Another stellar panel we had the pleasure to attend this past weekend as part of the D23 Expo was The Muppets 70: A Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective. This panel gave us the opportunity to celebrate 70 years of The Muppets with a showcase of the troupe’s diva’s personal belongings — Miss Piggy herself.
We joined Walt Disney Archives director Becky Cline and The Muppets producer Dani Iglesias for a fabulous dive into the vaults to uncover nostalgic artifacts and learn secrets of the trade and how the Archives preserve this collection today. The host for the panel was none other than noted Muppet stan and hearse driver from the Disney Plus’ Muppets Haunted Mansion, Yvette Nicole Brown.
While there were no Muppets attending the panel, Miss Piggy had a video message for all of us where she made sure we knew how inspirational it was for her that she is an inspiration for all of us. Talk about a diva! But with her being the ultimate fashionista, well…. we forgive her. She also seemed upset that the Disney Legends committee didn’t nominate her for this year’s award and instead decided to go with someone whose name doesn’t even sound like a real name — “Frank Oz”.
As a lovely detail, we had the opportunity of having one of our panelists in human and Muppet form. Becky Cline has been a part of the Walt Disney Archives for more than 25 years and on the occasion of her 25th anniversary with the department, Becky was presented with a Muppet Whatnot. This character was lovingly handcrafted by the staff of the Archives in her honor and it was a part of the stage during the presentation. Becky was definitely the right person to take us into the world of an archivist, especially one who happens to be a huge Muppets fan.
She also talked about how special the Muppets are to the Walt Disney Company and started unveiling different objects underneath a tablecloth. As part of this Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective, we were treated to six different Miss Piggy-related items from the Disney Archives collection. These items left The Muppets Studio and were donated to the Walt Disney Archives Collection. Let’s dive into each one.
“Miss Bogen County” sash prop
The first archival prop was the “Miss Bogen County” sash prop worn by Miss Piggy in 1979’s The Muppet Movie. This was the very first time we met Miss Piggy and we were honored to be in the presence of this iconic piece of Muppet history.
Miss Piggy’s bicycle from The Great Muppet Caper
Next, we got to see what was definitely the most surprising artifact of the panel, the nostalgia levels went through the roof as we got to unveil Miss Piggy’s bicycle from The Great Muppet Caper (1981). Yes, the very same she rode during “Couldn’t We Ride”. Becky explained to us the restoration process that took place for it to be in perfect condition when it was presented to us. The bicycle got to the Archives in pieces and it was taken to Studio Mill to be restored. The seat had to be completely rebuilt taking into consideration the one on Kermit’s bike. The frame needed some paint and the wheels also got some extra love. After this was done it was completed with Miss Piggy’s basket.
Dani made us aware of the importance of this artifact in the movie as well as pointing out that it embodied Miss Piggy’s character, someone who is not going to wait for others to rescue her and that definitely takes action especially if is to fight for something she wants. We quickly were reminded that this was not the only vehicle of the Walt Disney Archives present at the D23 Expo floor, as part of the Car Show there were three other Muppets vehicles for us to enjoy.
Muppet Treasure Island‘s Benjamina Gunn’s costume
The third item presented to us was Benjamina Gunn’s costume from Muppet Treasure Island. This iconic costume was part of the Muppets’ history when they took it upon themselves to work with literary characters like those in The Muppets Christmas Carol and The Muppet Treasure Island. Why the Academy completely missed on nominating Miss Piggy is still something that amazes us (we have to say that just in case Miss Piggy herself is reading this article).
The importance of this role for our diva is that the story itself doesn’t have a lot of female characters, let alone one of the main ones and in this case it was reinterpreted for Miss Piggy to take over Ben Gunn and become Benjamina Gunn. The Muppets have always been a franchise that represented so much more than what you are. It’s a world where, if a bear can do stand-up comedy, a pig can love a frog and rats can be stage agents it means that anyone can be what they want and this costume definitely embodies all that.
Fou-Fou #1
Just when we thought nothing could top the artifacts presented so far Becky lifted the cover on Foo-Foo #1, the original puppet for Miss Piggy’s ultimate fashion accessory and companion. We quickly learned that until very recently it had been the same puppet in use since the 1970s. As a Fashionista myself if there was one artifact from this panel that I was allowed to take home it would definitely be this one. She was gifted to the Walt Disney Archives for her historical significance since she is still in top shape and could have stayed as a working puppet for quite some time. She gets now to be an ambassador for the Muppets. Becky reminded us that the heart of the D23 Expo is for the Walt Disney Company to get to share artifacts like these with us, the fans, because having them in storage makes no sense, we are part of the magic.
Engagement ring from Muppets Most Wanted
Then it was time to move on to asset number five which was none other than the engagement ring/bomb Constantine gives Piggy in Muppets Most Wanted. This ring was rescued from the Thames River and donated to the Archives because it represents Miss Piggy in the new millennium, with the onset of the internet she rose to fashion icon status very quickly. This piece is a storytelling component, not just a fashion accessory. In the context of the Muppets Most Wanted story this ring is not quite what we would expect for our Diva, it’s a little bit more ominous, and something is not quite right. This is not the signature ring for our glamorous friend and Kermit would have known better. Nevertheless, it is a lovely black diamond with a countdown clock.
Then Becky was kind enough to share with the audience that this is not the only piece of jewelry that the Walt Disney Archives has out on display right now, as part of the Crown Jewels: All That Glitters Exhibit they are also showcasing Animal’s collar and then she pointed that Fou-Fou #1 has a rhinestone collar and that while it wouldn’t be taken away from her she might get invited in the future to be a part of the exhibit so people can marvel at the detail of this wonderful piece.
Miss Piggy’s Halloween costume of Kermit from Muppets Haunted Mansion
Lastly, we unveiled Miss Piggy’s Halloween costume of Kermit from Muppets Haunted Mansion. This item arrived in a very special box that the diva herself made for delivering the costume to the Archives which served as a nice way to let Becky talk about the dos and don’ts of conservation for these important pieces of history. This is the newest acquisition of the Walt Disney Archives from The Muppets Studios. The lovely velvet fabric in iconic Kermit green, plus a rhinestone bejeweled collar caused lots of oohs and aahs from the public in attendance at this panel. The perfect closure for a Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective.
Our panelists also talked about Kermit’s original banjo from The Muppet Movie currently in the process of being replicated at The Muppet Studios before being donated to the Archives. There was a brief Q&A with the crowd, and after that the biggest surprise of the panel was when Jodi Benson, (the voice of Ariel and a certified Miss Piggy fan herself) came out to perform Miss Piggy’s classic, “Never Before, Never Again.” (You can watch it HERE). What a perfect closure for this wonderful panel full of fashion, glamour and great insight into the greatest Fashionista ever: Miss Piggy. She looks great for 70 and we couldn’t be happier to say we were part of The Muppets 70: A Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective at D23 this past weekend.
Miss Piggy was also mentioned as part of The Costuming Artistry Behind Disney Experiences panel where we were given insight into the costumes she wore for the Disney Holidays in Hollywood show. So it was definitely a great weekend for the diva and for all of us her fans to peek into her closet.
Una mañana con Miss Piggy
Como parte de las conferencias de la D23 Expo este fin de semana pasado tuvimos la oportunidad de asistir a The Muppets 70: A Glamorous Miss Piggy Retrospective donde a través de seis artículos que han pertenecido a Miss Piggy pudimos hablar de su historia y grandes momentos como parte del Muppet Studio.
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