Mokey Fraggle

{{Short description|Muppet character}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox character | name = Mokey Fraggle | series = Fraggle Rock | image =Mokey_Fraggle,_fictional_character_from_Fraggle_Rock.webp | caption = Mokey in a publicity shot with her design from the original series | creator = Jim Henson | voice = {{unbulleted list|Kathryn Mullen (''1983-2013'')|Mona Marshall (''Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series'')|Donna Kimball (2016-present)}} | species = Fraggle | gender = Female | occupation = {{Flat list|*Painter *poet *artist}} }}

'''Mokey Fraggle''' is a fictional puppet character created by Jim Henson. She is one of the five main characters in Henson's television series ''Fraggle Rock'',<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jim Henson's world of Fraggle Rock set to return as remastered version |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/jim-hensons-world-of-fraggle-rock-set-to-return-as-remastered-version-20161011-grzcre.htmlas}}</ref> as well as its 2022 reboot ''Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gobo Fraggle & Mokey Fraggle on 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' and the Best Advice They've Ever Gotten from the Trash Heap |url=https://collider.com/fraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock-gobo-fraggle-mokey-interview/}}</ref> She is performed by Kathryn Mullen in the original series,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mokey Fraggle Speaks: The Kathy Mullen Interview, part 2 |url=https://toughpigs.com/kathy-mullen-2/}}</ref> and by Donna Kimball in ''Back to the Rock''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Interview: Mokey and Red from"Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock" Season 2| url=https://templeofgeek.com/interview-mokey-and-red-fromfraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock-season-2/}}</ref> Mona Marshall voiced her in the animated series.

Mokey is one of the main characters in ''Fraggle Rock'', alongside Gobo, Wembley, Boober, and Red. She is the best friend<ref>{{Cite news |title=Do Mokey & Red Fight? Inside Their 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock' Friendship (VIDEO) |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1129384/fraggle-rock-back-to-the-rock-apple-tv-video/}}</ref> and roommate<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Cave of One's Own |url=https://tv.apple.com/am/episode/a-cave-of-ones-own/umc.cmc.60ik32d3i1ytk94lu3a0y7ppv}}</ref> of Red Fraggle. Mokey is dreamy and artistic. She loves writing poems, singing songs, and painting. She has a pet plant named Lanford, who is strongly disliked by Red. Mokey is the tallest {{citation needed|date=April 2024}} of the Fraggles. It is her job to journey into the Gorgs' garden to retrieve radishes, the Fraggles' primary source of food.

== Development ==

Mokey was designed by Michael K. Frith<ref>{{Cite news |title=Interview: Red And Mokey Fraggle Of "Fraggle Rock" |url=https://bigshinyrobot.com/interview/interview-red-and-mokey-fraggle-fraggle-rock/}}</ref> and built by Jan Rosenthal. She was allegedly named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson.<ref>{{Cite book |title=''Fraggle Rock: The Ultimate Visual History''}}</ref> Kathryn Mullen was cast to play the character. During rehearsals, Mokey was originally performed by Karen Prell, who would later play Red.<ref>{{Cite news |title=''Fraggle Rock: The Complete First Season'' bonus features}}</ref>

== Behind the scenes ==

Mokey is a live-hand puppet, which means that her arms are glove-like sleeves into which the puppeteer places their real arms to move the puppet's hands. Mokey was the only character on ''Fraggle Rock'' to be a live-hand puppet, while the others were rod puppets. (Other notable live-hand puppets include ''Sesame Street'''s Ernie and The Muppets' Fozzie Bear and Rowlf).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jim Henson's Red Book entry (1/25/64) |url=http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/01/25/1251964/}}</ref> Kathryn Mullen performed Mokey's left hand, while her right hand was performed by Trish Leeper (also the on-set performer for Ma Gorg).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trish Leeper |url=http://www.tleeper.com/index.html}}</ref>

One of Mokey's unique features is her eyelids, which she can lift up to show surprise or other emotions.{{cn|date=April 2026}} She was one of only a few puppets on the show to have this ability (the rebuilt Gobo Fraggle puppet being another).{{cn|date=April 2026}}

== Reboot ==

[[File:Mokey_Fraggle_2022.webp|thumb|right|Mokey as she appears in ''Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock''; her costume and hair were heavily altered from the original series.]]

Mokey's portrayal in the 2022 reboot TV series ''Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock'' is significantly different from her portrayal in the original series. The Mokey puppet was redesigned heavily, now wearing a green dress instead of her gray robe, and sporting a blue beehive-like ponytail. Her eyelids are also less prominent, and she is now strictly a rod puppet, like the other characters. This version of Mokey was performed by Donna Kimball, who had previously portrayed her in the short-form TV series ''Fraggle Rock: Rock On!'' for Apple TV+. John Tartaglia (the performer for Gobo on the new series) commented on the design change during a ''Fraggle Rock'' Q&A on his Instagram stories, stating, "Mokey is super creative and artistic and she wanted a new look - she's always in touch with the creative vibes of the Rock!"<ref>{{Cite news |title=Tough Pigs forum post |url=https://forums.delphiforums.com/toughpigs/messages?msg=18758.1}}</ref> Tartaglia went into more detail about the reasons for the redesign in an interview with MegaPodTastic.<ref>{{Cite news |title=18:10 mark of YouTube video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS856r3DI9A}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Fraggle Rock characters Category:Television characters introduced in 1983 Category:Female characters in television Category:Fictional poets Category:Fictional painters

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