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Jim Henson's Tale of Sand
Join us as we explore this missing piece of Jim Henson's career in a celebration of his creative process. Discovered in the Archives of the The Jim Henson Company, A Tale of Sand is an original graphic novel adaptation of an unproduced, feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson and his frequent writing partner, Jerry Juhl. A Tale of Sand follows scruffy everyman, Mac, who wakes up in an unfamiliar town, and is chased across the desert of the American Southwest by all manners of man and beast of unimaginable proportions. Produced with the complete blessing of Lisa Henson, A Tale of Sand will allow Henson fans to recognize some of the inspirations and set pieces that appeared in later Henson Company productions.
153 pages, Hardcover
First published December 14, 2011
26 people are currently reading
2480 people want to read
About the author
Jim Henson
183 books382 followersJim Henson was an American puppeteer, filmmaker, and creative visionary whose influence on television, film, and puppetry reshaped the world of entertainment. Best known as the creator of the Muppets, Henson blended humor, whimsy, and heart in ways that captivated both children and adults. His work spanned television, feature films, and innovative storytelling formats, and he is remembered as a pioneer whose imagination opened new artistic frontiers.
Born James Maury Henson in 1936 in Mississippi and raised in Maryland, Henson showed an early interest in art, puppetry, and television. While attending the University of Maryland, he created “Sam and Friends,” a five-minute TV show that introduced audiences to a lizard-like puppet named Kermit, a character that would later evolve into the world-famous Kermit the Frog. The show was the beginning of a lifelong partnership between Henson and his future wife, Jane Nebel, who co-performed and co-developed early puppet characters.
In 1958, the couple founded Muppets, Inc., which would grow into The Jim Henson Company. Henson's innovative approach to puppetry transformed the field. He used flexible foam, fabric, and expressive hand movements to create puppets that could convey real emotion—characters that connected with audiences in a way few had seen before. He also redefined the way puppets were filmed, using monitors and unique camera angles to make them more lifelike and engaging.
Henson’s career reached a new height in 1969 when he joined the creative team behind “Sesame Street.” There, he created and performed many of the show’s iconic characters, including Ernie, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch. His work on “Sesame Street” helped the show become a global educational phenomenon, blending entertainment with learning for millions of children worldwide. Henson’s belief that television could be both entertaining and educational guided much of his creative output.
Despite his success with “Sesame Street,” Henson was eager to prove that puppetry could be more than just a children’s medium. After years of rejection, he finally launched “The Muppet Show” in 1976, a comedy-variety series starring a troupe of eccentric puppet performers led by Kermit the Frog. The show became an international hit, attracting celebrity guest stars and earning critical acclaim. It ran for five seasons and led to several successful theatrical films, including “The Muppet Movie” (1979), “The Great Muppet Caper” (1981), and “The Muppets Take Manhattan” (1984).
Henson’s ambition and imagination were not limited to the Muppets. In the 1980s, he began developing darker, more complex fantasy worlds. He co-directed and co-wrote “The Dark Crystal” (1982), a visually groundbreaking film that created an entirely original mythology. In 1986, he directed “Labyrinth,” starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, a film that combined puppetry, music, and elaborate set design. Though not initially successful at the box office, “Labyrinth” became a cult classic and remains beloved today.
Henson also created “Fraggle Rock,” a musical fantasy series that addressed themes like cooperation, identity, and environmental stewardship. With “The StoryTeller,” he brought European folk tales to life using an artful blend of live action and puppetry. Both shows showcased his continued desire to experiment with format and content, always pushing boundaries and exploring new artistic territory.
Jim Henson died unexpectedly in 1990 from a sudden bacterial infection, just as he was in talks to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company. His death shocked the entertainment world, but his legacy endured. Through The Jim Henson Company and The Jim Henson Foundation, his commitment to puppetry, innovation, and creative storytelling continues to thrive.
More than three decades after his passing, Jim Henson’s characters still inspire wonder and joy. He believed in the power of imagination to chang
Born James Maury Henson in 1936 in Mississippi and raised in Maryland, Henson showed an early interest in art, puppetry, and television. While attending the University of Maryland, he created “Sam and Friends,” a five-minute TV show that introduced audiences to a lizard-like puppet named Kermit, a character that would later evolve into the world-famous Kermit the Frog. The show was the beginning of a lifelong partnership between Henson and his future wife, Jane Nebel, who co-performed and co-developed early puppet characters.
In 1958, the couple founded Muppets, Inc., which would grow into The Jim Henson Company. Henson's innovative approach to puppetry transformed the field. He used flexible foam, fabric, and expressive hand movements to create puppets that could convey real emotion—characters that connected with audiences in a way few had seen before. He also redefined the way puppets were filmed, using monitors and unique camera angles to make them more lifelike and engaging.
Henson’s career reached a new height in 1969 when he joined the creative team behind “Sesame Street.” There, he created and performed many of the show’s iconic characters, including Ernie, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch. His work on “Sesame Street” helped the show become a global educational phenomenon, blending entertainment with learning for millions of children worldwide. Henson’s belief that television could be both entertaining and educational guided much of his creative output.
Despite his success with “Sesame Street,” Henson was eager to prove that puppetry could be more than just a children’s medium. After years of rejection, he finally launched “The Muppet Show” in 1976, a comedy-variety series starring a troupe of eccentric puppet performers led by Kermit the Frog. The show became an international hit, attracting celebrity guest stars and earning critical acclaim. It ran for five seasons and led to several successful theatrical films, including “The Muppet Movie” (1979), “The Great Muppet Caper” (1981), and “The Muppets Take Manhattan” (1984).
Henson’s ambition and imagination were not limited to the Muppets. In the 1980s, he began developing darker, more complex fantasy worlds. He co-directed and co-wrote “The Dark Crystal” (1982), a visually groundbreaking film that created an entirely original mythology. In 1986, he directed “Labyrinth,” starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, a film that combined puppetry, music, and elaborate set design. Though not initially successful at the box office, “Labyrinth” became a cult classic and remains beloved today.
Henson also created “Fraggle Rock,” a musical fantasy series that addressed themes like cooperation, identity, and environmental stewardship. With “The StoryTeller,” he brought European folk tales to life using an artful blend of live action and puppetry. Both shows showcased his continued desire to experiment with format and content, always pushing boundaries and exploring new artistic territory.
Jim Henson died unexpectedly in 1990 from a sudden bacterial infection, just as he was in talks to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company. His death shocked the entertainment world, but his legacy endured. Through The Jim Henson Company and The Jim Henson Foundation, his commitment to puppetry, innovation, and creative storytelling continues to thrive.
More than three decades after his passing, Jim Henson’s characters still inspire wonder and joy. He believed in the power of imagination to chang
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 538 reviews
September 7, 2015
I bought this a couple years ago when it came out, and only now have managed to get around to reading it.
It's a comic adaptation of a screenplay that Jim Henson worked on in the late 60's and early seventies. A project that he left behind as Sesame Street and the Muppet Show took more and more of his time.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. But I should mention that I enjoyed it primarily as a heretofore lost piece of Jim Henson's storytelling. If I had read this as a straight-up indie comic... I probably would have enjoyed it at about a three-star level. Nostalgia about Henson bumps it up an extra star.
What keeps it from being five-star? Well.... the story mostly. I found it more interesting than enjoyable. More surreal than symbolic.
The art, in my opinion, is masterfully done. And I was surprised to see that I knew the artist from a webcomic I used to read called Butternut Squash.
http://www.butternutsquash.net/2003/0...
