For the company founded by Henson, see The Jim Henson Company. The Jim Henson Company is an American company founded in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets.

For other uses of "Henson", see: Henson.

Jim Henson
Jim Henson at the 1989 Emmy Awards.
Born	September 24, 1936(1936-09-24) Greenville, Mississippi
Died	May 16, 1990 (aged 53) New York City, New York
Occupation	American puppeteer, film director and television producer

James Maury "Jim" Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was the most widely known puppeteer in American television history. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a Puppet — in real time to create the illusion of life A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a Puppet — in real time to create the illusion of life The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[1] He was the creator of The Muppets and the leading force behind their long creative run in the television series Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and films such as The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Dark Crystal (1982). The Muppets are a group of Puppet characters created by Jim Henson. Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of Live-action musical Feature films starring Jim Henson 's Muppets. The Dark Crystal is a 1982 Fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. He was also an Oscar-nominated film director, Emmy Award-winning television producer, and the founder of The Jim Henson Company, the Jim Henson Foundation, and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking The Jim Henson Company is an American company founded in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The Jim Henson Foundation was founded by Puppeteer and Muppet creator Jim Henson to promote and develop puppetry in the United States. Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. Henson is widely acknowledged for the ongoing vision of faith, friendship, magic, and love which infused nearly all of his work. ^[2]

When Henson died on May 16, 1990, his sudden death resulted in an outpouring of public and professional affection. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) There have since been numerous tributes and dedications in his memory. Henson’s companies, which are now run by his children, continue to produce films and television shows.

On September 26, 1992, Mr. Henson was awarded the Courage of Conscience Award for being a "Humanitarian, muppeteer, producer and director of films for children that encourage tolerance, interracial values, equality and fair play. "^[3]

Early life

Jim Henson was the second child of 6 siblings. His parents were Paul Henson agronomist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Elizabeth Marcella Henson. Agronomists (called Agrologists in Canada are scientists who specialize in Agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food fuel feed and ^[4] After spending his early childhood in Leland, Mississippi, he moved with his family to Hyattsville, Maryland, near Washington, DC, in the late 1940s. Leland is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County Maryland, United States. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Henson was raised as a Christian Scientist;^[5] he later remembered the arrival of the family's first television as "the biggest event of his adolescence,"^[6] being heavily influenced by radio ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the early television puppets of Burr Tillstrom (on Kukla, Fran and Ollie) and Bil and Cora Baird. The Church of Christ Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of the book Science and Health with Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. Franklin Burr Tillstrom ( October 13, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois - December 6, 1985 in Palm Springs California Kukla Fran and Ollie was an early Television show using Puppets originally created for children but soon watched by more adults than children William Britton Baird (August 15 1904 &ndash March 18 1987 professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American Puppeteer ^[6]

In 1954, while attending Northwestern High School, he began working for WTOP-TV creating puppets for a Saturday morning children's show. After graduating from high school, Henson enrolled at University of Maryland, College Park as a studio arts major, thinking he might become a commercial artist. The University of Maryland College Park (often referred to as The University of Maryland UMD, UMCP or simply Maryland) is a public research Studio art is made of Art and Studio, and the term has several implications depending on the context used ^[7] A puppetry class offered in the applied arts department introduced him to the craft and textiles courses in the College of Home Economics, and he graduated with a B.S. in home economics in 1960. Family and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S As a freshman, he was asked to create Sam and Friends, a five-minute puppet show for WRC-TV. Sam and Friends was an early Live-action / Puppet Television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane WRC-TV, channel 4 is the NBC owned and operated Television station in Washington D The characters on Sam and Friends were already recognizable Muppets, and the show included a primitive version of what would become Henson's most famous character, Kermit the Frog. The Muppets are a group of Puppet characters created by Jim Henson. Kermit the Frog is a Muppet, one of Puppeteer Jim Henson 's most famous and beloved creations first introduced in 1955 ^[8]

An early incarnation of Henson's most famous character, Kermit the Frog, in a scene from the fifties television show Sam and Friends. Kermit the Frog is a Muppet, one of Puppeteer Jim Henson 's most famous and beloved creations first introduced in 1955 Sam and Friends was an early Live-action / Puppet Television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane

