Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay JonesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fixture of American pop culture during the 1970s and 1980s, Jim Henson worked in all mediums. Author Brian Jay Jones emphasizes the manic creativity of Henson, always working on multiple projects at once and pushing himself to the limits. As a High School student he begin performing puppet shows on local Washington D.C. television. Advertisers utilized his talents to sell their products, most notably Wilkins Coffee. At the same time he made experimental films and even started a psychedelic night club in New York. He was a pioneer in the early days of Sesame Street, creating vibrant entertainment for children like Bert and Ernie. By 1979, Henson had one of the highest rated TV shows (The Muppet Show), a hit movie (The Muppet Movie), and a top 10 record album. Always wanting to be seen as more than the "Muppet" guy, Henson branched out in the 1980s with mixed results. His two films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, both failed at the Box Office, while various forays into television never panned out, the exception being Fraggle Rock on HBO. His untimely passing in 1990 at age 53 was a huge loss, leaving a hole in pop culture that's never been filled. Henson's playful humor and alter ego characters were original and inspiring. The book also reminds us Henson was much more than the Muppets, but affectionately recalls the great joy Kermit and the rest of his gang brought to the world and will make you want to seek out old Muppet Shows. The last third of the book gets bogged down in some dull details on his dealings with Disney (which sucks up everything these days), but overall I would highly recommend it!
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