I think he did a great job, especially considering the huge amount of pressure involved.
So. Is it worth your time? I'll give a qualified "yes."
In my opinion, this is a comic for people who like Indie comics, Surreal/non-linear stories, and Jim Henson.
If you're into one of those things, there's something for you here. If you like two of them, odds are pretty good you'll like it.
If you dig all THREE of those, then this is pretty much made for you....
It's a comic adaptation of a screenplay that Jim Henson worked on in the late 60's and early seventies. A project that he left behind as Sesame Street and the Muppet Show took more and more of his time.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. But I should mention that I enjoyed it primarily as a heretofore lost piece of Jim Henson's storytelling. If I had read this as a straight-up indie comic... I probably would have enjoyed it at about a three-star level. Nostalgia about Henson bumps it up an extra star.
What keeps it from being five-star? Well.... the story mostly. I found it more interesting than enjoyable. More surreal than symbolic.
The art, in my opinion, is masterfully done. And I was surprised to see that I knew the artist from a webcomic I used to read called Butternut Squash.
http://www.butternutsquash.net/2003/0...
I think he did a great job, especially considering the huge amount of pressure involved.
So. Is it worth your time? I'll give a qualified "yes."
In my opinion, this is a comic for people who like Indie comics, Surreal/non-linear stories, and Jim Henson.
If you're into one of those things, there's something for you here. If you like two of them, odds are pretty good you'll like it.
If you dig all THREE of those, then this is pretty much made for you....
July 10, 2015
Prior to reading A Tale of Sand, my knowledge of Jim Henson began and ended with The Muppets. It turns out that before he made his name with that show he was an avant-garde filmmaker who produced a couple of award-winning short films, Time Piece and The Cube, before writing the script for a feature, A Tale of Sand, with his collaborator Jerry Juhl.
The screenplay was never produced despite numerous revisions and the script lay hidden in Henson’s many belongings for years after his death. Then it was rediscovered and artist Ramon Perez was commissioned to adapt the script into a comic - and here we are!
On the surface, A Tale of Sand is a surrealist piece about a man running from another man wearing an eye-patch and a Van Dyke who seemingly wants to kill him. Why, we don’t know, but forward motion is everything and the man runs from the other across a desert. It’s also nearly a silent comic with dialogue appearing sporadically - the visuals inform the reader’s perception of the story.
The first time I read this, I wasn’t that impressed. It was kooky, weird, arty - whatever. Then I re-read it the next day and… oooh! I get it! Yeah, ok that’s clever! There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface here. Readers who think about what’s happening symbolically rather than literally - this is surrealism, guys! - will get the most out of it. And Perez’s art, with Ian Herring’s colours, is outstanding. It’s definitely an interesting comic that’s worth checking out.
Ok, spoilers here on out because I’m gonna talk about what I think the comic is trying to say.
A Tale of Sand is a metaphorical expression of the film-making/creative process as experienced by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl.
The man - some reviewers are calling him “Mac” but I’ve read this twice and I don’t recall him actually being named - is at a party seemingly being thrown for him (that’s how the film business is represented).
The sheriff (or studio head) in charge of the town (or studio), gives the man a cigarette (or opportunity/film) and tells him to run (make the movie) and they’ll give him a ten minute head start before they come after him (meaning at the start of filming, he’ll have full control, but that’ll change as the production moves on).
The sheriff tells him “If you don’t panic, you have a real chance of making it” which is self-explanatory and then also says “Don’t trust the map”. This is after pointing to a location on it that he should be running towards, meaning the script is apt to change while he’s running (or shooting the film).
The man starts off with an array of objects: a giant key (representing the initial idea), a bunch of flowers, a bag, and assorted items (the other ideas to go into the movie). Slowly, over the course of his journey (or production) he loses them all, either through compromise or he realises they just won’t work. The oddities and pitfalls he encounters throughout the desert are the metaphorical dangers any production faces.
Throughout the comic, there are references to the variety you’ll see in Hollywood studios - a football team and a group of stereotypical Arabs appear and try to capture the man - and there’s a nod to the way being a director makes you god of a small world (the way the man can flick a switch on a rock and make the world dark or light). Perceptions of time, space and beauty can be warped - the magic of film - so it’s not all bad and there are moments of wonder and pleasure dotted here and there.
There are two-faced backstabbers who’ll pretend to be your friend and throw you to the wolves, lovers who’ll drop you when you’re down, and there’s always another director waiting in the wings to take over the production from you at the first sign of trouble - or un-co-operation. The man repeatedly tries to have his cigarette lit (take his opportunity, find satisfaction with his project, realise his ideas) but repeatedly fails through outside interference (the studio stepping in).
Ultimately the man with the eye patch and the Van Dyke reveals himself to be the man himself, meaning your own worst enemy is yourself, and the woman turns out to be the man as well, meaning the stories we pretend to tell about other people are really stories about ourselves. That first bit is a bit corny but it fits in with the overall theme of the book.
Eventually the man gets to light his cigarette and enjoy it, the party is in full swing once again, the sheriff welcomes him back. The shoot is complete so now post-production begins - a whole new nightmare!
When reading surrealistic stories, never accept them at face value and instead think about what the author(s) are trying to convey. Taking this story literally stops you from enjoying the pleasure of interpretation and thought that is the flipside of reading. Yes, stories are there to primarily entertain, but aren’t they made better with audience participation? And interpretation is at the heart of A Tale of Sand, a story begun with Henson and Juhl with their own vision, adapted by Perez who gave it his own spin, and then presented to the audience for their own ideas. And while I think this is about Henson/Juhl’s feelings about the film business, that’s just my interpretation. Other readers could find different themes in it – it’s all valid!
In the preface, Henson calls this a surrealist comedy-drama and the only real failing is the total lack of comedy in the script. I’m not sure where the comedy was unless it was absurdist nature of the imagery alone. You can’t really critique this as not having any real characters or story because it’s not really aiming for those things - different comics aspire to different effects.
Ramon Perez’s art can’t be understated - it’s easily the selling point of this comic despite Henson being the name everyone will recognise. It’s fluid, flowing, beautiful, whimsical, and a hundred other words that don’t quite do it justice. Couple that with Ian Herring’s perfect colours and it’s easy to see why Marvel hired them as the art team for Jeff Lemire’s All-New Hawkeye, a title now synonymous with great art thanks to David Aja and his art team’s work. And they’re certainly up to the standard set by Aja/Matt Hollingsworth too!
So long as you enjoy surrealistic flights of fancy that’ll ask you to meet it halfway because it won’t tell you exactly what it’s about itself, you’ll get a lot out of A Tale of Sand. The script reveals Jim Henson as a deeper, more creatively complex artist than the one who found success with a frog puppet called Kermit. It is a quick read but that doesn’t mean it should be as quickly considered.
The screenplay was never produced despite numerous revisions and the script lay hidden in Henson’s many belongings for years after his death. Then it was rediscovered and artist Ramon Perez was commissioned to adapt the script into a comic - and here we are!
On the surface, A Tale of Sand is a surrealist piece about a man running from another man wearing an eye-patch and a Van Dyke who seemingly wants to kill him. Why, we don’t know, but forward motion is everything and the man runs from the other across a desert. It’s also nearly a silent comic with dialogue appearing sporadically - the visuals inform the reader’s perception of the story.