In the show, he began experimenting with techniques that would change the way puppetry was used on television, including using the frame defined by the camera shot to allow the puppeteer to work from off-camera. Henson believed that television puppets needed to have "life and sensitivity,"^[2] and so, at a time when many puppets were made out of carved wood, Henson began making characters from flexible, fabric-covered foam rubber, allowing them to express a wider array of emotions. Foam rubber refers to Rubber that has been manufactured with a foaming agent to create an air-filled matrix structure ^[4] In contrast to a marionette, whose arms are manipulated by strings, Henson used rods to move his muppets' arms, allowing for greater control of expression. A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator.

When Henson began work on Sam and Friends, he asked fellow University of Maryland freshman, Jane Nebel, to assist him. Jane Henson is the widow of Puppeteer Jim Henson. Born Jane Nebel and raised in New York, she met Henson while both were freshmen at the The show was a financial success, but after graduating from college, Jim began to have doubts about going into a career as a puppeteer. He wandered off to Europe for several months, where he was inspired by European puppeteers who looked on their work as a form of art. ^[9] Henson returned to the United States and he and Jane began dating. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the They were married in 1959 and had five children: Lisa (b. 1960), Cheryl (b. 1962), Brian (b. Brian Henson (born November 30, 1962 in New York City, New York) is an Academy Award -winning Puppeteer, director 1963), John (b. John Henson is an American Puppeteer best known for his association with The Muppets. 1965) and Heather (b. 1970).

Struggles and projects in the 1960s

Despite the success of Sam and Friends, which ran for six years, Henson spent much of the next two decades working in commercials, talk shows, and children's projects before being able to realize his dream of the Muppets as "entertainment for everybody". A television advertisement or television commercial (often just commercial or advert (US or ad (UK is a span of television programming produced ^[6] The popularity of his work on Sam and Friends in the late fifties led to a series of guest appearances on network talk and variety shows. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts especially Musical performances and Comedy Skits and Henson himself appeared as a guest on many shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television Variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, The greatly increased exposure led to hundreds of commercial appearances by Henson characters through the sixties.

Among the most popular of Henson's commercials was a series for the local Wilkins Coffee company in Washington, D. C. ,^[10] in which his Muppets were able to get away with a greater level of slapstick violence than might otherwise have been acceptable with human actors. In the first Wilkins ad, a Muppet named Wilkins is poised behind a cannon seen in profile. Another Muppet named Wontkins is in front of its barrel. Wilkins asks, "What do you think of Wilkins Coffee?" to which Wontkins responds gruffly, "Never tasted it!" Wilkins fires the cannon and blows Wontkins away, then turns the cannon directly toward the viewer and ends the ad with, "Now, what do you think of Wilkins?" Henson later explained, "Till then, [advertising] agencies believed that the hard sell was the only way to get their message over on television. We took a very different approach. We tried to sell things by making people laugh. "^[11] The first seven-second commercial for Wilkins was an immediate hit and was syndicated and reshot by Henson for local coffee companies across the United States;^[10] he ultimately produced more than 300 coffee ads. ^[11] The same setup was used to pitch Kramel Milk in the Chicago, Il. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. , area.

In 1963, Henson and his wife moved to New York City, where the newly formed Muppets, Inc. The City of New York would reside for some time. When Jane quit muppeteering to raise their children, Henson hired writer Jerry Juhl in 1961 and puppeteer Frank Oz in 1963 to replace her;^[12] Henson later credited both with developing much of the humor and character of his Muppets. Jerry Juhl ( July 27, 1938 – September 26 2005) was a television and movie writer best known for his work with Jim Henson 's Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is a British-born American Film director, Actor and Puppeteer. ^[13] Henson and Oz, particularly, developed a close friendship and a performing partnership that lasted 27 years; their teamwork is particularly evident in their portrayals of the characters of, respectively, Bert and Ernie and Kermit and Fozzie Bear. Bert and Ernie are two roommates on the long-running PBS Children's television show Sesame Street. For the heavy metal band fronted by Chris Jericho, see Fozzy Fozzie Bear ^[14]

