PERFORMER | Jerry Nelson puppeteer |
Francois Klanfer voice | |
DEBUT | 1972 |
DESIGN | Michael K. Frith, Jim Henson designers |
Don Sahlin builder |
Rover Joe is a hound dog who first appeared in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen. In that special, he was Mean Floyd's dog, thrown out after the superstitious farmer mistook Rover Joe for a ghost. Befriended by Leroy the Donkey, Rover Joe plays the trombone in the animal band, though he initially confuses the instrument with a hambone. Rover Joe is a tired old dog, rejuvenated by the companionship of the other animals and the hope of finding a new family.
Rover Joe later appeared in several episodes of The Muppet Show (often performed by Jim Henson) and The Muppets Take Manhattan.
The puppet was rebuilt during Season 4 of The Muppet Show, with small beady eyes replacing the nearly-closed ones. He most recently made a cameo appearance alongside his Muppet Musicians bandmates in the first issue of Muppet King Arthur.
Since 2015, the Rover Joe puppet is on display at the Center for Puppetry Arts as part of their permanent Worlds of Puppetry exhibit.
Appearances
Sources
- Falk, Karen. "Jim Henson's Red Book", 4/26/1972 โ Air "Muppet Musicians of Bremen".