Who made the very first toys of my favourite Muppets character?

Last updated: June 3, 2020
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Here is some additional information for those Muppet fans who are curious enough (or obsessed enough!) to ask "Who made the very first Muppet Show Toys of my favourite character?"

Below is what I've figured out so far. Many of the items mentioned here are still missing from my collection. Pictures of the missing items can be found online quite easily, but I'd rather not take photos from other sources, so I've only included pictures of the items from my collection.

Introduction
Long before the Muppet Show was created, a plush toy puppet of Rowlf the Dog and "Kermit" had been marketed by Ideal in the mid 1960s. The Kermit toy puppet was based on the version of Kermit before he was a frog with his collar and flippers. You can see them both on this page of the Muppet Central website: http://www.muppetcentral.com/collectibles/muppets/dolls.shtml

A decade later in 1976, both characters were marketed together again by Fisher-Price for the debut of the Muppet Show. By this time Kermit had become "Kermit the Frog". Originally I believed that the Fisher-Price series of toys offered in 1977 were the "first ever" to be produced of the Muppet Show characters. This is only true for some of the characters.

The Bendy Toys company also produced a series of Muppet Show dolls in 1977 and 1978 that were made out of moulded sponge on a wire frame (see the Gonzo doll below). The Bendy Toys Muppet Show dolls were offered in two sizes. Their smaller sized dolls had painted clothing, while the larger sized dolls had fabric clothing that was removable. These Muppet Show dolls were only available in Europe, which is why I know little about them (I'm based in Ottawa, Ontario Canada). For some reason, the Bendy Toys dolls are not included on the Muppet Central website page about "Dolls and Puppets" from the 1970s (at the same link as above).

In addition, there is limited information available on the Muppet Wiki website about the Bendy Toys series. http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_dolls_(Bendy_Toys)

Therefore it's not clear what year some of the Bendy Toys items were released. As such, in order to figure out what company was first to market a certain Muppet character, it gets a bit more confusing than what I had originally thought....here we go!

Kermit and Rowlf the Dog

Ideal Toys was the first company to market toys based on Kermit and Rowlf the Dog in any form, in this case as toy puppets, in 1966. Both of these had stuffed bodies, so they could also be considered dolls or simply as plush toys.

Rowlf
Bendy Toys was the first company to market a doll of Rowlf the Dog that was not a plush toy, though it is not yet known if it was offered in 1977 or 1978. The first plush toy doll of Rowlf that was not a puppet was the Baby Rowlf plush toy produced by Hasbro in 1986. The first "normal version" of Rowlf as a plush doll (that was not also puppet) was made by Direct Connect in 1989. Fisher-Price made the first action figure of Rowlf in 1978. Palitoy didn't offer their Muppet Show action figures until the following year. To my knowledge the first finger puppet of Rowlf the Dog was made by Starbucks coffee shops in 2003. An illustration of Rowlf appeared on the Palitoy finger puppet packaging in 1978 but Fozzie was made instead. Schleich made the first PVC figure of Rowlf in 1979. This is the same company that has produced the Smurfs PVC figures since at least the early 1980s.

Kermit
Bendy Toys marketed their Kermit the Frog doll (as a Frog with his famous collar) in 1977, while Fisher-Price marketed their doll the previous year in 1976, therefore Fisher-Price was first to produce a doll of the character (which is not a puppet). In the case of the Bendy Kermit doll, it's not clear which size of doll was the first to be offered (or if both sizes were offered at the same time in 1977). Fisher-Price clearly has the distinction of making the first toy puppet of "Kermit the Frog" in 1978, complete with his collar, though this is not the first puppet of "Kermit" himself (this would be the Ideal Kermit from 1966). Fisher-Price also offered the first action figure of Kermit in 1978.  Palitoy made the first finger puppet of Kermit the Frog in 1978 and it was sold only in Europe. Schleich made the first PVC figure of Kermit the Frog in 1979. Pelham Marionettes produced the first and only marionette (or string puppet) of Kermit the Frog in the late 1970's. A prototype of a Rowlf marionette was made but not produced.

