I can't believe it's all coming to an end so soon. I'll miss this tl.
A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Jim Henson at Disney, 1980)
- Thread starter Geekhis Khan
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Oy, it ain't over. We just hit the 500-page limit and have to move it to Part 2.
exactly, or to quote buzz lightyear - to infinity and beyond (but in 500 page chunks)
Considering we haven't hear that he hasn't most likely that he has to a point.
Yeah, I was too young to remember those days in the U.S., but hey, at least we know that's something we can aspire to, both ITTL and OTL.
I mean..it did reach 500 pages in like a year, right? So yeah, it was pretty successful!
As always, I can't wait for Book 2, but I guess we won't have to wait for very long for that to happen!
I'm kinda hoping that you keep the name for Book 2, to be honest. It's a very iconic name for the TL and it'll be a shame if we have to drop AHiTHoM.
Sidenote, I was listening to Turn The World Around by Harry Belafonte (since he sang that during Jim Henson's funeral OTL), and I was really curious if we could get him to sing that ITTL, perhaps ironically doing it while at a ceremony dedicated to life and rebirth, such as EPCOT or even an ITTL Animal Kingdom.
Turn the World Around - Wikipedia
I literally cried when this clip played. We miss you, Jim Henson.
On a funnier note, this is exactly how I imagine Geekhis when he has to deal with every single guest writer in the TL, hahaha!
Did it start going downhill mid-Bush Jr or mid-Clinton? Seems pretty stable before then.
Hmmm....maybe that can be Book II's subtitle! A Hippie in the House of Mouse: Book II - Turn the World Around has a neat ring to it.
Certainly better than my suggestion
A Hippie in the House of Mouse- 2Hippie 2Mouse 😂
Considering this TL is a more optimistic look into pop culture and society as a whole, I kinda like it.
Like what Agumon said, it's certainly better than my suggestion which was "A Hippie in the House of Mouse: Book II - Disney Rules The Waves" but that's a bit too specific to DisneySea (and to mention a low blow since it's like I'm actively shilling for it).
All great naming suggestions! Nice Deep Cut on "Turn the World Around". But it is a new title entirely. I hope you like it. Find out what...tomorrow! (Resists temptation to link Annie).
Ok...sort of fail.
Ok...sort of fail.
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If this was a dark timeline, I'd call it "A Song of Mice and Frogs"...
Except then I tried to imagine an evil Jim Henson, and my brain short-circuited. 🤕
Except then I tried to imagine an evil Jim Henson, and my brain short-circuited. 🤕
All Praise the Arbitrary Page Limit! May its count be ever accurate!
Hang on....
Happy Trees to You (Until We Meet Again...)
[click on video]
Interior – Auditorium (black & white)
Low-pitched, menacing music plays. Politician DAN FIELDING silently speaks to a crowd, his face turning photonegative from the filters.
[“Skip Ad” clicked]
Interior – Small home office
Books and toys on shelves in the background. The Host sits up front, looking into the webcam towards the audience. He’s wearing a brown afro wig, a blue button-up shirt, and holding a paint brush. Jaunty public domain music plays.
(Image source Wikipedia)
Title Card: “Disney Underground” superimposes on screen.
Animated Sequence – Exterior – Walt Disney World
A crudely animated sequence of cut-out animation over 2D backgrounds shows Jim Henson and painter Bob Ross, their heads ridiculously oversized, at Walt Disney World. Ross is painting at an easel, the finished Happy Mountain painting magically appearing like a raster-printed image as Ross’s paint brush moves back and forth. Soft guitar jazz similar to, but legally distinct from, The Joy of Painting theme plays.
The lighting of the animation turns darker, as does the music. The Bob Ross figure slumps. The Henson figure tries to comfort him
Animated images of Annette and Walt Kowalski enter the image.
The Ross figures eyes bug out.
The Henson figure helps Ross up. He turns to a figure of Mickey, who briefly appears, but who then holds up his hands and shakes his head “no” before exiting.
The Henson figure removes a giant dollar bill of no obvious numerical denomination with a “ka-ching” sound and hands it to the Kowalskis, who take it and exit.
The lighting of the animation brightens, and the Ross figure (using fade-in techniques) paints a “Happy Tree” and its “friend” right over the animation itself.
Interior – Small home office
Returning to the host’s office.