The first time I read this, I wasn’t that impressed. It was kooky, weird, arty - whatever. Then I re-read it the next day and… oooh! I get it! Yeah, ok that’s clever! There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface here. Readers who think about what’s happening symbolically rather than literally - this is surrealism, guys! - will get the most out of it. And Perez’s art, with Ian Herring’s colours, is outstanding. It’s definitely an interesting comic that’s worth checking out.
Ok, spoilers here on out because I’m gonna talk about what I think the comic is trying to say.
A Tale of Sand is a metaphorical expression of the film-making/creative process as experienced by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl.
The man - some reviewers are calling him “Mac” but I’ve read this twice and I don’t recall him actually being named - is at a party seemingly being thrown for him (that’s how the film business is represented).
The sheriff (or studio head) in charge of the town (or studio), gives the man a cigarette (or opportunity/film) and tells him to run (make the movie) and they’ll give him a ten minute head start before they come after him (meaning at the start of filming, he’ll have full control, but that’ll change as the production moves on).
The sheriff tells him “If you don’t panic, you have a real chance of making it” which is self-explanatory and then also says “Don’t trust the map”. This is after pointing to a location on it that he should be running towards, meaning the script is apt to change while he’s running (or shooting the film).
The man starts off with an array of objects: a giant key (representing the initial idea), a bunch of flowers, a bag, and assorted items (the other ideas to go into the movie). Slowly, over the course of his journey (or production) he loses them all, either through compromise or he realises they just won’t work. The oddities and pitfalls he encounters throughout the desert are the metaphorical dangers any production faces.
Throughout the comic, there are references to the variety you’ll see in Hollywood studios - a football team and a group of stereotypical Arabs appear and try to capture the man - and there’s a nod to the way being a director makes you god of a small world (the way the man can flick a switch on a rock and make the world dark or light). Perceptions of time, space and beauty can be warped - the magic of film - so it’s not all bad and there are moments of wonder and pleasure dotted here and there.
There are two-faced backstabbers who’ll pretend to be your friend and throw you to the wolves, lovers who’ll drop you when you’re down, and there’s always another director waiting in the wings to take over the production from you at the first sign of trouble - or un-co-operation. The man repeatedly tries to have his cigarette lit (take his opportunity, find satisfaction with his project, realise his ideas) but repeatedly fails through outside interference (the studio stepping in).
Ultimately the man with the eye patch and the Van Dyke reveals himself to be the man himself, meaning your own worst enemy is yourself, and the woman turns out to be the man as well, meaning the stories we pretend to tell about other people are really stories about ourselves. That first bit is a bit corny but it fits in with the overall theme of the book.
Eventually the man gets to light his cigarette and enjoy it, the party is in full swing once again, the sheriff welcomes him back. The shoot is complete so now post-production begins - a whole new nightmare!
When reading surrealistic stories, never accept them at face value and instead think about what the author(s) are trying to convey. Taking this story literally stops you from enjoying the pleasure of interpretation and thought that is the flipside of reading. Yes, stories are there to primarily entertain, but aren’t they made better with audience participation? And interpretation is at the heart of A Tale of Sand, a story begun with Henson and Juhl with their own vision, adapted by Perez who gave it his own spin, and then presented to the audience for their own ideas. And while I think this is about Henson/Juhl’s feelings about the film business, that’s just my interpretation. Other readers could find different themes in it – it’s all valid!
In the preface, Henson calls this a surrealist comedy-drama and the only real failing is the total lack of comedy in the script. I’m not sure where the comedy was unless it was absurdist nature of the imagery alone. You can’t really critique this as not having any real characters or story because it’s not really aiming for those things - different comics aspire to different effects.
Ramon Perez’s art can’t be understated - it’s easily the selling point of this comic despite Henson being the name everyone will recognise. It’s fluid, flowing, beautiful, whimsical, and a hundred other words that don’t quite do it justice. Couple that with Ian Herring’s perfect colours and it’s easy to see why Marvel hired them as the art team for Jeff Lemire’s All-New Hawkeye, a title now synonymous with great art thanks to David Aja and his art team’s work. And they’re certainly up to the standard set by Aja/Matt Hollingsworth too!
So long as you enjoy surrealistic flights of fancy that’ll ask you to meet it halfway because it won’t tell you exactly what it’s about itself, you’ll get a lot out of A Tale of Sand. The script reveals Jim Henson as a deeper, more creatively complex artist than the one who found success with a frog puppet called Kermit. It is a quick read but that doesn’t mean it should be as quickly considered.
April 22, 2025
Um livro quase sem texto, com um average Joe caído lá de paraquedas, que passa por todo o tipo de situações perigosas, numa espécie de jogo de PC, só que com cores mais fixes e sem o barulho das explosões.
Uma grande viagem na maionese para uns, um rasgo de genialidade para outros. Para mim, algo mesmo fora do que estou acostumada em termos de BD, já que me costumo focar mais nas letras e não nas imagens.
Uma grande viagem na maionese para uns, um rasgo de genialidade para outros. Para mim, algo mesmo fora do que estou acostumada em termos de BD, já que me costumo focar mais nas letras e não nas imagens.
March 15, 2024
I think each time I pick this book up and read it - if that is the way to describe it as to be honest there are very few works - which ironically I think actually works for this story - that each time I spot something different - if its a character or a piece of scenery or even sequence of actions there is always something different to see. I guess ultimately showing the genius of Jim Henson but also the time he took perfecting this book time and time again re-writing it. Some books have the ability to entertain as much of subsequent reads as much as the very first and this book certainly stands up to that testament for me
This was a truly strange book - I had never heard of it, in fact it was a total surprise when I read about it in the back of the Archaia press printing of Labyrinth.
That said what I read about it totally gripped me - a lost manuscript of a project abandoned by Jim Henson in his early days in favour of following the path that led to his famous (and I assume fortune he amassed in his career before his untimely death) films and shows
Not only that but the manuscript has been revitalised and illustrated by X men luminary Ramon K Perez to make a stylish and fascinating book which exudes mystery and to be honest epitomises the creativity and skill that we so took for granted.
The book itself does not give anything away, it dives straight in to the storyline and to be honest it does make you the work for - but not before long the pace picks up to the extent that who knows what is going on but more importantly who cares its all just too much fun.
I am really glad that I found this and it comes highly recommended and rather like the work of shaun Tan - even with so few words being used their is so much is conveyed.
This was a truly strange book - I had never heard of it, in fact it was a total surprise when I read about it in the back of the Archaia press printing of Labyrinth.
That said what I read about it totally gripped me - a lost manuscript of a project abandoned by Jim Henson in his early days in favour of following the path that led to his famous (and I assume fortune he amassed in his career before his untimely death) films and shows
Not only that but the manuscript has been revitalised and illustrated by X men luminary Ramon K Perez to make a stylish and fascinating book which exudes mystery and to be honest epitomises the creativity and skill that we so took for granted.
The book itself does not give anything away, it dives straight in to the storyline and to be honest it does make you the work for - but not before long the pace picks up to the extent that who knows what is going on but more importantly who cares its all just too much fun.
I am really glad that I found this and it comes highly recommended and rather like the work of shaun Tan - even with so few words being used their is so much is conveyed.
April 14, 2012
I’ve heard great things about Jim Henson’s lost story, Tale of Sand. I read a few rave reviews and couldn’t wait to check it out for myself.
I came to the story expecting something akin to Jim Henson classics like Dark Crystal or Labyrinth, but for an adult audience. Well, was I in for a surprise.