Henson's sixties talk show appearances culminated when he devised Rowlf, a piano-playing anthropomorphic dog. Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Rowlf became the first Muppet to make regular appearances on a network show, The Jimmy Dean Show. The Jimmy Dean Show was a mid-1960s ABC television Variety show, starring Jimmy Dean. From 1964 to 1968, Henson began exploring film-making and produced a series of experimental films. His nine-minute Time Piece was nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an Oscar for Short Film in 1966. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS) is a professional honorary organization ostensibly dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of Motion This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974 Jim Henson also produced another experimental film, The NBC-TV movie The Cube, in 1969. The Cube was an hour long Teleplay that aired on NBC 's weekly anthology television show NBC Experiment in Television on February 23

Sesame Street

Main article: Sesame Street

Two of Sesame Street's most famous characters: Ernie (played by Henson) and Bert (played by Frank Oz)

In 1969, Joan Ganz Cooney and the team at the Children's Television Workshop asked Henson to work on Sesame Street, a visionary children's program for public television. Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining Since 1969 Ernie has been one of the stars of PBS 's long-running children's television show Sesame Street. Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is a British-born American Film director, Actor and Puppeteer. Joan Ganz Cooney (born November 30, 1929 in Phoenix Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (or CTW) is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining Public broadcasting refers to radio television and other electronic media outlets that receive some or all of their funding from the public Part of the show was set aside for a series of funny, colorful puppet characters living on the titular street. These included Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird. Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. Cookie Monster is a fictional Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird is a full-body Muppet, featured on the children's television show Sesame Henson performed the characters of Ernie, game-show host Guy Smiley, and Kermit, who appeared as a roving television news reporter. Guy Smiley was a character on Sesame Street who was dubbed "Everybody's Favorite Game Show Host. It was around this time that a frill was added around Kermit's neck to make him more frog-like. The collar was also used to cover the joint where the neck met the body of the Muppet.

At first, Henson's Muppets appeared separately from the realistic segments on the street, but after a poor test screening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the show was revamped to integrate the two and place much greater emphasis on Henson's work. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Though Henson would often downplay his role in Sesame Street's success (it is one of the longest-running U.S. television shows in history and has received 109 Emmy Awards to date, more than any other TV show)^[15] Cooney frequently praised his work and, in 1990, the Public Broadcasting Service called him "the spark that ignited our fledgling broadcast service. The Television Technology can be divided along two lines those developments that depended upon both mechanical and electronic Principles and The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the "^[6] The success of Sesame Street also allowed Henson to stop producing commercials. He later remembered that "it was a pleasure to get out of that world. "^[10]

Concurrently with the first years of Sesame Street, Henson directed Tales From Muppetland, a short series of TV movie specials aimed at a young audience and hosted by Kermit the Frog. The series included Hey, Cinderella!, The Frog Prince, and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen. Hey Cinderella! ( 1969) is an adaptation of Cinderella, featuring Muppets Kermit the Frog hosts the film For other works sharing the title see The Frog Prince (disambiguation. The Muppet Musicians of Bremen ( 1972) is an adaptation of The Bremen Town Musicians, featuring Muppets Kermit the Frog hosts the film These specials were comedic tellings of classic fairy-tale stories.

Finding a wider audience

Henson, Oz, and his team targeted an adult audience with a series of sketches on the first season of the groundbreaking comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL). Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Eleven sketches, set mostly in the Land of Gorch, aired between October 1975 and January 1976, with four additional appearances in March, April, May, and September. Henson recalled that "I saw what [creator Lorne Michaels] was going for and I really liked it and wanted to be a part of it, but somehow what we were trying to do and what his writers could write for it never jelled. Lorne Michaels (born November 17, 1944) is a Canadian -American Emmy -winning television producer, "^[10] The SNL writers never got comfortable writing for the characters, and frequently disparaged Henson's creations; one, Michael O'Donoghue, memorably quipped, "I won't write for felt. Michael O'Donoghue ( January 5, 1940 - November 8, 1994) was a 20th century American writer and performer "^[16]

