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Showing posts with the label Fraggle Rock

RIP Philip Balsam (1943 - 2023)

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Sad news as Philip Balsam  who – along with Dennis Lee – was the songwriter and composer  for Fraggle Rock and many other Henson productions has died.  The Henson Company posted the following tribute on social media: "For the magic, magic is in every moment. Magic is you.” – Balsam & Lee Today we honor and celebrate the life of Philip Balsam, who – along with Dennis Lee – was the songwriter and composer of the nearly 200 memorable and beloved songs for Fraggle Rock , including its iconic theme song. A cherished member of our Fraggle Rock family, he inspired generations of fans and musicians, and his heartfelt work will continue to bring joy for many years to come." Balsam also provided the voice, and inspired the name, for  Phil Fraggle in " New Trash Heap in Town ", made a cameo as a  street musician in " The Day the Music Died " and it's presumed that  Balsam the Minstrel  was named after him as well.  Balsam and Lee later wrote son...

Adam Savage’s Tested "How Henson Puppeteers Bring Muppets to Life"!

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Adam Savage visited  Jim Henson's Creature Shop and talked  John Tartaglia, Donna Kimball, AKA Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock 's Gobo and Mokey Fraggle to learn how Muppets work.  John and Donna show Adam just how complex (physically as well as mentally) it is to bring Muppets to life on film, drawing from the methods developed by Jim Henson himself. You'll never look at a Muppet performance the same way again!   You can see more  Adam Savage’s Tested   on his Youtube channel.  F raggle Rock: Back to the Rock  is  streaming on  Apple TV+ .

Boss Fight Shows Fraggle Progress - Teases Wave 2!

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As part of their 10th anniversary Boss Fight Studio held a live stream where they showed off the progress of their Fraggle Rock line and even teased wave 2!  Below you'll see the progress on the Cotterpin and the Architect: Gobo: Red with her confused expression: and Uncle Traveling Matt: Boss Fight also teased that they're working on a Sprocket figure for wave 2 that may or may not be in scale with the rest of the line! No release dat has been announced, but they are expected to be released later this year.  You can see what they'll look like when painted and with their accessories in our post from January.     You can pre-order all of Boss Fight's  Fraggle Rock  figures from  BigBadToyStore.com  or directly from  Boss Fight .

First Henson, Now Sesame NFTs - PLEASE STOP!

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Back in 202, the Henson Company started selling NTFs . At first we were excited for the possibility of something new for collectors. Then we learned not only were these items "virtually" worthless they are also horrible for the environment.  Now Variety is reporting that not only is Sesame Workshop launching  Sesame Street NFTs, they'll be priced at $60 each.  In case you don't know, here's how NTFs work.  Since Henson related NFTs began being "produced" we've learned even more about NFTs. As an investment,  Moneyunder30.com  said " NFTs are an exciting new medium for collecting digital art, but they're no good as investments. The odds of losing some or all of your money on an NFT investment are extremely high. And with Blue Chips and index funds still around, you simply don't need NFTs to become independently wealthy." NFTs are also terrible for the environment since they use the block chain  technology that consumes  lots of e...

Muppet Stuff Gets in Toon with Henson Animation!

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This week I appeared on Michael Grassia's  GET IN TOON to discuss Henson animation. Watch our chat below then check out clips and episodes from many of the titles we discussed.  GET IN TOON with Chris Stulz:    "Drums West":    Jim's Red Book: Jim Henson Animating     Sam and Friends "Visual Thinking":     King of 8:       Pinball Number Count:    I Can Remember (Bread, Milk, Butter):   Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures:     Abby’s Flying Fairy School "Abby Visits Colonial Trolliamsburg":    Twiddlebugs "Outing":       Mecha Builders  "MacBarm's Day Off":     Muppet Babies (1984) "Gonzo's video show"       Jim Henson's Little Muppet Monsters "Episode 1 In the Beginning"       Muppet Babies (2018) "Sir Kermit the Brave"/ Animal Fly Airplane":    Muppet Babies "The Muppet Babies Show" - Series Finale (cl...

Celebrate Fraggle Rock's 40th Anniversary!

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The Fraggles turn 40!  On January 10, 1983 the world was introduced to the subterranean world of Fraggle Rock.  Today we celebrate the milestone with a few of our favorite memories of Fraggle Rock over the years. Fraggle Rock HBO Premiere Promo:      Fraggle Rock had many international productions and below you can see each country's variations (1983-1987):    It's hard to believe we've been "following" these furry friends for since the very first episode...      We've met all kinds of wacky characters like Convincing John:     We've inspected all the issues:     and learned from The Minstrels that  "there are no rules....and those are the rules"...     In 1987,  Fraggle Rock came to   NBC as a Saturday morning cartoon:     Kermit and Robin met the Fraggles in 1989's mother of all Muppet-crossovers  A Muppet Family Christmas :      After a long a...

Pre-Order Boss Fight Studio's Fraggle Rock Figures!

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Boss Fight Studio has proclaimed today "Fraggle Friday." Why? because today's the day you can officially pre-order their first wave of Fraggle Rock action figures . Wave 1 featuring Red, Gobo & Uncle Traveling Matt. It’s time to dance your cares away with our brand new line of action figures from the world of Fraggle Rock ! This line features characters from the original Fraggle Rock show as well as the brand new Back to the Rock! GOBO Gobo is ready to lead the pack, regaling everyone with tales from his Uncle Traveling Matt! Standing about 5 inches tall with 14+ points of articulation, he comes with a postcard, radish snack, lantern and guitar and includes alternate head and hands.   Estimated Summer 2023, this item is a pre-order item. RED Red is ready for adventures! Standing about 5 inches tall with 14+ points of articulation, she comes with inspector hat and magnifying glass, whistle, and maracas as well as an alternate head and hands.   Estimated Summer 2023, ...

Fraggle's Set to Rock the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

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According to AdWeek , "The Fraggles are about to rock the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade " Apple TV+ announced a partnership between Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade .  The collaboration will feature Uncle “Travelling” Matt in a series of videos that will roll out over Apple TV+ and Macy’s social media in the week leading up to the parade  culminating in live broadcast on NBC Thanksgiving Day. During the videos, Uncle “Travelling” Matt will be looking to answer age-old questions about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day celebration. Asked about his upcoming adventure to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Uncle “Travelling” Matt said, “Here at Fraggle Rock , we’re celebrating our favorite holiday, Night of the Lights. As an explorer, I’m excited to learn about the Silly Creature’s holiday known as ‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Day.’ I’m on my way there now. Well, not right now because I’m talking to you. Anyway, nobody’s better prepared to ask the unkno...