Your Thoughts: The Diva Code Book

Phillip

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We’re approaching the release date of Miss Piggy’s latest book, “The Diva Code – Miss Piggy on Life, Love, and the 10,000 Idiotic Things Frogs Do.”

Order your copy here, save 32% and help support MC…
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401323162/muppetcentral/

When you get Miss Piggy’s new book be sure to post here and let us know what you think of the latest Muppet release.
 

jacobsnchz

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I am hoping to get it soon! :smile: I have Before You Leap and It's Not Easy... and want to add it to my collection.
 

frogboy4

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Nothing New...

I just got the book out of support for the new Muppet merchandise.

The humorous one-liners are well written in Piggy's unmistakable voice. Jim Lewis has that down. However the entire treatment of the book is far beneath the status she has earned since her debut on the Muppet Show (several decades back). There really is no new information. No revelations. Nothing more to add but a slick cover sleeve. Why not just update or reprint Miss Piggy's Guide to Life? It had an even better cover, some wonderful photos and humor woven through the writing rather than the redundant "set-up & pay-off" method we're fed in this treatment. There are some photos, but they're poorly reproduced versions of the weakest standard images we've seen a million times. This is pretty much the Miss Piggy treatment of the Pepe book we just got. Again, the writing is good, but the editing and composition of this book lack the quality longtime fans have come to expect from Muppet books past.

3/5 Porcine Divas for this new book.

There was an added treat. Each book page is adorned with a fine new silhouette of the Pig created by phenomenal Disney artist John Loter. He really gets what she's supposed to look like - pleasantly plump, proud and fabulous. I hope he's the one who will do the new merchandise art for the Muppets. I just picked up one of his Good Girl, Bad Girl books for a friend today. It was less expensive and much more fun. :wink:
 

CensoredAlso

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I really think there's a disconnect nowadays. Miss Piggy got big in the '70s because she was on TV every week. And because she was something new and different. Obviously now the Muppets are not a regular thing the public sees. And I think even when they are seen, there hasn't been the "big comeback moment" yet. And I agree, if they would re-release some older material I think it would have a chance.
 

dwayne1115

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See this is something that I have always felt true. Something that works great on TV or Movies, does not always work well in written from.
 

CensoredAlso

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See this is something that I have always felt true. Something that works great on TV or Movies, does not always work well in written from.
That's true, you know I think Sesame Street has been very successful with books. But the Muppet Show characters have never really conquered that territory (not that there haven't been good works :smile: ).
 

dwayne1115

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That's true, you know I think Sesame Street has been very successful with books. But the Muppet Show characters have never really conquered that territory (not that there haven't been good works :smile: ).
very true I think that before you leap had some great parts, but I really didnt want to know much about Kermit in the Swamp. Even though i liked Kermit Swamp years, when i think of Kermit's history i always think of him starting out on Sesame Street or Sam and Friends. Not about him living in a swamp.
 

CensoredAlso

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Well like even the older movie books. I recently bought the book for Muppets Take Manhattan and I really like it and all, especially since it's my favorite movie. But I think it's very hard to put the proper voice for Kermit and the others in print. Plus some of the more adult humor does not come across (as dwayne said, that works more for the movies).
 

frogboy4

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See this is something that I have always felt true. Something that works great on TV or Movies, does not always work well in written from.
The written portions are great. It's just that I would have liked to see something more dynamic by way of layout and design. Basically the editor just dumped Jim Lewis' text onto the pages with very little thought and Xeroxed off a few pieces of the easiest stock art available.

Miss Piggy's cookbook a while back was better thought through with a few glossy photos. I wanted more, but they had enough new stuff. I would like to see images of Miss Piggy out and about on the town (old or new) or even some of the old calendar pictures. I just don't understand what makes a nearly text-only book of the Muppets appealing?

Miss Piggy, author Jim Lewis, jacket designer Phil Rose and the fans deserve a little better than what both Hyperion and content designer Pauline Neuwirth have done with their work.
 

CensoredAlso

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Miss Piggy, author Jim Lewis, jacket designer Phil Rose and the fans deserve a little better than what both Hyperion and content designer Pauline Neuwirth have done with their work.
Yeah, again I just think that comeback moment hasn't happened yet, or else more effort would have been put in.
 
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