[Return button hit]
The End of A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Book I of the Story of Jim Henson at Disney)
Continued in When you Wish Upon a Frog (Jim Henson at Disney Book II)
Click Link Below
[click image, silly]
[1] All of this is recounted in various sources, in particular Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed, and accusations have been made under oath by Ross’s son Steve and others. I make no personal claims to their accuracy or lack thereof. Consider this post to be rumors based upon these same accusations.
Interior – Auditorium (black & white)
Low-pitched, menacing music plays. Politician DAN FIELDING silently speaks to a crowd, his face turning photonegative from the filters.
Announcer
Representative Dan Fielding claims to be an American Patriot. But did you know that he put Russian dressing on his salad at last wee…
Representative Dan Fielding claims to be an American Patriot. But did you know that he put Russian dressing on his salad at last wee…
[“Skip Ad” clicked]
Interior – Small home office
Books and toys on shelves in the background. The Host sits up front, looking into the webcam towards the audience. He’s wearing a brown afro wig, a blue button-up shirt, and holding a paint brush. Jaunty public domain music plays.
(Image source Wikipedia)
Host
Okay, so, welcome again to Disney Underground, the channel where we dig deep into the history and mysteries of the Magic Kingdom!
Okay, so, welcome again to Disney Underground, the channel where we dig deep into the history and mysteries of the Magic Kingdom!
Title Card: “Disney Underground” superimposes on screen.
Host
And today we’re once again talking about Disney Legend Jim Henson, that little rascal! But we’re not going to talk about Disney, if you can believe it! Instead, we’ll be talking about Henson’s happy little collaborations with famous TV painter Bob Ross! So grab your two-inch brush and some phthalo blue and let’s tap-tap-tap another happy little video into existence!
And today we’re once again talking about Disney Legend Jim Henson, that little rascal! But we’re not going to talk about Disney, if you can believe it! Instead, we’ll be talking about Henson’s happy little collaborations with famous TV painter Bob Ross! So grab your two-inch brush and some phthalo blue and let’s tap-tap-tap another happy little video into existence!
Animated Sequence – Exterior – Walt Disney World
A crudely animated sequence of cut-out animation over 2D backgrounds shows Jim Henson and painter Bob Ross, their heads ridiculously oversized, at Walt Disney World. Ross is painting at an easel, the finished Happy Mountain painting magically appearing like a raster-printed image as Ross’s paint brush moves back and forth. Soft guitar jazz similar to, but legally distinct from, The Joy of Painting theme plays.
Host (V.O.)
If ever there were Horsemen of Wholesomeness, then Jim Henson and Bob Ross are surely two of them. Henson reportedly first met Ross in Walt Disney World during the first annual Disney Green Technology Symposium in 1991. Ross, who lived in Orlando and had a deep interest in preserving the natural world and its wildlife, arrived to support the event, even filming a special episode of The Joy of Painting there. Henson and Ross hit it off immediately with their shared values and comparable personalities. Ross even became a go-to speaker at future Disney environmental events.
If ever there were Horsemen of Wholesomeness, then Jim Henson and Bob Ross are surely two of them. Henson reportedly first met Ross in Walt Disney World during the first annual Disney Green Technology Symposium in 1991. Ross, who lived in Orlando and had a deep interest in preserving the natural world and its wildlife, arrived to support the event, even filming a special episode of The Joy of Painting there. Henson and Ross hit it off immediately with their shared values and comparable personalities. Ross even became a go-to speaker at future Disney environmental events.
The lighting of the animation turns darker, as does the music. The Bob Ross figure slumps. The Henson figure tries to comfort him
Host (V.O.)
But all was not Happy Trees and Friendly Clouds with Ross. His wife Jane died of cancer in 1992, and Ross himself was soon diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. But the situation was even more dire.
But all was not Happy Trees and Friendly Clouds with Ross. His wife Jane died of cancer in 1992, and Ross himself was soon diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. But the situation was even more dire.
Animated images of Annette and Walt Kowalski enter the image.
Host (V.O.)
Rumor has it that Ross was also experiencing growing pressure from his business partners, Annette and Walt Kowalski. Together, they had built an art empire, but the Kowalskis allegedly wanted more: they wanted the full rights to Ross’s own name and image!
Rumor has it that Ross was also experiencing growing pressure from his business partners, Annette and Walt Kowalski. Together, they had built an art empire, but the Kowalskis allegedly wanted more: they wanted the full rights to Ross’s own name and image!
