Masterpieces from the Kermitage

March 7, 2017 3:34 PM

"If you raised the pig a smidge to adjust her relationship to the house, that threw off the balance of the frog to the pitchfork." Michael K. Frith, former Creative Director for Jim Henson Productions, on the making of Miss Piggy's American Gothique.
posted by verstegan (7 comments total)

This was a fun read, thanks!
posted by Room 641-A at 5:44 PM on March 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

A terrific read - better than expected. I'm going to be applying the Jack Test everywhere now.
posted by Miko at 6:17 PM on March 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

I was plunged into sudden nostalgia for things I had forgotten I loved--I had Miss Piggy's Guide to Life, and at least one of the calendars, and I adored them. He should rest easy that his hard work did not go unappreciated--I mean, I didn't necessarily know just what went on behind the scenes, but I certainly loved to gaze at the photos for a long time and savor all the perfect details.
posted by theatro at 7:36 PM on March 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

Oh my God. I remember these when the Kermitage book came out. My mother got an advance copy for me because I was such a big, huge, giant fan of Miss Piggy's Guide to Life, the satirical basis of which may have been lost on me.

But on both of these projects the art direction was, truly, outstanding.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:40 PM on March 7, 2017

This is definitely best of the web.
posted by Literaryhero at 10:18 PM on March 7, 2017

I owned as many of these postcards I could get my hands on. I remember the Kermit version of The Blue Boy...I didn't even see a reproduction of the actual painting The Blue Boy until years after I got that postcard.

Thanks for posting this; it's great.
posted by rednikki at 10:35 PM on March 7, 2017

I cannot imagine anything more Harvard Boy than this level of careful obsession of Muppet versions of fine art paintings. I say this with admiration.
posted by Nelson at 7:30 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]