Wednesday 18 February 7pm
‘The Fairy Tales of Jim Henson’ Book Launch
The new book, The Fairy Tales of Jim Henson: Keeping the best place by the fire, written by Dr Andrea Wright, a film studies expert and Senior Lecturer in Teaching and Learning Development at Edge Hill University, is making a bold claim: that Jim Henson—the brilliant creative behind the colourful, imaginative puppets of The Muppet Show and Sesame Street—has been significantly underestimated as a key player in the evolution of screen fairy tales.
It argues that while his popular family shows and Disney’s sheer size understandably grab all the attention, Henson’s massive contribution through various adaptations and original stories is often overlooked. His real impact stretches far beyond The Muppet Show. He was a pioneer, finding new ways to blend puppetry, technology, and compelling storytelling.
This is the first book to properly re-evaluate Henson’s work by putting his fairy tale credentials front and centre. It challenges the common thinking that Disney is the only major creative force worth talking about.
Andrea was given access to materials from the private Jim Henson Company Archives to explore his distinctive methods. This allowed her to look at letters, sketches, doodles, plans and scripts which gave unique insights into the creative processes that went on behind the scenes. Henson was a genius at sparking the viewer’s imagination, mixing, and sometimes even subverting, classic fairy tale tropes with inventive design and cutting-edge tech.
The book covers well-known productions such as Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and The Storyteller, but also shines a light on early, lesser-known gems such as Hey, Cinderella! and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, and even unaired pilots like Tales of the Tinkerdee. Ultimately, the book argues that Henson deserves to be seen as a truly pivotal figure in screen fairy tale production, highlighting his lasting influence and the sheer artistic innovations he brought to the genre.
Andrea will be talking about her research, working with The Jim Henson Company and all things Muppets and more.
Tickets: Free, booking required
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