I’m not even sure where to begin. For one, the story is actually a collaboration between Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl. It’s based off of a script they wrote years before Sesame Street and The Muppet Show made Jim Henson a household name. It seems they had difficulty getting funding to turn the script into a film and so it was put aside so that Jim and Jerry could concentrate on other projects.
Fast-forward about forty years to when an archivist unearthed three drafts of the script for Tale of Sand. Knowing they had a potential goldmine on their hands, Henson’s people decided to turn the script into a graphic novel. Enter Ramon Perez, the artist selected to helm the project.
So, it’s a bit misleading to call the book Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (as shown in the full title on the cover and spine). But Jerry and Ramon are placed prominently on the cover, so I guess it’s alright.
Okay, now on to the story. But… that’s where I got stuck. It wasn’t until I was about four pages into the novel that I realized the story had begun. I thought I was just looking at some conceptual art or a montage of images. So I went back a few pages and actually paid attention to what was on each page and was still a bit clueless about what was going on. I kept going anyway and by the time the first bit of dialogue appeared, I kinda figured out what happened. Kinda. Like, really, just kinda.
You see, this tale is shiftless as piles of sand. There is nothing concrete, nothing that makes sense, except that you’ll never know what is going to happen next. In fact, you’ll never know why any of it is happening at all. The main character, Mac, is on a mad dash through the desert with reasons unknown to him and the reader. In this desert, anyone can be anything. One moment a blonde bombshell is lounging by the pool, the next she is a top earner in an Old West brothel. A mysterious villain appears and he stays mysterious throughout the rest of the story. His motives are never stated, and the only motive we have for Mac is that someone told him to run so he did.
But what I like about the story is that the stuff that does make sense really has an absurd logic to it. Mac pulls out a stop sign in the middle of the desert and a car pulls up and stops right in front of him. When he plays a record of sound effects, he is suddenly surrounded by exploding bombs and the cavalry comes rushing in.
The scene that really let me know what the story was about was when Mac meets a batty drunkard who says one thing and then always does the opposite. He is unpredictable and untrustworthy, playing both sides for kicks, and having a good time while doing it. I think that’s what this story is aiming for: just having fun with the unexpected and going wherever it takes you.
I can’t imagine this story ever making it onto film. I think Henson’s people made the right choice by turning it into a graphic novel and Perez did an excellent job bringing this wacky tale to life. In the hands of a lesser skilled artist, this tale would have floundered and could have been an unintelligible mess. Dialogue is very minimal–half a dozen pages or more can go by at a time before a single word is spoken–so the narrative heavily relies Perez’s vivid and fluid artwork to do the bulk of the work. Perez molds the zaniness into one rollicking ride that never stops for a breath and made me glad I held on. I still don’t know what half of it’s about and you know, I don’t need to. Because this story isn’t about understanding every nuance, it’s about the experience.
The only thing that could have made this book better would be the inclusion of the final script used to make the novel. There are shots of it here and there, usually as the background of certain scenes and framing the forward and afterward. You can see handwritten notes and corrections on the script (I don’t know if those are by Jerry or Jim or perhaps both), so it would have been nice to read the entire script and see what they were planning in their own words.
I came to the story expecting something akin to Jim Henson classics like Dark Crystal or Labyrinth, but for an adult audience. Well, was I in for a surprise.
I’m not even sure where to begin. For one, the story is actually a collaboration between Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl. It’s based off of a script they wrote years before Sesame Street and The Muppet Show made Jim Henson a household name. It seems they had difficulty getting funding to turn the script into a film and so it was put aside so that Jim and Jerry could concentrate on other projects.
Fast-forward about forty years to when an archivist unearthed three drafts of the script for Tale of Sand. Knowing they had a potential goldmine on their hands, Henson’s people decided to turn the script into a graphic novel. Enter Ramon Perez, the artist selected to helm the project.
So, it’s a bit misleading to call the book Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (as shown in the full title on the cover and spine). But Jerry and Ramon are placed prominently on the cover, so I guess it’s alright.
Okay, now on to the story. But… that’s where I got stuck. It wasn’t until I was about four pages into the novel that I realized the story had begun. I thought I was just looking at some conceptual art or a montage of images. So I went back a few pages and actually paid attention to what was on each page and was still a bit clueless about what was going on. I kept going anyway and by the time the first bit of dialogue appeared, I kinda figured out what happened. Kinda. Like, really, just kinda.
You see, this tale is shiftless as piles of sand. There is nothing concrete, nothing that makes sense, except that you’ll never know what is going to happen next. In fact, you’ll never know why any of it is happening at all. The main character, Mac, is on a mad dash through the desert with reasons unknown to him and the reader. In this desert, anyone can be anything. One moment a blonde bombshell is lounging by the pool, the next she is a top earner in an Old West brothel. A mysterious villain appears and he stays mysterious throughout the rest of the story. His motives are never stated, and the only motive we have for Mac is that someone told him to run so he did.
But what I like about the story is that the stuff that does make sense really has an absurd logic to it. Mac pulls out a stop sign in the middle of the desert and a car pulls up and stops right in front of him. When he plays a record of sound effects, he is suddenly surrounded by exploding bombs and the cavalry comes rushing in.
The scene that really let me know what the story was about was when Mac meets a batty drunkard who says one thing and then always does the opposite. He is unpredictable and untrustworthy, playing both sides for kicks, and having a good time while doing it. I think that’s what this story is aiming for: just having fun with the unexpected and going wherever it takes you.
I can’t imagine this story ever making it onto film. I think Henson’s people made the right choice by turning it into a graphic novel and Perez did an excellent job bringing this wacky tale to life. In the hands of a lesser skilled artist, this tale would have floundered and could have been an unintelligible mess. Dialogue is very minimal–half a dozen pages or more can go by at a time before a single word is spoken–so the narrative heavily relies Perez’s vivid and fluid artwork to do the bulk of the work. Perez molds the zaniness into one rollicking ride that never stops for a breath and made me glad I held on. I still don’t know what half of it’s about and you know, I don’t need to. Because this story isn’t about understanding every nuance, it’s about the experience.
The only thing that could have made this book better would be the inclusion of the final script used to make the novel. There are shots of it here and there, usually as the background of certain scenes and framing the forward and afterward. You can see handwritten notes and corrections on the script (I don’t know if those are by Jerry or Jim or perhaps both), so it would have been nice to read the entire script and see what they were planning in their own words.
November 4, 2015
Sometimes the legacy of a creator is too great. Sometimes the lifetime of achievements by a single imaginative voice is so overbearing that it will forever eclipse that creator’s exterior works, making it impossible to view those works for what they are. But maybe that’s okay and maybe that’s how it ought to be. After all, a painter’s landscape cannot simply be a landscape on its own; it will always be a part of the painter, an extension of that artist’s life. The fourth book of an author exists always in contradistinction to the three it followed and those that might follow it.
It’s completely impossible to read anything J.K. Rowling writes without conjuring the spectre of Harry Potter—and maybe that’s right and good. A sentence is only sensible in context of the sentences among which it makes a home. Punch Drunk Love is lent a particular poignancy for the audience awareness of Adam Sandler’s prior oeuvre—and maybe that should be template for our interaction with all works. These cultural artifacts we enjoy do not and cannot stand alone and of their own. Every piece of music, literature, film, and art is the product of a single moment within a series of moments in the life of a creative source which exists in a creative epoch built of an endless complexity of circumstances, histories, motives, and movements. Each of these are important to the generation of the piece—and of course some bear more direct influence on the final result—so maybe it’s not necessarily unfortunate for a piece to be weighed under by the reputation of its builder.
