The Wizard of Id

The Wizard of Id is a comic strip created by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart in 1964.

In March 1969, Jim Henson shot a short pilot presentaion with puppets built by Don Sahlin. It featured the Wizard, the King, and the Spook, based on designs from the comic strip.

The pilot features a painted castle set against a plain backdrop, as the King discusses Id, before being confronted by the Wizard, who uttering his trademark spell, causes him to explode. The Wizard then explains, "It's a standard Muppet finale. If you don't know how to end it, go out with a --," at which point he too explodes in a puff of smoke. Then all three characters return to dance and bow to a fanfare, with the Spook making a particularly hammy exit.

At the 2003 "Muppet Rarities" event, Craig Shemin cited this as the earliest known occasion when Jim Henson created puppets based on pre-existing characters and designs.