Frank Oz performing Miss Piggy and Henson performing Kermit on the set of the breakthrough TV series The Muppet Show. Miss Pigathius "Piggy" Lee is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz and sometimes Richard Hunt in Season 1 of The Muppet Show The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from

Around the time of his characters' final appearances on SNL, Henson began developing two projects featuring the Muppets: a Broadway show and a weekly television series. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located ^[10] The series was initially rejected by the American networks, who believed that Muppets would only appeal to children; in 1976, Henson was finally able to convince British impresario Lew Grade to finance the show, which would be shot in the United Kingdom and syndicated across the globe. Lew Grade Baron Grade (25 December 1906&ndash13 December 1998 born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Showbusiness Impresario and Television The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[9] That same year, he abandoned work on the Broadway show and moved his creative team to England, where The Muppet Show began filming. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from The show featured Kermit as host, and a variety of other memorable characters including Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and Fozzie Bear. Miss Pigathius "Piggy" Lee is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz and sometimes Richard Hunt in Season 1 of The Muppet Show Gonzo (aka Gonzo the Great or The Great Gonzo or Fraunk B) is a puppet character one of Jim Henson 's Muppets. For the heavy metal band fronted by Chris Jericho, see Fozzy Fozzie Bear

A vaudeville-style variety show aimed at a family audience, but with a frequently satirical, mature sense of humor, The Muppet Show became a sensation in the United Kingdom and soon elsewhere in the world. By 1978, it was being watched by 235 million people in 106 countries every week and TIME magazine referred to it as "almost certainly the most popular television entertainment now being produced on earth. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and "^[17] Much of the credit was given to Henson, whom TIME called a "genius". ^[17] On The Muppet Show, Henson performed Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef, Mah Nà Mah Nà, Link Hogthrob, Waldorf and Dr. Teeth. The Swedish Chef is a Muppet who appeared on The Muppet Show and was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now " Mah Nà Mah Nà " is a well-known Pop music song written by an Italian musician Piero Umiliani. Link Hogthrob was a Fictional character, a Muppet pig on The Muppet Show. Statler and Waldorf are a fictional pair of Muppet characters Dr Teeth and The Electric Mayhem was the name of the Muppet rock band and house band of the The Muppet Show

Henson's role in Muppet productions was often compared by his co-workers to Kermit's role on The Muppet Show: a shy, gentle boss with "a whim of steel"^[14] who "[ran] things as firmly as it is possible to run an explosion in a mattress factory. "^[17] Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, remembered that Henson "would never say he didn't like something. Caroll Edwin Spinney, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney (born December 26, 1933) is a Puppeteer most famous for He would just go 'Hmm. ' That was famous. And if he liked it, he would say, 'Lovely!' "^[5] Henson himself recognized Kermit as an alter-ego, though he thought that Kermit was bolder than he was; he once said of Kermit, "He can say things I hold back. "^[18]

Transition to the big screen

Three years after the start of The Muppet Show, the Muppets appeared in their first theatrical feature film, 1979's The Muppet Movie. The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of Live-action musical Feature films starring Jim Henson 's Muppets. The film was both a critical and financial success;^[19] it made US$65. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 2 million domestically and (at the time) was the 61st highest-grossing film ever made. ^[20] A song from the film, "The Rainbow Connection," sung by Henson as Kermit, hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award. " The Rainbow Connection " is a popular song written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and originally performed by Kermit the Frog "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. In 1981, a Henson-directed sequel, The Great Muppet Caper, followed, and Henson decided to end the still-popular Muppet Show to concentrate on making films. The Great Muppet Caper is the second of a series of Live-action musical Feature films, starring Jim Henson 's Muppets ^[4] From time to time, the Muppet characters continued to appear in made-for-TV-movies and television specials.

