Waldo C. Graphic

thumb|300px|Jim Henson explains to Jojo how Waldo is performed.
Waldo C. Graphic, "the spirit of 3D", is a computer graphic, as his name suggests, rather than a standard fleece-and-foam Muppet. As such, he's able to morph into any shape imaginable. He has the playful nature of a clown, yet with the intelligence of a computer. Waldo first appeared in 1989 on The Jim Henson Hour where he was the demographics expert for MuppeTelevision. 
He went on to have a prominent role in the Disney theme park attraction Muppet*Vision 3D. Here, he is created by Muppet Labs and referred to as "the first ever living 3-D effect." Throughout the film, he engages with the Muppets and audience members, attempting to get out of the film, and even morphing into Mickey Mouse (voiced by Wayne Allwine).
Despite his CG nature, Waldo was controlled in real time by a puppeteer, making use of a mitten-like motion-capture device called a waldo (which he was named after). Jim Henson had begun experimenting with creating digital characters in the mid-1980s and Waldo's underlying technology grew out of experiments conducted to create a computer generated version of Kermit the Frog.Finch, Christopher. Jim Henson: The Works (New York: Random House, 1993)
Waldo's strength as a computer generated puppet was that he could be controlled by a single puppeteerHenson.com Featured Creature: Behind the Scenes @ Archive.org in real-time, in concert with conventional puppets. The computer image of Waldo was mixed with the video feed of the camera focused on physical puppets so that all of the puppeteers in a scene could perform together. Afterward, in post production, he would be re-rendered in full resolution, adding a few dynamic elements on top of the performed motion.Walters, Graham. The Story of Waldo C. Graphic. Course Notes: 3D Character Animation by Computer, ACM SIGGRAPH '89, Boston, July 1989, pp. 65-79
Waldo's design was led by Kirk Thatcher with input from a variety of other artists, including Timothy Young (who provided concept sketches) and animated by Pacific Data Images, later known as PDI/DreamWorks. Thatcher was greatly influenced by Chris Wedge's 1987 CG Short, "Balloon Guy".Jim Henson Company Podcast, April 18, 2011, Interview with Kirk Thatcher Jim Henson performed Waldo in a special demonstration of how he worked in The Jim Henson Hour episode "Secrets of the Muppets."
In 2011, a Waldo "chaser figure" was produced in the second series of Muppet Vinylmation figures. Disney also produced a Waldo figure in its fifth wave of Park Starz in 2017, and images of the character were incorporated into select Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary merchandise in 2021.
In the 2021 Muppet Babies episode "The Best Best Friend Beach Day," Waldo is seen on Miss Nanny's keychain.
In 2023, Waldo would be incorporated into a Disney PhotoPass lens themed after Muppet*Vision 3D that was released on the My Disney Experience app.
==Appearances==
A list of Waldo's appearances (including his transformations).
*The Jim Henson Hour
**Episode 101: Outer Space (doctor)
**Episode 105: First Show (hat, power saw, dinosaur)
**Episode 109: Garbage (teenage girl, clown)
**Episode 110: Secrets of the Muppets (book, clown, sneezes and becomes green outline of himself)
**Episode 112: Food (old lady, cowboy)
*Muppet*Vision 3D (bindle, duck, taxi, rocket, target, Mickey Mouse)
Secrets14.jpg|Jim Henson performs Waldo with a waldo. The image is seen in real time, rendered in low-resolution.
MV3D-WaldoMickey.jpg|Waldo as Mickey Mouse
Waldo_art.jpg|Original character sketch of Waldo C. Graphic
HowWaldoworks.jpg|How Waldo works diagram by Pacific Data Images
Whitmire grignon.png|Steve Whitmire performs Waldo, while animator Rex Grignon handles the computer
==Merchandise==
Banque 2.jpg|Muppet*Vision 3D piggy bank2003
Vinylmation-Waldo-(2011).jpg|Vinylmation2011
Waldo-pin.jpg|Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Mystery Pin Collection2021
Tiny Kingdom - Series 4 - Waldo C. Graphic.jpg|Tiny Kingdom - Walt Disney World Series 42021
WDW 50th Anniversary Ornament Waldo.jpg|Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary ornament2021
Dooney Bourke WDW50 Waldo detail.jpg|Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration Collection2022
==Sources==
==Links==
* Jim Henson's Red Book entry on the creation of the character
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Category:The Muppets Characters
Category:Muppet Characters
Category:MuppeTelevision Characters
Category:Animated Characters
Category:Digital Puppets