Amazon.com Review
Jim Henson needs no introduction. For those of us who grew up with The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles reveals how his art came alive over a period of almost 20 years before those shows even began. For those who saw his advertisements and appearances on late-night shows, it is a reminder that he changed television. His creations required the genius of both the visual and the performing arts, mixed with a rolling sense of humor, and all are present here: the early silk-screens show the sensibility of a great artist, the drawings show the thinking process of a powerful designer, and the stories are those of one of the greatest performance artists of our time. The book ends in 1976, when The Muppet Show began its first season, leaving the reader hungry for more, but this archaeological journey goes a long way toward uncovering Jim Henson's world. --Juliette Cezzar
From Publishers Weekly
For a look at one imaginative artist's process and talent, youngsters can open Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook by Alison Inches. Early scribbles, posters, storyboards, and set and puppet designs show all sorts of creatures (e.g., "The La Choy Dragon" and "Taminella Grinderfall"), as well as the first inception of characters that would later become famous including drawings of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and a purple (!) Oscar the Grouch. ( May)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Muppets Show and the many Muppets movies were popular hits, and individual muppets such as Big Bird and the Cookie Monster became superstars. But as far as appreciation of what catalogese calls themes and motives in an artist's work, the late Jim Henson--the only begetter of the whole shaggy crew of Muppets--has been short-changed, until now. This colorful compilation features loads of early sketches of now familiar characters: for instance, sketches of Rowlf in his original conception as spokespuppet for Purina Dog Chow, of a sort of proto-Big Bird called Nutty Bird, and a couple views of the early, then purple Oscar the Grouch. Meanwhile, Inches' running commentary traces Henson's developing creativity. Also featuring a healthy dose of Henson's cartooning for his high-school newspaper and some mid-'50s silk screens, this is an excellent chronological survey of Henson's achievement. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Alison Inches, former senior editor of the Jim Henson Company's publishing division, has written several children's books starring the Muppets. She is a freelance writer living in Mill Valley, California.