Fisher-Price Kermit the Frog doll, 1977, and puppet, 1978.

The very first action figures of Kermit and Rowlf were made by Fisher-Price in 1978. To my knowledge the first finger puppet of Rowlf was made by Starbucks in 2003.

 The very first PVC figures of Rowlf and Kermit were made by Schleich in 1979

Fozzie Bear
Fisher-Price was the first company to market toys based on Fozzie, in this case a stuffed doll of Fozzie Bear in 1976. Bendy Toys offered a sponge shaped toy puppet head of Fozzie in 1977. Bendy Toys also made a small Fozzie doll but it is still unknown if the toy was offered in 1977 or 1978. Although the Fisher-Price Fozzie Bear puppet released in 1978 was not the first toy puppet of the character to be marketed, it was the first fabric toy mouth puppet (or hand puppet) to be made. Fisher-Price also made the first Fozzie Bear action figure in 1978. Palitoy made the first finger puppet of Fozzie in 1978 (sold only in Europe), however one could argue that the Bendy Toys Fozzie head from 1977, noted above, also qualifies as a finger puppet. Schleich made the first PVC figure of Fozzie Bear in 1979.

Fisher-Price Fozzie Bear doll from 1977.

 

Fisher-Price Fozzie Bear puppet and action figure from 1978.

The first PVC figure of Fozzie Bear were made by Schleich in 1979

Miss Piggy and Animal
It is not yet known if Bendy Toys released their Miss Piggy and Animal dolls in 1977 or 1978, therefore it can not yet be confirmed if Bendy Toys was first company to market toys based on these characters. (If they were released in 1977 then they would have that distinction.) However, Bendy Toys clearly has the distinction of marketing the first dolls of Miss Piggy and Animal in 1977 or 1978 (though in the case of Miss Piggy it is unknown which size of doll was released first, large or small, or if they were both released at the same time). Fisher-Price clearly has the distinction of marketing the first toy puppets of Miss Piggy and Animal in 1978. Schleich made the first PVC figures of both characters in 1979.

Animal
In addition to their puppet Fisher-Price marketed the first action figure of Animal in 1978. Palitoy made the first finger puppet of Animal in 1978. The Palitoy puppets were sold only in Europe. Pelham Marionettes produced the first and only marionette (or string puppet) of Animal in the late 1970's. A prototype of a Miss Piggy marionette was made but not produced.

Miss Piggy
If we exclude small bendy "action figures" from the list as well as Muppet Babies toys and articulated plastic dolls, then the first articulated action figure of Miss Piggy is likely the one made by Palisades Toys in 2002. Otherwise Hasbro produced a Muppet Babies action figure of Baby Piggy in 1984 (however only the head turned) while Direct Connect produced both a plastic articulated doll with fabric clothing and a small bendy action figure of Miss Piggy in 1989, all of which might be considered by some to be action figures. Both Fisher-Price and Palitoy made a finger puppet of Miss Piggy in 1978.

These are the very first toy puppets of Miss Piggy and Animal to be marketed. They were made by Fisher-Price in 1978.

It's likely that the very first Miss Piggy action figure was made by Palisades Toys in 2002. The first action figure of Animal was made by Fisher-Price in 1978.

The Fisher-Price Miss Piggy finger puppet is shown above in package and loose. This was one of two finger puppets of Miss Piggy to be marketed in 1978.

The first PVC figures of Miss Piggy and Animal were made by Schleich in 1979

Scooter
Fisher-Price was the first company to market toys based on Scooter, in this case a doll and an action figure both in 1978. Schleich made a PVC figure of Scooter in 1979. To my knowledge a toy puppet (mouth puppet, hand puppet or finger puppet) of Scooter has still never been marketed by any company, but several additional plush dolls and action figures have since been produced by various companies.

