Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal

by Karen Falk, Lisa Henson (Foreword)

Jim Henson's iconic puppet characters, fantastic worlds, and warm humor have delighted millions of people of all ages. His incredibly diverse body of work, from the Muppets to the world of The Dark Crystal, reveals his charm and genius to fans old and new. Compiled directly from The Jim Henson Company archives, Imagination Illustrated adapts the diary that Jim faithfully kept throughout his career, supplementing it with a trove of little-seen visual material, including rare sketches, personal and production photographs, storyboards, doodles, and much more. Throughout, archivist Karen Falk delves into the behind-the-scenes details of Henson's life and artistic process. Sure to delight anyone who has enjoyed Henson's creations—seeing early drawings of Kermit and Rowlf is like smiling over childhood photos of dear friends—this lovely book celebrates Jim's life and his magic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Biography, History, Photography, Biography Memoir, The United States Of America

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2012

Reviews

[Tony DiTerlizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An optional title for this book would be PERSEVERANCE ILLUSTRATED. Jim Henson's journals reveal that he wasn't just a masterful entertainer, but a tenacious follower of his dreams. Despite the fact that many of his ideas hit dead-ends (a psychedelic 1960's night club, a Muppet-performance show at NYC's Lincoln Center) his resolve ensured that other visions became realities – and we are richer for it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blown away by Jim Henson. He was already one of my heroes, but after reading this book I am just in complete awe of him. He didn't just create the Muppets and present this finished whole to society; his whole life was an explosion of creativity and imagination, evolving and growing. It was a lifetime of work, with successes and failures, to create what we take for granted as effortless.

His journals are pretty straightforward, simple entries, but the book is full of photographs, sketches, ideas, invitations, and concept art. I love the hand drawn story boards and characters sketched out on what appears to be legal pads. This is a book to devour.

The timelines of the book helped put Jim Henson and his impact on me in context with my life. My parents were already fans of The Muppet Show, so when I was born in 1980 I went right into a world that would include the Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, acting out the Fozzie/Kermit twins bit with my dad. I watched a lot of Muppet Babies, a lot of Fraggle Rock. When he talks about creating Fraggle Rock to inspire a generation to kindness and environmental stewardship, he's talking about my generation. (My sister showed up at my house two weeks ago and asked how Marjory was doing...meaning my compost heap...Marjory the compost heap from Fraggle Rock.)

Whenever I do something physical, like run or ride a bike, someone close to me will usually say, "You're such a Muppet." I take that as the highest compliment. Imagination Illustrated is above all truly inspiring and makes me want to unleash every bit of creativity and imagination that I can.

[Robert Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great look at Jim Henson's notebooks and work process

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a pleasure to read. I received it for my birthday from a friend who knows me better than I thought. It's put together scrapbook style with documents, pictures, storyboards, reviews and lots of other really interesting items accompanying Henson's "journal" entries, which, whiteout all the other stuff wouldn't be that interesting really. Karen Falk has sifted through rooms full of archived materials and put together a fascinating view of one of the most creative people of out times. On each page, she briefly recounts what had been going on in that period of Henson's life at that point. Not just the major moments but also many projects which were never to see the light of day or that represented years of preparation. My only gripe is that it all left me wanting more! I bet this book and the recently published biography of Jim Henson would complement one another perfectly. And this is me wandering off in search of a copy...

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun glimpse into the education, process, and practice of Jim Henson from the early 1960s through the late 1980s. Unexpectedly, the first part of the book is a good read in anticipation of S6 of Mad Men. Though a child of 1st generation Sesame Street who considers herself a admirer of Jim Henson, I never quite understood that he produced so many ads and that so many "beloved Muppet characters" got their starts as TV pitch creatures. Ahhhh... CONTEXT!

Henson and his crew sure produced a lot of amazing work. It is fun to flip through his notebook and track his creative thinking and the evolution of the business of The Muppets.

The images in the Kindle edition are *almost* high res enough, but not quite. That's the only disappointing thing about the volume.

[Scott Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

We should be so grateful that Jim Henson’s journal and other materials have been archived safely. This book is just a glimpse into the incredible creative genius that Henson was. I’m amazed that he was able accomplish so much incredible work. I really wish Disney would release some of his more rarely seen pilots and projects on DVD.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting presentation of journal entries, photographs, mementos and more from Henson's life and career. I learned so much about this brilliant man and can't wait to track down some of his lesser known work. This is a must-read for every Henson fan.

[Robert S · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder? Why Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be."
- Kermit the Frog

The work of Jim Henson transcends all ages and backgrounds, much like the work of Mr. Rogers. The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and his many other projects helped bring out the child in all of us.

Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal uses Henson's own journal alongside a collection of notes and photographs to tell the story of a man who helped touch the lives of millions. While Henson is no longer with us, his creative spirit lives on in so many different ways. As someone who considers himself a huge fan of the man's work, this collection is an absolute delight.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Henson is clearly one of the creative/imaginative geniuses of our time. He was taken from our world way too soon. There have been plenty of books which talk of his genius, or his roots, but there have been no books that get to his process, or show exactly what his mind was thinking of and how he translated that to paper--until now. Imagination Illustrated is the perfect book for the creative or Henson fan in your life.
Detailing specific events he jotted down in his many notebooks throughout the course of his life, Imagination Illustrated also shows different ideas and pictures of the things found inside Henson's head as his ideas went from brain to paper. Sometimes they weren't amazing, and other times they turned out far better than anyone could have hoped. This is an inspiring tome for those with a journal, or those who have a creative dream.

[dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved the Henson productions since I was a child. Being able to get even the tiniest glimpse into the mind of a genius was such a treat. My only qualms were the most intriguing parts of the narrative, that being the network shows and motion pictures, took a back seat to the earlier commercials and late-night talk show spots, and that some of the information felt disconnected from the rest (e.g. when in a chapter discussing the rise of the Muppets films, a section is dedicated to Henson's love of cars).

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a joy to read about the work of an artistic genius whose work has had such a gigantic impact on the world. Loved seeing all the hand drawn art and thinking about how all of these creatures were created by hands (and, early on, without computers!). I feel so fortunate to have grown up getting to watch Henson’s Muppets make so many debut appearances. He made magic for children everywhere. I really enjoyed this! Thanks to whoever left it in my Little Free Library — I wouldn’t have known it existed otherwise.

[Rebecca Fung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun, great illustrations/bits and pieces that show you things you didn't know about Jim Henson and bring to life his adorable creations - The Muppets, Sesame Street Creations and behind the scenes on Labyrinth, The Storyteller and The Dark Crystal. I particular liked some storyboards for ads I had no idea he used to do. It shows a lot about the creative mind. A lot of this is just a taste and peek though into what is clearly a very imaginative mind and what looks like an amazing life.

[Dharma Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool to see Jim Henson’s personal notes. They ranged from projects he worked on, his children being born and going to college, when new puppeteers joined the crew and more!
It was nice to have the added explanation/commentary throughout, but honestly I would’ve liked even more. I highly recommend reading Brian Jay Jones’ biography on Jim Henson before reading this book

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a companion to Brian Jay Jones' autobiography of Jim. This was a great way of having visual context to much of what I was reading about. I highly recommend this to any Henson fan.

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

High-quality book, basically a biography fused with a museum. Enjoyed reading to see the pictures and also learn about Jim Henson's life -- he was really impressive, all the more so because he was so wholesome without being naive.

[Ellen Goldfinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a Jim Henson fan, this is such a wonderful book to go through. It contains his scribbles, doodles, storyboards, and entries of professional and family events. Lots of photos too. I enjoyed this book very much.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagination Illustrated was a perfect title for this book! I learned so much about the creativity and imagination of Jim Henson, as his range of work truly entertained millions. This book left me wanting to rewatch everything that Henson’s hands and mind ever touched.

[Christian Maric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing what Jim Henson wrote in his notebook of big moments is beautiful and instructive of what he valued. This work is both an extraordinary testament to how much he created in so little time and a tragic reminder of how many ideas he had left.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantastic book is a must read for any Jim Henson fan! With lovely illustrations and deep insight into his life and work, you will see just how talented he was as well as how he continues to inspire creation to this day.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savoured every page of this book. Great insight into the world of Jim Henson.

[lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Absolutely amazing.

[Stephen Gower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book but really only a surface level view of Henson's life and work. The pictures are great. Fun to read through!

[Casey Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I felt like I was given exclusive access into the mind of a genius.

[Ceste Stanly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So behind fascinating to see all his storyboards & drawings. What a talent.

[isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

he was so passionate about his precious muppets i’m actually gonna cry

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very neat scrapbook-style timeline of Jim Henson's work, with copious photos, sketches, scripts, notes, playbills, ads, posters, PR material, and more from the Henson archives. A little disappointing in that it's billed as information largely from his personal work journal, but that journal mostly consists of his log of dates of big developments in his home life and career — there are excerpts throughout in his handwriting, but they mostly read like "Feb 15 — Goldie Hawn Special AIR," so they don't offer much insight into his mind or his process.

But all the ancillary material is fascinating, particularly the pieces that show his early thoughts about characters who became familiar in other forms. There's an early sketch of Animal from the Muppet show, who was supposed to have four arms and be capable of sweating. The first drawing of Oscar the Grouch had bright magenta fur. There's a concept sketch for a creepy two-legged "baby Snuffleupagus." There are images from Rowlf the Dog's initial Purina ads — which he was designed for — and his later IBM ads. There are concept notes from "World Of Woozles," which became "Fraggle Rock." And on and on — basically just all sorts of bits and pieces from Jim Henson's career, giving a behind-the-scenes look at his many projects in various stages of their lives.