So when I approach Tale of Sand, JIM HENSON’s Tale of Sand, perhaps we should embrace both the good and the harm that come to the work because of the association. Honestly, at this stage of the review, I’m not sure whether I appreciate the work more due the association or less. That’s part of what will be going on here. Me trying to decide. Regardless, let’s get base evaluation out of the way at the outset: Tale of Sand is worth most comics readers’ time[1]—whether penned by Henson or not.
Tale of Sand is a bizarre experience nearly any way you cut it. Depending on the kind of reader you are, the first thing you’ll notice will be one of two things. Those who pay attention to covers and attribution will off the bat recognize that Jim Henson’s name is featured largely—to the point of being included in the book’s full title, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand. Those who aren’t quite so concerned with covers or authorship will first open the book and be struck awed by Ramón K. Pérez’ mind-blowing illustrations.
I had seen scans of the book’s art before seeing its title or authorship, so I had the curious position of being sold on it wholly apart from Henson’s name. In fact, for me, Henson’s attachment to Tale of Sand had a rather diminishing effect on my expectations. I know Henson entirely from his puppetry. The Muppets, Sesame Street, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth. I like each of these moderately well but not so well that I’d ever seek out a work based on Henson’s involvement. And each of these held some tie to my childhood (even though The Muppets were originally tied to adult entertainment through Saturday Night Live). Suddenly I was concerned that a book with such great art would be rendered infantile by Henson’s writing. Pretty groundless, but expectations usually are.
[Fancy meeting you here!]
Honestly though, Henson’s and cohort Jerry Juhl’s writing is easily the chink in the armor of what is a pretty mouthwatering book. Tale of Sand‘s frontmatter clues us in to the situation. Henson and Juhl worked on a script for a surrealist film for several years in the ‘70s, pitching it around to little success. With the progress of other projects, Tale of Sand was boxed and shelved, where it lay hidden away for decades. Recently discovered, Henson’s company made an alliance with Archaia[2] to produce the film as a graphic novel. In comes Pérez with some of the most gorgeous, crisp, raucous comics art there is and you’ve got a pretty strange book.
Henson’s and Juhl’s idea sends a protagonist on a twisting romp through something like a dream. “Like a dream” in that I can’t guarantee that anyone has dreams that resemble the odd, rambling visual-narratory pace that overlays what is essentially a kind of tight formalism. Maybe people do dream like that. I bet Eco does. I, on the other hand, do not. So to me, the script felt like one of those events where an author tries to describe a dream but relies either too much on narrative thrust or on clichés that we’ve learnt to associate with dreams and dreaming. Then again, maybe the writing team never intended Tale of Sand to be interpreted as being a dream or even being dreamlike—though the title invokes certain ties to a sleepytime wonderland. Hard to say.
In either case though, the amount of story present is slight. Because of its surrealistic atmosphere, Tale of Sand probably ought to encourage readers to test out a variety of interpretations. Is this about Henson? Is it about the 20th century’s American male quest for purpose in a society that will not offer anything but the role of Sisiphus? Is this meant to be a statement about the reader/viewer? Is he saying something about the art of interpretation itself? Maybe. Maybe not. There’re not really enough solid tendrils onto which a reader might grasp to wrangle the authors’ intent for the work. I wasn’t particularly enamoured with that or the fact that none of the characters are really ever characters. They’re not even really probably literary devices. They exist only as colour for the palette of the protagonist’s journeyless journey.
And, thankfully, as something for Pérez to draw. Because, man, this cat can draw.
See? I totally told you so. Pérez takes remarkable command of Henson’s and Juhl’s probably copiously described fantasy.[3] The artist mixes painted scenes with starkly conceived pen-and-ink illustrations. Sometimes there will be bursts of colour in nearly insane combinations while other instances will craft a subtle blend of monochromatic tones. Sometimes Pérez will play with double-page spreads while at others he will fidget with a page filled with smaller aspect-to-aspect paneling. And when he does use panels, his grid is all over the place. When he does use a grid. A lot of times he doesn’t.
Really, the art in this book is so big that it’s impossible for me to do it justice. Taking a two-pager and squeezing it down to fit in 519 pixels just seems fruitless. This is work that deserves to breathe. Tale of Sand would make a fantastic coffee table book—something for guests to browse through while their host retires for a few minutes to process the last hour’s dinner-followed-by-too-much-cheesecake. And because there’s so precious little in the way of actual narrative force, a visitor can pick it up, flip to any page, and begin reading with little damage to the experience. That kind of reading might actually play into the work’s governing theme of Sisyphusian circularity.
[How ‘bout a little blatant sexual imagery!]
Though I thought little of Henson’s and Juhl’s writing, it may have been the lack of absolute boundaries, a product of having no real story, that enables Pérez to cut loose so vibrantly. The artist blows off the rails early on and seems to feel little need to rein it in. When all you have is page after page of loony descriptions and the ground-level scene design of This Takes Place In A Dreamworld, the sky is apparently the limit. So hooray, I guess, for a weak story in favour of realizing such a stunning artistic achievement.
My dad’s hitting town tomorrow for a visit and I can’t wait to show him Pérez’ art.
A Note
There was one thing that left me a bit uncomfortable while reading. Henson’s script relies on a number of ethnic stereotypes. Angry arabs wielding scimitars. African tribsmen kowtowing to a white man in a pith helmet. An indian guide. I felt kind of like I was reading the less fondly considered volumes of Tintin. The thing is, I think there’s probably some reason for their inclusion.
In the foremost, the book is fraught with not just these stereotypes but with cliches from all over the history of the cinema. There has to be something to that. The book even invokes rather overtly Clouzot’s Wages of Fear. Also, if we take the era of authorship and the era from which the principal character seems drawn, there are internally logical explanations. From the early mid-‘70s, Henson and Juhl were penning a tale of a man who looks like a product of the late-‘50s. Such a man would have likely had his view of other cultures shaped by the slim window that an education purchased at the drive-in would have bestowed. Stereotype after stereotype. Now if Tale of Sand is meant to be his dream, then of course it would be populated by the stupid and backward imagery he had embraced in the theater.
This somewhat lets the tale’s authors off the hook because if this is all the hero’s dream, then the authors cannot be culpable at all. At least in the context of this book.
Another Note
Now this does open up the question of interpretation a bit. I’m concerned that in my review above I gave no indication of there being a satisfying interpretation to the work. The possibility that Henson and Juhl were merely attempting to craft something that would be visually bizarre and mind-bending isn’t that palatable, and it’s perfectly plausible that they were really saying something with all the callouts to cinema tropes, the American frontier landscape, and the blatant sexual allusions (cf the above image).
The sad fact is that at least on a first reading, I approached Tale of Sand rather lazily. Maybe there’s much more going on beyond the mere surface. And maybe that deserves more time than I put in. I’d like to think that it does. And I’m sure that as I return to the work over the following years that I’ll be in a better place to plumb its depths.
_______
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad.]
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Footnotes
1) Though possibly not money, depending on how much one values story over art.
2) I’m unclear whether the relationship grew out of Archaia’s handling of various other Henson IP or if that privilege is result of their relationship that began with Tale of Sand.
3) Throughout, Pérez (either of his own volition or via editor recommendation) includes pieces of Henson’s and Juhl’s script. It’s a nice addition and ties the work more concretely to its origin.
