Here Come the Skrumps!

Here Come the Skrumps!

The Jim Henson Company Launches Popular Collectible Toys as Animated Character Property

Exclusive Premiere on Yahoo! Kids

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jim Henson Company has acquired the rights to The Skrumps, the quirky artist-driven vinyl toys created by John Chandler and made popular by his line of collectible figures and illustrated storybooks. The Company plans to launch the property across all media including on-line content and television productions as well as ancillary platforms including merchandising and publishing. The announcement was made today by Lisa Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company.

The Skrumps, a uniquely colorful troupe of Skrumpland residents, have been in active development as part of the company's slate of animated television projects. The characters have been developed with puppeteers and performed using the Henson Digital Performance Studio, the Company's proprietary animation system that allows CG characters to be performed by puppeteers in real-time. A music video and additional web content has also been created. Beginning today, audiences can meet The Skrumps, send e-cards, download coloring pages and see the world premiere of their rock video, directed by Brian Henson, exclusively at Yahoo! Kids (www.yahookids.com) for a limited time.

The Company has included existing characters like drummer Skrumpy and has also extended the Skrumps family with new characters like lead singer Wishbone and his lovelorn groupie Raisins. Brian Henson, Lisa Henson, John Chandler and Craig Bartlett ("Hey, Arnold!") will executive produce and Bartlett will also be a writer on the project.

Lisa Henson said, "The Skrumps have a great new look that is very striking. Each character has its own quirky personality with a rich background and they all share strong relationships that feel quite real. In this way, The Skrumps demonstrate the very same qualities that have defined our company's strongest character groups. We are excited to realize these characters and introduce the world to Skrumpland."

John Chandler said, "When you create something like The Skrumps, you hope that people will see them in the same light as other beloved characters in popular culture. I couldn't be more pleased to see that The Skrumps have found a home at The Jim Henson Company."

About the Skrumps

* Wishbone (to see Wishbone's blog, visit www.yahookids.com) Wishbone is a dreamer, an optimist, a stargazer and a believer whose dream is to become a famous rock star with millions of adoring fans. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Grumblebelly with his best buddy Skrumpy and just squeezes by on the money he makes doing odd jobs. From the outside, it looks like Wishbone really has it all together, but on the inside he is always questioning the meaning of his life, searching for the answers and wondering what is beyond the next horizon.

* Skrumpy (to meet Skrumpy's blog, visit www.yahookids.com) Skrumpy is Wishbone's roommate and enjoys a cozy life under the wing of his charismatic buddy. Always feisty and ready for action, Skrumpy is ready to accompany Wishbone on his many adventures in life. He is a hard core rocker who drums in Wishbone's band and accepts no creative compromise. He is very loyal to Wishbone and willing to put up with any sort of adversity that may come their way. If Wishbone finds himself in a pickle, Skrumpy is always there to help. They are the perfect team.

* Raisins (to meet Raisins' blog, visit www.yahookids.com) Her name says it all. Raisins doesn't generate excitement; she is smart, sensible and helpful. She has a huge crush on Wishbone and is a bit of a tomboy, always wanting to tag along on Wishbone's many adventures. Her talents tend to go utterly unrecognized, but deep down inside, Wishbone knows that he would be lost without her.

About The Jim Henson Company ...

The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and computer graphics. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets (the rights to which are now owned by The Walt Disney Company), Henson is the recipient of over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Credits include the Saturn Award-winning "Farscape" and the features "MirrorMask", "Five Children and It" and "Good Boy!" With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot complete with soundstage and post-production facilities. The Company is also home to Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry's top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state of the art and vintage equipment. The Company recently launched "The Jim Henson Company's Puppet Up! - Uncensored", a live puppet improvisational show that has played to sold out crowds in Aspen, Hollywood and Edinburgh and premiered as a special on TBS. The Company also announced the creation of Jim Henson Designs, a merchandise collection inspired by Jim Henson's earliest sketches. The Jim Henson Company's website is located at: www.henson.com

Source: The Jim Henson Company

CONTACT: Nicole Goldman of The Jim Henson Company, +1-323-802-1608,
ngoldman@henson.com

Web site: http://www.henson.com/
http://www.yahookids.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST OR BY VISITING http://digital.ihenson.com/press_skrumps

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