The Ross figures eyes bug out.
Host (V.O.)
With Jane passed on, Ross was now outvoted two-to-one on business decisions for Bob Ross, Inc., and rumor has it that he told Henson that the Kowalskis were pressuring him day and night to relinquish control of his rights to them before he died[1].
With Jane passed on, Ross was now outvoted two-to-one on business decisions for Bob Ross, Inc., and rumor has it that he told Henson that the Kowalskis were pressuring him day and night to relinquish control of his rights to them before he died[1].
The Henson figure helps Ross up. He turns to a figure of Mickey, who briefly appears, but who then holds up his hands and shakes his head “no” before exiting.
Host (V.O.)
Henson reportedly then decided to act. He at first tried to convince the Disney Board to just buy up the rights to Bob Ross, Inc., from the Kowalskis, but they weren’t interested. So instead, Henson simply dug into his own deep pockets and bought out the rights to Bob Ross, Inc., himself! Some say under the threat of supporting the Ross family in a lawsuit as the alternative.
Henson reportedly then decided to act. He at first tried to convince the Disney Board to just buy up the rights to Bob Ross, Inc., from the Kowalskis, but they weren’t interested. So instead, Henson simply dug into his own deep pockets and bought out the rights to Bob Ross, Inc., himself! Some say under the threat of supporting the Ross family in a lawsuit as the alternative.
The Henson figure removes a giant dollar bill of no obvious numerical denomination with a “ka-ching” sound and hands it to the Kowalskis, who take it and exit.
Host (V.O.)
Suddenly, after giving the Kowalskis cash of an undisclosed amount rumored to be in the low millions, Jim Henson was the co-owner of Bob Ross, Inc., alongside Ross himself and worked out a profit-sharing deal for Ross and his family to assume the 51% majority share while he retained the 49% minority stake. Henson added his stake to his family’s private Henson Arts Holdings company, where it remains to this day.
Suddenly, after giving the Kowalskis cash of an undisclosed amount rumored to be in the low millions, Jim Henson was the co-owner of Bob Ross, Inc., alongside Ross himself and worked out a profit-sharing deal for Ross and his family to assume the 51% majority share while he retained the 49% minority stake. Henson added his stake to his family’s private Henson Arts Holdings company, where it remains to this day.
The lighting of the animation brightens, and the Ross figure (using fade-in techniques) paints a “Happy Tree” and its “friend” right over the animation itself.
Host (V.O.)
While Ross would soon tragically pass away in 1995, for his remaining few healthy years he helped produce a Disney Channel art show aimed at kids and made numerous guest appearances on other programs from Sesame Street and W.I.L.D. to Captain Planet. The Joy of Painting, now backed by Henson, continued on PBS stations before Ross retired in 1994 as his health declined. His various students and friends and family would rotate through as interim hosts, with even Henson himself hosting an episode and doing “not half bad” by the opinions of Steve Ross, even though he kept populating his “happy trees” with “happy little monsters” and other strange Hensonesque affectations. After a few years of rotating guest hosts, The Joy of Painting eventually found its current host, Sally Simons, in 2002, whose bubbly joie de vivre manages to remain a “worthy successor” in the eyes of most fans. Reruns of the Ross originals run to this day.
While Ross would soon tragically pass away in 1995, for his remaining few healthy years he helped produce a Disney Channel art show aimed at kids and made numerous guest appearances on other programs from Sesame Street and W.I.L.D. to Captain Planet. The Joy of Painting, now backed by Henson, continued on PBS stations before Ross retired in 1994 as his health declined. His various students and friends and family would rotate through as interim hosts, with even Henson himself hosting an episode and doing “not half bad” by the opinions of Steve Ross, even though he kept populating his “happy trees” with “happy little monsters” and other strange Hensonesque affectations. After a few years of rotating guest hosts, The Joy of Painting eventually found its current host, Sally Simons, in 2002, whose bubbly joie de vivre manages to remain a “worthy successor” in the eyes of most fans. Reruns of the Ross originals run to this day.
Interior – Small home office
Returning to the host’s office.