Fisher-Price made the very first doll of Scooter in 1978 along with the very first action figure.

The first PVC figure of Scooter was made by Schleich in 1979.

Gonzo and Swedish Chef
Bendy Toys was the first company to market toys based on Gonzo, and Swedish Chef. In this case large size dolls were made but it is not known if they were released in 1977 or 1978. The more popular Fisher-Price "The Great Gonzo" doll was not marketed until 1981, so it was not the first doll of Gonzo, though it was the first plush doll. Both the Muppet Wiki and Muppet Central websites mistakenly state that the "Croonchy Stars" cereal Swedish Chef doll from 1988 was the first doll to be marketed for that character, however the first doll was made ten years earlier by Bendy Toys in 1977 or 1978. Plush toys of Gonzo and the Swedish Chef have since been produced by several companies. Schleich made the first PVC figures of these characters in 1979. Each of these characters also had their own separate sticker on a sheet of The Muppet Show character stickers produced by Hallmark in 1981.

Gonzo
The Dakin company produced the first Gonzo toy puppet in the late 1980s to be sold at Muppet Stuff stores. The first TWO finger puppets of Gonzo were both offered in 1993. One was sold by Carl Jr's restaurants and came with a small plastic car for the puppet to sit in. The other was sold by Hardee's restaurants and was based on the film A Muppet Christmas Carol. I don't know which one was marketed first, or if they were sold at the same time, but they are both from 1993. (Of course, one might logically conclude that as Christmas comes at the end of the year the Carl Jr's set was released first before the Hardee's set, but this would need to be researched further to confirm as being a fact rather than an assumption.) Fisher-Price made the first Gonzo action figure in 1978. Gonzo was also featured on the cover of a children's book, "Gonzo and the Giant Chicken", published by Random House in 1982.

Swedish Chef
The first toy puppet of the Chef that I know of is the Starbucks finger puppet sold in 2003. The first toy hand puppet of the Chef was made in 2012 by Albert Heijn and sold only in Germany. The first action figure of the Swedish Chef was made by Palisades Toys in the mid 2000s. Bendy Toys made the first doll of the Swedish Chef in 1977 or 1978. The "Croonchy Stars" Chef doll wasn't made until ten years later in 1988.

The large size Bendy Toys Gonzo doll from 1977 or 1978 was the very first doll of Gonzo ever made. The Dakin hand puppet from the late 1980s was the very first toy puppet of Gonzo.

The very first Gonzo action figure was made by Fisher-Price in 1978.

The very first toy puppet or finger puppet of the Swedish Chef was made by Starbucks in 2003.

Individual stickers of Gonzo and Swedish Chef by Hallmark, 1981.

A Random House book featuring Gonzo from 1982.

The first PVC figures of the Swedish Chef, Gonzo, Waldorf and Statler were made by Schleich in 1979.

Statler and Waldorf
Bendy Toys was the first company to market toys based on Statler and Waldorf, offering toy puppet heads in 1977 (these are the same style of puppets as the Fozzie Bear toy puppet head noted above, and therefore could also be considered as finger puppets). The first dolls of Statler and Waldorf were not made until 1999 by Igel. The first plush dolls of these characters were made my Sababa Toys in 2003. The company made 12 inch toys as well as "life sized" or jumbo sized toys of the characters. The first toy hand puppets of Statler and Waldorf  were made in 2012 by Albert Heijn and sold only in Germany. As far as I can tell aside from the Bendy Toys puppet heads, finger puppets of Statler and Waldorf have never been made. The first action figures of Statler and Waldorf were made by Palisades Toys in the mid 2000s, however the Igel dolls from 1999 could be considered as action figures as well. Schleich made the first PVC figures of these characters in 1979.


