Yesterday we shared some well wishes from various Muppety people for Muppet Mindset founder Ryan Dosier, who has left for the greener pastures of The Walt Disney Company.
So many people had so much to say, that we had to split it in two parts. To those in this list, please note that due to the length, some articles were trimmed. But rest assured we will make sure Ryan gets the full version of every one. So, without further ado…
Kirk Thatcher (Director, Judge on ‘Creature Shop Challenge’, Top Hat Enthusiast)
Ryan! Congratulations on turning your passion for the Muppets into your job! Now here is how I like my coffee…
The British Correspondent (Staff Member of The Muppet Mindset, All-Round Creep)
HA! Hello. It is I, the British Correspondent, coming to you live from ABC where they are reportedly filming a new Muppet Show…hang on, these are just giant blocks that say A, B and C on them. I may be in a nursery…it is hard to tell. Anyway, now that my dear old friend Ryan has moved aside, it is the perfect moment for me to step in with a perfectly British Take over of the Muppet Mindset Blog! HAHAHA! ….wait…who is this Jarrod fellow?! Why does he get the keys? Ahhh well…I shall have to go back to stalking Ryan around Disneyland looking for new scopes… Stay tuned. – TBC
Kenny Durkin (Cartoonist)
Time and time again over recent years, the Muppet Mindset has been my go-to place for Muppet news, exclusive articles and rare interviews. Thanks to the tireless work of Ryan Dosier and his affectionate love of the Muppets, I’ve thankfully been informed and entertained about my foam and fleece friends and the talent that surrounds them. The Mindset has even, on numerous occasions, promoted and endorsed my artwork, for which I am forever grateful. Ryan Dosier’s departure can only mean great things for the Muppets. The hiring of “one of us” (which Ryan most certainly is) shows that the Muppets are clearly in capable hands. Good luck to Jarrod, Mitchell, John, and Kyle who will no doubt take the Mindset to the next level. And to Ryan, we’ll catch you on the flip side!
Rachel Herrick (Contributor to The Muppet Mindset)
Although it’s sad to see Ryan part with The Muppet Mindset, I know that we all can’t help but be so excited for his new job at Disney Interactive. For as long as I’ve known Ryan, he’s always displayed a wonderfully upbeat and optimistic attitude, and that’s clearly gotten him to the right place. It’s because of this site that not only was Ryan able to share his great love for Jim Henson’s work with the world, but he also gave so many other people the chance to share that love as well. And since we became friends two years ago, he also helped open up doors for me by giving me the opportunity to share my Muppet video reviews with everyone too. Jim Henson and Disney always inspired us to follow our dreams and passions, and Ryan has done exactly that. A really big congratulations to you Ryan! Go out there and keep making us proud!
Kyle Mahoney (Member of the core Muppet Mindset team)
Dear Ryan, I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes. Love, Kyle (P.S. Thank you for being an amazing Muppet fan, friend, and all around person.)
John Papovitch (Member of the core Muppet Mindset team)
For me, friendship with Ryan just sort of happened. We were both members on Muppet Central – him being theprawncracker and myself BobThePizzaBoy – when the events that led to the Muppet Mindset began. Surprisingly, as much as Ryan and I tended to talk shop about myself writing Mindset articles, my number has been miniscule in comparison to others. A DVD review, a Weekly Muppet Wednesday on the Two-Headed Monster and some odds and ends contributions aren’t very much but Ryan seemed to think of me as one of the more reliable Muppet fans on the internet. I’m glad he did.
Though my contributions to this site as minor in comparison to others – I always considered Ryan a close ally in the five years he’s been in charge of this site. I’ve watched him grow from just an average Muppet fan to one of the premier Muppet aficionados on the internet. I’d always get Facebook messages when Ryan found out about some big Muppet happening, he’s always been approachable and never intimidating, when he did his 120 Awesome Muppet Songs series back in 2013 and caught wind of the fact I was making an iTunes playlist emulating his – he offered to send me the playlist before all eight parts were up – an offer I politely declined to give myself something to look forward to, but shows Ryan’s level of kindness and generosity.
