Premise: James Maury `` Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) was an American puppeteer , artist , cartoonist , inventor , screenwriter , film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets . While he was a freshman at the University of Maryland , College Park , he created Sam and Friends , a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television .
Hypothesis: Jim Henson was a mime.
Label: NEUTRAL