Imagination Illustrated Read online

  The Journal

  BY KAREN FALK

  FOREWARD BY LISA HENSON

  CONTENTS

  Foreword by Lisa Henson

  Introduction

  Chapter 1 The Washington Years: 1954–1962

  Chapter 2 New York and New Directions: 1963–1969

  Chapter 3 The World Tunes In: 1970–1979

  Chapter 4 Fantasy, Fraggles, and Fearless Imagination: 1980–1988

  Epilogue To Be Continued: 1989–1990

  Time Line

  Selected Bibliography

  Acknowledgments

  Image Credits

  About the Author

  Index

  Copyright

  FOREWORD

  Everyone knows that Jim Henson created the Muppets, and that he performed the most famous Muppet of all, Kermit the Frog. Many people also know about his other popular television productions, such as Fraggle Rock, and his work on Sesame Street. And his devoted fans are aware of the groundbreaking fantasy films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, into which he poured so much imagination and craft.

  What no one really understands is how much other creative stuff was going on in my father's mind. Jim spent almost all of his waking hours in some form of creative activity, which was as natural for him as smiling and walking are for other people. What he produced was only a fraction of all the ideas that he had, and what we generally see today is only a fraction of what he produced. He packed so many projects into a single year that it was hard for anyone to keep up with him, and it was even harder for him to remember exactly what had happened when. Thus his keeping of the little red book.

  My father used the book to remember family milestones, such as what year we went to Hawaii, or bought the station wagon, or when the baby started school, but he also wanted to remember how many commercial campaigns he did in a year, and when each puppeteer came to work for the Muppets. He wanted to remember when the family got a new dog as well as when the Valentine's Day special with Mia Farrow was shot. He kept all of those dates in a simple chronology, mixing family and projects indiscriminately. It shows how blurry the boundaries were in his mind between his creative and family life, and these juxtapositions are interesting on a very personal level. For instance, by reading his chronology, I discovered that I was born five years to the day after his show Sam and Friends premiered. When I was six, he flew home from performing in Anaheim with Jimmy Dean for my birthday party. And in both 1976 and 1977 he celebrated my birthday on the ship QE2 on his way to England for The Muppet Show. He also documented each and every time that I visited him after I went to college. He was a devoted father, and his journal is full of references to special family trips and one on one time spent with each of his five children.

  While my father was not a diarist and he was not much of a letter writer, he did think it was important to keep records. He began to have the company preserve important, as well as seemingly unimportant, works of art, design, and planning. As he got older, he became aware of the significance of his own work, and he and my mother Jane Henson took care to maintain these files of photography and art, including not just his own art but the beautiful work of designers Michael Frith and Brian Froud, the charming character designs by puppet builders Don Sahlin, Bonnie Erickson, and the creative work of many others.

  It is from these materials that the incredible Karen Falk has created a proper archive and drawn from it to illustrate my father's journal excerpts, as presented here for the first time. She has unearthed rare tidbits of unproduced material, as well as quintessential items in the evolution of the famous Muppets. She has found thematic threads that connect projects many years apart, as well as kernels of ideas that germinated major productions. The great profusion of images, titles, and characters that she has used to illustrate my father's journal is a wonderful way to capture Jim’s very busyness—his wildly creative mind. Because creativity is a process, it is also rewarding to focus on it more than the finished projects. In this book, you are able to see snapshots of my father's creative process, flashes of his inspirations and his memories of the milestones that were the highlights of his personal and professional life.

  His was a life worth celebrating, and we are thrilled to share it with you.

  —Lisa Henson

  INTRODUCTION

  ON JUNE 7, 1965, Jim Henson, who would become celebrated the world over as the creator of the Muppets, sat down with a small, red cloth-covered book and began to document his first decade of professional accomplishments and personal highlights. A modest act at the time, this unique journal would eventually chronicle a creative odyssey that spanned almost forty years and five continents, and touched millions of lives.

  The title page from Jim’s journal.