November 21, 2012
An inaccessible Everyman gets caught in a surreal causality loop for no explicable reason. Is it commentary on the banality of Hollywood or popular culture in general? Or just a stream of consciousness play? Pilgrim's Progress without the morality? My problem is that there are no characters in this book. The figures react, but do not act. There is little redeeming about any of them to identify with. The villain (consumerism? the devil?) makes no demands but simply chases, and the blank hero runs, but for what? He doesn't seek to change anything, discover anything, only to survive. I added a star for the Henson name and the commendable artwork. I did enjoy how Perez blended of the typed pages of the script with the panels, I just wish there had been a story to grasp.
August 23, 2020
mt bom kk entendi nadakkkk que viagem foi essakkkkk
(a arte é bonita)
(a arte é bonita)
August 12, 2017
This is like The Wizard of Oz but with no characters. A man is given a map and told to 'run'. He's chased by a guy and a lot of zany stuff happens on the journey. Things like finding a small, dirty outhouse that has a huge fancy restaurant on the inside (reminded me of the Doctor Who police box).
After a while he starts to get chased by a few arab guys straight out of an Aladdin movie and a team of american football players.
It's strange that this book is supposed to be about Jim Henson's script when really the only reason to read it is to check out the artwork. The artwork is pretty good, it reminds me of David Mazzucchelli when it comes to the line work and the coloring. The panel work, especially the integration of Henson's typed script into the panels, is interesting.
All said, I'm really disappointed I didn't like this more. I think this is what happens when you idiolize someone: you end up thinking even his minor work, work that he was satisfied to let gather dust, is amazing. This is not a great script.
After a while he starts to get chased by a few arab guys straight out of an Aladdin movie and a team of american football players.
It's strange that this book is supposed to be about Jim Henson's script when really the only reason to read it is to check out the artwork. The artwork is pretty good, it reminds me of David Mazzucchelli when it comes to the line work and the coloring. The panel work, especially the integration of Henson's typed script into the panels, is interesting.
All said, I'm really disappointed I didn't like this more. I think this is what happens when you idiolize someone: you end up thinking even his minor work, work that he was satisfied to let gather dust, is amazing. This is not a great script.
February 24, 2012
What do the desert, a football team, a group of Arabians, a hippopotamus, and a truck full of nitroglycerine have in common? NOTHING AT FRIGGIN ALL.
So, this book was originally a screen play written by Jim Henson before he started creating the Muppets show, and has been lost in the Henson archives for years until it was recently found. Random things just happen, for not particular reason, and nothing serves a purpose. Why is there a light switch in the desert, and then why do people get angry when you flip said light switch. All I really know is that there was a "race", it started, and it kind of finished.
If you have ever seen the Simpson's episode where Homer eats the insanity pepper and then proceeds to have hallucinations, well this is kind of like that minus the life lessons Homer learns.
On the plus side, Ramon Perez is the great artist, and this book does look very impressive. I love the old feel to the book.
So, this book was originally a screen play written by Jim Henson before he started creating the Muppets show, and has been lost in the Henson archives for years until it was recently found. Random things just happen, for not particular reason, and nothing serves a purpose. Why is there a light switch in the desert, and then why do people get angry when you flip said light switch. All I really know is that there was a "race", it started, and it kind of finished.
If you have ever seen the Simpson's episode where Homer eats the insanity pepper and then proceeds to have hallucinations, well this is kind of like that minus the life lessons Homer learns.
On the plus side, Ramon Perez is the great artist, and this book does look very impressive. I love the old feel to the book.
May 22, 2018
Es una pasada.
Cada página está llena de detalles, la ilustración de Ramón K. Pérez es una maravilla y que incluya el guión al final es un buen punto a favor. La historia te hace sentir como Mac, que va de un lado a otro siguiendo un mapa que ni siquiera sabe a dónde le llevará.
Cada página está llena de detalles, la ilustración de Ramón K. Pérez es una maravilla y que incluya el guión al final es un buen punto a favor. La historia te hace sentir como Mac, que va de un lado a otro siguiendo un mapa que ni siquiera sabe a dónde le llevará.
November 6, 2013
Dream? Hallucination? Hell? Twisted Twilight Zone?
We're never actually told what or where we actually are in this far out there story. Who the haiche-ee-double-hockey-sticks are all theses people?
I liked that there was so little dialog, even when there seemed to be too much. Henson and the artist manage to do in a Graphic Novel what should only be able to be accomplished in a movie, add background noise which you aren't really supposed to hear, or better yet, that you do hear but just tend to completely ignore.
The art, the main character as well as the setting reminded me alot of Jeff Smith's RASL. It's all very nice, but still contains a cartoony style that fits it very well.
The story? I don't know if this could ever be made as a movie (maybe a Twilight Zone special or something), but as a graphic novel, it was just perfect.
Note: I had never heard of this book until someone suggested it as a monthly read in the Graphic Novel group. It didn't "win" and I don't remember who had made the suggestion, but thanks for bringing this to my attention Goodread-Pal.
We're never actually told what or where we actually are in this far out there story. Who the haiche-ee-double-hockey-sticks are all theses people?
I liked that there was so little dialog, even when there seemed to be too much. Henson and the artist manage to do in a Graphic Novel what should only be able to be accomplished in a movie, add background noise which you aren't really supposed to hear, or better yet, that you do hear but just tend to completely ignore.
The art, the main character as well as the setting reminded me alot of Jeff Smith's RASL. It's all very nice, but still contains a cartoony style that fits it very well.
The story? I don't know if this could ever be made as a movie (maybe a Twilight Zone special or something), but as a graphic novel, it was just perfect.
Note: I had never heard of this book until someone suggested it as a monthly read in the Graphic Novel group. It didn't "win" and I don't remember who had made the suggestion, but thanks for bringing this to my attention Goodread-Pal.
September 1, 2013
Words cannot describe the marvel that is this story, the story of that story (it being a long buried script) and the accompanying art. Tale of Sand is something that must be experienced on one's own, all in one go.
I especially liked how the original script was used as a background for some of the panels and the introduction and postscript (the latter by his daughter, who has a Harvard degree in Mythology and Folklore!!!), which were a lovely tribute to Henson. I was not aware of Henson's early work in experimental film.
*Note that this entry's metadata needs to be edited to include Jerry Juhl as a contributing author and Ramón Pérez as illustrator and/or combined with this duplicate entry which has the correct attributions.*
I especially liked how the original script was used as a background for some of the panels and the introduction and postscript (the latter by his daughter, who has a Harvard degree in Mythology and Folklore!!!), which were a lovely tribute to Henson. I was not aware of Henson's early work in experimental film.
*Note that this entry's metadata needs to be edited to include Jerry Juhl as a contributing author and Ramón Pérez as illustrator and/or combined with this duplicate entry which has the correct attributions.*
May 29, 2014
No tenia yo para nada localizada esta obra, ni la historia que arrastra y tengo que decir que me he quedado encantado de experimentarla. Porque es mas una experiencia que una lectura, ya que nos movemos en los terrenos del surrealismo, trasladando ademas un guion cinematográfico a novela gráfica.
Este cómic existe porque Jim Henson, hace bastantes años y antes de los teleñecos, exploraba las artes audiovisuales desde un punto de vista muy particular. Tras un par de cortos, decidió a escribir junto a Jerry Jhul, el guion de un largometraje, que es este Cuento de Arena, pero nunca encontró un estudio que quisiera hacerse cargo. Ya después empezaría con los teleñecos y la cosa fue quedando relegada, aunque con revisiones a lo largo de los años.
