Today would be Jim Henson’s 75th birthday.
I can’t imagine what my childhood would have been like without exposure to Jim Henson’s art and puppetry. I feel like my lifetime has been land-marked by his work.
I remember my four-year-old self crying through the Muppet Movie thinking that Kermit was going to lose his legs to Doc Hopper’s henchman. I remember watching The Dark Crystal over and over again with my brothers on VHS. I loved the Landstriders and Chamberland the Skeksis is still one of my favorite villains ever!! Even though they are in their teens, Labryinth is still something I do with my daughter Mia. Its something we watch in the fall – because somehow it makes fall feel more fall-like.
Oddly I find that I identify with many of Jim Henson’s characters. Does anyone else feel like this? For starters there is Miss Piggy – not for her glam but her penchance for delivering a good karate chop to those who cross her. My brothers would agree! I often feel like an Ernie and tend to gravitate to Burts.
Pepe the King Prawn, Rizzo the Rat, Lew Zealand, Gonzo the Great … I could blather off characters that I still love to this day – all day. I’ll just stop and share the link below. I have to admit it made me a little weepy. :)