Don Sahlin

Don Sahlin
Born
Donald George Sahlin

(1928-06-19)June 19, 1928
Stratford, Connecticut
DiedFebruary 19, 1978(1978-02-19) (aged 49)
New York City, New York
OccupationPuppet designer
Notable workThe Muppets

Donald George Sahlin /səˈliːn/ (June 19, 1928 – February 19, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977.[1] Sahlin passed away in New York of a heart attack. Muppets creator Jim Henson described Sahlin as “the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets.” [2]

Sahlin began making puppets at age 11,[3] initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines.[4] As an adult he built several puppets for Kukla, Fran and Ollie and created special effects sequences for films such as G.I. Blues and The Time Machine.[1]

His first creation for Jim Henson was Rowlf the Dog, which he built in 1962 for a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials. Don would go on to design and build most of the Muppet characters, including Bert and Ernie, Grover, and Cookie Monster among others. His character designs are often recognizable for their spheroid heads partially bisected to create large mouths. Henson later had a bench in London dedicated to his memory. The series finale of Fraggle Rock is also dedicated to him. After all the regular credits have been shown, a special credit appears which reads "This show is for Don Sahlin".[5]

  1. ^ a b "Don Sahlin". The Capital Journal. New York. UPI. February 23, 1978. Retrieved June 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Donald G. Sahlin, at 49; Made Muppets for TV For More Than 16 Years". The New York Times. February 22, 1978. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Noah, John (December 18, 1949). "Puppet Production". Los Angeles Times. p. 19. Retrieved June 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Noah, John (December 18, 1949). "Puppet Production". Los Angeles Times. p. 10. Retrieved June 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ The Muppet Show Season One DVD