Talk: Jon Stone

Announcer

I was just wondering about some of the times he was an off-screen announcer. I think he was announcer at the beginning of Sesame Street Creature Feature, as well as in Don't Eat the Pictures, telling people that the museum was closing. Does anyone if know I'm right? Garrettk41 23:17, 2 October 2008 (UTC)

I don't know, but I thought the Creature Feature announcer was Joe Raposo. --Minor muppetz 23:22, 2 October 2008 (UTC)

Well, there have actually been two announcers for that. The other one could be Raposo, but I think Stone did the announcing for the later ones (sloth, marmoset, etc.). Garrettk41 22:39, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

Head writer?

Jeff Moss is listed as the "founding head writer" and this Jon Stone article lists him as the "first head writer," which seems confusing. Anyone know how to rectify this? Thanks. Quango 20:28, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Well the Jon Stone bit comes directly from his NY Times Obituary. Peter added the "founding head writer" statement to Jeff Moss' page awhile ago; I'm not sure what the source is. -- Wendy (talk) 23:22, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, confusing. Stone is also listed as head writer in John Culhane, "Report Card on Sesame Street," New York Times Magazine, 24 May 1970. On the other hand, Jeff Moss is listed as head writer in CTW press release, "Sesame Street Cast Bios," Nov. 1970. Quango 04:20, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't know if this helps or not, but this is from the CTW archives... -- Danny (talk) 02:44, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If I understand the top of page 2 correctly, Jon Stone claims he was the uncredited Head Writer at the end of Year 1, but Jeff Moss wanted to be credited that way. At some point Jeff Moss became the actual and credited headwriter, and by the end of year 3, Jon Stone was again headwriter, but Jeff Moss was still getting credit as such and was furious at the idea that he shouldn't have such credit. I can't read all the scrawl in the margins though.

Yeesh what a letter. Anyhow, I make that as Jon Stone for the "first" head-writer, at least in his own opinion. Anyone else? -- Wendy (talk) 02:57, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

I think that actually makes a case that there was no official "head writer" in the early seasons. Maybe we could just say "writer"? -- Danny (talk) 03:10, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

This may not help, but has anybody checked the Friday credits on Old School? I say it may not help, since apparently what was on screen might not have been accurate. -- Ken (talk) 03:31, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

I haven't yet checked the actual credit rolls, but the writers' credits stated on the respective "Season" pages of Muppet Wiki are:

Season 1: Jon Stone, Jeffrey Moss, Bruce Hart, Carole Hart, Ray Sipherd, Daniel Wilcox;
Season 2: Ray Sipherd, Daniel Wilcox, Emily Perl Kingsley, Jeff Moss, Bob Oksner;
Season 3: Jeff Moss, Bob Oksner, Ray Sipherd, Jerry Juhl, Daniel Wilcox, Emily Perl Kingsley;
Season 4: Head writer Jeff Moss; writers Jon Stone, Norman Stiles, Ray Sipherd, Dan Wilcox, Emily Perl Kingsley

Make of that what you will.--Andrew T. 05:13, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

I think we've established that neither Stone or Moss has a slam-dunk on being the first head writer, so I'm going to take that bit off of both pages. -- Danny (talk) 22:35, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

Attention

This page needs a biography. Right now, there's a picture, birth and death dates, and a load of diverse credits (a list which isn't even complete), but as has been pointed out when improving the Muppet Performer pages, credits lists are placeholders and useful reference but should be supplemented by a text biography and career overview, placing notable list elements in context. For one thing, Stone worked on Captain Kangaroo prior to joining Sesame, was married for 9 years to actress Beverly Owen, and worked on several Muppet projects before and during the Sesame Street years.

Here's a couple of starting points, apart from just checking "What Links Here" for missing credits and anecdotes: a paid death notice by the Sesame Street staff writers, and here's a newsgroup copy of his NY Times obit as posted by Jerry Juhl. I've got some details I can add from Caroll Spinney's The Wisdom of Big Bird about his own sometimes difficult working relationship with Stone, but I'd like to see some other folks take a hand at it first. Andrew Leal (talk) 05:05, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Autobiography?

On www.cartoonbrew.com, blog owner Amid Amidi has written about his problems (and ultimate failure) in getting his biography of Ward Kimball approved for publication (by Chronicle Books) by the Disney Company.

Someone named "Garth" commented on the blog post, stating "The Henson Company did the same with a Jim Henson bio and so did Sesame Workshop with Jon Stone's autobiography. Both were written and ready and then squashed and silenced by the corporations."

The story of Ron Powers' doomed Henson bio is well-known, but I had never heard about a Jon Stone autobiography. Perhaps it's all hearsay, but I wanted to make a note of it here in case more info ever does surface. Galenfott (talk) 02:27, March 3, 2013 (UTC)

It's mentioned quite a bit in Street Gang that Jon Stone wrote an unpublished memoir, though I don't recall it mentioning why it was unpublished. --Minor muppetz (talk) 12:41, March 24, 2013 (UTC)