Gobo Fraggle

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File:Red helping Gobo.jpg

Gobo getting help from Red.

Gobo as a child.

Gobo stepping into Outer Space with his uncle.

Gobo Fraggle is one of the five main Fraggles in Fraggle Rock. In Gobo's earliest appearances, he wore a yellow sweater with a purple cardigan. After the first twelve episodes, he would trade in this outfit for a yellow sweater with purple stripes and a brown vest.

Gobo Fraggle is an explorer, just like his Uncle Traveling Matt. Whereas Matt explores Outer Space, Gobo devotes himself to the exploration of Fraggle Rock's many caverns and unchartered regions. Gobo is also the only Fraggle who is brave enough to go into Doc's Workshop to pick up his uncle's postcards while evading Doc's dog Sprocket. Whenever the Fraggles are in trouble, Gobo finds inspiration in these postcards.

Gobo is adventurous, clever, and kind. Although he is a good leader, he has a tendency to be conceited and domineering on occasion. He shares a room with his best friend, Wembley Fraggle and is close friends with Red Fraggle. Gobo has an accomplished singing voice and plays the guitar. He is allergic to radish bars.

In the first season, flashbacks of Gobo as a child, being raised by Uncle Traveling Matt, appeared in "The Garden Plot" and "Gobo's Discovery." The young Gobo wore a yellow tank top with the same stripe pattern as his later sweater.

In "The Honk of Honks," Gobo ends up making himself known to Doc.

In A Muppet Family Christmas, Gobo alongside his friends meet Kermit the Frog and Robin the Frog when they enter a Fraggle Hole in Ma Bear's house in Grizzly Farm. When it comes to the Muppets' Christmas carol, Gobo leads his friends into outer space to investigate.

Gobo speaks with a distinct Canadian accent, a reference to the show's filming location of Ontario, Canada.

His performer Jerry Nelson reprised the role for the Just One Person performance at Jim Henson's Memorial.

Subsequently Gobo appeared next to Wembley in the background of the same number in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson.

Behind the Scenes

"Gobo" (short for "go between") is a lighting term used in film, television and theater. In the context of the show, Gobo is named after his great-uncle Gobo, Traveling Matt's uncle. In the language of the ancient Fraggles, "Gobo" means "Take off your hat!"

Gobo was puppeteered by Steve Whitmire during the audition tapes.

When the Gobo puppet was redesigned halfway through the first season of Fraggle Rock, it was changed to represent a more mature Gobo. For the first two episodes after his look significantly changed, he wore a hat, possibly to hide the fact that his hair was now shorter. Throughout the show's five seasons, occasionally he wears different hats.

Some early taped episodes featured yet another Gobo puppet; it was basically the same as the others, except a slight curve in the middle gave his mouth a beak-like look. This version was used in some international Outer Space segments.

Gobo Fraggle Early Season 1.JPG

Gobo in the first twelve episodes of Fraggle Rock. Gobo has longer hair which obscures his eyelids. In some of the scenes in Doc's Workshop, Gobo has an eyelid mechanism to indicate surprise or worry, but again, his hair makes such an effect subtle. He wears a yellow sweater with a purple cardigan.

Gobo Fraggle Late Season 1.JPG

The later Gobo has shorter hair, exposing his eyelids, and a slightly different head shape. He now wears a striped sweater and brown vest. In addition to this, Gobo often sported unusual hats in several episodes; in his original sketch design Gobo is indicated to own a hat collection.

See also

• Gobo Fraggle (animated)
• International Gobo Fraggle