New Jersey Archives - Page 18 of 59

Judith Light is February’s Garden State Playmate

Posted on February 13, 2013 by sexyarmpit

“ANGELA!” In my head I can hear Tony Danza’s rough voice ascend into a higher register as he replies to his boss with some mildly comedic response. I grew up watching Who’s The Boss and Judith Light played the uptight, ’80s yuppie Angela Bower to perfection. There were times when I lost a dream or two, but I found the trail and at the end was February’s Garden State Playmate, Judith Light!

Born in Trenton, NJ, Judith Light was starring in TV shows well before she broke out with Who’s the Boss. In fact, all throughout the late ’70s and ’80s you could catch her on TV pretty much any day of the week. She appeared on One Life to Live, St. Elsewhere, Remington Steele, Kojak, and Family Ties.

One of her most well received performances was in the 1989 made-for-TV movie The Ryan White Story, about a 13 year old hemophiliac who contracted AIDS. In 1999, Light bravely took on the role in the off-Broadway show Wit where she shaved her head completely as she played a “literary academic dying of ovarian cancer” according to IMDB.

More recently, Light has appeared on Law and Order SVU, Ugly Betty, Nurse Jackie, and now you can catch her on one of my favorites…DALLAS! In the TNT reboot of the long running show, she plays Judith Ryland, the rotten and controlling mother (mother? really?) of the 2nd season’s villain.

*She attended St. Mary’s Hall in Burlington, NJ. (IMDB)

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments 73: The Bounty Hunter

Posted on February 11, 2013 by sexyarmpit

What I loved about the movie Hitch was Kevin James’ dance practice sequence. Unfortunately none of Kevin James comic relief was present in director Andy Tenant’s 2010 feature, The Bounty Hunter. With the supporting cast including the likes of comic actors such as Jason Sudeikis, Jeff Garlin, and Christine Baranski, it didn’t really make me laugh much. But luckily, it wasn’t as bad as Tenant’s 2008 movie, Fool’s Gold. But, since today is her birthday, I figured I’d post about a film starring Jennifer Aniston…and New Jersey!!!

Butler and Aniston in front of the Taj Mahal’s main escalators

There’s wacky hijinks galore as the former Friend plays Nicole Hurley, a reporter who is targeted by her ex-husband and bounty hunter Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler.) Hurley jumped bail and Milo is pursuing her in order to gain a big pay day. In the mean time we’re supposed to be on the edge of our seats to see if all this hot and heavy action will cause them to rekindle their romance.

A vibrant shot of The Atlantic City Expressway

Considering the abundance of New Jersey appearances, I still couldn’t bring myself to love this film. I definitely didn’t hate it either. It had some real potential to be a fun time, but it’s ulterior motive to be a rom-com is what keeps it from getting to the next level. It’s no surprise that I dozed off toward the end of the film, but I saw enough of it to make the assessment that it was steaming with mediocrity.

Butler does shine as Milo though. His snarky attitude and arrogant overtones work as a scoundrel, a Han Solo-type of guy. Butler brought Milo to life in a realistic way, but all gets weird when we see his macho bravado is all a front and he’s still actually in love with his ex-wife played by Jennifer Aniston. As Hurley, Aniston seems like she’d rather be sunbathing on some exotic beach getting photographed by hidden TMZ photographers. Even with that said, it’s hard not to like her…or LOVE her. Especially when she’s handcuffed to the bed. YUUUUP! That’s in the movie!

The film would like the viewer to believe that Monmouth Park Racetrack is in Atlantic City

If you’re familiar with Jersey and you’ve seen the film, you probably noticed that the horse racing scene took place at Monmouth Park. The sequence pulled me out of the film because it was made to seem as if the race track was actually in Atlantic City and a line in the film confirms it. It makes more sense to the viewer, after all, but the filmmakers probably assumed most viewers had no idea that the Monmouth Park race track is over 80 miles away from Atlantic City. That’s easily overlooked.