Dr. Teeth and Zoot
Palitoy made the first finger puppets of Dr. Teeth and Zoot in 1978 but they were sold only in Europe. The first plush dolls of these characters were made by Sababa Toys in 2003. The first action figure of Dr. Teeth was made in 2002 by Palisades Toys, who later made the first Zoot action figure in the mid 2000s. Schleich made a PVC figure of Zoot in 1979. Hallmark included a separate sticker of Dr. Teeth on sheet of The Muppet Show stickers from 1981. Dr. Teeth was also a game piece in The Muppet Show board game by Parker Brothers, produced in 1977. To my knowledge a PVC figure of Dr. Teeth has never been made, and larger sized toy puppets (hand puppets or mouth puppets) have never been made of either character. In 2013 Dr. Teeth was included in the series of Muppet bobble heads produced by Funko.

The very first action figure of Dr. Teeth was made by Palisades Toys in 2002.

The very first dolls of Dr. Teeth and Zoot were made by Sababa Toys in 2003.

The first PVC figure of Zoot was made by Schleich in 1979

The Dr. Teeth Bobble Head figure by Funko, from 2013.

The Hallmark sticker of Dr. Teeth from 1981.

The Dr. Teeth game piece from the Parker Brothers The Muppet Show board game, 1977.

Janice and Floyd Pepper
Action figures of Janice and Floyd were first made in the mid 2000s by Palisades Toys. The first plush dolls of these characters were made by Sababa Toys in 2003. Janice was made as a large size plush doll and she was also included in a smaller plush doll set with Floyd and the rest of the band (excluding Animal). To my knowledge PVC figures, finger puppets or toy puppets (hand puppets or mouth puppets) of these two characters have never been made.

The very first dolls of Floyd and Janice were made by Sababa Toys in the mid 2000s.

Sam the Eagle
Schleich made the first PVC figure of Sam the Eagle in 1979, with blue feet. The first action figure of Sam was made by Palisades Toys in the mid 2000s, and it has yellow feet. A rather poorly made plush doll of Sam was made around 2010. It was sold at McDonald's restaurants in Australia. A slightly better, but still quite pathetic looking, plush doll was also made for sale at the Muppet Vision 3D gift shops but a date for this doll is unknown, so I can't confirm which of the two dolls were made first. To my knowledge a toy puppet (hand puppet, mouth puppet or finger puppet) of Sam has never been made.

The first PVC figure of Sam was made by Schleich in 1979.

Bunsen and Beaker
To my knowledge, these characters were never marketed as toys or other collectors items until the early 1990s or possibly even the early 2000s. The Igel toy company produced plush dolls of both Bunsen and Beaker in 2001, as part of a series of Muppet dolls that were only available in Germany. Similar dolls were also sold at the Muppet Vision 3D gift shops but a date for these doll is unknown, so I can't confirm which of the above were made first. (The Muppet 3D gift shop first opened it's doors in the early 1990s at Universal Studios, so it's possible those Bunsen and Beaker dolls were also available around the same time). In 2003 Sababa Toys reproduced the Igel dolls for sale in North America which was the first time the characters were available at retail stores in Canada and the US. Sababa produced two series of dolls at the same time. One was a series of larger dolls, the other was a set of smaller bean bag style dolls. Palisades Toys made the first action figures of both characters in 2002, followed by the first PVC figures of both characters in 2003. The first toy puppet of Beaker to be made was the Starbucks finger puppet sold in 2003. A hand puppet /mouth puppet of Beaker was made in 2011 by Gund as merchandise for The Muppets movie by Disney. To my knowledge a finger puppet or a hand puppet/mouth puppet of Bunsen has never been made.

These small bean bag plush dolls made by Sababa Toys in 2003 are not the very first dolls of Bunsen and Beaker, but they were the first dolls of these characters to be sold across North America in retail stores. Sababa also made a large version of the Bunsen and Beaker dolls, the Beaker doll is shown above.

Here is the very first action figure of Bunsen ever made. It was produced by Palisades in 2002.

