Jerry Juhl, who was one of the main creative forces behind The Muppets died Monday from complications relating to cancer. Jerry and his wife Susan worked for years for the Jim Henson Organization — 37 years in Jerry's case. He wrote for Sesame Street, served as head writer for The Muppet Show, and was a writer and/or producer on most of Henson's TV projects and films, including The Muppet Movie.
His association with Henson began in 1961 when Jim was doing a low-budget show in Washington, D.C. entitled Sam and Friends. A childhood friend of Frank Oz, Juhl originally began working with Henson as a puppeteer but eventually gravitated more into writing. He had a hand in shaping most of the major Muppet characters but especially The Great Gonzo, which he sometimes described as his personal favorite.
My pal Ken Plume is preparing a lengthy bio and obit which will appear soon on IGN FilmForce. I'll post a link when it's up. This is a sad day for those of us who love the wit and glory of The Muppets because an awful lot of that came from Jerry Juhl.