Kermits Swamp Years Trailer

[No1MuppetFan]

The first downloadable Kermit's Swamp Years Trailer can be downloaded from Here : http://www.divx.com.
You may need to download this to view the clip : http://download.com.com/3000-2194-10062728.html?part=divx

[kustomboy]

wow, thanks for the heads up. downloading now.

edit: this looks interesting, hopefully it was well written.

[scarecroe]

Sweet. That looks like the same one we saw at MuppetFest in December except I thought there was a shot that showed Goggles (or was it Croaker?) with a tire track over him after he'd been run over. Or maybe that was one of the clips they showed us, I can't remember.

[scarecroe]

The ToughPigs Forum has some screenshots (http://forums.delphiforums.com/toughpigs/).

[frogboy4]

It still looks a bit too kiddiefied for my taste, but I am keeping an open mind and I'm still looking forward to the release. I wish they'd be more specific about the date of release!

[scarecroe]

Originally posted by frogboy4
It still looks a bit too kiddiefied for my taste, but I am keeping an open mindI think it looks a little kiddiefied too. I'm trying to keep optimistic but I see it being as bad as Muppet Classic Theatre, or worse.

Still though, if Henson markets this properly, this is the perfect project to target to soccer moms and thus help younger children who don't have a Muppet Show to watch on TV get into the Muppets and make them more popular which means more chances for cool products in the future.

Those screenshots are now up at ToughPigs (http://www.toughpigs.com/extraksytrailer.htm)

[frogboy4]

I really am thinking that was Henon Co's intention all along for this project. Kermit's brand has is not as strong as it used to be so by getting the kids, they gain a wider audience. I just hope that it stops there. I don't want to see Piggy's Barn years etc.

[scarecroe]

I'm all for continuing with a mix. Do a kiddie project, then a family project. That seems to be what they're doing this year with the direct-to-video release and then the Xmas movie in December.

Also, I posted my "fan art" for the DVD cover at the ToughPigs forum. I'd have posted it here, too, but HTML code is off and this board doesn't support attachments.

Kermit's Swamp Years DVD fan art (http://forums.delphiforums.com/toughpigs/messages?msg=492.8)

[frogboy4]

Nice job on the poster. I do object to continuing kiddie projects for The Muppet Show cast members. That's what Sesame Street is for. I feel that the Muppets are victems of poor management for the past decade and need to be reintroduced to the younger generation and then pull out of the kiddie market to fucus on the types of projects they used to make in the Jim era. Just my thoughts.

[scarecroe]

I agree, except the stuff they made in the Jim era was because Jim was around. It seems to me that even though there have been some quality productions since his passing (Treasure Island, Christmas Carol) that pretty much everything has been something of a dissapointment.

The Muppets don't seem to have the same magic without Jim. In this post Jim-era world, I think we pretty much have to settle for what we get. If that means we get a mediocre Fairy Tales spoof production that has only *some* good qualities, but is otherwise a stinker; or a cute story about Kermit's youth that has the potential to get younger kids into the Muppets, then so be it.

Kids got into The Muppet Show in the 70's and 80's because it was fantastic. Because it was Jim's. Remember how Eisner became dis-interested in the Henson property once it meant that it didn't include Jim's mind? Not very many kids became Muppet fans as a result of Muppets Tonight. To be fair, it didn't stay on the air very long, but it also wasn't anywhere near as outstanding as TMS. To be honest, I think all of the current Muppet writers need to move on to other areas.

The only way we're ever going to get anything like we had before 1990 would be if Jim came back. But that's never going to happen so we have to settle with what we've got. I'm sure there are plenty of creative minds out there who could breathe new life into the Muppets again -- writers, creative consultants, directors -- but so long as they keep churning out lesser than great stuff that doesn't make money, other studios aren't going to want to distribute it and thus no new minds can come in and save the day. That's why it feels like every Muppet production these days is a struggle.

Maybe that's just me.

In any case, as careful as I am with jumping onto the excited bandwagon for KSY for fear of being let down, I'm looking forward to it being, at best, a darn cute production that *most importantly* SELLS WELL.

[frogboy4]

Originally posted by scarecroe
...I think we pretty much have to settle for what we get. The only way we're ever going to get anything like we had before 1990 would be if Jim came back. I'm sure there are plenty of creative minds out there ... but so long as they keep churning out lesser than great stuff that doesn't make money, other studios aren't going to want to distribute it and thus no new minds can come in and save the day.