Sweetums
Schleich made the first PVC figure of Sweetums in 1979, although it did not look very much like the character. In 1991 a second PVC figure of Sweetums was made for sale at Disney theme parks. Palisades Toys produced the first action figure of Sweetums in 2004. I do not know of any other toys based on this character, which is odd as Sweetums is very suitable for a plush toy or a toy puppet. In 1981 Hallmark included a sticker of Sweetums in a set of Muppet Show stickers. In 1982 Sweetums was featured in the Random House children's book titled "Two for the Show".

The first PVC figure of Sweetums was made by Schleich in 1979.

A book published by Random House in 1982 with Sweetums on the cover.

The Sweetums Hallmark sticker from 1981.

Rizzo the Rat
Burger King restaurants produced one of the first toys of  Rizzo in 1999 as part of a promotion for Muppets from Space. It is a mouse trap shaped vehicle with an attached figure of Rizzo sitting on top. Rizzo is jointed to allow rowing action as the vehicle moves, but this toy is not actually an action figure. Therefore Palisades Toys produced the first action figure of Rizzo during the mid 2000s. A PVC figure of Rizzo was produced in 1999 for Hungry Jacks restaurants in Australia. It was made the same year as the Burger King toy, so it's difficult to say which one was first. Also in 1999 Rizzo was featured as a PVC figure in the Muppets Chess set, in the role of the pawn. The set was produced by A La Cart with eight Rizzo figures for each player, for a total of 16 PVC Rizzo figures in each chess set. As with Bunsen and Beaker, dolls of Rizzo the Rat were made by Igel in 2000 and also sold at the Muppet Vision 3D gift shops, but a date for the Muppet Vision 3D doll is unknown so I can't confirm which of the above were made first. To my knowledge toy puppets of Rizzo have never been made (finger puppet, mouth puppet or hand puppet). 

One of the very first Rizzo toys ever made was sold at Burger King restaurants in 1999.

Some of the Rizzo PVC chess pieces made in 1999.

Bean Bunny
The first Bean Bunny toy was a plush hand puppet produced by Applause in 1986 based on "The Tale of the Bunny Picnic" TV special. Shortly after this, Bean Bunny joined the Muppet Show gang as part of the cast for The Jim Henson Hour. In 1991 the first PVC figure of Bean Bunny was sold at the Muppet Vision 3D gift shop, and the character is featured in the Muppet Vision 3D film. The first plush doll of Bean Bunny was also made for sale at the Muppet Vision 3D gift shop during the 1990s or early 2000s. In 2016 Diamond Select Toys produced the very first action figure of Bean Bunny as part of the Muppets Select series of action figures. The Bean Bunny figure was included in a packaged set with Kermit the Frog and Robin the Frog. I don't recall ever seeing a finger puppet of Bean Bunny. (I also don't have any Bean Bunny items in my collection yet!)

Pepe the King Prawn
Pepe was first introduced in 1996 on The Muppets Tonight TV show and was the only new character from that program to become part of the Muppets regular cast going forward. In the late 1990s or early 2000s, Nanco produced the first plush doll of Pepe. In 2003 the Jack in the Box resurant chain produced a series of action figures of the Muppets, including Pepe with articulated arms. Also in 2003 Palisades Toys produced an action figure of Pepe, so it is difficult to say which of these two action figures was the first. Additionally around 2003 Fun 4 All produced the first toy puppet of Pepe. This is a push puppet type of figure on a base that looked very similar to the Palisades Toys figure. I have not yet seen any other toy puppets (hand / mouth puppet or finger puppet) based on this character. (I don't have any Pepe collectables yet!)

Walter
In 2011 the character of Walter was introduced in the new Muppets film. In the months leading up to the theatrical release of the movie Disney offered a series of Muppet plush toys on it's website including the first plush doll of Walter. In 2014 a PVC figure of Walter was included in the set Muppets set of PVC figures sold at Disney stores. I'm not aware of any other merchandise for this character.