In addition to his own puppetry projects, Henson also aided others in their work. In 1979, he was asked by the producers of the Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back to aid make-up artist Stuart Freeborn in the creation and articulation of enigmatic Jedi Master Yoda. Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 Space opera Film directed by Irvin Kershner. Stuart Freeborn (born September 5 1914, in London, England) is a British motion picture Make-up artist, perhaps best known The Jedi are members of a fictional monastic order in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy, created by George Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars Henson suggested to Star Wars creator George Lucas that he use Frank Oz as the puppeteer and voice of Yoda. George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter Oz voiced Yoda in Empire and each of the four subsequent Star Wars films, and the naturalistic, lifelike Yoda became one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars films. ^[21]

In 1982, Henson founded the Jim Henson Foundation to promote and develop the art of puppetry in the United States. The Jim Henson Foundation was founded by Puppeteer and Muppet creator Jim Henson to promote and develop puppetry in the United States. Puppetry is a form of Theatre or Performance which involves the Manipulation of Puppets. Around that time, he also began creating darker and more realistic fantasy films that did not feature the Muppets and displayed "a growing, brooding interest in mortality. "^[14] With 1982's The Dark Crystal, which he co-directed with Frank Oz and also co-wrote, Henson said he was "trying to go toward a sense of realism—toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive [where] it's not so much a symbol of the thing, but you're trying to [present] the thing itself. The Dark Crystal is a 1982 Fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. "^[10] To provide a visual style distinct from the Muppets, the puppets in The Dark Crystal were based on conceptual artwork by Brian Froud. Brian Froud (born 1947 in Winchester) is an English Fantasy Illustrator.

Crystal was a financial and critical success, and, a year later, the Muppet-starring The Muppets Take Manhattan (directed by Frank Oz) did fair box-office business, grossing $25. The Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of Live-action musical Feature films starring Jim Henson 's Muppets 5 million domestically and ranking as one of the top 40 films of 1984. ^[22] However, 1986's Labyrinth, a Crystal-like fantasy that Henson directed by himself, was considered (in part due to its cost) a commercial disappointment. Labyrinth is a 1986 Fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Despite some positive reviews (The New York Times called it "a fabulous film"),^[23] the commercial failure of Labyrinth demoralized Henson to the point that Brian Henson remembered the time of its release as being "the closest I've seen him to turning in on himself and getting quite depressed. Brian Henson (born November 30, 1962 in New York City, New York) is an Academy Award -winning Puppeteer, director "^[14] (The film later became a cult classic. )^[24] Henson and his wife also separated the same year, although they remained close for the rest of his life. Legal separation (sometimes "separate maintenance" " divorce a mensa et thoro," or "divorce from bed-and-board" is a possible step towards ^[5] Jane later said that Jim was so involved with his work that he had very little time to spend with her or their children. ^[5] All five of his children began working with Muppets at an early age, partly because, Cheryl Henson remembered, "One of the best ways of being around him was to work with him. "^[2]

Later work

Henson's 1989 television series The Jim Henson Hour mixed familiar Muppets such as Kermit with darker, more realistic creatures and stories. The Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived Television series that aired on NBC in 1989.

Though he was still engaged in creating children's programming, such as the successful eighties shows Fraggle Rock and the animated Muppet Babies, Henson continued to explore darker, mature themes with the folk tale and mythology oriented show The Storyteller (1988). Fraggle Rock is a Children's television series with a total of 5 seasons and 96 episodes running from January 10, 1983 to March 30 Jim Henson's Muppet Babies was a popular American animated television series that aired from September 15, 1984 to December 29 The Storyteller is a Live-action / Puppet Television series. It was an American / British co-production which originally The Storyteller won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program but was cancelled after nine episodes. The next year, Henson returned to television with The Jim Henson Hour, which mixed lighthearted Muppet fare with riskier material. The Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived Television series that aired on NBC in 1989. The show was critically well-received and won Henson another Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program, but was cancelled after 13 episodes due to low ratings. Henson blamed its failure on NBC's constant rescheduling. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's ^[25]

