In July Marvel Comics is launching Disney Muppets Presents: Meet the Muppets, a 96-page giant-size (8” x 10.75”) comic featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy and the rest of the gang in stories written and drawn by Roger Langridge (Thor: The Mighty Avenger). Langridge is clearly the most complete and gifted comics creator to work on The Muppets property, and with any luck Marvel will find some success with this release and keep him on the title. The content of this first Marvel/Disney Muppets release appears to be the Harvey Award-winning stories Langridge created for Boom! Studios Muppets comics.
Marvel EIC Axel Alonso noted that “Marvel will insure that Disney Muppets Presents will be available at all retail segments for its cross-generational fan base.”
After many fits and starts, it is apparent that Disney is intent on reviving The Muppets property. The seventh theatrically-released film featuring Jim Henson’s puppet creations, The Muppets, which was written by Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Nicholas Stoller, will be released on November 23rd, 2011. Segel also stars in the new film, which is directed by James Bobin. As the New York Times reports, the new Muppet Movie will be the beneficiary of an outpouring of support from performers of several generations in Hollywood. The list of cameo performances in the new film, which includes Ricky Gervais, Emily Blunt, Zach Galifianakis, Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, James Carville, Judd Hersh, and Selena Gomez, is truly impressive.
Although Marvel has not indicated the frequency of its Muppet comics releases, or even if there will be additional issues, it is likely that Marvel/Disney will take advantage of the opportunity provided by the release of The Muppets movie and publish more Muppet comics later this year.
