Gonzo

Gonzo, formally known as "The Great Gonzo" or "Gonzo the Great," is The Muppet Show's daredevil performance artist. He's an odd looking, unclassifiable creature -- with blue fur, bug eyes and a long crooked nose (which has no nostrils, yet Gonzo does smell). He takes pride in his uniqueness, and he enjoys everything that he does -- no matter how painful or ill-advised it may be.

Early Life
In episode 210 of The Muppet Show, Gonzo explains his mother died before he was born and left a note to his father regarding Gonzo's name. (However this is contradicted in the Jason Alexander episode of Muppets Tonight when Gonzo claims his mother liked his unique college interpretation of Death of a Salesman.) Gonzo's father has never been mentioned (however it is unknown what, if any, role the males of the species play in reproduction).

As an infant, like many of the Muppets, he was under the care of Nanny (as shown in Muppet Babies). As an adult, Gonzo reacted to home videos of him and the other babies by proclaiming "what a handsome little devil I was".

According to the Muppet Kids book series, Gonzo was later raised by his grandmother and his aunt. Gonzo's grandmother is, of course, the same species as Gonzo, as is Gonzo's Aunt Grace. Grace's young son Gander (Gonzo's cousin) is also shown. Grandma, Gonzo, Grace and Gander all live together in a ramshackle house in the suburbs.

Gonzo, along with his chicken girlfriend Camilla, became a traveling plumber. He met Kermit and Fozzie and joined them in their quest for Hollywood. He started his acting career as daredevil performance artist, but would later evolve to such dramatic roles as playing Charles Dickens.

However [[The World in which Kermit was Never Born
 * if Gonzo had never met Kermit]], he would have ended up becoming a depressed street performer that plays the guitar and showcases the talent of a dancing brick.

Career
One of his most well-known part of The Muppet Show was playing the final trumpet note of the opening theme and having some strange thing happen--the bell of the instrument explodes, sprays water, has an inflating balloon in it, et cetera. In the first season, Gonzo did not use a trumpet, but instead attempted to hit the white space within the "O" in the "Muppet Show" sign like a gong, usually with bad results.

Gonzo's musical performances include his song from The Muppet Movie, "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday", and his affecting rendition of "My Way" that he sang as his finale when he decided to leave the Muppet Theater in Episode 411.

Gonzo's acts frequently attempted to combine bizarre performance art with high culture: "I shall now eat a rubber tire to the music of 'The Flight of the Bumblebee'...music, maestro!" Another famous performance is best summed up by his quote, "I shall now defuse this highly explosive bomb while simultaneously, and at the same time, reciting from the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley." Other acts include dancing "Top Hat" in a vat of oatmeal, hypnotizing chickens, and being hammered feet first into a railway tie by two American Gladiators on Muppets Tonight.

TV Shows

 * The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
 * Muppet Babies (1984 - 1990) as Baby Gonzo
 * Little Muppet Monsters (1985) as puppet and animated
 * The Jim Henson Hour (1989)
 * Muppets Tonight (1996-1997)

Movies

 * The Muppet Movie (1979)
 * The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
 * The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
 * Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
 * Muppets From Space (1999)
 * It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
 * The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)

TV Specials

 * The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970) as Snarl
 * Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1974)
 * Sex and Violence (1974)
 * ''The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special (1977)
 * Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring (1978)
 * The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
 * A Christmas Together (1979)
 * The Muppets Go to the Movies (1981)
 * I Love Liberty (1982)
 * The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (1982)
 * Rocky Mountain Holiday (1983)
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986)
 * A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
 * Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990) as Baby Gonzo
 * The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)
 * The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)
 * People Profiles: Jim Henson (1999)
 * I Love Muppets (2002)

Videos

 * Playhouse Video (1985)
 * Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff (1985)
 * Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets (1985)
 * The Muppet Revue (1985)
 * Rock Music with the Muppets (1985)
 * Wow, You're a Cartoonist! (1988)
 * It's the Muppets: Meet the Muppets (1993)
 * It's the Muppets: More Muppets, Please! (1993)
 * Muppet Classic Theater (1994)
 * Muppet Treasure Island (Muppet Sing Alongs) (1996)

TV Appearances

 * The Cosby Show
 * "Cliff's Nightmare" (1990)
 * Good Morning America
 * February 18, 1992
 * March 3, 1992
 * March 10, 1992
 * December 15, 2004
 * Inaugural Celebration for Children (1993)
 * Larry King Live
 * April Fools Day (1994)
 * Wheel of Fortune
 * ??? (1999)
 * Saturday Night Live
 * "Robert De Niro/Destiny's Child" (2004)
 * Christmas at Walt Disney World
 * Christmas '04 (2004)