Making up for any of the negatives here are some gorgeous shots of A.C. In fact, The Bounty Hunter contains probably the best modern-day footage of the Atlantic City shoreline in movies. Most of the films I’ve covered here at The Sexy Armpit that have depicted A.C are much older and America’s playground was clearly nowhere near as impressive as it is now. If only Jersey had nicer weather year-round, A.C would be as big of a travel destination as Las Vegas. Look out for scenes in the Taj Mahal, the White House Sub Shop, the boardwalk, the A.C Expressway, and numerous mentions of The Borgata.

To Live and Train In New Jersey: Pure Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness by Nick “NJ” Holden

Posted on February 8, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Whether you’re a lover or a fighter you’ll enjoy Nick “N.J” Holden’s
blow by blow tale of his mixed martial arts training in the Garden State by, Andy Main,
a former competitor on UFC’s Ultimate Fighter

With the burgeoning of the fitness craze sweeping the nation, people are partaking in all forms of fitness beyond lifting things up and putting them down in a gym populated by sweat, B.O., and the hit parade playing on Pandora. More and more people are turning to a more intense fitness regiment offered by martial arts schools. Mixed martial arts is slowly becoming one of the top sports in the country, no thanks in part to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, and other various promotions. Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is different from other traditional sports in that it encompasses multiple disciplines, from wrestling and boxing to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and judo. Martial arts have always intrigued me, ever since Daniel La Russo won the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament in California, and inspired me to train in Okinawan karate under Sensei John Porta of Porta’s Karate-Do and Kobudo Academy in Pompton Lakes for ten years. But with my hormones and high school kicking ass in my teen years, I abandoned karate in pursuit of cross country, video games, and college. But after much debate, I decided to reenter the world of martial arts when I enrolled at AMA Fight Club in Whippany, NJ through a chance encounter with Andy Main, who at the time was a competitor on the UFC reality series The Ultimate Fighter. I became friends with Andy and Mikey, his younger brother, two instructors at AMA who have branched out and started their own martial arts school, PURE Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness. But Andy is quick to point out that PURE is not just your typical martial arts school.

“For mixed martial arts, whether it’s boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, etc., it’s important for the people coming in that they know they are learning from someone who’s done it, and for us, we have a following because of the experience.” Despite their youth, the Main brothers have extensive experience in the MMA field. Both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belts, their lineage can be traced back to the world famous Gracie family in Brazil. Andy is a professional fighter holding a 6-1-1 (as of this writing) record. He has trained in boxing under Teddy Lucio and Hall of Famer Louis Esa as well as Muay Thai under numerous coaches such as Mike Constantino and Kemail Verhoeven. Before he was old enough to drive, Mikey has been competing and winning championship belts and gold medals in grappling tournaments such as the No-Gi Pan Americans, the Abu Dhabi Regionals, and the Renzo Gracie Invitational. He also scored the fastest submission victory in his second MMA fight in December of last year and plans to make fighting more of a priority in the years to come. Mikey’s road hasn’t been easy, despite having an accomplished brother in the sport, but he feels that starting at an early age gave him an advantage over other competitors.
“I started competing when I was just 15 years old. Back then teen divisions were very rare, so I was often forced into adult divisions. Being 15 years old and fighting grown up men required me to evolve at a very fast pace which is why I believe I’ve had as much success as I’ve had thus far.” PURE, located in Denville, prides itself on not being a mere learning center, but instilling a lifestyle on its students. Mikey said, “My philosophy on BJJ is that it is not just a hobby, it is a way of life. BJJ changes a person’s physical appearance which reflects in all other areas in a person’s life. An improvement in a person’s physique makes them more confident in work, school, etc. Also the ability to defend yourself brings a person more confidence in their everyday life.”

PURE’s class schedule takes place six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, usually during the evening when people fight through the Garden State’s various gridlocks. The class schedule offers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (both gi and no gi, a gi being available to purchase at the school; additional gear can also be purchased there, such as hand wraps, gloves, etc.), fitness kickboxing, and striking/sparring; all classes are under the careful eye of the Main brothers, as explained by Mikey. “It is very rare to have two instructors teaching on the mat at all times. Basically our members are getting two for the price of one. Also, Andy and I are still active competitors and will be competing right alongside our students. Most instructors these days have retired from their competition career, but in my eyes, ours are just beginning. Also, we pay extremely close attention to our students’ progression. We do our best to be sure everyone is at the rank they rightfully should be.”