The most fascinating part is his very early career (there's at least one picture of him as a wide-eyed, acne-riddled high-school student) and all the material from dead-end projects, like the nightclub he designed, and the Broadway show that never happened, and the "Wizard Of Id" series that fell through, and all the puppet TV shows he conceptualized but never got aired. As a lifelong Henson fan, I really enjoyed all the detail and tiny revelations packed into this book.

[Rob S · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something for everyone of all ages in the work of Jim Henson. Whether you enjoy The Muppets (and really, who didn't?), or maybe Labyrinth , or perhaps The Dark Crystal or Fraggle Rock. Henson brought out the child in each of us, and there was room for everyone to enjoy his work. His untimely death at 53 is all the more unfortunate when you consider the numerous projects that were left undone, and the projects yet to be created in the mind of the man who was known for his boundless creative energy. Personally, I will never forget "It's Not Easy Being Green" and especially "Just One Person".

Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal is something you could consider as a template to the Jim Henson Museum. The book breaks up into Henson's early days, days with the Muppets, and his more prominent work after the Muppets. Taken directly from The Jim Henson Company archives, this book contains much of the diary that Jim kept for the majority of his professional life. Included with this is numerous other material, including sketches of characters or work he was doing, photographs that are not often seen involving him or his work, and much more.

This works as a great companion piece to read after Jim Henson The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. One cannot help but remember some of their childhood or even adulthood moments spent watching some of Jim's work while reading this. Definitely pick this up for an afternoon read if you're a fan of the man's work and legacy.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you give to take a peek into the mind of the late Jim Henson?

I found this fabulous, retrospective look into the creative mind of Henson at the Chronicle booth while at NCTE 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. I couldn't believe that this title was still in the booth on Sunday morning. And. . .I was even more thrilled that the booth representatives let me have this for ten dollars!

With a forward by Lisa Henson, IMAGINATION ILLUSTRATED chronicles Henson's work in chapters that read like locations and timeframes (Lisa Henson talks about her father's unique way of looking at memories and dates in the Forward to the book).

From the 50's spent in Washington to the "Fantasy, Fraggles, and Fearless Imagination of the 80's, it's all here with original notes, sketches, and the way the individual Muppets may have looked if the original prototype had been selected (my favorite sketches were of an early idea for Dr. Teeth).

The whole book has a neat, retrospective, scrapbook kind of feel that would allow readers to thumb through their individual interests before going through the whole book. IMAGINATION ILLUSTRATED is a dream, mentor text for the teacher looking to add more non-fiction to the classroom. Think of the "ladders" that could come off of this one. I would love--just one year--for a student to take off from a text like this and explore he children's programming of yesteryear.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book feels like a book you would get at a museum documenting an exhibit - with pictures of a variety of media, like drawings, ads, photos, and more. Add to that short descriptions of a few paragraphs per topic and an organizing theme, in this case very short chronological diary entries. This book was assembled by a Henson company archivist, so there you go. The pictures are the value in this book, and include a variety of early drawings, storyboards, behind-the-scenes photos, advertisements, letters, and more. Given this is a relatively short book, I can see this being a couple of hours of perusing, interesting if you are a fan. As a book documenting an exhibit, this would be a nice example. (The book never says that this is a real exhibit somewhere, it just reads like there is!) If you want more, like more detail on Henson's creative processes, this does have a nice bibliography. I downloaded this in ebook format from the library -- bad idea. My ereader is black and white while the pictures are color, and they are best seen in color. Also, my reader and my PC reader program won't let me magnify pictures -- these come across extrememly small and vague. Skip the bits, get the hardcopy.

[Vashtaylamiria · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was information about several shows he did such as "baby monsters" and the fact a clothing line was made from The Dark Crystal movie! I love The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth also. Not too keen on the Muppets but did like The Muppet show. It was originally supposed to be named "Sex and Violence with the Muppets" because he wanted it to be an adult show.He also designed a cafe/bar in the shape of a dome where changing images were to be projected on to multifaceted screens while synchronized with music In addition he did an experimental film called" Time Piece" which won him a nomination for an Academy award. Very Interesting man whose life was cut short too soon! If it wasn't thrown away with my poetry I have a personal letter from him because I wrote to him about my disappointment in the movie" The Witches". I was shocked when he died so young!

This book is an interesting history of his illustrations,designs, ideas movies and shows. It is very personalized with photos , newspaper clippings, invitations to parties he held, commercials he had done and most importantly his creative visions! If you think Jim Henson is just about "Muppets" you need to read this! the man was a great experimenter and a creative genius!