Hey, gang- since The Muppets are back again with another show, I thought I’d celebrate by drawing a couple more Muppet sketchcards.
This new show aired on Disney+ on February 4th and since the original “The Muppet Show” variety series launched back on September 5, 1976 (5 seasons), there have been several movies and TV shows before and after their purchase by Disney.
In a time of great turmoil in our country by our current administration and their cult followers, it’s great to see the gang get back together again for some much needed laughs, even for just one show- fingers crossed for more episodes on Disney+..!
I really enjoyed the show, and have watched it twice so far. It had the feel of the original show but updated, and all of my favorites were back, even if it was just a quick cameo of many backstage in a group. My only complaint was that Miss Piggy’s voice was hit or miss (Eric Jacobson does many of the former Frank Oz characters), and Matt Vogel‘s Kermit voice was waaaaaaay off in my opinion.
I’m old- old enough that as a kid I was the target audience when “Sesame Street” hit the airwaves back in 1969, and when the Muppets made appearances on Saturday Night Live in the ’70s. I grew up with Kermit and have heard his voice change over the years- even back when Jim Henson was still alive. Jim was Kermit from 1955-1990 and was the creator of the beloved amphibian. Many of the Muppet characters have evolved in both voice and look, and have had to literally change hands whenever performers switch characters, retire, or unfortunately die. Watching early episodes of the original TV show can be really jarring at times- especially Piggy (both looks and voice) and Janice. I was happy to hear Statler and Waldorf in this new show be much more like the classic voices, and other characters were either spot on or close enough to not question them. It was interesting to see who was performing which character(s) and which original performers were still in the cast that I recognized-like Dave Goelz and Bill Beretta. I’m not a Muppets expert, just a lifelong fan.
The “new” voice of Kermit the Frog is Matt Vogel, who took over in 2017 after the long-time performer Steve Whitmire (1990-2016) was dismissed by Disney. He’s also taken on the roles of several other Muppets such as Big Bird and Count von Count. It’s been quite a while since Steve Whitmire no longer was the keeper of Kermit, and I’ve heard him be closer to the previous incarnations of Kermit, but this time it was not only off but inconsistent. I remember it took a bit to get used to his version of Kermit. I’m definitely willing to let this version of Kermit grow on me, but the green guy is the main guy and should have the most effort put behind keeping him consistent. I do have to say that I think Matt has got the personality and physical attributes and expressions down to a tee. I’m just hoping the voice will get a bit closer to what we’ve gotten accustomed to. I don’t want to get into debating Muppet fans over the voices, purchase by Disney, or other issues.
I’m glad to see them doing more with the property they purchased, and am happy with this direction of the show going back to its roots. I’m not always a big Seth Rogan fan, but he and Sabrina Carpenter were great producers and guest stars, and Maya Rudolph was great as a guest star as well and seemed to feel right at home with The Muppets. Looks like Muppet performers Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson were producers, too.
If you’re a big fan of Kermit and The Muppets and are ever able to get over to the Henson Museum down in Leland, MS I highly encourage it.
You can find out more about it on my Have Geek Will Travel blog site HERE.
For this art blog post I’m featuring a couple of my other favorite Muppets- Rowlf and Gonzo.
For my Rowlf The Dog card I started off with a #2 Bic click pencil and then used a variety of different alcohol based markers to color the image.
I use Copic markers, Ohuhu markers, Touch New markers, Weisbrandt markers, Prismacolor markers, and Letraset markers.
I used a variety of browns and beige. for the fur and face.
I used a couple shades of yellow/golden yellow for the background, and a couple shades of grey for the mouth and nose.
I had a smudge or two on the eyes, so I used a white Gelly Roll pen to whiten them, and then a black 03 Pigma Micron pen to ink the drawing.
I also used the gel pen to do some highlights, and then used a white Prismacolor pencil to finish it up. I sprayed the card’s surface with a few light coats of Krylon Workable Fixative and allowed it to dry. Always spray outdoors or in a well ventilated area.
Similar process for the Great Gonzo sketchcard- pencil first, and then I broke out my markers.
I used a lime green Prismacolor for the background, a green Letraset for the underside of his eyelids.
I used a few different blues for his “fur”, and a yellow Prismacolor for his eyelids and shirt.
I used a few different beige/flesh colors for his nose and mouth.
Came back with some more blues, reds, browns, and golden yellow.
Used a couple different shades of grey for his “feathered hair” on top of his head.
I used a black Pigma Micron for the inking, and got out my circle template to help with the pupils. I used my white gel pen for the highlights.
I did a light coat of spray fix, let it dry, and then came back over some of the highlights with a light blue (especially the shady side of his nose). Then I smoothed out some of the highlights with a Prismacolor pencil and did a final coat of the spray fixative. It’s best to do light overlapping coats than a heavy one.
I’ve got several other Muppet sketchcards available for sale along with some MSCA zine sketchcovers featuring the Muppets, too.
You can find them out at The Cellar: TableTop Games & Comics on Bartlett Blvd. or at the upcoming The Mid-South Collectible Toy Show on February 28th from 9am-2:30pm at The Venue At Bartlett Station. It’s located at 5868 Stage Rd. and just around the corner from The Cellar. There’s free admission and Nicki and I will have original art, prints, stickers, and classic Star Wars toys and collectibles for sale.
Hope to see you there!
Lin