Andy’s take on PURE is this: “Right now, even though there are a lot of martial arts gyms in the area, there are zero gyms in the area that have a professional fighter as the head instructor…We are such strong believers in what we do, in the martial arts.” But both brothers have an equal hand in the day to day operations and are geared toward not capitalizing on a business opportunity, but to enlighten people on what Andy explains is more than just a school. “The goal is really to get people to really fall in love with the art and develop goals of their own, whether it’s to compete once, whether it’s to be a champion, whether it’s to fight once, to become an MMA fighter, whatever they want to do, it’s to be able to facilitate a career or just facilitate whatever the student needs in terms of good technique, good training, and the right mindset to reach those goals. And I think, and I believed this for a long time, that every single person is an individual. There are techniques that you learn that are universal, but everybody is going to do it a bit differently based on their body type, size, whatever. There’s going to be differences in every person that need to be catered to.” Both brothers have slightly different styles in terms of fighting and grappling, and both use that to better communicate with their students, a defining factor in their teaching philosophies. But one cannot deny that to train under both of these fighters is quite an experience, actually training with professional fighters who are interested in helping out their fellow man and woman. From personal experience, I have grown as both a student and as a person and have utilized as much as I have learned in my training in addition to adhering to some of their philosophies, something that I believe every person can use in his or her everyday life.

Since opening in October, PURE’s class enrollment has steadily grown thanks in part to the infectious and positive attitude that both brothers display to their students. They are courteous, friendly, and are always ready to share their knowledge of techniques and strategies to whoever is willing to learn. So, with that in mind, keep an eye out for PURE Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness located at 100 Ford Rd. in Denville, New Jersey and check out their website at www.puremixedmartialarts.com. This is Nick NJ reminding everyone that life is not just a journey, but a goddamn adventure!

Follow Nick on Twitter @exiledinNJ

TRANSFORMERS: Robots in New Jersey! Part 2 – The Meadowlands

Posted on January 27, 2013 by sexyarmpit

When you think of Transfomers, New Jersey more than likely DOESN’T pop into your head. But on the contrary, as I’ve detailed here at The Sexy Armpit in the past, there’s more reasons why it wouldn’t be totally crazy to mention Transformers and New Jersey in the same sentence. When I come across obscure NJ references, obviously it excites me, but when I find them in toys and comics that I loved as a kid in the ’80s, well that’s just even more awesome. Read about some more Transformers/NJ goodness.

a mysterious storm, an incredible creature, and it all begins in the swamps of Jersey

I really struck gold when reading the pages of Transformers #54 from July 1989. The story KING CON (clearly a King Kong ripoff) opens “somewhere in the swamps of New Jersey.” There’s some guys on the hunt for a “creature” that they claim the cops were too afraid to come check out. Keep in mind that we aren’t about to read a Jersey Devil story because he hangs out in the Pine Barrens and the Transformers visited the Pines before. You can read about that via this post.

You know how much those bears in the Ramapo Mountains like to

travel down to the Meadowlands and bathe in the sludge.

After several “creature” sightings at the Meadowlands, Cecilia Santiago, a reporter and host of New York Talks, decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate. There’s a bad lightning storm on the horizon and it’s intensity is increasing.

Meanwhile, in the Meadowlands, the Decepticons have constructed a new base under a garbage dump. Naturally, whenever building a villainous secret underground base in NJ, it MUST be under a garbage dump. Where else would it be? Their plan is to use a “storm maker” that they created to convert the energy that they harness from the storm and then by using a giant converter they will turn it into Energon cubes – the source of energy for all Transformers. Getting all this so far? And Megan Fox is nowhere to be found 🙁

While Cecilia the newswoman is nosing around with her camera crew in the Meadowlands swamps looking for the creature, she winds up getting taken hostage by the Decepticon Pretenders.

For those who aren’t up on their Transformers terms, this issue introduces the Micro Masters (smaller and more fuel efficient Transformers) and also features the Decepticon Pretenders. On the Transfomers Wiki, the Pretenders are defined as “Transformers fitted with special external armor shells that can disguise their very nature as robots.”

Iguanas, a big purple lizard looking Decepticon Pretender, is put in charge of running the cables from their equipment in the NJ swamp across the bottom of the Hudson River and connecting the final piece to the lightning rod at the top of the Empire State Building.

