Ask any child who Kermit the Frog is and he or she will smile. Kermit and
company have been entertaining children for decades. Whether it was Kermit’s
first appearance on the WRC-TV program Sam and Friends in 1955, the
inception of Sesame Street in 1969, The Muppet Show in 1976,
The Muppet Movie in 1979, The Dark Crystal or the cult hit
Labyrinth, the Muppets have been an active force in entertainment and
continue to do so.

One of Henson’s early works was commercials for
Wilkins Coffee. The commercials used two characters, Wilkins and Wontkins.
Wilkins was a happy character who obviously loved coffee whereas Wontkins was a
grumpy character who refused to even try the stuff. Debuting in 1957, Wilkins
and Wontkins went on to do over 300 commercials. In 1958, a pair of premium
mail-away puppets of the two was offered. Made of pliable vinyl, the puppets
captured the true essence of the characters, with Wilkins having a big grin and
Wontkins with a huge frown.

These two early characters aren’t as easily
recalled as some of Henson’s more famous creations, but they definitely had a
hand in paving the way for the success of the Muppets. In fact the Muppets have
come full circle, with Kermit and the gang doing TV commercials, which is what
helped get them started.