Muffin the Mule
first trotted on to our screens in 1946, although he was already
12 years old by that time. He had been made by a famous creator
of Punch and Judy puppets, Fred Tickner, during the 1930's when
the Hogarth Puppets were already involved in the experimental
medium of television. Among the special theme presentations
planned by the Hogarths was a circus sequence, in which a mule
puppet was required. This puppet needed an appearance that would
help develop a comedy emphasis, this probably being the reason
for its head being made so especially large. Muffin, it will be
recalled, used his head a great deal in "conversations"
with Annette Mills.
So, Muffin - then unnamed - was
added to the Hogarth puppets in November 1934, the charge for the
job being 25 shillings. The puppet was used to good effect but as
Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth moved on to more experimental and
dramatic puppetry, Muffin was carefully stored, awaiting
re-discovery and naming by Annette Mills, sister of actor John
Mills. In 1946, she included the wooden mule in an edition of 'For
the Children'.
Muffin went
from strength to strength, clumping around legs-a-kimbo on the
piano top with Annette playing the music and Ann Hogarth standing
on the piano to operate him from behind a partition. Further
sidekicks emerged as the shows went on, including a bossy penguin
called Mr. Peregrine Esquire; a rather shy Louise the Lamb;
Oswald the Ostrich (a slightly dim-witted bird inclined to
"gape"); Willie the Worm; plus a genial minstrel puppet
called Wally the Gog. There were many others including Peter the
Pup; Poppy the Parrot; Grace the Giraffe; Hubert the Hippo; Katy
the Kangaroo; Kirri the Kiwi; Monty the Monkey; Maurice and Doris
the mice; Zebbie the Zebra; Sally the Sea-lion and Prudence and Primrose Kitten who were later rewarded with their
own spin-off shows.
Muffin
The Mule with his sidekick Annette Mills
Muffin’s
final TV appearance with Annette Mills came in 1955 just days
before she died aged 61.
Click
on the picture above for "Muffin Goes to
France" Real Movie
Muffin was
the first star, in Britain at least, entirely created by
television. By 1950 there were many merchandise spin-offs from
the character, including gramophone records, song and story books
(many illustrated by Mills' daughter Molly Blake) and comic strips, whilst Muffin
crossed the Atlantic in the form of films made for American
television. Some children were lucky enough to receive Muffin
bedroom slippers for their Birthday or Christmas.
TV
Comic featured Muffin on it's front cover for its first
issue in November 1951. Inside it featured other
favourite characters from BBC Children's TV.
Muffin the
Mule has returned to television in animated form.
In 2003, Maverick Entertainment acquired the intellectual
property rights to Muffin the Mule and has now brought him out of
retirement. A brand new TV adventure beckoned for Muffin the Mule
in September 2005 as he made an eagerly awaited return to the
BBC, his first TV home. Maverick Entertainment was commissioned
to produce an initial 26 x 10 minute episodes of 2D animation and
invested 2 million pounds into Muffin’s TV makeover. Aimed
at pre-schoolers, Muffin is presented as a fun loving problem
solver and is joined in Muffinham by nine friends, including
Peregrine the Penguin, Louise the Lamb and Oswald the Ostrich who
were all original puppet characters in the 1940s TV show. The
charming, humorous and vibrant production remains faithful to the
characteristics of the original and will undoubtedly appeal to
all generations. more....
Press
Release details:
This book is the first accurate and comprehensive record
of the history of Muffin the Mule.
It includes original advertising as source references
plus previously unpublished photographs, anecdotes and
original documentation for the most popular die cast toy,
the Moko Muffin Junior.
The book was written with the support of Derek McNally,
owner and copyright holder of Muffin the Mule.
Section
one: Muffin and the Hogarth puppets from his
television years up to the present day. There are some 34
black and white or colour photographs within this
section. Many never in print before now. Section
two:
Recollections by Sally McNally. The late Mrs Sally
McNally was the daughter of the original puppeteer, Ann
Hogarth and her BBC producer husband, Jan Bussell. These
are reprinted from the Muffin the Mule Collectors’
Club newsletters 1999 - 2004. Section
three: Collectables Guide.
Approximately 100 photographs illustrating 65 different
categories of vintage items. In addition, there is
identification of items that are often thought to be
Muffin (but are not) and a page of 'Collectors' Club
only' items.
Muffin the Mule
first trotted on to our screens in 1946, although he was already
12 years old by that time. He had been made by a famous creator
of Punch and Judy puppets, Fred Tickner, during the 1930's when
the Hogarth Puppets were already involved in the experimental
medium of television. Among the special theme presentations
planned by the Hogarths was a circus sequence, in which a mule
puppet was required. This puppet needed an appearance that would
help develop a comedy emphasis, this probably being the reason
for its head being made so especially large. Muffin, it will be
recalled, used his head a great deal in "conversations"
with Annette Mills.
So, Muffin - then unnamed - was
added to the Hogarth puppets in November 1934, the charge for the
job being 25 shillings. The puppet was used to good effect but as
Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth moved on to more experimental and
dramatic puppetry, Muffin was carefully stored, awaiting
re-discovery and naming by Annette Mills, sister of actor John
Mills. In 1946, she included the wooden mule in an edition of 'For
the Children'. 
Press
Release details:
