Wow, Scott did a great job which is no surprise. This is a great addition to
my Sugar and Spike #100 faux cover collection.
I think teaming S&S with the Muppet Babies and using Bernie the Brain's new invention as the way to make it happen was brilliant.
Starting in the upper left, we have a text piece setting up the story. Next, we have the dimensional warp opened by
Bernie with Bernie following S&S into the Muppet-verse. He's holding his invention which looks suspiciously like the
Ultimate Nullifier used by Reed Richards to chase off Galactus. Perhaps, Bernie was the true source of that device.
Continuing around the cover we find
Baby Gonzo welcoming Bernie to the scene. Behind Baby Gonzo are
Baby Bunsen Honeydew and Baby Beaker. Behind Gonzo, we have his stunt cycle.
In the next tier, we have
Baby Rowlf,
Baby Scooter, and
Baby Fozzie Bear looking at
Spike Wilson lift and hug
Baby Animal while
Baby Kermit waves in welcome.
Moving down, we have a Jack-in-the Box looking toward the meeting of
Baby Piggy and
Sugar Plumm. Clearly the girls are up to something and I love that Scott chose dresses actually used by the characters and which match to up their somewhat similar personalities and potential inspirational relationship from Sugar to Piggy. While they talk we see
Angelica Pickles from the
Sugar and Spike inspired
Rugrats charging into the scene. Clearly, Bernie's Eraser Gizmo has broken more than one dimensional barrier. Angelica's personally probably drew her to Baby Piggy and Sugar immediately - birds of a feather.
Walking away from the chaos is
Baby Skeeter while Nanny passes out from the confusion!
While I've known that Baby Skeeter was created to provide a female counterpoint to Baby Piggy, I've wondered why Skeeter was never a "real" Muppet. Scott wrote to me that "when we asked Jim Henson why she never appeared as an adult Muppet, he told us that she grew up to be an explorer and disappeared in the Amazon Basin." That cracks me up.
In the picture book we see,
Doodles Duck, a Mayer creation, and
Sheldon Mayer's alter ego, Scribbly.
I should add that Scott worked on the Muppet Babies show and in the process was "He was also awarded four Emmy Awards for his work as a story director/storyboard artist on CBS' Jim Henson's Muppet Babies (Marvel Productions)."
One last note, I found out from Kathy that my daughter, Rebecca, suggested Angelica as a solution to a problem that Scott posed. Yay, Rebecca!
If you would like a commission from Scott, reach out to him through his website:
Shaw Cartoons. I've found Scott to be easy with which to work and very conscientious about getting the work done on time. You'll be glad you worked with him.