In late 1989, Henson entered into negotiations to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company for almost $150 million, hoping that, with Disney handling business matters he would "be able to spend a lot more of my time on the creative side of things. "^[25] By 1990, he had completed production on a television special, The Muppets at Walt Disney World, and a Disney World (Later Disney's California Adventure as well) attraction, Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D, and was developing film ideas and a television series titled Muppet High. The Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Henson 's Muppets at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels Disney's California Adventure Park (commonly referred to by its initials DCA) is a Theme park in Anaheim California, adjacent to Disneyland Park Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D is an attraction found at Disney's Hollywood Studios, part of the Walt Disney World Resort, and at Disney's California Adventure ^[5]

Death

While busy with these later projects, Henson began to experience flu-like symptoms. A symptom' (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident misfortune that which befalls" from συμπίπτω, "I befall" from ^[5]

On May 4, 1990, Henson made an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Arsenio Hall Show was an Emmy Award winning Talk show which aired on late night in syndication from 1989 to 1994 At the time, he mentioned to his publicist that he was tired and had a sore throat, but felt that it would go away.

On May 12, 1990, Henson traveled to Ahoskie, North Carolina with his daughter Cheryl to visit his father and stepmother. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Ahoskie is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The next day, feeling tired and sick, he consulted a physician in North Carolina, who could find no evidence of pneumonia by physical examination and prescribed no treatment except aspirin. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA (əˌsɛtɨlsælɨˌsɪlɨk ˈæsɨd is a Salicylate drug, often used as an Analgesic to relieve ^[26] Henson returned to New York on an earlier flight and canceled a Muppet recording session scheduled for May 14. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the

Henson's wife Jane, from whom he was separated, came to visit and sat with him talking throughout the evening. By 2 a. m. on May 15, 1990 he was having trouble breathing and began coughing up blood. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) He suggested to Jane that he might be dying, but did not want to bother going to the hospital. She later told People Magazine that it was likely due in part to his Christian Science upbringing combined with his desire to not be a bother to people. Christian Science is believed by its supporters to be a system of spiritually scientific truths which are summed up in the two commandments having one God one Mind one Life Truth ^[5]

At 4 a. m. , he finally agreed to go to New York Hospital, at which point his body was rapidly shutting down. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent University hospital in New York City, composed of two medical centers Columbia University Medical Center By the time he was admitted at 4:58 a. m. , he could no longer breathe on his own and had abscesses in his lungs. He was placed on a mechanical ventilator to help him breathe, but his condition deteriorated rapidly into septic shock despite aggressive treatment with multiple antibiotics. In Medicine, mechanical ventilation is a method to mechanically assist or replace spontaneous breathing when patients cannot do so on their own Septic shock is a very serious medical condition caused by decreased tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery as a result of Infection and Sepsis, though the Only twenty hours later, on May 16, 1990, at 12:58 a. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) m. , Henson died from organ failure at the age of 53. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS, previously known as multiple organ failure (MOF, is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring

The cause of death was first reported as streptococcus pneumonia, a bacterial infection. ^[6] Bacterial pneumonia is usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, an alpha-hemolytic species of Streptococcus. See Pneumonia for a general overview of pneumonia and its other causes Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is a Gram-positive, alpha-hemolytic diplococcus aerotolerant anaerobe and a member of the Genus Streptococcus is a Genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the Henson, however, died of organ failure due to infection by Streptococcus pyogenes, a severe Group A streptococcal infection, that engulfed his body. Streptococcus pyogenes is a spherical Gram-positive Bacteria that grows in long chains and is the cause of Group A streptococcal infections The group A streptococcus bacterium ( Streptococcus pyogenes, or GAS) is a form of Streptococcus bacteria responsible for most cases ^[27] S. pyogenes is the bacteria that causes scarlet fever, rheumatic fever and, in Henson's case, can cause toxic shock syndrome. Scarlet fever is a disease caused by an Exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Rheumatic fever is an Autoimmune inflammatory Disease which may develop two to three weeks after a Group A streptococcal infection (such as Toxic shock syndrome ( TSS) is a rare but potentially fatal disease caused by a bacterial toxin. Henson's life could possibly have been saved had he gone to the hospital a few hours earlier. ^[27]