After escaping the clutches of the Decepticons, Cecilia hitches a ride with the Autobots (the good guys) and has to head into the Lincoln Tunnel to make it into Midtown Manhattan before the Decepticons destroy half of New York City. Notice that this was ages ago, back when the toll for the Lincoln Tunnel only cost $3 dollars. Today it’s $13 freaking dollars during peak times!

Other Transformers Links from The Sexy Armpit:

Transformers: Robots in New Jersey (Part 1 – Pine Barrens)

Why I traded Optimus Prime for Megan Fox

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.56: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Read More about this issue of Transformers via the Transformers Wiki:

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/King_Con!

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Iguanus_(G1)

Not Fade Away…Not Playing In A Theater Near You

Posted on January 24, 2013 by sexyarmpit

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFVNEPchV4Q?rel=0]

David Chase’s new film about a suburban New Jersey rock band in the 1960’s is currently in a limited release. It would seem that the chances of such a film rooted in the Garden State would be easy to catch at a local theater in Jersey, right? Nah. Why make it that easy for us? The film is already available for pre-order on Amazon so it looks like I’ll be waiting it out for a bit.

Something tells me HBO will eventually get a hold of this one and never let go. I’ll have it memorized by the end of the summer. But seriously, David Chase AND James Gandolfini together again? It’s a no brainer! Of course, a story of an aspiring rock band is far from The Sopranos. Despite a pretty shitty review on IMDB from reviewer, Clayton Davis, who claims it “doesn’t hold a candle to Cameron Crowe’s homage to music…” referring to Almost Famous, I’m still highly interested in seeing this.

*Although the film is set in New Jersey, much of it was filmed in Pearl River, NY.

The New Jersey Oscar Contender that Could Have Been…by N.J Holden

Posted on January 16, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Always on top of his game, our featured writer N.J Holden (@exiledinNJ) uncovers something you may not have known about Silver Linings Playbook.

When Matthew Quick’s debut novel Silver Linings Playbook was published in 2008, I’m sure few envisioned the multi-nominated film that would follow it in 2012. With a dynamite cast (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro) and a proven director (David O. Russell), it should have been a celebration of the Garden State since the book takes place there. But the film, like so many adaptations, deviated from the source material, most notably moving the characters and plot from New Jersey to Philadelphia. While audiences and the folks at the Academy Awards have applauded and nominated the film for five Oscars (including Best Picture of the Year), I think we should look at the book, a celebration of family, football, mental illness, and New Jersey.

Pat Peoples is a former history teacher who returns from an extended stay at a Baltimore mental hospital to his childhood home in Collingswood, New Jersey. With his wife, job, and home all gone, Pat is a broken man who believes in “silver linings”, or a series of positive beliefs that he holds true to in hopes of winning back his old life. Following a strenuous exercise regiment and reading his wife’s school reading list, Pat tries to rebuild his life while under the care of his emotionally drained mother and emotionally distant, Philadelphia Eagles-obsessed father. In addition, Pat forms an odd relationship with Tiffany, a disturbed person in her own right who blackmails Pat into a dance competition with the hopes of reuniting him with his wife. Pat must also endure his precarious mental state which is always on the verge of snapping, especially by that wicked musician who haunts doctor and dental offices all over…Kenny G! The novel alternates between drama and comedy, with Pat’s humorous attempts at adjusting to life outside the hospital and his dark, growing obsession with finding out why he lost it all, something that he blocked from his mind.

While the movie dealt with all of these issues in a more lighthearted, comedic way, Quick kept the focus on Pat and his quest for the happy ending that eluded him. In addition, the setting would make any native to NJ happy and proud, with its beautiful descriptions of towns and places that people south of Exit 130 on the GSP would recall. The book stays true to the spirit of the Garden State, embracing its quirkiness and tough attitude and love of food. Some have criticized the handling of mental illness; with Pat and Tiffany’s relationship being contrived since both of them are the only ones capable of understanding one another since they are disturbed. But the relationship is only a little bit of the novel, with a majority of it focused on Pat and his journey to a better life, however ludicrous or unrealistic it may seem. So before that day in February when we get to see who will take home a gold statue, be sure to give this book a read and remember that it could have been a celebrated New Jersey film…only if.