Host
The Henson and Ross families continue to manage the Bob Ross legacy to this day. Ross’s son Steve and step-son Jimmie Cox remain the principal Estate Managers, but reportedly rely heavily on the Henson Arts company’s administrators to manage day to day business affairs of what has become a multimillion dollar international company. The two have worked hard alongside Henson Arts to maintain Ross’s image and maintain the “high degree of quality” that he always insisted upon for products bearing his name, with much of the profits going to support environmental and nature conservationism. Travelling classes continue, often taught by Steve and Jimmie. Original Ross paintings from the “vault” are occasionally auctioned off for charitable causes. They even authorized the creation of a calm and friendly perm-haired squirrel-like Muppet named “Painter Ross” for Sesame Street, performed by Martin P. Robinson, who teaches children about things like color, shapes, and nature in a calm, smooth voice. And thus, Bob Ross lives on for the new generations, over two decades after he passed away. Social media direct viewing services to this day allow for fans to watch any classic episode at any time that a Happy Tree or Friendly Cloud is needed to brighten an otherwise dark day. And speaking of Friendly Clouds, whenever the not-so-friendly cloud of bathroom odor strikes, I always turn to today’s sponsor, Azby Gonne’s Air Freshener. Just one spra…
The Henson and Ross families continue to manage the Bob Ross legacy to this day. Ross’s son Steve and step-son Jimmie Cox remain the principal Estate Managers, but reportedly rely heavily on the Henson Arts company’s administrators to manage day to day business affairs of what has become a multimillion dollar international company. The two have worked hard alongside Henson Arts to maintain Ross’s image and maintain the “high degree of quality” that he always insisted upon for products bearing his name, with much of the profits going to support environmental and nature conservationism. Travelling classes continue, often taught by Steve and Jimmie. Original Ross paintings from the “vault” are occasionally auctioned off for charitable causes. They even authorized the creation of a calm and friendly perm-haired squirrel-like Muppet named “Painter Ross” for Sesame Street, performed by Martin P. Robinson, who teaches children about things like color, shapes, and nature in a calm, smooth voice. And thus, Bob Ross lives on for the new generations, over two decades after he passed away. Social media direct viewing services to this day allow for fans to watch any classic episode at any time that a Happy Tree or Friendly Cloud is needed to brighten an otherwise dark day. And speaking of Friendly Clouds, whenever the not-so-friendly cloud of bathroom odor strikes, I always turn to today’s sponsor, Azby Gonne’s Air Freshener. Just one spra…
[Return button hit]
The End of A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Book I of the Story of Jim Henson at Disney)
Continued in When you Wish Upon a Frog (Jim Henson at Disney Book II)
Click Link Below
[click image, silly]
[1] All of this is recounted in various sources, in particular Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed, and accusations have been made under oath by Ross’s son Steve and others. I make no personal claims to their accuracy or lack thereof. Consider this post to be rumors based upon these same accusations.
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Well, that's a pretty decent end to Book One. Its been great hanging out here. Amazing to see how Jim changed the course of Entertainment and the world, and how it grew and grew and grew. Same for me, how I went from another commenter to a co-writer of the project.
Good for Bob Ross.
It's a shame how his image is abused in OTL, imagine literally losing your name and image to someone else.
Something to look forward to in the near future.
I NEED TO SEE THIS!
I wonder if he used his actual Muppets or just generic fuzzy monsters.
No "Bob Ross" china pets or Funko Pops in this Timeline!
If Funko Pops ever become a thing here anyways.
The most unrealistic part of this post 😂
Everyone knows that Disney centric channels always have their sponsorship ads in the middle of the Video!
And what a glorious Book I it was!
I know you didn't plan for this post to be the last, but I think it's great how Book I starts with Jim trying to find a way to gain more creative freedom by entering a big cooperation and ends with a him using his own money to help someone retain their creative freedom from a big cooperation.
A happy little accident so to speak
Thanks @Geekhis Khan for this Timeline so far and see you on the flipside!
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Also sorry for double posting.
I'm just glad Bob got a happy little ending in life and death. Him on Captain Planet and Jim hosting Joy would be worth the D-Hopper. Thanks for that, @Geekhis Khan
So everyone, what does everyone wanna see in When you Wish Upon a Frog? Or your favourite part so far?
I'd love to see what Lisa Henson is doing at Fox for instance.
I'm just glad Bob got a happy little ending in life and death. Him on Captain Planet and Jim hosting Joy would be worth the D-Hopper. Thanks for that, @Geekhis Khan
So everyone, what does everyone wanna see in When you Wish Upon a Frog? Or your favourite part so far?
I'd love to see what Lisa Henson is doing at Fox for instance.
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