The one time Ryan and I met in person was in 2012 at the memorial service for Jerry Nelson at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. He and I arrived at the museum at roughly the same time and beat much of the huge crowd that came in later. As soon as we saw each other, there was a big greeting and within minutes we were bantering in the lobby as if there had been friends forever. After we got in line and the program began, everyone sort of dispersed so I didn’t get to spend as much time hanging out with Ryan as we had planned but you can’t fault a guy’s enthusiasm the way Ryan had.
As someone who witnessed the transition of ToughPigs from Danny Horn to Ryan and Joe back in the mid-2000s, it’s still a bit unfathomable to imagine a Muppet Mindset without Ryan – but with that said, Ryan is clearly on his way to bigger and better things. Congratulations on the new job, best of luck to you in the years ahead and I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear from you.
Kieran Moore (Contributor to The Muppet Mindset)
When Ryan first told me he was leaving The Muppet Mindset I was listening to a lot of Fraggle tracks for the article I was writing and I instantly thought of the song “Magic Be with You” from the final episode. Before the song starts the Fraggles state: “You cannot leave the magic” and “He can’t leave us and we can’t leave him” and that’s kind of how I feel now. In The Muppet Mindset Ryan created the magic; a wonderful corner of the World Wide Web where like-minded Muppet fans can come together and have fun and share and swap ideas. That magic has touched me and I’ve “met” some great people through my work for the site. Although Ryan now can’t be part of the day to day running of The Muppet Mindset, he “cannot leave the magic”. His legacy here means that “He can’t leave us and we can’t leave him”. Trust the Fraggles to know the right words for such an occasion. They teach us that magic comes in all shapes and sizes and, most important of all, it’s in the connections that we make with each other. That magic will live on forever. I want to wish Ryan all the best in his new job – I know he won’t need luck! I’ve also privately sent him a list of wishes/demands so he knows exactly what this Muppet fan requires in the future! He has said I can hold him personally responsible for delivering each one and, Ryan, – I will! (Also, the tea thing still stands!)
Michael Wermuth Jnr (Contributor to The Muppet Mindset)
Good luck. Maybe you’ll get to meet Angus McGonagle.
Abigail Maughan (Contributor to The Muppet Mindset)
Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put into the website over the years. The Muppet Mindset was hugely influential in my earliest days of Muppet fandom. I really appreciate your encouraging me as a contributing writer. Best of luck and have fun with your dream job!
Chris Stulz (MuppetStuff Blog)
Congratulations on all your success, Ryan! It’s been great to see The Muppet Mindset grow over the years thanks to your hard work. To be even a small part of its success has been an honor. I’m looking forward to seeing the skills you’ve acquired over the years help new audiences discover our favorite fuzzy friends. You’re one of the most dedicated Muppet fans out there, and to see another one us go from fan to pro proves that someday you’ll find it!
Greg James (Operator of The Muppet Newsflash)
Firstly, I’d like to tip my hat to Ryan for his 5+ years of service to the fan community. I understand how long the hours can be, how little the pay actually is, and about all the sacrifices he probably had to make along the way. It can be tedious, tiring, time consuming, and can keep you up at night. I have the utmost respect for all the Muppet fansite runners, especially any one as active and engaged as Ryan as been. I also want to congratulate him on an amazing journey — along the way he’s met some amazing people, done some amazing things, and now has an amazing job with an amazing future ahead! I’m sure Jason Segel is glad the producers put that “Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” disclaimer in the credits of 2011’s The Muppets, because Ryan is like a real-life Walter (and, no, I don’t mean he’s Jim Parsons).
