Don Sahlin
Donald George Sahlin (June 19, 1928 – February 19, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. Sahlin died in New York, possibly from a heart attack. Muppets creator Jim Henson described Sahlin as "the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets." Sahlin began making puppets at age 11, initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines.
Also recorded as Donald George Sahlin
Don Sahlin
- Name
- Don Sahlin
- Birth Name
- Donald George Sahlin
- Born
- 19 June 1928
- Birthplace
- Stratford, Connecticut
- Died
- 19 February 1978
- Place of death
- New York City, New York
- Occupation
- Puppet designer
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Donald George Sahlin (June 19, 1928 – February 19, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. Sahlin died in New York, possibly from a heart attack. Muppets creator Jim Henson described Sahlin as "the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets." Sahlin began making puppets at age 11, initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
His first creation for Jim Henson was Rowlf the Dog, which he built in 1962 for a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials. Sahlin would go on to design and build most of the Muppet characters, including Bert and Ernie, Grover, and Cookie Monster among others. His character designs are often recognizable for their spheroid heads partially bisected to create large mouths. Sahlin was also involved in special effects production for the Muppets. Henson later had a bench in London dedicated to his memory. The series finale of Fraggle Rock is also dedicated to him. After all the regular credits have been shown, a special credit appears which reads "This show is for Don Sahlin".
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Don Sahlin • Birth Name — Donald George Sahlin • Born — 19 June 1928 • Birthplace — Stratford, Connecticut • Died — 19 February 1978 • Place of death — New York City, New York • Occupation — Puppet designer • Notable Works — The Muppets
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Don Sahlin. The Capital Journal. UPI. 1978-02-23.
- 2.Donald G. Sahlin, at 49; Made Muppets for TV For More Than 16 Years. The New York Times. February 22, 1978.
- 3.Noah, John. Puppet Production. Los Angeles Times. 19. 1949-12-18.
- 4.Noah, John. Puppet Production. Los Angeles Times. 10. 1949-12-18.
- 5.Don Sahlin. Colemanzone. 1999.
- 6.The Muppet Show Season One DVD
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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