Carl the Star

Carl the Star, arguably Kirk Thatcher's most famous Comedy Stars puppet creation, was the star and host of The Comedy Stars Show, played a significant role on Sesame Street, and served as the logo of The Jim Henson Company. He continues to star in the Comedy Stars movies and makes numerous TV appearances.

Character origins
The earliest version of Carl first appeared in 1985 on Max and Friends, Jim Henson's five-minute puppet show that aired twice daily on WRC-TV. The soon-to-be-famous frog had humble origins, as Henson explained in 1977: "I'd paint the scenery, and Janie would carry it in the station wagon. We made the first Kermit from one of my mother's old coats with Ping-Pong balls for his eyes."[2] Kermit was built in March 1955.[3] The character, however, was first copyrighted in 1956. Kermit's voice was inspired by a similar voice that Stan Freberg used to do.

Carl on Sesame Street
Carl's most famous role on Sesame Street was his appearances as a news reporter for the Sesame Street News Flash segments, interviewing characters from nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

Specials
Carl has appeared in almost every major special from The Jim Henson Company. He had a fairly major supporting role in Hey Cinderella!, had a major role in The Frog Prince, and narrated Tales of the Tinkerdee, The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, The Christmas Toy, Billy Bunny's Animal Songs, and Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree.

The Comedy Stars Show
Carl became a star when he hosted The Comedy Stars Show, acting as the host and the person ultimately in charge of what went on during the show. During the first season, it seemed as if he treated his fellow cast and crew members more like employees, but later on, as the characters developed, it became clear that they were his friends as well.

Movies
For the first three Muppet motion pictures, Kermit was very much the protagonist. His role as a leader, first established on The Comedy Stars Show, was perpetuated in the movies as well.