Boober Fraggle

{{Short description|Muppet character}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=April 2024}} {{unreliable sources|date=April 2024}} {{Notability|date=April 2024}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox character | name = Boober Fraggle | series = Fraggle Rock | image = Boober_Fraggle,_fictional_character_from_Fraggle_Rock.webp | caption = Boober in a publicity shot | creator = Jim Henson | voice = {{unbulleted list|Dave Goelz (1983–present)|Rob Paulsen (''Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series'')}} | alias = Sidebottom | species = Fraggle | gender = Male | occupation = {{Flat list|*Laundry cleaner *cook}} }}

'''Boober Fraggle''' is a fictional puppet character from the television series ''Fraggle Rock''. He was created by Jim Henson. He is performed and voiced by Dave Goelz in both the original series<ref>{{Cite news |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About ''Fraggle Rock'' |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/14/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-fraggle-rock/}}</ref> and its 2022 reboot ''Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock'',<ref>{{Cite news |title=Boober Goes Radish Crazy in 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' Season 2 Sneak Peek [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/fraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock-season-2-sneak-peek/}}</ref> with Frank Meschkuleit providing the puppetry in the latter.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Apple TV |url=https://tv.apple.com/us/show/fraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock/umc.cmc.2r077021gw7fu0noml0hln2yq?ctx_brand=tvs.sbd.4000}}</ref> In the animated series, he was voiced by Rob Paulsen. In both iterations of the show, Boober is one of the five main characters, alongside Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, and Red.<ref>{{Cite news |title="We're completely out of radishes…" Season 2 trailer drops for 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock |url=https://www.heyuguys.com/fraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock-season-2-trailer/}}</ref>

Boober is a misanthropic, depressed, and superstitious Fraggle. He lives alone in a small cave, and spends much of his time worrying about death and disease. His occupation is doing laundry for all the Fraggles in Fraggle Rock, and he also enjoys cooking, particularly with radishes. He has an alter ego named Sidebottom, who represents the more extroverted side of Boober's personality.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Boober's Dream |url=https://tv.apple.com/ca/episode/boobers-dream/umc.cmc.6l8z9r7vu6caoyyqbfeu305e5?showId=umc.cmc.2m5fntzbjem6fhniurq8a17om}}</ref> In ''Back to the Rock'', it is revealed that Boober's baloobius (the tip of his tail) glows when he feels most at ease with himself, something that happens to other Fraggles as well.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Glow |url=https://tv.apple.com/ca/episode/the-glow/umc.cmc.5m9gmgh6nzdn6ygq4s7qgitht?showId=umc.cmc.2r077021gw7fu0noml0hln2yq}}</ref>

== Development ==

Boober Fraggle was designed by Michael K. Frith, and built by Leslee Asch. Allegedly, his name came from an angry cow encountered by one of Jim Henson's daughters in Devon. <ref>{{Cite news |title=Jim Henson interview conducted by Judy Harris for ''Cinefantastique'' in 1982 |url=http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/henson.htm}}</ref> According to an interview included in the ''Fraggle Rock: The Complete First Season'' DVD box set, Jerry Nelson originally wanted to play Boober, but Henson instead wanted Nelson to play Gobo, a role he would end up taking. The role of Boober went to Dave Goelz, who has played him ever since. Boober stemmed from something Goelz had said while working on the first season of ''The Muppet Show'', that he was so busy on the show that the only things he had time to worry about were death and laundry.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

== Behind the scenes ==

Boober is a rod puppet, meaning that his arms are controlled by rods attached to the puppet's hands, which the puppeteer controls with his left hand while moving the puppet's mouth with his right.

For the 2020 short-form series ''Fraggle Rock: Rock On!'' on Apple TV+, Goelz reprised his role of Boober vocally, as well as his other role of Uncle Traveling Matt,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Fraggle Rock Rocks On! |url= https://movingimage.org/programs/fraggle-rock-rocks-on/}}</ref> while Boober was physically performed by John Tartaglia.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Museum of the Moving Image - "Jim Henson's World: Fraggle Rock Rocks On!" livestream (May 23, 2020 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=600&v=xufERVFlkuY&feature=youtu.be}}</ref> On the ongoing reboot series ''Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock'', Boober is performed by Frank Meschkuleit (who also voices Pa Gorg on the new series), with Goelz providing the voice.

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Fraggle Rock characters Category:Television characters introduced in 1983 Category:Male characters in television

== External links== * {{Muppets}}