No Strings Attached: The Inside Story of Jim Henson's Creature Shop

by Matt Bacon

This book takes readers on a close-up tour of Jim Henson's creature workshop to find out how some of today's most memorable movie characters, including Babe the sheep-corralling pig and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, are brought to life. 300+ color photos & illustrations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Film, Biography, Reference, Adult

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jana]

Pretty interesting. I find any kind of art merged with engineering fascinating.
ALSO
THE PIG IN BABE WAS FAKE?!?!?!!

[Jade Can't Read]

Felt a bit repetitive and the time line got a bit jumbled when they highlighted a specific movie. Aside from all that I learned so much about all the different projects the creature shop worked on and with. So cool to see so many movies I've seen worked with the shop. Its so interesting to see how they were able to get the results they needed by using all these different tricks (that were at the time cutting age but evolved onto a much grander scale)

[H. Givens]

Lots of interesting information, but gets repetitive after a while.

[grace!!]

a bit repetitve and disorganized, but i will never stop loving pictures from the Creature Shop!

[Justin K. Rivers]

A plethora of details and behind-the-scenes photos, outlining not only the history of the Henson Creature Shop, but also its processes. If you are looking for technical stuff, you will find this very satisfying. If you are looking for a lightweight whimsical read about the magic of cinema, this is probably not the book for you.

The only frustrating thing about the book is that it's a bit over ten years out of date. So much has happened since its publication, especially at Henson itself. The closure of the London Shop, the advent of the Henson Digital Performance System, the sale and subsequent re-purchasing of JHC by the Henson family, all mark a decade of big changes and groundbreaking innovation for the Creature Shop.

I would love to see an update or a continuation of this book. There's certainly a lot to talk about.

[Susan]

A BEAUTIFULLY illustrated/ photographed book that looks at the production behind the scenes of Jim Henson's Creature shop. Unlike many other books about Henson's work, this one has long, intricate chapters (along with the coolest photos) about the animatronics, and especially their use in films (though some television programs are covered as well- The Storyteller, Greek Myths, Dinosaurs). I honestly, even as someone who has read voraciously about Henson over the years, didn't realize the Henson company was involved in a couple of the movies mentioned (101 Dalmations, Mary Reilley, Living with Dinosaurs). I inhaled the book, but if you aren't a big fan of animation, puppetry, and the Henson company specifically, you would probably find it dull, though the photos would make most anyone want to flip through the large hardcover. Four stars.

[Kris Hurst]

This is what creativity is all about folks. Henson was an artist beyond compare.

[Abraham Ray]

great read about jim henson's creature shop!