Jerry Juhl, R.I.P.

Jerry Juhl, who wrote or co-wrote almost every major Muppet project of the past 30-something years, was reported dead today. Man. A Muppet Family Christmas, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, Muppet Treasure Island... not to mention The Muppet Show itself and Fraggle Rock.

He also worked briefly for Jim Henson as a performer before turning his hand to writing full-time. There's disgracefully little about him on the net at the moment, but good old reliable Mark has a brief obit here.

He had a hand in shaping most of the major Muppet characters but especially The Great Gonzo, which he sometimes described as his personal favorite.

My pal Ken Plume is preparing a lengthy bio and obit which will appear soon on IGN FilmForce. I'll post a link when it's up. This is a sad day for those of us who love the wit and glory of The Muppets because an awful lot of that came from Jerry Juhl.