Puppet Heap is Hiring

[Twitch92]

I hate joining in these long discussions late and I haven't read every response (bad me), so hopefully this wasn't already said. Since Miss Piggy is a continuing example, look at season one of the muppet show. She wasn't too pretty. Characters evolve, and when you've been around as long as some muppets, things are bound to change. I haven't had a chance to look at any side by side photos of current and past piggy but was it really about the money or perhaps a conscious decision? You know who I miss? Rowlf. He was a class act. look at his sad little face. Come Home boy! Come hooome!

 

[MelissaY1]

The new Piggy looks horrible; just search the forums and you will see most of these same people saying the same thing.
Di$sney has cheaped out and went with another company, the end result is obvious.
Looking at things through rose colored glasses only lasts for so long guys; come on, wake up. You get what you pay for. You buy cheap, you get cheap looking.

Well when you really boil things down, do ANY of us look the same years later? Like people here have already said, things change, all the characters have looked different throughout the years and no, I'm not one of those people who sees things through rose colored glasses. I don't accept EVERYTHING the Muppets do just because they're the Muppets. There's been very few current projects I've been a fan of or enjoyed.

But like ravagefrackle said, you should do your homework on how much Disney is really spending before you bash another puppet company's work. I think the characters still look great, no matter who's building 'em.

 

[dwayne1115]

Hrummmmmm!

 

[ATG]

Puppet Heap was hiring? Dang it! I think those guys and gals rock the casbah and I am very bummed that I'm on the opposite coast. Just to go and check out their facilities would be great! Thanks Buck for posting such a nice opportunity!

 

[PSavieri]

Piggy darling...

Hey guys.

I know it's a delicate subject (and perhaps a bit of a dead horse to flog in this particular thread), but as a production designer I do think the quality of the build of some of the new Muppet characters has slipped a bit. It's true to say there have been conscious alterations made over the years, but when there are gaps between jaw and mouth (Statler), squished heads and immobile eyelids (Gonzo), shrunken heads (Bunsen) or cheap wigs and hands stretching chins to one side (Piggy), then I think the lack is more than just subjective.

Before anyone gets upset, I have to say I LOVE the Muppets. Love love love love love... I have high hopes for their triumphant and consistent return to the pantheon of great pop families... I would just love to see whatever company is building them, and whomever is overseeing the standard of their production and performance, setting a level of excellence befitting such a beloved franchise.

Piggy is my favourite character, and also one of the most complex to build, so she is the natural focus of my attention. There have been good and not so good Piggy builds over the past ten years or so, with a general tendency towards making her cuter and more cartoonish (in keeping with Disney's aesthetic), and I have my own concerns about the direction she's been taken in, and the ways a cuter and more vacuous face undermines the complexities of her character and makes her haughty Diva behaviours just seem mean... And how her out of step Florida retiree wardrobe makes her glamourous attitude seem baseless... But my main concern is that in my observation her head doesn't properly fit Eric's hand (the butt of his thumb stretches her chin to the left), and her hair, which was once such a wonderful expansion of her lavish and sometimes violent personality, has been replaced by a series of limp, ultra-synthetic and cheap looking wigs, in flat, fringed styles that make her head appear bulbous and her face... sorry Piggy, don't hit me... a bit dim-witted.

She was once a popular icon who spawned a nearly independent sub-industry. She was the most merchandised of all the Muppets, so surely Disney can see the value in restoring her looks to something resembling their former glory?

I MISS PIGGY! LONG LIVE PIGGY!

 

[staceyrebecca]

oh I wish I'd have seen this thread earlier. I have a friend who was a costumer at Disney. She's also an on-the-side puppeteer. this job would have been perfect. Even for just two weeks & even requiring travel to the east. (I bet she'd have done it--she'd have been a fool to not)

*kicks self*

 

[frogboy4]

PSavieri-

Your drawing is spectacular! Welcome to the forum.

Saw you over at Tough Pigs posting as well. I agree with you 100% about Miss Piggy. I wish she looked the way depicted in your artwork.

I think most of the other characters are okay. I know you had a bone to pick with Gonzo, but I think he's evolved nicely. Met him in person last year too. I'd actually like to see how your iconic view of my favorite weirdo would look like. There's a Gonzo appreciation thread over here http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=40286 that might be served by your skills.

I know Puppet Heap is still learning about the characters and patterns. It also appears that there might be some new tampering with the formula to improve the designs and bring them back to their former glory. I also remember it being said that they wouldn't release their Piggy head mold to serve as a guide for a proposed Master Replicas commercial version. I know it would be considered work product, but also I think Puppet Heap is still working her out.

Back to topic. I hope members continue to post about job opportunities. Whatever a singular member might think about Puppet Heap - how would they get any better without open calls for new talent? And talent usually starts at the bottom. This opportunity is/was a foot in the door. Wish I had puppet building skills, but that's not my calling. Good luck to all you hard working puppet builders out there that bring much joy to fans like me.