USA: Jim Henson and his beloved Muppets get their own postage stamps

Record ID: 828007

  • Title: USA: Jim Henson and his beloved Muppets get their own postage stamps
  • Date: 29th September 2005
  • Summary: KERMIT AND BRICKMAN SING TOGETHER
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA67T4N4P3RPBMKPCDYQAMTHHYW
  • Story Text: Director, producer and puppeteer extraordinaire Jim Henson and his innovative breed of puppets were immortalized on United States postage stamps Wednesday (September 28) during a first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the "Jim Henson: The Man Behind the Muppets" commemorative stamp sheet collection.
    Henson's most beloved character, Kermit the Frog, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, which was held at the Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood, California. The Academy has bestowed several Emmy awards on Henson (who died of bacterial pneumonia in 1990 at the age of 54) and also inducted him into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
    A highlight of the gathering was the live performance of a well-known song from "The Muppet Movie" by Kermit and Grammy-nominated recording artist Jim Brickman.
    One stamp features a photograph of Henson. Ten additional stamps depict thirteen Muppet characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Sam the Eagle, Statler and Waldorf, Animal, Rowlf the Dog, Fozzie Bear, Swedish Chef, the Great Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew with his assistant, Beaker. The back of each stamp sheet also includes autographed notes by each of the furry stars.
    Henson began his career in entertainment while still in high school, performing puppets on a local children's television program. The following year he was given his own 5-minute show called "Sam and Friends." It was here that Kermit made his first appearance. Henson's early success led to guest appearances on national networks and later hundreds of TV commercials.
    In 1966, Henson was asked to create a family of characters to populate a ground-breaking television show called "Sesame Street," a show that still delights children and adults more than 35 years later. Since his introduction, Kermit alone has starred in six feature films, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.
    On hand to dedicate the stamps were two of Henson's five children, who together serve as the CEOs of The Jim Henson Company.
    "Well, it's a wonderful tribute to our father and the Muppets," said Brian Henson. "And it's wonderful when things like this happen that really says the Muppets are part of the foundation of American culture, and that America does know how to laugh and America can be silly and not take itself quite so seriously."
    His sister, Lisa, agreed that their father's work left a lasting impact.
    "Well I think he's left a legacy of silliness and humor, but people know that underneath the jokes there was something very good-hearted and humane about his work, that he really cared about people, and he cared about the world in a way."
    Meanwhile, Kermit talked about how it feels to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp.
    "I think it's kind of cool. People can now stick us on an envelope and send us all over the world, and hopefully we'll bring a lot of cheer to people when they get their letters…and maybe their bills, too."
    In commemoration of his golden anniversary, Kermit plans to hit the road with an international tour.
    "I am still planning the tour, so I don't quite know all the places I am going. But I can tell you where I am starting. I thought it would be nice to start out small and build from there. I am going to this great little town in Texas, I think it's West Texas, called Kermit, Texas. And it's about 5,000 people, and a whole bunch of frogs, too. And they're all gonna come out and they're gonna name a street after me, and they're gonna like paint the water tower the same color as my stomach. Stuff like that. And I am real excited about it. And I am coming to see you folks real soon."
    In addition to Kermit, Texas, the famous green frog is scheduled to visit to 50 other destinations over the next 15 months, including the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China and even a Frog Leg Festival in Fellsmere, Florida.
    The launch of Kermit's 50th anniversary tour is part of a campaign to reintroduce the Muppet brand, which was acquired by Disney in April 2004.
    The Muppet stamps will be available for sale nation-wide starting on Thursday (September 29).
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