– N.J Holden

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.72: Gremlins 2

Posted on January 14, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Clamp Corner would make a great replacement for Xanadu at the Meadowlands

CLAMP: “…This is what I’ve been looking for.”
BILLY PELTZER: “You want to buy it?”
CLAMP: “No I want to build it…for my next project over in Jersey. This is terrific! This is what people want now, the traditional community thing…”

Since we’re in the new year, I bring you a moment from The New Batch. It just makes sense.

It seemed like a bit of a stretch for Warner Brothers and Amblin to pull another Gremlin out of their hat 6 years after the original was in theaters. According to the entry on Wikipedia, they held out until Joe Dante agreed to helm the sequel for them. To me, Dante rules – and not just because he’s a Jersey guy, but mainly because the majority of his work incorporates a few of my favorite things: horror, monsters, and comedy. 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch isn’t quite as incredible as the original, but it’s still so good and isn’t praised nearly enough.

One of other reasons why I enjoy Dante’s films is because he usually makes it abundantly clear that you’re watching a Joe Dante picture. His style oozes out of every frame and his go-to actors always show up (i.e Dick Miller.) Some of his other notable films include Piranha, The Explorers, and one of my all-time favorites The Burbs. The bulk of his films include elements of fantasy and the supernatural as well as throwbacks to old b-grade monster movies.

As much as I want to sing Gremlins 2’s praises, there’s a few things that keep me from fawning over. I love that it’s probably the most prototypical Joe Dante film ever, but I felt that he went slightly too self indulgent with it. It was really more of a straight up comedy, or cartoon come to life, rather than a horror film. The original Gremlins offered a nice balance of horror and dark humor, it was creepy and maintained a tense atmosphere once the Gremlins started showing up. With the Mogwai being such a mysterious and likable little character, it lent a bit of fantasy to the film as well. Once the sequel rolled around it became “how ridiculous could we make these little creatures?” The sequel brought an array of different Gremlins, too many actually. The best one out of all of them is Brain Gremlin. I would love to be friends with him in real life. I wouldn’t have fallen asleep in class if he was giving a lecture when I was in college.

Dante was given full creative control on the project. For a big studio film that’s usually unheard of. The plot was interesting and I think if it built up more of an eerie atmosphere and dropped a few of the gags, the film would have become a classic. Nowadays (even today in fact) you can pick up a DVD copy of Gremlins 2 for $5 bucks on Amazon.

Other aspects of the sequel really stand out. The cast was fantastic, including the often overlooked, Marla, played by future Garden State Playmate Haviland Morris. The film’s score is trumped up and more fun than it’s predecessor, but just as cool and creepy. The opening credits include a sweeping shot of New York City with the Twin Towers in all of their glory. According to IMDB, this happens to be stock footage from the opening of Superman IV.

Even with my minor complaints, Gremlins 2 is an absolute riot and simply a fun film to watch in a very cartoony way. To hit that concept home, Gizmo dances to Fats Domino and the movie even begins with an animated intro with Bugs and Daffy. The original is more serious and offered less slapstick and in-jokes, and I still hold that as my favorite of the two. The big difference is that we get a New Jersey reference in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, courtesy of the billionaire owner of Clamp Enterprises, Daniel Clamp himself.

*Joe Dante was born in Morristown and grew up in Parsippany, NJ.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 104: Fatman on Batman

Posted on January 8, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Today Only at ShirtPunch – FATMAN on BATMAN!

What’s the difference between a Podcast and a Smodcast? There’s one big difference – a Smodcast is featured on NJ icon Kevin Smith’s network of podcasts available on iTunes. One of them happens to be about one of my favorite subjects in the whole world.

You can hear Smith and a Batman related guest discuss all things Caped Crusader on Fatman on Batman. It’s incredibly satisfying to be able to listen to a podcast all about the nuances of my favorite hero hosted by a reputable source such as Jersey’s own Kevin Smith.