Y años después una archivista de la compañía encontró el guion y el hijo de Jim Henson, presidente ahora de la compañía quiso hacer realidad ese guion de su padre, y ya que en cine no iba a poder ser, optaron por el cómic y encargaron a Ramón Pérez que plasmara el surrealismo del guion en imágenes.
Y eso es lo que tenemos, surrealismo puro, imaginación desbocada y sin ataduras narrativas de ninguna clase, pocas palabras y tan surrealistas como el resto de elementos y un viaje a ninguna parte de un protagonista que con ayuda de un mapa del que no debe fiarse, debe cruzar el desierto, cuando parece que lo único que quiere y entiende es que tiene un cigarro y no tiene fuego.
Muy loco todo y muy disfrutable, con un dibujo estupendo que casa perfectamente con el tipo de historia (o no historia) y que viene ademas con el guion completo en el tomo. Una pequeña joya lisérgica y surrealista
Este cómic existe porque Jim Henson, hace bastantes años y antes de los teleñecos, exploraba las artes audiovisuales desde un punto de vista muy particular. Tras un par de cortos, decidió a escribir junto a Jerry Jhul, el guion de un largometraje, que es este Cuento de Arena, pero nunca encontró un estudio que quisiera hacerse cargo. Ya después empezaría con los teleñecos y la cosa fue quedando relegada, aunque con revisiones a lo largo de los años.
Y años después una archivista de la compañía encontró el guion y el hijo de Jim Henson, presidente ahora de la compañía quiso hacer realidad ese guion de su padre, y ya que en cine no iba a poder ser, optaron por el cómic y encargaron a Ramón Pérez que plasmara el surrealismo del guion en imágenes.
Y eso es lo que tenemos, surrealismo puro, imaginación desbocada y sin ataduras narrativas de ninguna clase, pocas palabras y tan surrealistas como el resto de elementos y un viaje a ninguna parte de un protagonista que con ayuda de un mapa del que no debe fiarse, debe cruzar el desierto, cuando parece que lo único que quiere y entiende es que tiene un cigarro y no tiene fuego.
Muy loco todo y muy disfrutable, con un dibujo estupendo que casa perfectamente con el tipo de historia (o no historia) y que viene ademas con el guion completo en el tomo. Una pequeña joya lisérgica y surrealista
April 27, 2014
Lush, gorgeous (if somewhat confusing, at times) artwork illustrates a story that can best be described as Waiting for Godot meets Head with a dash of Jodorowsky by way of the Looney Tunes. A perfect summation of Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl's offbeat hippie sensibilities, Tale of Sand is a gorgeous, satisfying adaptation of an interesting lost project.
July 23, 2019
This book was super trippy and had some very brilliant artwork.
March 6, 2024
A surrealist film script by a pre-Muppets Jim Henson & Jerry Juhl, unearthed 40 years later and turned into a graphic novel. You sonofabitch, I'm in.
Mid-Century existential frustration. Kafka-esque musings on life. The absurdity of being a man in America. The anxiety of adulthood. Sure. Why not?
The art by Ramón Pérez is really nice to look at.
I'm not sure how this would have worked as a film. I guess, probably it would have been an experimental short, not some theatrically released feature. Whatever the case, it's a trip.
Mid-Century existential frustration. Kafka-esque musings on life. The absurdity of being a man in America. The anxiety of adulthood. Sure. Why not?
The art by Ramón Pérez is really nice to look at.
I'm not sure how this would have worked as a film. I guess, probably it would have been an experimental short, not some theatrically released feature. Whatever the case, it's a trip.
December 5, 2020
The audience Jim Henson’s lost screen play, Tale of the Sand is going to be fans of the comic book, mood capturing art work of Ramon Perez and the diehard “I must have it all” Jim Henson fan. The content is just adult enough that parents may not want it for their kids. Absent those few images, the mostly likely response from a youngster, though maybe not a YA will be: “Huh?” Mine was only slightly better.
This is from a Jim Henson fan. One who even liked The Dark Crystal. I know him from his more adult oriented Great Bavog SNL sketches and do not expect him to write only for kiddies and be sponsored by numbers and letters.
Jim Henson’s lost screen play: Tale of Sand, has very good work by artist Jeffery Juhl and Ramon K. Perez and not much else. It could have been a decent film short but there is not enough here for a quarter of a full-length feature.
As an Art House film short it is from the school of surrealism and based on the notion that by telling the audience nothing, the audience can make of it anything. To me this is a surreal, minimalist allegory of life. Or something else, or nothing else. That much uncertainty speaks of an artist with a vision, but no not enough substance.
This is from a Jim Henson fan. One who even liked The Dark Crystal. I know him from his more adult oriented Great Bavog SNL sketches and do not expect him to write only for kiddies and be sponsored by numbers and letters.
Jim Henson’s lost screen play: Tale of Sand, has very good work by artist Jeffery Juhl and Ramon K. Perez and not much else. It could have been a decent film short but there is not enough here for a quarter of a full-length feature.
As an Art House film short it is from the school of surrealism and based on the notion that by telling the audience nothing, the audience can make of it anything. To me this is a surreal, minimalist allegory of life. Or something else, or nothing else. That much uncertainty speaks of an artist with a vision, but no not enough substance.
September 16, 2022
I have no idea what was going on, but I had a hell of a good time reading it. It's exciting to see Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl's lost ideas realized in such gorgeous formats.
This is arguably a better course on the use of color, composition, and dynamics than most classes that people would pay a lot of money for. Any artist would do well to dig into the illustrations that Pérez and Herring have assembled here.
This is arguably a better course on the use of color, composition, and dynamics than most classes that people would pay a lot of money for. Any artist would do well to dig into the illustrations that Pérez and Herring have assembled here.
February 21, 2024
Ummm. Huh? Definitely too weird for me. There might have been a story here. There were certainly recurring characters. And a lot of the art was pretty darn cool. But no. This was just way too much. And most of this was around me no longer caring about what might have been going on.
September 7, 2025
The art was beautiful. That twist had my jaw dropped. Didn’t see it coming, was confused for part of the story, but overall had a good time.
July 9, 2022
The artwork is a masterpiece. It is worth having this book on your shelf just to take it out and look at it every now and again.
The plot is so nonsensical that I couldn’t be bothered to care how it ended.
The plot is so nonsensical that I couldn’t be bothered to care how it ended.
July 31, 2012
I think this is actually a 4-star story but the fact that it's Juhl and Henson's work and I'm so starved for their sense of humor and outlook on life, that the fifth star showed up for relief's sake. For those that are familiar with Henson's Timework and Cube, and have watched enough classic material to recognize Jerry's humor, this work will feel like a warm fluffy blanket. The art and interpretation of the material lends itself well to what could have been another Henson film. The motion is there, but it does lose something being on a page and not in a theater. It's a fast read if you get the opportunity to pick it up.
I don't want to give away much for those that haven't read it yet, so I'm holding back writing a lot more than already said...
This book is in itself a surreal and philosophical question, not a story with plot. It's about (spoiler) life, time and the pressures that a man faces in running the race of life. Some interpretations have even said it's the race that a boy runs when coming of age and is thrust into the search of finding his other half. Whether it's about love or just the pressures of living can both be argued. That's about as vague as I can get without being stupidly void of any point. Do not read this book expecting a full explanation. It's about the impressions and the interpretations that each individual takes away from it. It does not spoon feed you. It does not have an annotated analysis. Read to enjoy and mull it over but do not read if you want escapist mind-pulp. Warning over.