  At the age of twenty-eight, Jim had already garnered significant success with his own local Washington, DC television show, numerous appearances on national variety shows, and hundreds of commercials. He had dozens of projects in development and had connected with a myriad of talented people in the worlds of entertainment, puppetry, advertising, and animation. One of the concepts he was pursuing at the time was a film depicting the "Organized Brain," exploring how ideas and information are collected, and, more importantly, how they are filed away in the subconscious. Jim’s journal was, in effect, an effort to organize his thoughts by writing them down, freeing up space in his crowded mind and making room to pursue new ideas while preserving access to the experiences, dates, and people collected along the way.

  On hiatus from regular Rowlf the Dog appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show, Jim’s hectic schedule was slightly lighter heading into those summer months, perhaps giving him a little more time at home to enjoy his children, including his recently born fourth child, John Paul, and his new Great Dane puppy, Troy, and to go back through his calendars and desk diaries to make the entries in his red book. Referring to himself in the third person, he noted down what had happened up until that point (labeling it "Ancient History"), as though reflecting on it all from an outside perspective. Moving forward, he recorded anything that he felt was worth noting, be it a television production or a child’s graduation. In single-line entries, Jim described the range and variety of his work, the web of relationships he developed, the innovations he pursued, and the recognition he received in the ensuing years.

  Jim made the entries in batches and developed a rhythm. According to his youngest daughter Heather, each January, referencing the previous year’s appointment books, Jim logged his activities and milestones into his journal. While most of the entries, which run from 1954 through 1988, were made in a timely fashion, Jim made sure to fill in missing information later when he was too busy for his annual ritual. There are a few discrepancies between dates in the book and dates as recorded on other documents and press clippings, possibly because of lapses in memory, but more likely because a scheduled event on Jim’s calendar was moved to a different date but not revised on paper.

  Jim in his New York office, mid-1960s.

  Jim often used blank books to sketch out ideas for specific projects or designs for characters, and once or twice, tried to start a diary containing longer accounts of events and his related feelings, but always set them aside after a short period. This journal is the only continuous effort of this sort, covering almost his entire adult life. It was a utilitarian document, kept in his New York office, and Jim’s brief descriptions, sometimes accentuated with exclamation points or color marker, only hint at the riotous activity in his life. As a historical record, the journal is invaluable, providing a window into Jim’s relationships, his ambitious imagination, and his inventive thinking. To Jim, however, leafing through it each year must have been a satisfying exercise, allowing him to take stock, savor his t
riumphs, and get a renewed sense for what he wanted to achieve in the future. As he completed each section, his mind cleared, ready to fill up again with new ideas and inspirations.

  The following pages include Jim’s handwritten entries in chronological order. Each major event is described and illustrated with artwork, notes, documents, memos, doodles, press clippings, and photographs that he saved and are now part of the Jim Henson Archives collection. Together, Jim’s words and the related materials tell the story of an extraordinary man and the astonishing contributions he made over the course of a lifetime.

  BORN SEPTEMBER 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi, Jim Henson lived in nearby Leland into his early teens, and the relaxed rhythms of the Delta provided the setting for his earliest explorations. His focus on the natural world, his friendships, and his family laid the groundwork for his budding creativity and his optimistic and curiosity-filled approach toward the world. Days spent catching tadpoles in Deer Creek or visiting his dad at the agricultural research station where he worked taught Jim to look around and notice how things grew and fit together. His imaginative play with his brother and schoolmates revealed a child's sense of possibility and the joys of collaboration. When the family moved to Hyattsville, Maryland during his middle school years, Jim discovered television, and he began to focus his creative impulses on expressing himself visually, first with still art and then with moving images.

  Jim, Sam, Kermit, and Yorick at WRC-TV, Washington, DC, late 1950s.

