There’s nothing higher than seeing new, epic Muppet productions. However an in depth second is studying about what nearly made it into manufacturing. There actually is one thing particular about seeing untethered pitches and improvement concepts for initiatives that by no means have been. Whereas it might be somewhat irritating to really feel denied of Muppet historical past, it’s nonetheless so cool studying about what we could have gotten to see or expertise in one other world.

Some of the legendary unmade Muppet initiatives is The Nice Muppet Film Experience – a proposed theme park attraction that will’ve debuted alongside Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D at Walt Disney World in 1991. In basic Muppet vogue, the attraction would’ve been a spoof of one other Disney Parks vacation spot: The Nice Film Experience. However as a substitute of simply seeing basic movies reenacted, the Muppets would’ve given parkgoers a peek behind the scenes, full with the utter chaos of the Muppets struggling to maintain all the things collectively.

Sadly, all we have now of this trip are the tales and a few photos. However we just lately bought in contact with one of many designers – Marcelo Vignali – who supplied extra of his designs, which we’d by no means seen earlier than.

Vignali is an artist and manufacturing designer, whose design work you’ve seen in movies like Mulan, Lilo and Sew, Lodge Transylvania, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He’s additionally accomplished a number of design work for Disney’s theme park sights, together with Roger Rabbit’s Automotive Toon Spin.

Beneath you’ll discover Vignali’s authentic art work and tales in his personal phrases for 2 segments of The Nice Muppet Film Experience in addition to two proposed Muppet-themed eateries. These are proof that Muppet magic begins on the earliest levels of improvement, and designers like Vignali don’t have anything however love and respect for Jim Henson’s creations.

In 1990 I used to be working at Walt Disney Imagineering as a present designer, and I had the distinctive alternative to work on the Muppet Film Experience with Jim Henson. When Jim handed away instantly, your entire mission (Muppet Land) was shut down. My workplace mate on the time, legendary Imagineer Eric Robison, actually preferred this drawing… so I gave it to him. All these a few years later he kindly mailed it again to me. Thanks Eric!

This was for our Pigs in Area sequence. I drew the picture and had it transferred to an outsized blueprint, after which used gouache to color the lasers and chalk to create a glow.

When Disney had partnered with Jim Henson in 1990, I used to be working with Imagineering. I had the privilege of engaged on the Muppet Studios (AKA Muppet Movieland) concept. I labored on the Muppet Film Experience, Nice Gonzo’s Pizza Pandemonium Parlor, and the Onerous Luck Cafe… a play on the Onerous Rock Cafe. Solely, as a substitute of rock and roll memorabilia, this quick meals eatery would have Muppet memorabilia on the partitions.

Again in these days there was no 3D software program or AI… I used to be it. The architects introduced me their plans for the house, the inside decorators would convey me their binder of swatches and polaroids of furnishings and fixtures, and the author would current to me the idea.. in some circumstances in a really entertaining pitch. And, the remaining was as much as me. I might flesh out the house and present them what this would possibly seem like. This was pre-internet, so there was no solution to analysis a few of these objects — I simply needed to wing it.

And, once more, in my very own immutable manner, I might attempt to discover a solution to create vignettes of characters and conditions in order that anybody that appeared on the picture would possibly get misplaced in their very own creativeness and transport themselves into the house.

After seeing THIS drawing, one of many writers relayed to me that Jim Henson actually loved my work and I used to be given a Muppet watch with Kermit’s face (one in every of my prized possessions to at the present time). Jim beloved the best way I drew his characters.

Though the Muppet Studios mission dissolved upon the premature loss of life of Jim Henson in 1990, Jim did make it to this restaurant. In case you look carefully you might be able to spot Jim Henson himself; smiling within the background… surrounded by his fantastic characters.

The 2 photos above are not designs created by Marcelo Vignali, nevertheless it felt incomplete to be discussing The Nice Muppet Film Experience and never embody these plans for what would’ve been trip segments spoofing Frankenstein and Peter Pan. In line with Vignali, these have been illustrated by his colleague Joe Lanzisero.

Many, many due to Marcelo Vignali for generously sharing his work with us! If we are able to’t go to The Nice Muppet Film Experience in actual life, you’ve given us the expertise of imagining what it may’ve been like by way of your artwork and concepts.

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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com