Camilla the Chicken
Palisades Toys produced the first action figure of Camilla the Chicken during the mid 2000s. She is included with the smaller sized Gonzo action figure as an additional pack-in item, and was also produced by Palisades as a Mega Muppet large size figure. (Gonzo was also made as a large size figure, so the large size Camilla was made to go with it.) A small plush toy of Camilla was included with Sababa Toys plush "Veterinarian's Hospital" set from 2003. In 2016 Diamond Select Toys produced yet another action figure of Camilla. I'm not aware of any other toys based on Camilla the Chicken. Camilla was featured on the cover of the 1982 children's book "Gonzo and the Giant Chicken", published by Random House. The story is about what happens when one of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's experiments accidentally turns Camilla into a giant chicken.

 Sababa Toys "Veterinarian's Hospital" plush toy set with the first plush toy of Camilla the Chicken.

This book featured Camilla the Chicken as "the Giant Chicken" from the title.

Mahna Mahna and Snowths
Although they were featured on the original The Muppet Show (and in the case of Mahna Mahna on Sesame Street in several short skits) during the 1970's, these Muppet characters have only recently become more popular with fans since 2000. Palisades Toys made the first toys of Mahna Mahna and the two Snowths, producing PVC figures in 2002 or shortly after (sometime between 2002 and 2005). Funko later produced the first action figures of these characters in 2011 as part of their "Pop!" series of toys. The heads of the "Pop!" figures turn, but otherwise the figures are not articulated. The Funko toys were marketed to promote the film, The Muppets which was released that same year. In 2016 Diamond Select Toys produced another action figure based on Mahna Mahana (the Snowths were not made) which is more realistically proportioned to resemble the actual Muppet, with more articulation. Plush toys or puppets of any kind (finger puppets, hand or mouth puppets) based on these characters have never been made.

Robin the Frog
The first action figure of Robin was made by Palisades Toys in 2002 or shortly after (between 2002 and 2004). The figure, Frog Scout Robin, was released as part of series 6 of the Muppet Show action figure toy line, and presents Robin dressed in his Scouting uniform. In 2016 Diamond Select Toys produced another action figure of Robin, this time without any clothing, as the character is typically seen. In 1981 Hallmark included a sticker of Robin in a set of Muppet Show stickers. Robin was also featured in two Random House books, "Let's Go Camping" from 1981, and "Two for the Show" from 1982. Robin is also seen in Kermit Santa's bag for a Disney Store Christmas ornament from 2005. I'm not aware of any other items based on this character. In 2017 Robin appeared with Kermit as a figural Hallmark ornament based on Muppet Christmas Carol. I'm not aware of any other items based on Robin.

The sticker of Robin the Frog by Hallmark from 1981.

Two Random House books with Robin the Frog on the cover, from 1981 and 1982.

Assorted Characters
In 2002 Palisades Toys began producing an extensive series of Muppet action figures and PVC figures which included many secondary characters that had never been merchandised before. I am not aware of any other toys (toy puppets, plush toys, etc.) or merchandise to be based on these Muppet characters.

These characters are from the TV programs The Muppet Show, and Muppets Tonight, as well as the movies A Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island.

The Muppet Show

Crazy Harry
Marvin Suggs (with Muppaphone)
Muppet Newsman
Uncle Deadly (with ghosts)
Beauregard
Lew Zealand (with fish)
Link Hogthrob
Dr. Julius Strangepork
Pops
Lips
Jim Henson Muppet
Koozebane Aliens (included with the figure of Kermit in his reporter trench coat)
Muppet Vegetables (included with various figures)
Robot Rabbit (included with Bunsen figure shown above)
Lobster Banditos (included with Chef figure)
Thog (PVC figure)
Doglion (PVC figure)

Muppets Tonight

Clifford
Johnny Fiama
Dr. Phil Van Neuter

Muppets Christmas Carol

Ghost of Christmas Present (PVC figure)
Penguins (PVC figure)

Muppets Treasure Island

Polly Lobster (included with the figure of Kermit as Captain Smollet)



Text © Mike Artelle, 2011, 2017