Commercials

 * TGIF Bumpers (1996)
 * Muppetisms (1990s)
 * "Gonzo (the artiste)"
 * "Gonzo (the...???)"
 * MasterCard Commercial (2002)
 * Pizza Hut Commercials
 * "Four-for-All Pizza" (2004)
 * "Dippin' Strips" (2005)
 * Disney Channel Bumpers	(2005)

Miscellaneous

 * Muppet Meeting Films
 * "Just a Few Announcements" (1975)
 * Muppet*Vision 3-D (1990)
 * Movie Mania (1990s)
 * Keep Fishin' Music Video (2003)
 * The Tale of the Story Beyond the Tale (2003)
 * Frogs, Pigs and Humbug: Unwrapping a New Holiday Classic (2003)
 * Christmas Around the World (2003)

What is Gonzo?
The exact name of Gonzo's species has never been said. The character originally evolved from Snarl, a frackle from The Great Santa Claus Switch. However when "The Great Gonzo" appeared on the The Muppet Show the frackle species trait did not carry over.

In episode 223, John Cleese referd to Gonzo as "the ugly, disgusting little blue creature who catches cannonballs." And in The Muppet Movie, Kermit said that Gonzo was "a little like a turkey, but not much".

In the late 90s, the question was posed in the Ask Henson.com web column, "What exactly is Gonzo?" Dave Goelz responded: "Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table."

Gonzo the "Whatever"
It was not until The Great Muppet Caper that Gonzo solidified himself as a formal "Whatever". When Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo were shipped to England in crates. Kermit's crate was labeled "Frog", Fozzie's was "Bear", and Gonzo's crate read "Whatever".

"Whatever" was used again in a variety of productions where Gonzo's species came into question. He was called a "Whatever" in The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppet Treasure Island. In Muppets From Space, Gonzo told Noah to put him down as a "Whatever" in his dream.

Gonzo the "Weirdo"
On Muppet Babies, Gonzo's species was often cited as "Weirdo".

Gonzo the Alien
In Muppets from Space, Gonzo began to have disturbing dreams of abandonment and a feeling of aloneness in the world. He stated that he was "tired of being a one-of-a-kind freak". Gonzo lamented that he didn't know where he came from or what he truly was. Contradicting all past accounts of Gonzo's youth, it is established that Gonzo has never known his family (or anyone of his species) and feels that he is not just a unique and distinct individual, but also part of a species on the brink extinction. Gonzo is contacted by aliens channeling his breakfast cereal. And a pair of Cosmic Fish soon reveal to him that he is, in fact, an alien from outer space. It is later reveled that many zotons ago Gonzo was lost, and his family is has been looking for him.

His alien family has been trying to contact him for sometime by placing the message "Are You There" all over Earth. And after they make contact with Gonzo, they make plans (via a sandwich) to rejoin with their long lost brother and take him home. They arrive at Cape Doom in their giant spaceship (guided by an egg-like light beacon). The aliens displayed the same general physical characteristics as Gonzo's (such as the nostril-less crook-shaped nose and blue/purple fur). They are a musical culture, and their most ceremonious of ceremonies includes blowing the honoree out of a cannon. Gonzo is ecstatic to discover what he is, and considers going with them, however in the end he realizes his true home is on Earth with his Muppet family.

It is believed by some that there may be a distant, family connection between Gonzo and Sesame Street's Grover. However, neither character has chosen to substantiate these rumours or otherwise, so we may never know.

Gonzo's Romances
In Episode 124 of The Muppet Show, Gonzo falls in love with Miss Piggy, who is disgusted and annoyed by him. However, Gonzo would break up with her in Episode 209 when he fell in love with Madeline Kahn. Gonzo had no other romantic feelings for Piggy in any episodes in between. However, in The Muppet Movie, he briefly gets excited by Miss Piggy's suggestion of a romantic dinner for two, and Baby Gonzo had a regular crush on Piggy on Muppet Babies. He also tried to get Miss Piggy to dance with him in Episode 217, but only because he wanted to dance with somebody.

In Episode 217, Gonzo was attracted to a live cow that appeared backstage.

However, Gonzo's amorous desires are most often centered on chickens. The first time he had an interest in chickens was in Episode 204, when he held auditions for dancing chickens. Dave Goelz ad-libbed the line, "Don't call us, we'll call you... nice legs, though!" After this, the writers decided that Gonzo should have an attraction to chickens.