I would have to completely disagree with you here. Even Jim had troube coming up with good ideas for the Muppets in the late eighties. The Henson Hour was certainly not a glowing success and there hadn't been a film since TMTM. I don't think you can solve this problem for settling and maintaning the status quo and accepting any kiddiefied project that is released. That just perpetuates the problem. I do agree that they have to attract new writers. The Simpsons haven't had much of a problem with this, I don't see why the Muppets do. I really believe it is due to lack of structure in the company these days, but I could be wrong. Just my thoughts on the subject.

[scarecroe]

Originally posted by frogboy4
Even Jim had troube coming up with good ideas for the Muppets in the late eighties. The Henson Hour was certainly not a glowing success and there hadn't been a film since TMTM.I think The Jim Henson Hour was some of his best work. Additionally, Muppet Family Christmas, Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller (not the Greek Myths, the originals) and Labyrinth were all genious and magical. Even Tale of the Bunny Picnic and Muppet Babies are better than most of the stuff churned out in the past decade or so.

All this I suppose would come down to opinion, but I think the general consensus still stands that the 90's were not a good decade for the Muppets. We're in agreement on the writers, but again, it's tough to hire new blood with creative ideas when there's no money to fund good projects after everything else has been a failure.

On this note, I'm beginning to wonder if Disney owning the Muppets may actually be a *good* thing. Any different approach is better than the "Muppets Tonight, Muppets From Space, Muppet Fairie Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk" bag we've been getting.

[frogboy4]

The Storyteller was brilliant, but the Muppet portion of the Henson Hour was strange and uneven. I wouldn't say that was Jim's best work compared to The Muppet Show, the Muppet films and Fraggle Rock.

The Muppet Babies - quality work? Okay, we obviously have extremely different tastes there. I wish people would just forget about that whole project. Muppets From Space (which I would give an "F" grade) beats the pants off that 4 frames-per-second cartoon in my opinion. We have very different views there I guess.

I agree that the 90s' were a terrible decade for the Muppets, but their majic was fading a little before that. I don't know about Disney ownership - I go up and down about that, but it is bound to happen in the next few years. Lets see what happens with the special and Fox show.

[Fozzie Bear]

I just wish that Henson, among other companies, would read and consider unsolicited scripts. I betcha there's someone here at MC who has penned a wonderful movie or tv show idea, but because the companies won't read them (so THEY say in production paralegal offices) those wonderful scripts won't ever be seen.

I think one of the main problems that comes about with writing is that you have a writer and producer/director who is trying hard to conceive what it is the audience and consumer wants, or what they want for themselves, without ever even getting any word on it from the consumer, which will be one of the successes of the Palisades line, because Ken has been talking to us and getting fan feedback, and I've never known that to happen before!

If JHC would only listen to us fans, and let us submit scripts and things for them to work from at least, I think we, as fans, may begin seeing wonderful projects, something fan based for the fans!

But, then again, that's only me thinking...and I play with rubber chickens.

FOZ

[sidcrowe]

"Piggy's Barn Years"...:D

Hee heee!

Yep, HATED the Muppet Babies cartoon. What the heck was the message behind it? I don't know. I remember watching and really feeling stupid because it was total kiddie krap time. I mean, Miss Piggy is funny and adult, but a baby cartoon version is something that made me embarrassed to be around it. Blech!

Yeah...bad management...that continues today.

I just visited the terrible Henson.com again. There are still huge chunks of media missing for Fraggle Rock and others. Cripes! How can a major player debut a site that bad and not even have it in one piece?

Ah, well......:o

[frogboy4]

The site is really disappointing and to tell you the truth, I expected it to be. Henson's web media has suffered from poor follow-through with each project.

Henson.com would be inconsistent about updating their site posting erroneous dates for new installments and then pushing them back without any notice until they eventually just gave up for nearly a year. Not to mention how stark their store section is and that they don't point the user to very much of the merchandise out there.

Muppet World was a project they started then dropped like a brick. Download time on a 56k is really brutal too.

There was supposed to be a Jim Henson Pictures site that never surfaced to my knowledge.