I don't want to give away much for those that haven't read it yet, so I'm holding back writing a lot more than already said...
This book is in itself a surreal and philosophical question, not a story with plot. It's about (spoiler) life, time and the pressures that a man faces in running the race of life. Some interpretations have even said it's the race that a boy runs when coming of age and is thrust into the search of finding his other half. Whether it's about love or just the pressures of living can both be argued. That's about as vague as I can get without being stupidly void of any point. Do not read this book expecting a full explanation. It's about the impressions and the interpretations that each individual takes away from it. It does not spoon feed you. It does not have an annotated analysis. Read to enjoy and mull it over but do not read if you want escapist mind-pulp. Warning over.
July 1, 2013
I was raised on Sesame Street. One of my favorite movies of all time is The Dark Crystal. I can still quote jokes from the short-lived and under-appreciated "Muppets Tonight." Which is as much to say that I was very excited when this book came to my attention.
It's a graphic novel interpretation of an unproduced screenplay, but here's the rub: there's a reason no one ever bought the script. It wouldn't have made a very good movie. The story is a surrealist chase across a mythical southwestern desert. But the characters are as thin as the plot and there's nothing philosophically weighty about either.
What the story lacks in substance, the art makes up for in spades. Ramon Perez, the illustrator, is an impressive talent, and frankly, I doubt that any level of '70s film production could have realized this concept with the same visual dynamism as his pen and the colorists' ink.
With all that said, it's hardly worth mentioning the mild sexism and orientalism of the story--something on the order of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
The front and back matter provides fascinating context on Henson's early creative life. It also supports my feeling that his best work involved puppets, be they earnest, hysterical, or fantastical.
It's a graphic novel interpretation of an unproduced screenplay, but here's the rub: there's a reason no one ever bought the script. It wouldn't have made a very good movie. The story is a surrealist chase across a mythical southwestern desert. But the characters are as thin as the plot and there's nothing philosophically weighty about either.
What the story lacks in substance, the art makes up for in spades. Ramon Perez, the illustrator, is an impressive talent, and frankly, I doubt that any level of '70s film production could have realized this concept with the same visual dynamism as his pen and the colorists' ink.
With all that said, it's hardly worth mentioning the mild sexism and orientalism of the story--something on the order of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
The front and back matter provides fascinating context on Henson's early creative life. It also supports my feeling that his best work involved puppets, be they earnest, hysterical, or fantastical.
November 3, 2013
Reading this was a roller coster of analysis. The first glance grabbed my attention because it was Jim Henson and I freaking love that guy. The art was the clincher and as soon as I read the forward and the word "surreal" popped up, well, I couldn't help but neglect my 3 year old child for an hour as I poured through this journey. The opening scene of music and celebration tickled my curiosity like the first sweating minutes of a mushroom trip and the world of the public library melted away into a dream. My rational mind nodded along with innocent agreeability as the main character was shuffled out into the desert to begin his quest. Once settled into the journey and the initial rising vibes settled into a commitment to the long haul I foolishly began hubristic attempts to analyze and deconstruct the meanings behind the events. My enjoyment tripped on my brains own scholarly rhetoric and it wasn't until the appearance of the shark that I gave up and decided to go with the flow. And flow I did, down a river of sight and sound that was meaningful only in the moment, and existed in its own right in its own time. Like putting the camera away during a birthday party. The story just was. And I just was. Reading. Read. I'd do that again. I'll have my own awakening in the desert; just like Morrison. Gump. Black. Homer. Thompson.
November 21, 2013
I love Jim Henson, as a rule. I totally respect his work as an artist, and I grew up adoring his creatures and his soul.
And this is really beautifully executed. Perez's illustrations are gorgeous, the color work by Ian Herring is great.
But, for me, this is a classic example of the difference between a good screenplay and a good graphic novel.
I mean, the plot of this is pretty wacky in the first place. It feels like a surreal fever dream. An unbelievable adventure with no context or background.
And I feel like if it had been realized as a film, the actors and director would have filled out some of the gaps in this story. The characters would have felt more human. But here, in this mostly wordless story, things feel a little... flightless.
Beautiful. But honestly, I was a little disappointed. Because I expect anything from Henson to blow my mind.
And this really feels like something that wasn't finished and is only being produced now to make $$$ off his legacy.
And this is really beautifully executed. Perez's illustrations are gorgeous, the color work by Ian Herring is great.
But, for me, this is a classic example of the difference between a good screenplay and a good graphic novel.
I mean, the plot of this is pretty wacky in the first place. It feels like a surreal fever dream. An unbelievable adventure with no context or background.
And I feel like if it had been realized as a film, the actors and director would have filled out some of the gaps in this story. The characters would have felt more human. But here, in this mostly wordless story, things feel a little... flightless.
Beautiful. But honestly, I was a little disappointed. Because I expect anything from Henson to blow my mind.
And this really feels like something that wasn't finished and is only being produced now to make $$$ off his legacy.
June 4, 2014
First, Archaia is putting out some freaking gorgeous books. Five stars to whomever is running that outfit, even if the editorial department clearly values art over narrative.
I thought this one might be an exception. I mean, Jim Henson. Show me someone in my age group who doesn't adore that man, and I will show you a human being without a soul. Tale of Sand is based on an unproduced screenplay from the early 60's, and... ok, it's not terrible, but it is very much meant as a showcase for the sort of cinematic experimentalism that was in style at the time. It might have made a good short, or an oddly avant garde episode of The Twilight Zone.
If I was rating the art alone, five stars. Hell, five stars for the colors. GORGEOUS.
It's a beautiful package, and an unexpected gift for Henson fans. But in the end it's a little bit of a disappointment.
I thought this one might be an exception. I mean, Jim Henson. Show me someone in my age group who doesn't adore that man, and I will show you a human being without a soul. Tale of Sand is based on an unproduced screenplay from the early 60's, and... ok, it's not terrible, but it is very much meant as a showcase for the sort of cinematic experimentalism that was in style at the time. It might have made a good short, or an oddly avant garde episode of The Twilight Zone.
If I was rating the art alone, five stars. Hell, five stars for the colors. GORGEOUS.
It's a beautiful package, and an unexpected gift for Henson fans. But in the end it's a little bit of a disappointment.
August 21, 2012
This a surrealistic tale that was a completed live action script written by Jim Henson of "Muppet" fame. It was alright, but it would have been better with the visual of the movie and all the sound effects that were intended. I think a lot gets lost in translation to graphic novel and with little dialog, it can and does get confusing. A little nudity surprised me since it was Henson, but that could have been the artist's choice.
November 23, 2014
Piękne wydanie, czadowa kolorystyka, oniryczna, ale nie pozbawiony humoru opowieść. Uczta dla oka, choć kreska trochę za bardzo wylizana jak na mój gust i jak na rodzaj scenariusza. Jeśli zaś chodzi o warstwę literacką..miła rozrywka na popołudnie, ale niewiele więcej.
December 4, 2014
Vivid, fantastic, and a fun ride! Ok so this book can best be described as an acid trip. It's full of fantasy with a heavy dose of imaginary. I love the solid chase through out the book and the art is top notch, worth a purchase for sure. It's a beautiful book.
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