Jim Henson: The Biography
by Brian Jay Jones
How could a biography go wrong, given such a subject? Well, It didn't. It was dense and detailed and almost as funny as the man and his creatures. He created and performed near nonstop for all his short life, but it seems that his greatest talent was recognizing great people and bringing them together. I never really thought about the whole teamwork thing--after all, they're identified as "Jim Henson's Muppets--but there were a lot more muppets (and creatures) than a single guy could ever have invented. And that may have been his biggest gift.
Did you know the Muppets started out doing commercials with the basic script "Do you use our product? No? Then take this! [Explosion]". Do you know Kermit the frog was originally a lizard-like creature? And that he was intended to be dropped from Sesame Street after the first season? That Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) started out as a minor character in The Muppet Show? That The Muppet Show struggled at first with the Fozzie Bear character, another creation of Frank Oz, because he was too pathetic to be funny? That The Dark Crystal was "successful" but The Labrynth was not, despite great reviews?
If any of this interests you, you need to read the book.
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