  Jim's years in the Washington, DC area provided his professional foundation, establishing him first in the graphic arts and then in television production. At Northwestern High School, he took art classes, designed theater sets and programs, and drew cartoons and spot illustrations for student publications. His extended family shared their talents in storytelling, collaborative music-making, and handicrafts, all of which would prove to be integral to his future career.

  Jim started performing on local Washington television in 1954 and, at the same time, enrolled in the University of Maryland, studying design. His first puppets lip-synched to popular records on various shows on the NBC affiliate, WRC-TV, and by spring 1955, Jim had his own five-minute show, Sam and Friends. His repertory company of Muppets, including an abstract lizard-like character named Kermit, became local celebrities, winning Jim an Emmy award and appearing as guests on the national broadcasts of The Steve Allen Show, The Today Show, and others. He also produced the first of hundreds of television commercials, establishing himself in the world of advertising.

  By the time Jim moved to New York in early 1963, he had gathered together his core group of creative partners including his wife Jane, his head writer Jerry Juhl, and puppet builder Don Sahlin. He traveled to Europe and across the country several times during those years and learned to use various still and moving-image cameras and animation equipment. His first two children were born in Washington, DC, and with the creation of Rowlf the Dog and a group of fairy-tale characters there, Jim was poised to expand to the national arena.

  Jim went to Northwestern High School graduated June 1954.

  Jim – U. of Maryland started and graduated June 1960.

  1 Jim as a high school senior. 2 An unpublished cartoon by Jim. 3 Ad for Jim’s college poster business. 4 Jim’s cover art for The Midget Mag. 5+6+7 Jim’s program designs for the University of Maryland theater department.

  Jim made the most of the creative opportunities at his high school in suburban Maryland, providing covers, cartoons, and spot illustrations for student publications Wildcat Scratches and The Midget Mag. His talent for set design was showcased in school theater productions and the puppet shows of Les Petit Players, and he took on an occasional dramatic role. This set the pattern for his activities at the University of Maryland, just down the road from his parents' house. There, Jim studied art and graphic design, ran his own silk-screened poster business, designed sets, and took courses that ranged from landscape painting and public speaking to French, typography, and costume illustration.

  In the summer of 1954 with Russel Wall

  Jim began puppets on WTOP, Washington DC – went to WRC TV – 3 times a week starting July 31, 1954

  met Jane September 1954 and began working together Feb. 1955 “Afternoon” starts March 7, 1955

  1 Jim’s photo behind the scenes at WRC’s Circle 4 Ranch. 2 Pierre, one of Jim’s first puppets from 1954. 3 Jim’s sketches behind the scenes at WRC. 4 Promotional postcard with Sam and his friend Kermit. 5 Jim and Jane with Sam, Mushmellon, and Kermit. 6 Sam appearing on WRC’s Footlight Theater.

  Jim’s first television experience performing puppets with his friend Russell Wall on a short-lived program for WTOP, Washington’s local CBS affiliate, led to work on various shows at the NBC station, WRC-TV. That fall, in a college puppetry class, Jim met his next partner and future wife Jane Nebel. The intensity of the class gave Jim an opportunity to assess the talent around him, and he quickly saw that Jane had a lot to offer as a performer and artist. He invited her to start working with him that winter, and on March 7, 1955, they began performing as part of WRC’s daytime variety show, Afternoon.

  Sam + Friends on the Air MAY 9, 1955

  1 Early TV Guide ad featuring Sam and Friends. 2 Sam. 3 Jim and Jane with Sam and Friends. 4 Sam and Friends title card drawn by Jim. 5 Jim’s sketch of Sam and Kermit.

