibit, this book was designed to show people the history of the Muppets

at the height of their popularity. It gives several photos, many of which are behind the scenes

pictures. It lists the puppeteers, writers, and other staff behind the Muppet projects.

Additionally, it shows how the puppets are made and manipulated. This is one of the main

sources I have for information on Jim's work for Saturday Night Live.

Woods, Geraldine. Jim Henson: From Puppets to Muppets. United States: Dillon Press,

Incorporated, 1987.

This biography provides a good look at Jim's early life, and good pictures of the projects he

worked on. It has more of a focus on what Jim did from 1936 to the 1960s than most books,

which is helpful. It has useful quotes and descriptions of the people Jim worked with. The

book has nice information about the selling of The Muppet Show, but spends little time on the

Muppet movies. It talks about Jim's fantasy projects, and its section on Henson's family makes

it unique.

Writ. Jerry Juhl. The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. Columbia Broadcasting System: 21 Nov

1990. Television.

This television special was about the Muppets paying tribute to Jim Henson. More importantly,

it featured Jim Henson's early biography. It also included many guests who knew and/or

admired Jim Henson talking about what he did. I quote Stephen Spielberg from this special.

Web Images 2009. FaceBook.com. Web. 19 Feb 2013.

This image comes from Muppets Studio's official FaceBook page. It is a picture of Kermit the

Frog, and it is this website's background image.