Two separate memorial services were held for Henson, one in New York City at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and one in London, England at St. Paul's Cathedral. The Cathedral of St John the Divine, officially the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City and Diocese of New York, is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. As per Henson's wishes, no one in attendance wore black, and a Dixieland jazz band finished the service by performing "When The Saints Go Marching In". Dixieland or Dixie is a name for the southeastern portion of the USA; see Southern United States, Dixie. " When the Saints Go Marching In " so well-known that it is often referred to as " The Saints " is a United States gospel Hymn Harry Belafonte sang "Turn the World Around," a song he had debuted on The Muppet Show, as each member of the audience waved, with a puppeteer's rod, an individual, brightly-colored foam butterfly. Harold George Belafonte Jr (born March 1 1927 is an American musician actor and Social activist. ^[28] Later, Big Bird (performed by Carroll Spinney) walked out onto the stage and sang a quavering rendition of Kermit the Frog's signature song, "Bein' Green". Big Bird is a full-body Muppet, featured on the children's television show Sesame Caroll Edwin Spinney, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney (born December 26, 1933) is a Puppeteer most famous for " Bein' Green " is a popular song originally written by Joe Raposo in 1970 for the first season of the children's show Sesame Street where it was ^[29]

In the final minutes of the two-and-a-half hour service, six of the core Muppet performers sang, in their characters' voices, a medley of Jim Henson's favorite songs, culminating in a performance of "Just One Person" that began with Richard Hunt singing alone, as Scooter. Richard Hunt ( August 16, 1951 - January 7 1992) was an American Puppeteer. Scooter is a bespectacled character from The Muppet Show who was the troupe's backstage " Gofer " "As each verse progressed," Henson employee Chris Barry recalled, "each Muppeteer joined in with their own Muppets until the stage was filled with all the Muppet performers and their beloved characters. "^[29] The funeral was later described by LIFE as "an epic and almost unbearably moving event. " The image of a growing number of performers singing "Just One Person" was recreated for the 1990 television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson and inspired screenwriter Richard Curtis, who attended the London service, to write the growing-orchestra wedding scene of his 2003 film Love Actually. For the former state representative from Washington State see Richard Curtis (politician Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born Love Actually is a 2003 British Romantic comedy Film written and directed by Richard Curtis. ^[30]

After the funeral service, Jim was cremated. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire His ashes were scattered near Santa Fe, New Mexico at his ranch. Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico.

Business legacy

The Jim Henson Company and the Jim Henson Foundation continued after his death, producing new series and specials. Jim Henson's Creature Shop, founded by Henson, also continues to build creatures for a large number of other films and series (most recently the science fiction production Farscape, the film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the movie MirrorMask) and is considered one of the most advanced and well respected creators of film creatures. Farscape is an American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced for the Sci-Fi Channel. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series MirrorMask is a 2005 fantasy Film from the Jim Henson Company, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. His son Brian and daughter Lisa are currently the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the Company; his daughter Cheryl is the president of the Foundation. Steve Whitmire, a veteran member of the Muppet puppeteering crew, has assumed the roles of Kermit the Frog and Ernie, the most famous characters formerly played by Jim Henson. Steve Whitmire (born September 24 1959) is a Puppeteer with The Jim Henson Company and Sesame Workshop. ^[31]

On February 17, 2004, it was announced that the Muppets (excluding the Sesame Street characters, which are separately owned by Sesame Workshop) and the Bear in the Big Blue House properties had been sold by Henson's heirs to The Walt Disney Company. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Jim Henson Company retains the Creature Shop, as well as the rest of its film and television library including Fraggle Rock, Farscape, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. Fraggle Rock is a Children's television series with a total of 5 seasons and 96 episodes running from January 10, 1983 to March 30 Farscape is an American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced for the Sci-Fi Channel. The Dark Crystal is a 1982 Fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Labyrinth is a 1986 Fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. ^[32]

In February 2008, the Empire Film Group announced that it was planning to produce and distribute Henson, a film chronicling the life and achievements of Jim Henson. The film's screenplay was written by Robert D. Slane, and Empire plans to attract "a major director, such as Penny Marshall" and "notable star cast in key roles. Penny Marshall (born October 15, 1942) is an American Golden Globe-nominated actress producer and director "^[33]

