It is finally here! The USPS Souvenir Sheet of creator Jim Henson and a cast of America’s favorite Muppet’s, including: Kermit, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, Animal, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, Rowlf the Dog, Camilla the Chicken and Gonzo. The first day issue is today in North Hollywood, Ca and is a souvenir sheet of eleven .37-cent stamps. There will also be .23-cent Picture Postal Cards. In the selvage is a stamp of Jim Henson and below is a silhouette of Henson sitting on the floor and talking to Kermit.
The vision of a man can indeed change lives and open doors, as we witnessed through the years with Jim Henson. Henson was born September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi. In 1954, while still in high school, Henson began his television career performing puppets on a local Washington, DC Saturday morning program. The following year, as a freshman at the University of Maryland, he was given his own twice-daily, five-minute show, Sam and Friends, on a local NBC affiliate. Along with his assistant, fellow University of Maryland student and future wife, Jane Nebel, Henson introduced many Muppet mainstays—music, snarky humor and innovative technical tricks (such as eliminating the puppet stage and using the television itself as the proscenium). Perhaps most memorably, the show featured an early version of Kermit the Frog™.
As Sam and Friends success grew, so did national guest appearances on programs like The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Show and Today. You may even remember some of the many hundreds of humorous commercials for sponsors throughout the country. In 1961, as Muppets, Inc. grew, writer Jerry Juhl, came on board. 1963 saw a move to New York and the addition of master puppet builder, Don Sahlin and young puppeteer, Frank Oz. Together; they helped develop the Muppets’ first nationally known character, Rowlf the Dog, who appeared regularly on The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966. In 1966 Henson began work on a new show called Sesame Street. In 1975 it was the Muppet Show. Fraggle Rock and other Muppet appearances on television and in the movies continued through the years. Each time surprising and delighting fans.
The ever driving, ever striving Henson ended up with countless television shows and over 23 movies to his credit. But most importantly, he did something he loved…and it made us smile, it made us laugh. Sadly, Jim Henson passed away May 16, 1990. Even though he is gone, his imagination continues to flourish and entertain us all.
