Jim Henson

Young Jim Henson. (kidshow.dcmemories.com/henson.html)

People have goals and things to achieve. But most people, as time goes on, fail to complete their goals. So they eventually give up on their dreams and move on. As for Jim Henson, a humble puppeteer with the determination to meet his goals, he failed to fully achieve his dream many times. But because of his originality and persistence, he was able to make something of himself in this world while he was alive. Now he is widely known as the “Muppeteer”. Jim Henson worked tirelessly to achieve his dreams and goals. His determination and originality changed the world, even though some of us didn’t notice his great ability. This is what makes Jim Henson a hero.

Jim Henson started his life on September 24,1936 in Greenville Mississippi. When he was young he would listen to Edger Bergen and Charlie Burns on the radio and watch shows by Walt Disney. These people became his inspiration for creating his first show called "Sam and Friends". A few years later he married his co-host, Jane Nebel, in 1959. Ten years later Jim Henson created "Sesame Street' for children to teach them basic learning, such as the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and how to read. Jim Henson was an extremely successful man by the 70's came around but his life was cut short right before he was about to turn over "Muppet's Inc." to Disney. Jim Henson died on May 16, 1990 due to "an extremely rare bacterium called Group A streptococcus". Jim Henson's death took a hard blow at all of his fans. Jim Henson will never be forgotten for what he has done to change the world with his outstanding Muppet creations.

Middle-aged Jim Henson with Kermit the Frog. (www.studio360.wordpress.com)

Jim Henson's outstanding puppet creations altered the puppeteer world. He is a hero because of how he changed the puppet world by getting rid of the one-handed puppets that only moved their heads up and down when they spoke and replaced them with the mouthed, moving, real armed ones that we see today. One of Jim Henson's great creations was ''Sesame Street", created in November of 1969. He used this kiddy show to teach children basic learning, such as the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and how to read.

Silhouette of Jim and Kermit sitting in a window. (www.oregonlive.com)

Jim Henson is a hero to most people because of how his creative abilities have changed the world. His first successful TV show was "Sam and Friends" whose cast included the most popular Muppet we know as "Kermit the Frog". Later, in 1976, when "The Muppet Show" was taping season one, Jim Henson introduced a new set of characters. Also his fabulous production of "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth", with its mix of life-like Muppets and humans, put a new twist on the Muppet world that Jim Henson created.

Jim Henson was and is a hero. Not only because of what he did with his talents, or only because of his determination to achieve the goals he set for himself, but because of how he changed this world and the puppet world. And that is why Jim Henson is a hero.