  The popularity of Jim’s first characters, called Muppets from the start, prompted WRC executives to offer Jim his own program, Sam and Friends. The five-minute late night show featured a repertory company of characters, including the nominal star Sam, a smartly dressed fellow whose unchanging face was set to constant surprise. One of Jim’s earliest and more traditional puppets, Sam’s face was frozen in a hard shell of papier-mâché. To create a more expressive character for the close-ups of the television camera, Jim made a puppet out of fabric and put it directly over his hand without any structure or stuffing. This was Kermit, and his flexibility allowed for incredibly accessible and believable performances.

  first commercials for WILKINS Coffee on the air Nov-Dec. 1957

  1 Jim’s sketch of the Wilkins Coffee facility on Rhode Island Avenue in Washington, DC. 2 Storyboard for Wilkins commercial “Foot Down.” 3 Advertising card featuring Wilkins and Wontkins. 4 Jim’s design sketches for Wilkins Coffee. 5 Jim’s concept sketch of Wilkins and Wontkins. 6 Wilkins and Wontkins puppets.

  Jim’s short, funny television show got the attention of the Wilkins Coffee Company, which wanted him to make impactful, funny commercials to fill an eight-second advertising window. Jim created a company spokesman, Wilkins who, in nearly two hundred ads, caused endless trouble for his coffee-hating buddy Wontkins. Jim’s first foray into advertising, the Wilkins spots led to work for dozens of clients over the following decade.

  June-Aug 1958 Jim trip to Europe

  Local Academy TV arts + sciences Wash. DC

  Best Local Entertainment Program 1958

  Jane + I married May 28, 1959

  May 9, 1960 – Lisa Marie Henson

  1 The Northern Virginia Sun’s story on Jim, Jane, and the creation of a Muppet. 2 Jim and Jane on their wedding day. 3 Jim and Jane with baby Lisa. 4 Jim’s design for Chicken Liver, otherwise known as Theodore. 5 Jim’s concept for his promotional brochure.

  Along with Jane, Jim brought in his friend Bob Payne to help with the many hours of planning, rehearsing, and puppet-making that went into each daily five-minute Sam and Friends show. Jim took a trip to Europe in 1958, literally leaving Sam and Friends in Jane and Bob’s hands for a couple of months, and after returning, learned that his show had been nominated for a local Emmy award. Around that time, Jim and Jane became romantically involved, and they were married on May 28, 1959. Their first child (of five), Lisa, was born a year later.

  June 1960 – Vacation – first trip to Calif. – Disneyland – animation equiptment.

  1 Cut-paper animation element for a musical short Jim called Look J
azz, See Jazz. 2 Jim working at his animation stand. 3 Jim’s unrealized character concepts from 1960. 4 Jim’s notebook used to chart the animation to the soundtrack of Time Piece. 5 Jim, Jane, and Lisa Henson in front of their Bethesda home. 6 Jim’s sketch of his Maryland home where he had his workshop. 7+8 Elements from Jim’s animated short about an ambitious grape.

  After a busy first year of marriage that included their daily show, a myriad of commercials, the birth of their first child, and Jim’s college graduation, the Hensons took a much-needed vacation. A huge Disney fan, Jim was excited to visit the theme park in Anaheim and see the work in three dimensions. Around the same time, he bought an animation stand and related equipment which he set up in their Bethesda, Maryland home workshop. This allowed Jim to explore a medium beyond puppets, animating with paint under the camera or moving cut paper to a music track, and he launched a parallel career in experimental film.

  Jerry joined us Aug. 1961

  Jerry + I did show in Hamburg, Germany for Dept. of Agriculture November 1961

  1 Jim’s sketch of Jerry in Berlin. 2 Jerry, Jim, and Jane with the Sam and Friends gang. 3 Jim’s snapshot of Jerry in Berlin. 4 Jim and Jerry with the mechanical puppet they performed in Germany.

  With a second child on the way, Jane limited her performing, and Jim was eager to fill the void. At the annual Puppeteers of America festival in Asilomar, California, he recruited Jerry Juhl who gladly moved east, working first as a puppeteer, but quickly moving into the head writer role. They traveled to Germany on behalf of the USDA and spent an intense ten days performing their inventive routines. Jim knew immediately that he had found an ideal collaborator in Jerry—their comic sensibilities and overall sense of decency matched well, and in the ensuing years, they would develop characters, stories, and worlds together.