When I was growing up, my household spent quite a lot of time with the creations of Jim Henson, including the lovable citizens of Fraggle Rock. Many of the characters had some sort of strange appeal to me, a feeling I never really got from The Muppet Show or other Henson creations. I’ll try to recall the most interesting for you now.

First off, there’s the Doozers (pictured at right). I always felt a bit sorry for those poor little guys, what with the crazy fraggles running around eating the plastic structures that so much time and energy was spent to create and maintain. How did the Doozers create the plastic? What kind of nourishment could be gotten from plastic anyway?

Then there’s the Trash Heap* (pictured at left). That thing creeped me the fuck out. I seem to remember it talking like either Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls, or the Judge from My Two Dads. The 80’s frickin’ ruled, man.

Also, there’s the bizarre creatures that lived above the well; some sort of King and Queen with a Gargamel-esque imbecile son (pictured at right) who was always chasing fraggles, then getting in trouble for his supidity. Upon googling for pictures, I have learned these creatures are called Gorgs.

Then of course there’s Sprocket, the muppet dog of the very real Kind Old Man (pictured at left) whose house seemed to house the entire fraggle world. I suppose this was recycling the same Gargamel role; Sprocket sees fraggles but the Kind Old Man—who for some reason seems to be filed under Henry in my memories—doesn’t believe him

This brings me to my very favorite Fraggle Rock character: Uncle Travelin’ Matt (pictured at right). Travelin’ Matt wandered the world of the “Silly People” (who of course are us, non-muppets), sending letters to his nephew Gobo, who would then read them and imagine the details so that we could see them. His segment was always the most entertaining to me, but his place in my heart is warm for a different reason.

A couple years ago I was explaining to someone who knew nothing about special effects what all was changed in the Special Editions of the Star Wars trilogy. I was trying to explain how ‘matte’ shots worked back then verses how they work now when I used the term ‘traveling matte**.’ Suddenly a light bulb flipped on over my head and I exclaimed “Travelin’ Matt!”

The Travelin’ Matt segments were done primarily using the ‘traveling matte’ compositing technique***, which I think is a really clever little in-joke that my 7-year-old brain never caught. My adult brain nearly didn’t catch it either; I think the only reason it ever did is because George Lucas is a colossal tool.

* My 7-year-old mind heard that as “Tra Sheep”, and I never quite understood what a pile of garbage had to do with sheep.

** A ‘traveling matte’ was basically one shot layed overtop of another shot, with a blacked out area between. Think of a model TIE fighter being pasted over top of a star speckled space background

*** Though now that I think of it, they probably actually just used a chroma key video overlay to accomplish that, so I’m not sure it actually qualifies as a traveling matte. Oh well, the joke is still clever nonetheless.