Meet Our Panelists
Click on their names to read their bios.
Pete Brooke
Creative Supervisor
Peter Brooke is the Creative Supervisor for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and is responsible for the conception, design and sculpt of each character and creature brought to life at the Shop’s LA location. His work can be seen in such films as Where the Wild Things Are, The Producers, Cats & Dogs, Dr. Dolittle, and The Flintstones as well as the television projects Dinosaurs and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. Brooke works closely with the creative team of each film and television project to guarantee that their vision is realized in the characters he creates. He also liaises with the Shop’s builders and supervises characters on set to ensure that the original concept and design style is maintained throughout the build and performance.
Brooke began his relationship with The Jim Henson Company in 1988 as a sculptor on Jim Henson’s The Storyteller and he relocated to the US when the company began production in Los Angeles on Dinosaurs in 1991.
Brooke’s own fine art sculpture work has received the Gold Medal for Best Sculpture from the California Art Club and the Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists. His work has been featured in several magazines including Southwest Art, Art Talk, Art Revue and Wildlife Art News.
Brooke began his relationship with The Jim Henson Company in 1988 as a sculptor on Jim Henson’s The Storyteller and he relocated to the US when the company began production in Los Angeles on Dinosaurs in 1991.
Brooke’s own fine art sculpture work has received the Gold Medal for Best Sculpture from the California Art Club and the Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists. His work has been featured in several magazines including Southwest Art, Art Talk, Art Revue and Wildlife Art News.
Toby Froud
Artist | Puppeteer | Filmmaker
Around the world, countless movie fans remember Toby Froud for his role as “Baby Toby” in Jim Henson’s 1986 feature film Labyrinth. The son of the film’s conceptual designer Brian Froud and puppet builder Wendy Froud, Toby continues to create creature effects and puppets for film and television. Since 2009, Toby has worked in the stop-motion industry as a puppet sculptor and fabricator, working with several companies, including LAIKA. Toby’s work includes ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link. After spending almost two years supervising, sculpting, and fabricating on the live action TV series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance for Netflix, he returned to stop-motion to work as lead sculptor and fabricator on Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Jason Weber
Creative Supervisor
Jason Weber is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with an MFA in theatrical costume design. He began working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in 1985 as a freelance fabric painter and dyer. After freelancing with the company and several design jobs with companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey Dance Co, he was invited to become a member of the staff in 1996. Since then he has worked on numerous projects such as Muppets Tonight, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Muppets Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, Elmo in Grouchland, The Jim Henson Hour, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, and many others.
In 2002, Weber stepped into his position as Creative Supervisor for the Creature Shop’s work on the internationally renowned Sesame Street. He continues to serve in this position today, overseeing all Sesame Street projects and acting as art director and a designer for the series’ domestic production, international co-productions, home video, PR appearances, and photo shoots. He has been awarded ten Emmys for his work on the Sesame Street team.
Since 2010, Weber has been part of the leadership of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, serving as Creative Supervisor for all New York-
In 2002, Weber stepped into his position as Creative Supervisor for the Creature Shop’s work on the internationally renowned Sesame Street. He continues to serve in this position today, overseeing all Sesame Street projects and acting as art director and a designer for the series’ domestic production, international co-productions, home video, PR appearances, and photo shoots. He has been awarded ten Emmys for his work on the Sesame Street team.
Since 2010, Weber has been part of the leadership of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, serving as Creative Supervisor for all New York-
Julie Zobel
Puppet Builder & Costumer
Julie Zobel began her career at Henson in New York City in 1980 as part of the Costume Department. She specialized in designing, creating, and building the large walkaround characters that were employed by arena shows and public relations, such as Sesame Street Live, Muppet Show on Tour, and Muppet Babies on Tour. She worked on numerous other Henson productions and toy prototyping during those years as well.
In 1991, she moved out to Los Angeles to be part of the LA Creature Shop when Dinosaurs went into production and remained there to be a part of opening the west coast Creature Shop. Her work in Los Angeles has often been for outside production companies who want realistic animal puppets to match performing animals in movies such as Dr. Dolittle. Fifteen years after leaving the New York Workshop, Julie Zobel often finds her time spent working with familiar Muppet characters once again.
In 1991, she moved out to Los Angeles to be part of the LA Creature Shop when Dinosaurs went into production and remained there to be a part of opening the west coast Creature Shop. Her work in Los Angeles has often been for outside production companies who want realistic animal puppets to match performing animals in movies such as Dr. Dolittle. Fifteen years after leaving the New York Workshop, Julie Zobel often finds her time spent working with familiar Muppet characters once again.