Introduction and Context

• Episode from January 6, 2015 - "How Jim Henson Worked: American Hero"
• Hosts: Josh Clark, Charles W. Chuck Bryant, Jerry
• Referenced as follow-up to previous Muppets episode
• Henson Company tweeted approval of their previous Muppets episode

Early Life and Education

• Born September 24, 1936 in Mississippi
• Full name: James Mari Henson (M-A-R-Y)
• Maternal grandmother: painter, quilter, needle worker - major creative inspiration
• Originally fan of ventriloquism but not obsessed with puppets
• College: University of Maryland, started as studio art major
• Graduated with home economics degree (only program offering puppet-making courses)
• Took puppetry course, textiles and crafts courses
• Bought Rolls-Royce in time for college graduation due to early success

Early Career Development

• High school: guest spots on local TV station
• 1955: "Sam and Friends" debuted - early successful show
• Side work: colorful silk screen concert posters
• Created experimental short films - abstract, live action
• "Time Piece" - nominated for Academy Award
• "The Cube" (1969) - NBC's "Experiment in Television" - one-hour show about man trapped in white room
• Post-college European tour: discovered puppetry treated as serious art form
• Married Jane (separated later but never divorced)

Commercial Success and Innovation

• 1963: formed puppet-based commercial ad agency in New York
• Hired Frank Oz and Jerry Juhl as lifelong collaborators
• Revolutionary approach: funny commercials when they weren't common
• Smart business move: retained rights to all character creations
• Cookie Monster: originally created for chip company (wheel stealer character)
• Rowlf the Dog: started on Purina commercials, later Jimmy Dean show sidekick (1963)
• Rowlf was first major Muppet, before Kermit and Big Bird

Technical and Creative Innovations

• Pioneered "platforming up" - puppeteers could stand upright instead of crouching
• Used softer materials (foam) instead of stiff wood marionettes
• Allowed more expressive faces, perfect for TV close-ups
• Merged television with puppetry - used camera angles, editing
• Television became the "little area" puppets could move in
• Henson Performance Control System - remote control system for puppeteers (won Academy Award)

Sesame Street Era

• 1969: invited to pilot of Sesame Street by Children's Television Workshop
• Did not create Sesame Street but made significant mark
• Created most iconic characters
• Directed many short films (claymation, live action segments)
• Educational mission appealed to Henson's values
• Kermit evolved from weird lizard-like appearance to iconic frog

Major Television Success

• 1970: "Rubber Ducky" hit #16 on Billboard charts (sung by Henson as Ernie)
• Saturday Night Live Season 1: brief stint with Lauren Michaels (not huge success)
• 1975: The Muppet Show - had trouble getting US deal
• Lord Lew Grade gave deal with Grade's ATV Studios in London
• Show set backstage at variety show - perfect framing device
• Huge hit, won awards, garnered critical praise
• Appeal to both children and adults

Later Television Projects

• 1983: Fraggle Rock - HBO original series
• Three groups: Doc and Sprocket, Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs
• Theme: different types of people living together in peace
• Won 3 Cable Ace Awards, 5 International Emmys
• Diverse music: reggae, rock, country, bluegrass
• Mid-1980s: Muppet Babies (cartoon, not live puppets)
• Late 1980s: Jim Henson Hour and The Storyteller
• Jim Henson Hour: varied format with sketches and mini-movies
• Dog City: film noir gangster story with puppet dogs (narrated by Rowlf)
• The Storyteller: seamless human-puppet interaction

Film Career

• The Muppet Movie: big hit, still holds up
• 1982: The Dark Crystal - co-directed with Frank Oz
• Based on Brian Froud fantasy art drawings
• All puppets, no humans
• Dark themes, purposefully scary for children
• Henson believed it healthy for kids to be scared sometimes
• Wanted to return to grim fairy tale tradition
• Initially not well-received, later became cult classic
• 1986: Labyrinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly
• Written by Terry Jones (Monty Python), rewritten by others including George Lucas
• Moderate success

Other Creative Work

• Collaborated with Raymond Scott (electronica pioneer)
• "Ripples" and "Wheels That Go" for Montreal Expo 1967
• "Floating Face" sketch on Tonight Show and Mike Douglas Show (1960s)
• Kermit appeared as guest on talk shows (not Jim Henson)
• Forced directors to interact with Kermit as real character during notes sessions

Personal Life and Character

• Loved cars: Lotus same color as Kermit, early Rolls-Royce
• Work was play to him - no line between work and play
• Filmmaker first and foremost, puppeteer second
• Genuinely good person under stressful film conditions
• Frank Oz: "still a good guy" even when frustrated

Death and Legacy

• Died 1990 at age 53 from organ failure caused by Group A strep infection
• Jim Henson Memorial: Big Bird singing "It's Not Easy Being Green"
• 1993: Jane founded Jim Henson Legacy to preserve contributions
• Donated 500 puppets to Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta
• Sons and daughters help run foundation and company

Business Transactions

• Pre-death: planned to sell to Disney for $150 million
• 2000: children sold entire company to German media company for $680 million
• 2003: bought back for $84 million when German company struggled
• Disney now owns Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House characters
• Sesame Street characters sold to Sesame Street organization
• Jim Henson Creature Shop still builds Sesame Street puppets and Muppets
• Jane Henson died 2013 at age 78