James Maury “Jim” Henson, the creator of The Muppets, was a puppeteer that influenced the childhood of kids from all over the world and through his legacy, will affect generations to come. Today’s Google Doodle, marking Jim Henson’s 75th birthday, is based on his creations.
Puppetry was the subject of theater until Jim Henson brought it to television and film. Today, as a result of a collaboration between Google and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, we can enjoy digital puppetry on the homepage of the search engine. The doodle includes 6 original characters, each resembling a letter of the Google logo. With this doodle, everyone can become a digital puppeteer. Google decided not to include any sounds, thus giving the chance to each one of us to do the voice-over. The characters do not only follow the mouse pointer with their eyes, but they also open their mouths when clicked on. Moreover, there are also several animations that will surprise you.
Sesame Street, the first show to feature the Muppets, saw the light of day in 1969. The Muppets Show, the second masterpiece of Jim Henson, premiered in 1976, after two pilot episodes that were broadcast in 1974 and 1975. Since then, the Muppets took over the world and more recently, they also appeared on Youtube, for an even greater exposure. You can watch them singing The Bohemian Rhapsody, Windmills of Your Mind or the emblematic Mah Nà Mah Nà, that was included in the first season of Sesame Street, as well as in the first episode of The Muppets Show. Thinking that Jim Henson himself started this entire odyssey with a doodle is surely something worth remembering, not to mention that it is something that makes Google proud of.
Too bad Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy were not featured in this doodle. If you are anxious to see them and the rest of the Muppets, you will have to wait until November 23, 2011, when the latest comedy film featuring them will be released.
If you liked this post, please check the Google Doodle Les Paul homage and the Charlie Chaplin doodle.
