Pirkis stands in the doorway of a garden wall and gate he designed.
Richard Pirkis (also credited as Richard Perkis) worked for Jim Henson's Creature Shop on several Henson and Muppet projects during the 1990s. In a 2021 Times article, Pirkis recalled, "I would bring the Muppets home at weekends to mend them and my sons were delighted to play with the Cookie Monster."
Pirkis previously worked as a visual effects artist for the BBC, working on programs such as Doctor Who, The Goodies, Last of the Summer Wine, Top of the Pops, The Kenny Everett Video Show, and Open All Hours (crafting Ronnie Barker's malfunctioning till). He also worked in films, including creating a Highland cow corpse for Rob Roy (with Liam Neeson, John Hurt, and Brian Cox). Pirkis has since moved on to work as an architect.
Muppet/Henson credits[]
- The StoryTeller: Greek Myths
- The Flintstones: Mechanics
- The Animal Show (season 1)
- The Neverending Story III: Miniatures model supervisor (as Richard Perkis)
- Muppet Treasure Island: Miniatures (as Richard Perkis)