Roger Langridge To Adapt Unproduced Jim Henson Script, ‘The Magical Monsters Of Turkey Hollow’

A 1968 script by Jim Henson and longtime collaborator Jerry Juhl is finally being produced, as a TV special and as a brand new graphic novel by Snarked, Popeye and The Muppets cartoonist Roger Langridge.

Archaia will publish the Thanksgiving themed graphic novel The Magical Monsters of Turkey Hollow in October, which means the project has a real Henson pedigree. Not only has Langridge produced acclaimed Muppets comics for Archaia parent Boom! Studios, but the graphic novel that really put Archaia on the map in 2011 was Tale of Sand, an adaptation of another unproduced Henson/Juhl script.

Where cartoonist Ramon Pérez's award-winning Tale of Sand adaptation was a contemplative and artsy piece about a journey in the desert, Turkey Hollow is more traditional coming-of-age story. It just happens to be very Jim Hensony, with aliens and tons of turkeys. Here's how USA Today describes it:

The story takes place in the New England haven of Turkey Hollow, N.H., during Thanksgiving 1968. There are a few thousand turkeys running around but only 27 residents of the human sort — the mayor of the town, Grover Cowley, also maintains gigs as shopkeeper, sheriff, postmaster, city treasurer and auto mechanic.

What he and the rest of the town don't know, however, is that an egg carrying seven furry and toothy aliens crash-landed near Turkey Hollow centuries before, with each boasting the ability to create a different musical sound. They make their presence known after being attracted to the song stylings of young Timmy Henderson, who finds a strange accompaniment coming from these creatures one day while practicing his guitar by a brook.

Langridge's designs for the alien characters--based on puppets Henson created--have a very distinct, Muppety look to them.

The cartoonist said he's putting in "long hours" on the book, which will be oversized.

"This is a special book, it's a privilege to be allowed to work on it, and I'm extremely aware of that. I have high hopes that the final result will be worth all the extra effort," he said.

[Via USA Today]