Adam West, Arleen Sorkin, and Kevin Conroy have all been guests on the show. I’ve listened to all the episodes so far and the best guest was Mark Hamill. Hamill has been the voice of the Joker since Batman: The Animated Series, and there’s no one more associated with the character than Hamill. This 2-parter was fascinating and if you’re interested in sampling this podcast – I suggest downloading this episode! Smith delves into all kinds of bat-details, so it’s perfect for Batman and Kevin Smith fans alike.

5 Things I’m Looking Forward to in 2013

Posted on January 4, 2013 by sexyarmpit

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmCib1fgC8?rel=0]

5. Scarlett Johansson on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Cats? Hot tin roof? Not so much. Scarlett. Johansson. Yes. Please. http://www.catonahottinroofbroadway.com

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDN3mAdv6rQ?rel=0]

4. Miss Sexy Armpit and I missed American Idiot during it’s Broadway run so we’re going to check it out at The State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.

American Idiot
January 29th – 30th
The State Theatre
New Brunswick, NJ

3. MOVIES!!! – Hipsters will have shit to say about this, but I’m looking forward to Oz the Great and Powerful, Man of Steel, This is the End, and yes…The Lone Ranger. Hopefully I’ll be seeing a couple of these in IMAX!!!

2. Wrestlemania 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The entire week leading up to April 7th will be filled with festivities such as the WWE Hall of Fame, WWE Fan Axxess, AND Monday Night Raw…all taking place in NJ and NY!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GpAEhXAmDs?rel=0]

1. As far as I know there’s no official date other than “Late 2013,” but…CASTLE GRAYSKULL! If you pre-ordered the most ambitious release from Matty Collector EVER, then you’re in for a treat toward the end of the year! I personally cannot wait.

The Muppet Babies: Bunsen in Menlo Park

Posted on January 3, 2013 by sexyarmpit

Muppet Baby Dr. Bunsen Honeydew in Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory (scan courtesy of Muppet Wiki) as seen in the 1993 coloring book: The Muppet Babies Visit The 50 States. Thomas Edison is credited with creating the first industrial research lab in Menlo Park, NJ as well as gaining the patent for his advanced version of the light bulb in the U.S.

An animated TV show based on The Muppets sort of defeated the purpose. The magic of the Henson brand of puppetry was what made his characters come alive and leave such an impression on the world. Although they are pieces of felt and feathers, The Muppet characters always seemed to be more charismatic than other random puppets controlled by human hands. Each Muppet’s personality was defined by their voices, their little specific gestures, and subtle nuances. Did the Muppet Babies take that all away?

Sure there’s been famous ventriloquists and comedians, but The Muppets are in class of their own. Animating them into a 2-D children’s cartoon may not have seemed like the most grand idea for a bunch of puppets who previously had their own real-life variety show. Deciding to make them regress to Muppet Babies was an idea that was conceived in one of their live action films and remains way cooler looking ’til this day.

The comparison can be seen in the short sequence of The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) when we first see the Muppets when they were babies. Using actual puppetry and effects, I always find this part of the film the most fascinating, and much more vivd and surreal than the animated show turned out. I’m sure it was cheaper to make an animated show rather than having to use actual puppeteers. The live action Muppet Babies can also be seen in the holiday special, The Muppet Family Christmas.

Aside from their regression to toddler age and their transformation to 2-D animation, Muppet Babies was a huge success. It’s 8 season TV run is highlighted by winning four consecutive Daytime Emmy’s.

As a kid, I loved watching The Muppet Show and Muppet Babies when it hit the airwaves. But, by 1993, Muppet Babies wasn’t even a blip on my radar, but many kids around the world were discovering it for the first time. Although the show ended in 1991, two years later, merch featuring the characters was still being sold, which indicated that the property was still viable with children. During the ’90s the show enjoyed long syndication runs on channels like Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and Toon Disney among others. Throughout the mega crazes of Batman and Ninja Turtles, Muppet Babies stuck around for a while. The Muppets Babies had McDonald’s tie-ins and comic books as well as a slew of other collectibles.

In 1993, a coloring book called The Muppet Babies Visit The 50 States was released. It depicted all the Muppet Babies – each in different states across America. You can read more about this coloring book via this link at the Muppet Wiki. By far the most awesome entry is Animal at the top top top top… of the Empire State Building in New York City. Which one was your favorite?