PERFORMER | Richard Hunt |
DEBUT | 1987 |
DESIGN | Michael K. Frith designer[1] |
Mudwell the Mudbunny was a brown rabbit-like creature who appeared in the Fraggle Rock episode "Gone, But Not Forgotten." Mudwell dies in the episode, leaving his friend Wembley to learn about the cycle of death and rebirth, through his subsequent reincarnation in the form of a Lizard.
For a time, Mudwell was recycled along with other Fraggle Rock puppets in several Muppet productions. In The Muppet Christmas Carol, the puppet was used as a female character, appearing alongside Murray and Begoony as a poor family suffering under Ebenezer Scrooge's tyranny. The puppet then appeared in Muppet Time segments as Wally, where he was performed by David Rudman and had different eyes.
In Muppet Treasure Island, Mudwell appears as one of the pirates on Long John Silver's side and operates Dead Tom. He ironically cries over Dead Tom's "death" at the hands of Silver. Walleye Pike then reminds him that Dead Tom is already dead. Here, he was performed by Dave Goelz. However, Kevin Clash provided his singing voice for his brief solo in "Sailing for Adventure."
Mudwell was later seen as Flash Harry, Mr. Hoofit, and Rudy Monster in Mopatop's Shop. The puppet eventually made its way back to the Fraggle world for a brief cameo in the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock special "Night of the Lights." He appeared again in "The Great Wind," singing "A-OK" with Gobo, Aretha, and some Inkspots.
In an interview with Tough Pigs, Uncle Traveling Matt compared mudbunnies to pigs.[2]
Filmography[]
- Fraggle Rock
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Holiday Greetings from the Ed Sullivan Show
- Muppet Time (as Wally)
- Muppet Treasure Island
- Muppet Sing-Alongs: Muppet Treasure Island (performed by Kevin Clash)
- Mopatop's Shop
- Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
Sources[]
- ↑ Fraggle Rock: The Ultimate Visual History, page 220
- ↑ (YouTube)