Roger Langridge gets it. He gets the Muppets in a way that almost no one else has since Jim Henson and the original muppeteers.
Other than one adaptation of a Muppet movie and a run of Muppet Babies comics, no one has really done a comic book based on The Muppet Show. Maybe it’s not that surprising since so much of the original Muppet Show was based on physical humor. From Animal’s outbursts to Gonzo’s death-defying antics to Miss Piggy’s love-struck tantrums, so much of the original show was about motion, movement and the physical presence of the characters that once they would get on paper, they would seem like almost any other cartoon. A cartoon frog was a cartoon frog but there was only ever one Kermit, just like there is only one Fozzie Bear or even only one Camilla the Chicken.
Roger Langridge’s take in The Muppet Show Comics: Meet the Muppets embraces everything great about the original show. He faithfully recreates the backstage drama that was always present (who’s going to be on Miss Piggy’s bad side this week?) while creating funny and thrilling stage skits (how many times can Gonzo be shot out of a canon?) Langridge perfectly captures the fun and energy of the television show, producing a truly fun comic. He gets everything right, even down to the lousy puns that are still funnier than almost anything else.
At the same time, Langridge never forgets that this actually is a comic book and not a television show. He pulls off sight gags that could only work in comics, like “The Ubiquitous Quip,” a fun cartoon showing a character running away from an alligator. In a single panel cartoon, Langridge produces movement, suspense, energy and a visual gag that could never have been done on a television screen. This one page skit captures the spirit of the Muppets and expresses it in a way that is truly unique to a comic book page.
While he’s faithfully translating The Muppet Show into a comic book, he never forgets the characters. The skits are fun but one of the draws of The Muppet Show was the backstage antics and drama. In the four stories in this book, Langridge humorously and touchingly looks at the fears of his characters. In the strongest story, Fozzie Bear suffers a crisis of self confidence as he tries to re-invent his act. He looks everywhere trying to find strong starting point. He looks to Shakespeare, beatniks and even the Great Gonzo, trying to find a new wellspring of humor. Langridge builds each story around variety show skits and strong character moments
With The Muppet Show Comic: Meet the Muppets, Roger Langridge is equally reverential to the original source material while, at the same time, taking it off in new and unique directions. Creating more than just a licensed comic, trying to recreate a television show, Langridge writes and draws a funny comic book that easily reminds us why we enjoyed the show in the first place; the wonderful creations of Jim Henson. Much like Fozzie does in his own little crisis, Langridge decides to be himself and to tell the stories in his own, unique voice. I think Jim Henson would have been proud of Langridge’s Muppet Show.
The Muppet Show Comic: Meet the Muppets
Written and drawn by: Roger Langridge
Colored by: Digikore Studios
Lettered by: Deron Bennett
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet The Muppets is available on Amazon.com.
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Tags: Jim Henson, Roger Langridge, The Muppet Show