The Rainbow Connection: Richard Hunt, Gay Muppeteer (2009)
“Must read if you’re a Muppet fan!” –Xerography Debt
1/2 legal, 86 pages. $8.
The Rainbow Connection chronicles the life and work of Richard Hunt, a central puppeteer on the international blockbusters Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Hunt performed characters such as Scooter, Statler (in the balcony), Janice, Beaker and even Miss Piggy in her early drag queen days. He was also an out gay man, dying of AIDS-related causes in 1992 at the tragically young age of 40.
The publication is a review of the already existing material about Hunt, about 100 secondary sources, including interviews with many of Hunt’s family, friends and colleagues, Henson and Sesame‘s own publications and press, the voluminous Muppet Wiki, and of course Hunt’s own performances.
Now being expanded into a book, The Rainbow Connection: The Life and Times of Richard Hunt.
Also available from Microcosm Publishing.
The Rainbow Connection on the Muppet Wiki.
Fan mail: Responses to the Rainbow Connection.