Artist Daniel Beckwith combines his love for the outdoors and the Muppets with a delightful twist on classic national park posters. Even though we know a bear’s natural habitat is a Studebaker, the mashup feels right. The nostalgic feel of the artwork itself also works perfectly. The Muppet posters are in the style of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) posters produced from 1935-1943 that are instantly recognizable as national parks posters. Beckwith has made about a dozen Muppets meets parks posters so far, with more on the way.
The Muppets poster project started with a trip Beckwith took to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in central California. It’s hard not to be inspired by the peaceful groves of ancient trees there. Adding another national treasure feels natural and Kermit the Frog is just that. After all, Kermit was recently added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for the song “Rainbow Connection,” which would fit perfectly as a soundtrack for his national park adventures.
In the series of Muppet posters for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Kermit and his nephew Robin explore the parks. They enjoy campfires, stargazing, hikes, wildlife, and wonder to remind us all to get outside. If you can’t make it to a national park anytime soon, check out Google’s Art and Culture for some virtual tours.
Beckwith also branched out into other parks and other Muppets as part of this poster art project. Fozzie dips his toe into the wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountains. Gonzo has some aerial adventures while visiting Joshua Tree National Park. We can’t wait to see what comes next.
Beckwith’s website is full of other amazing artwork, including holiday cards with the likes of E.T., Man-Thing, and Grogu. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter. By day, he’s an educator at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego.
Thanks to Disney+, there’s so much great Muppets content these days. We’ve got everything from classic episodes of The Muppet Show to the new Mayhem series. And since it’s the holiday season, don’t forget to watch the classic Muppet’s Christmas Carol and listen to their holiday album with John Denver. But also, listen to these Muppet posters, and go enjoy some time in the nearest national park!
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. Her favorite Muppet is Pepé the King Prawn and her favorite national park is Bryce Canyon. Melissa moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.