Muppets Tonight 1995, 1996
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award • Art Dept. Illustrator/Fabricator
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award • Art Dept. Illustrator/Fabricator
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program
This is a selection of illustrations I did for Muppets Tonight back in 1995-96. With the wonderful direction of production designer, Jim Dultz, I made around 300 concept illustrations for Henson, many were made into actual sets for the television show.
It was always a thrill to watch a drawing come to fruition as a stage set! I would often hide little things in the drawings to see if they’d make it to the final build.
I obviously couldn’t put all the drawings in here, but here are some of my favorite excerpts. I was averaging about three to five of these per week, each had plenty of revisions, the writers changed their minds often. I also had the pleasure of creating "fake products" and signage for shows, and sometimes making small props.
It was always a thrill to watch a drawing come to fruition as a stage set! I would often hide little things in the drawings to see if they’d make it to the final build.
I obviously couldn’t put all the drawings in here, but here are some of my favorite excerpts. I was averaging about three to five of these per week, each had plenty of revisions, the writers changed their minds often. I also had the pleasure of creating "fake products" and signage for shows, and sometimes making small props.
I will be adding and updating to this portfolio often, there is so much to share. Many of the people I worked with on Muppets Tonight I still know today, and I will always treasure my time working at Raleigh Studios, home of our fun-filled crazy show.
I was hoping we could fit some fern plants in here, but if you look closely, you will see a "Warhol" of 4 chickens on the wall: I made that!
Gonzo's pad would be nothing but swanky, even if that swank was from a few generations past.
Here is Gonzo, and here you can see those "Warhol Chickens" I made on the right hand wall.
Well, whaddya know, there's the chickens, and an extra Gonzo, and pretty soon, many MORE Gonzos
Catch a lovely version of "Starfish and Coffee" at minute 6:08 of this show, when he was going as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince."
We imagined him surrounded by the things he sang about, in a sparkly whirlwind of delights
We put him in an orange turtleneck and made him dance with a bunch of tangerines! He was such a good sport!
Dennis Quaid had recently starred in "DragonHeart" and back in 1989, he'd made waves as Jerry Lee Lewis in "Great Balls of Fire." Being fabulously ridiculous, as usual, the two were merged in this short sketch. Here's the concept illustration for the segment.
