Jim Henson's Legacy. From Yoda to Grogu.
Authors: Aneta, P. and Postek-Mioduszewska, A.
Conference: The Evolution of Jim Henson Puppetry. From Analogue Craft to Digital Franchise
Dates: 16-18 September 2022
Publisher: Jim Henson Legacy
Abstract:Abstract “The Evolution of Jim Henson’s Puppetry: From Analogue Craft to Digital Franchising”.
Jim Henson's Legacy. From Yoda to Grogu (case study). One of the tribute letters read during the special episode of the Muppets expressed the profound impact and value of Henson’s legacy. 'It is a good thing there are people who can do Jim Henson’s Job. He will be with us every time we watch the Muppets' (The legacy of Jim Henson, 2015). Nowadays, muppets, puppets and animatronics continue to captivate audiences, regardless of the media or generations. The paper investigates these influences on Yoda by George Lukas and The Child by Favreau. It aims to focus on the people trained and encouraged by Jim to be independent creators, for example: Frank Oz. The paper seeks to answer the questions: What are Jim Henson’s influences on Lukas and Favreau? Who are the people behind the success of Yoda and Grogu? In an interview with Leonard Maltin, Lukas described his encounter with Jim while working on the Yoda character: “I went to Jim Henson and said, 'Do you want to do this?' And he said, 'Well, I am busy, I am doing this, and doing that, I am making a movie and all that -- I really can't, but... how about Frank? You know, Frank's the other half of me.' And I said, 'Well, that'd be fantastic.” (“Jim Henson's Creature Shop Not Involved With 'Star Wars 7'”) (Martin, 1995) Jim's openness and encouragement had a significant effect on expanding popularity of muppets until these days. The people behind the creation of Master Yoda or The Child Grogu can still remember his mark on them as creators and are the inspiration for this paper.
Source: Manual