Tributes

• The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia has acquired more than 700 puppets created by Henson and his studio, including some of the earliest Muppets. The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia was founded in 1978 by Vincent Anthony The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The Muppets are a group of Puppet characters created by Jim Henson. Many of these are displayed in the museum exhibit Jim Henson: Puppeteer. In September 2008, the Center for Puppetry Arts will open Jim Henson: Wonders From His Workshop, highlighting creations from Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and other later works. Fraggle Rock is a Children's television series with a total of 5 seasons and 96 episodes running from January 10, 1983 to March 30 In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth ( Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer
• Henson is honored both as himself and as Kermit the Frog on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The only other person to receive this honor is Mel Blanc, the voice actor of Bugs Bunny. Melvin "Mel" Jerome Blanc ( May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and Comedian Clyde Rabbit (uncleMrs Bugs Bunny (wifePapa Bunny (fatherMama Bunny (motherRugs Bunny
• The classes of 1994, 1998, and 1999 at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) commissioned a life-size statue of Henson and Kermit the Frog, which was dedicated on September 24, 2003, Henson's 67th birthday. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The statue cost $217,000, and is displayed outside the UMCP student union. ^[34] In 2006, UMCP introduced 50 statues of their school mascot, Testudo the Terrapin, with various designs chosen by different sponsoring groups. A terrapin is a Turtle that lives in fresh or Brackish water Taxonomy Although sometimes superficially similar to Sea turtles Among them was Kertle, a statue by Washington DC artist Elizabeth Baldwin, designed to look like Kermit the Frog.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and The Muppet Christmas Carol are both dedicated to him. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 action / Family film. The Muppet Christmas Carol was the fourth Feature film to star The Muppets, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson
• The television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson allowed the Muppets themselves to pay tribute to Henson. The special featured interviews with Steven Spielberg and others. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer.
• A museum was built in memory of Henson in Leland, Mississippi. Official certificates from the Mississippi Legislature honoring Jim Henson and Muppets paraphernalia are on display. The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U
• Tom Smith's Henson tribute song, "A Boy and His Frog," won the Pegasus Award for Best Filk Song in 1991. Tom Smith is a singer-songwriter from, who got his start in the Filk genre Filk is a musical culture genre and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom. Filk is a musical culture genre and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom.
• Stephen Lynch produced a song titled "Jim Henson's Dead," in which he pays homage to many of the characters from The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. Stephen Andrew Lynch (born July 28 1971 in Abington, Pennsylvania) is an American Stand-up comedian, Musician A Little Bit Special is the first album recorded by comedian Stephen Lynch.
• J. G. Thirlwell (under the alias Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus) performed a reworked version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" titled "Puppet Dude," with the lyrics altered to refer to Jim Henson. James George Thirlwell (born January 29, 1960) aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer This can be found on the Male live album. Male is a Live album by Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe. It records the Foetus live performance of November 3, 1990 in
• Apple Computer's "Think Different" advertising campaign featured Henson. Apple Inc, ( formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing Consumer electronics "Think Different" is an Advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 by the Los Angeles office
• Oury Atlan, Thibaut Berland, and Damien Ferri wrote, directed, and animated a 3D tribute to Henson entitled "Over Time" which was shown as part of the 2005 Electronic Theater at SIGGRAPH.
• Was featured in the Boyz II Men video, "It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday"
• Featured in The American Adventure in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort

Footnotes

References

• Finch, Christopher (1981). Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show. New York: Muppet Press/Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-52085-8.  
• Finch, Christopher (1993). Jim Henson: The Works—The Art, the Magic, the Imagination. New York: Random House. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher ISBN 0-679-41203-4.  

External links

• The Jim Henson Legacy
• Jim Henson at the Internet Movie Database
• Muppet Wiki: Jim Henson
• Art Directors Club biography and portrait
• The Jim Henson Works at the University of Maryland: 70+ digital videos available to students, scholars and visitors at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
• Jim Henson Memorial Service - video