Michael K. Frith drawings

During his time with the Muppets, Michael K. Frith provided a vast number of design sketches that shaped the look of characters, sets, and props in Muppet productions, as well as illustrating licensed merchandise and books. Like Jim Henson, Frith's sketches were often done on notepads, ruled notebook paper, napkins, and other materials, in rough black form, as well as in more detailed colored suggestions and final presentation materials. 
In September of 2007, HIT Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company released a set of sketch reprints from Frith's work on Fraggle Rock in Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season.
==Early Character Designs==
Frith first worked with the Muppets as an editor and illustrator of the Sesame Street storybooks line while working at Random House. His earliest direct contributions to Henson's work included designs for Muppet Musicians of Bremen. His first full-time job for Henson, in 1975, was designing a series of new Muppets to appear on Saturday Night Live. Frith's designs, as already evident even in abstract characters, often featured a more realistic approach towards characters, caricatures creating an illusion of visceral reality as opposed to more purely cartoon figures.
File:Chickensketch.jpg|Chickens, Muppet Musicians of Bremen 1972
File:Wiss.jpg|Wisss, Land of Gortch, 1975, as printed in The Art of the Muppets.
File:Scred.gif|Scred sketch
==Sesame Street==
Frith's art for Sesame Street books and balloons:
File:1975calendar.jpg|The Sesame Street Family Album
File:Sesamestorybook.JPG|The Sesame Street Storybook
File:Gordonstorybook.JPG|Gordon of Sesame Street Storybook
File:Abcstorybook.JPG|The Sesame Street ABC Storybook
File:Busybook.JPG|Big Bird's Busy Book
File:Cameo.henson-oz.jpg|from The Sesame Street Storybook
File:Cameo.frith.jpg|from The Sesame Street Storybook
File:Frith-1975calendar.jpg|from The Sesame Street Family Album
File:88BigBirdBalloonDesign.jpg|Balloon design for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
==The Muppet Show==
By the time of The Muppet Show, Frith had become a key designer and full-time art director for merchandise as well as characters. Though many pre-existing characters were used on The Muppet Show, and though Jim Henson still contributed designs and ideas, many of the new regulars and a large number of the special one-shot characters were designed by Frith. The sketches were sent to both New York and London workshops, and helped to define a consistent look for the new characters. Though more realistic representations still continued, the designs for this production, especially the color sketches, were brighter and more cartoony, blending anthropomorphic complexity with the whimsical aesthetic and principles previously pioneered by Henson and Don Sahlin, particularly evident in the eyes. 
SexAndViolencePostcard.jpg|The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence promotional postcard
File:Ballerinasketch.jpg|Ballerina Pig, on fabric cloth, included in the Best of the Muppet Show DVD extras
File:Beauregardsketch.jpg|Beauregard, rough line drawing, from Of Muppets and Men
File:Betsybirdsketch.jpg|Betsy Bird, full-color presentation drawing
File:MS 4335 betseybird.jpg|Betsy Bird sketch
File:Frithteeth.jpg|Dr. Teeth, Muppet Show, color sketch with temporary name label, Of Muppets and Men
File:Floydpeppersketch.jpg|Floyd Pepper, Muppet Show, color sketch on yellow note paper, from Of Muppets and Men
File:Janicesketch.JPG|Janice, Muppet Show, color sketch on yellow note paper, from Of Muppets and Men
File:Frith.lips.jpg|Lips, Of Muppets and Men
File:Michael_Frith-tms-fozzie-bear-early-sketch.jpg|Fozzie Bear, Muppet Show, original sketch
File:Original Fozzie sketch.jpg|Fozzie Bear, Muppet Show, original sketch
File:Paulreveresketch.jpg|Paul Revere, Muppet Show, notepaper sketch, included in the Best of the Muppet Show DVD extras
File:Sopwith camel concept.jpg|Sopwith the Camel
File:Swedishchefsketch.jpg|The Swedish Chef (early version, later refined with Jim Henson), note paper sketch, Muppet Show
File:Chef sketch Frith 1974 MOMI.jpg|The Swedish Chef
Trolls Frith.jpg|Trolls (Muppet Show)
File:Uncledeadlysketchfirth.jpg|Early, gargoyle-like Uncle Deadly sketch
File:Uncledeadlysketch.jpg|Uncle Deadly, notepaper sketch
File:Winnysketch.jpg|Winny, Of Muppets and Men
Frith TMS ad Lebanon Daily News 1976-08-14.jpg|Newspaper ad
==Fraggle Rock==
Frith's involvement in Fraggle Rock began early on, concurrent with the general concept development for the series and preceding the actual script-writing, as discussed in the DVD documentary feature Fraggle Rock Season One: Interviews with Fraggle Rock Creators & Puppeteers, and accompanied by the original artwork. Though many of the specifics changed or developed prior to the actual show, the general look and feel of the characters was already set in the illustrations, which were collected into a concept booklet and used for the show pitch. Unlike The Muppet Show, where sets and prop decorations were almost exclusively the domain of the London art directors working outside of the Workshop, Frith's designs for the series included set and prop suggestions as well. Locations such as the rock itself or the Gorgs' castle were designed by Frith, then translated into another set of sketches by set designer William Beeton highlighting the practical dimensions and finally translated into the actual project. 