In Episode 217, although he did have a crush on a cow, he also expressed his attraction to chickens. During that episode's Talk Spot, he complained to Kermit about Sweetums and Thog playing badminton with his chicken. In that same episode, Gonzo sang "Won't Somebody Dance with Me", looking for a dance partner before settling for a chicken. (The video Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff retroactively claims this was how Gonzo first met Camilla).

Episode 318 introduced Gonzo's regular chicken girlfriend, Camilla. This did not prevent the blue one from developing a brief fascination with Big Bird, however.

Gonzo and Rizzo
Beginning with the 1992 movie The Muppet Christmas Carol, Gonzo has been paired with Rizzo the Rat, who has since become his best friend. The two co-hosted The Muppet Christmas Carol (Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo as himself). The team connected with audiences, and Gonzo and Rizzoe continued to be paired (often as the stars of the show) throughout the 1990s. Gonzo and Rizzo appeared as a team in Muppet Treasure Island (1997). The two, as a pair, hosted Muppet Classic Theater (1997). And Gonzo and Rizzo were teamed together for most of Muppets From Space (1999), in which they stared. It was shown that the two are roommates in The Muppet Boarding House.

Performing Gonzo
Gonzo first appeared as Snarl the Cigar Box Frackle in the 1970 special The Great Santa Claus Switch, where he was performed by Daniel Seagren. In 1974, he appeared on the Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass special in the musical number "Five Minutes More". Here he was performed by Henson, but was completely silent. Since then, he has only been performed by Dave Goelz.

In the first season of The Muppet Show, the character was underplayed with a permanently sad look. The producers noticed that he worked better in a more energetic form, so Dave Goelz modified the eyes to have movable eyelids which helped make him a more active character. As such, he became one of the principal characters in the series.

Jerry Juhl stated on many occasions that Gonzo was his favorite character to write for and develop. He said he had a special connection with the blue weirdo. Juhl really enjoyed evolving and developing the character with Goelz. For this reason, Gonzo has become one of the deepest and most developed characters.

Toys

 * Bendy Tuxedo Gonzo Doll (1977)
 * Gonzo Stick Puppet (1978)
 * Gonzo PVC Figure (1979)
 * Superhero Gonzo Beanie (1981)
 * Superhero Gonzo Dress-up Doll (1982)
 * Admiral of the Fleet Gonzo Dress-up Doll Costume (1982)
 * Circus Baby Gonzo PVC (1989)
 * Baby Gonzo PVC (1989)
 * Pirate Baby Gonzo PVC (1989)
 * Little Boy Boy Baby Gonzo PVC (1989)
 * Standing Baby Gonzo PVC
 * Sitting Baby Gonzo PVC
 * Disney World Gonzo PVC Figure
 * Stuntman Gonzo Action Figure (2002)
 * Crash Helmet Gonzo Action Figure (2002)
 * Gonzo Action Figure (2003)
 * Mega Gonzo Action Figure (2004)
 * Tuxedo Gonzo Action Figure (2004)
 * Cabin Boy Gonzo and Rizzo Action Figures (2004)
 * Gold Tuxedo Gonzo Action Figure (2004)
 * Dream Date Gonzo Action Figure (2004)
 * Checkered Suit Gonzo Action Figure (2005)
 * Tin Thing Plush (2005)

Fast Food Toys

 * McDonald's Big Wheel Baby Gonzo (1987)
 * McDonald's Airplane Baby Gonzo (1990)
 * Carl's Jr. Gonzo Car (1992)
 * Hardee's Charles Dickens Finger Puppet (1993)
 * McDonald's Cabin Boy Gonzo Boat (1996)
 * Long John Silvers' Gonzo Snowball (1997)
 * Wendy's Gonzo 3-D Puzzle (1999)
 * Wendy's Gonzo Spaceship Sparker (1999)
 * Dairy Queen's Baby Gonzo Rocking Horse (1999)

Books

 * Gonzo and the Giant Chicken (1982)
 * Gonzo Saves London Bridge (1986)
 * Gonzo's Big Mess (1989)
 * Gonzo the Great (book) (1989)
 * Gonzo's Book of Out-of-This-World Puzzles (1999)

Miscellaneous

 * Ceramic Gonzo Christmas Ornament (1979)
 * Gonzo Sigma Mug
 * Gonzo Sugar Bowl
 * Ceramic Jack-in-the-Box Gonzo Christmas Ornament (1981)
 * Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff (1985)
 * Gonzo PEZ Dispenser
 * Gonzo Costume
 * Gonzo's Head backpack (1998)
 * Gonzo's Head Magnet (1998)