Now I find the new Henson site to be skitsophpreninc and amateurish. I wish I had more nice things to say about it. It is just truly a mess. I remember their animated Flash Christmas Card in 2000 that demonstrated the designer's poor grasp of Flash strategy and fundamentals. I really think whoever designs the site must do so as a labor of love and not pay because there seems to be little effort behind the projects.

I could be wrong and I don't intend to sound overly critical, but it is just a shame that the Henson legacy doesn't get the slick sight they deserve - or even a very respectable coherent one at least. There are reports that Henson Co is very small and they don't have enough of a team behind them to take care of what are seen as details, but a website is an ambassador and should be an A list priority. I hope things improve, but there is always Muppet Central;) Good things are happening here this year!! I'm just waiting for the critiques on my work to come in. Eeeek!:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Fozzie Bear]

HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT HENSON.COM LIKE THAT???

It's very, very true however. I liked it better the original way. Muppet World was neat, but SSSLLLLOOOOWWWW downloading on my compooter and was confusing; and now there's much of the parts of Henson.com that just DOES NOT work at all on my computer. Dunno what's up.

Well, I'm still waiting for JamesVier.com to come around...sometime or the other. Umm....you aren't going to kick back the promised opening date, are you?

FOZ

[frogboy4]

Rest assured that something will be up this summer. Er, that means by August. LOL! To see a preview of one of the old projects that I am redressing for my portfolio go to www.jamesvier.com/m3g . It's a faux music site school project that I managed and created the multimedia portion. I also did some of the graphic design, but much of it was done by others. The whole site concept and execution was mine, though. It's still not final version, but it is much closer. If you could give me some comments I would appreciate it. There are several other projects that will go on in my portfolio - this is just one of them to show my management skills and handling of content.

[Fozzie Bear]

Well, well...maybe you should contact Henson.com and see if you can't get something going up there that we can actually USE!!

I have always noticed your site work seems to be very user friendly. I like the effects that follow your cursor, too.

Man, can't wait for the actual site to come out!

FOZ :)

[frogboy4]

Thanx. I'm assuming by your response that everything worked okay. I can't wait till some of the MC stuff comes out, but that will take a while. So much to do with my portfolio.:)

[sidcrowe]

Mmm...nice...symetrical design.

Old school analog tuner. Cute.

And...I really like ducks, too.

It kinda reminds me of these designs (minus the ducks).

Click
http://www.classicgaming.com/vcsp/VCSpModels.htm

P.S. Almost forgot to mention it again:
Henson.com=blooooarghftplaarggghhhttraurpthurrafff !!!

with apologies to cartoonist Don Martin;)

[frogboy4]

Thanx, Sid-

Those pics are kind of in the same style. My design was originally influenced by old radio dials in a kind of art-deco style with a modern twist. One of my classmates made a comment likening it to some of the Mac designs. LOL! I can maybe see a little of it and they do some great work, but I think he was just trying to bug me. :D

The ducks actually came from another graphic designer in the group. I liked them so much and really fought for their inclusion! Probably because they are very much like something I would draw...a few years ago maybe. My faves are the punk duck and the hip-hop one in the hoody.

[JamieDenny]

I really like the look of it. I know it'll be aimed at folks younger than me but how cut it young kermit. Hevy aww factor when I showed it to some of my friends. I'm excited about it all.
Jamie

[frogboy4]

It had the ick facktor to all the people I showed it to, but I know lots of designers.

[frogboy4]

Oops! Sorry, man, misunderstood. Thought you were talkin' about Henson.com. Swamp Years looks cute, but it's not the project most fans are looking forward to. I'm sure it'll be okay, but I'm not too keen on a Muppet film geared toward kids. That's what Sesame Street (and Elmo) is for. I'll definitely buy it though!

[JamieDenny]

Sometimes there is a fine line between ick and aww :)

[frogboy4]

Well said. I hope this is an awww...actually I hope it transcends it.

[CrockAlley]

I can't seem to find it. Can anyone post a more direct link? Thank'ee.

[Thog]

Anyone see that on IMDB.com they list Christian Kebbel as playing young Jim Henson?

Dan

[Fozzie Bear]

Hiya,

Can you maybe copy and paste that info about the Young Jim Henson here?

later,
FOZ

[BoyRaisin2]

I wish Henson.com kept more of its video clips. They were the only things worth going to the site for. Now a lot of 'em are gone. Ticks me off.