File:Sketch-Fraggle.Rock.jpg|The world of Fraggle Rock
File:Balsamsketch.jpg|Balsam the Minstrel, notepaper sketch in blue pencil with character notes
File:Castlesketch.jpg|Castle of the Gorgs, presentation sketch
File:Cotterpinsketch.jpg|Cotterpin Doozer, final sketch
File:Docsprocketsketch.jpg|Doc/Sprocket/Doc's Workshop, presentation booklet sketch (prior to the casting of Gerry Parkes as Doc).
File:Doozervehiclesketch.jpg|Doozer vehicle, presentation booklet prop design
File:Doozersketch.jpg|Doozers, presentation booklet sketch
File:FR-art-47.113.jpg|The Fraggle Five, early pen sketch on notepad, 1981
File:FR 914 BrochurePage1981.jpg|Fraggle Rock brochure page, 1981
File:GoboSketch.JPG|Gobo Fraggle, presentation booklet sketch
File:Gorg-Fraggle-Doozer.Height.JPG|Gorg/Fraggle/Doozer comparative height chart models
File:Murraysketch.jpg|Murray the Minstrel, black and white sketch on notepad
File:Sprocketsketch.jpg|Sprocket, booklet presentation sketch
File:fr-convincing-john.jpg|Convincing John
File:Frith-SirBlunderbrain.jpg|Sir Blunderbrain
File:fr-doozer-dome.jpg|Doozer Dome
File:fr-junior-gorg.jpg|First sketch of Junior Gorg
File:fr-misc-2.jpg
File:fr-trashheap.png|Marjory the Trash Heap
File:Dragon Con 2013 poster Mike Frith.jpg|Dragon Con 2013
==Muppet Babies==
Frith's designs guided the basic look of the Muppet Babies in puppet form, and additional designs were created especially for the animated version. 
File:baby kermit sketch.png|Baby Kermit, blue pencil sketch on notepaper, Muppet Babies
File:American Library Association 1986 Muppet Babies poster.jpg|American Library Association poster, 1986
==Muppet Meeting Films==
Frith's designs for the various Whatnots made for Muppet Meeting Films in 1985; Frith designed the heads with Stephen Rotondaro designing the clothes and bodies.
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-BobType.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-Franklin.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-Malpractice.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-Mascara.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-Maxine.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-MulliganType.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-SalesSavvy.jpg
File:MMF-FrithTuckerman-Wesley.jpg
==Little Muppet Monsters==
Frith's designs for the short-lived Little Muppet Monsters:
File:imagination illustrated (1).JPG|Michael Frith's design for "Big Brother Monster" (Tug Monster)
File:12020055_10100382208618174_6115113615480228184_n.jpg|"Sherman Monster" (Boo Monster) concept art
File:11223694_10100382208638134_2935809064149357180_n.jpg|Concept art
File:11987041_10100382208678054_3832491009472902514_n.jpg|Concept art
File:12019773_10100382208703004_1062490661754612536_n.jpg|Concept art
File:Michael Frith Baby Monster.jpg|Concept art
File:frith sketch of set.jpg|Set design
==Other==
File:Muppet Institute of Technology robot.jpg|The Muppet Institute of Technology
File:inner-tube.jpg|Inner Tube
File:Jhh concept frith.jpg|The Jim Henson Hour
File:michael frith muppet movie sketch.jpg|Sketch for The Muppet Movie
File:Tmsmkfdrawing.jpg|Unknown
File:Pigsinspacelogo-sketch.jpg|Pigs in Space, The Ubiquitous Pig
File:TMM-Frith-poster.jpg|The Muppet Movie poster mock-up
File:Hardwaregonzosketch.jpg|Hardware Gonzo prop, notepaper sketch, The Muppet Movie
File:Frith_Miss_Piggy_2.jpg|Miss Piggy, Fan Magazine Covers created for The Miss Piggy Cover Girl Fantasy Calendar, 1981. Pastel on Colored Paper, The Ubiquitous Pig
File:Frith_Miss_Piggy.jpg|Miss Piggy 1982 sketches from Miss Piggy's Calendar of Calendars, The Ubiquitous Pig
File:Misspiggy1983.jpg|Final Frogas Miss Piggy pin-up drawings in Miss Piggy's Calendar of Calendars, 1982
File:JHPGates.jpg|Lasercut Jim Henson Productions studio gates by Lasercraft, designed by Michael. K. Frith, features, The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, Little Muppet Monsters, The Storyteller, Dog City, The Dark Crystal and Sesame Street
File:Mti94.jpg|Muppet Treasure Island announcement
File:epic-frith.jpg|Compilation of characters from multiple Henson productions, including The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Babies, The Muppet Show, The Land of Gortch, Labyrinth, Mother Goose Stories, Fraggle Rock, Dog City, The StoryTeller and The Secret Life of Toys
MKF-PepeConcept.jpg|Design for Pepe the King Prawn
==Sources==
*Note: Unless otherwise specified, all image materials came from Henson.com's now defunct Feature Creature archive. Notable exception is the Fraggle images, taken primarily from Fraggle Rock: Complete First Season. Many facts also come from the Feature Creature archive.
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