I’d also like to thank Ryan for providing me with some truly entertaining and informative pieces over year. I have enjoyed reading the Muppet Mindset since it first launched back in 2009. It’s consistently been among my most frequently visited sites. I felt no hesitation about pulling back from my blog when I did because just as my site was fizzling out, the Muppet Mindset was skyrocketing – like Gonzo out of a cannon – up to new heights. I knew that the Muppet fan community was in good (if not better) hands with Ryan’s blog out there in the world. It gave fans an outlet and a spotlight and an anthology of regular Muppety goodness.
Max Jessop (Contributor to The Muppet Mindset)
Everyone seems to have his or her own heartfelt experience meeting Ryan. I met Ryan
when I was 11 years old. My mom drove from Memphis, Tennessee to St. Louis,
Missouri for me to meet Dave Goelz. We were second in line at the St. Louis Public
Library when shortly behind us came Ryan. The minute I saw him I shouted, “You’re
Ryan Dosier from The Muppet Mindset!” My mom and I then talked and sat with him
throughout the event. Ryan was the first person I met in real life that felt the same love
for the Muppets as I did. From that night on, I made one of the best friendships of my
life.
Though we’ve only kept in touch via Facebook chats, now more than ever, Ryan feels more like a big brother than a friend to me. He’s not only the founder of my favorite blog, but the guy who proofreads my ideas, who lends me his wisdom, and who supports my dreams.
All this being said, I’m sad to see Ryan leave what he began, but I am happy for the guy I look up to. He deserves a job at Disney working close to frogs, bears, and chickens (and mostly mice). In the end, it was all leading up to this opportunity. And regardless of where Ryan goes, he’ll always be a member of this community, this electric mayhem we call a fandom. He cannot leave the magic.
Ryan’s said Gonzo is his favorite Muppet, but, deep down, he is Kermit. Following the
Rainbow Connection to a brighter tomorrow. All in all, I wish my brother good luck on
that connection and I have high hopes seeing him soon at the Magic Store.
Sean Bryan (Friend)
It seems fitting that the man who could make my dream of once again eating In N Out come true should have a dream of his own come true. Significantly less good tasting burgers in his dream, but I’m sure it’ll have it’s perks. I can’t wait to see what he gets up to.
Hollie Gallimore (Friend)
Dear Ryan, I am going to tweet the Muppets every day and if Kermit doesn’t reply to me at least 18 of the 20 times a day I do it I am not your friend any more. Also stop going to Disneyland without me.
Mitchell Stein (The Mickey Mindset, Member of the core Muppet Mindset team)
I guess what they say is true. All good things must come to an end. But in our case, one door closes, a new one opens. Although Ryan is very-much irreplaceable, the future is one that holds bright for the Muppet Mindset, and I couldn’t think of any better contender for the role than Jarrod, but we simply have reached the end of an era. What Ryan brought to the Muppet fan community was unparallel and exceptional. It is work that is worthy of paying tribute to in a glorious three-hour finale. Well, I only got a minute and a half so I’ll do my best.
Working closely with Ryan on the Mindset sites this one year plus has been a blast. Ryan’s wittiness and creativeness not only brought so much life to The Muppet Mindset, but to the Muppet fan community at large, giving fans an outlet of their own to express their opinions. Since then, the site has grown to massive lengths, and grew this wonderful family of weirdos which make the Mindset what it is each day, and many, if not all, have represented their appreciation for this site today, forever grateful for the massive amount of work and dedication Ryan brought to the entire Muppet fan community.
I’m really sad to have to bid farewell to you Ryan from the site, but I’m so super thrilled at the incredible opportunity that’s been thrown your way. I guess it was pretty much inevitable at this point, considering the great lengths that Ryan never fails to make us jealous. Don’t even get me started on that.
Farewell Ryan, and best of luck on your new incredible job. It’s been an absolute honor and pleasure to be working with you throughout this time and it’s been an absolute blast, and major congrats on this incredible new opportunity, and we all know you’ll do great things. So long buddy! The internet will miss you.
Jarrod Fairclough (New Head of The Muppet Mindset, Friend, Coat Tail Rider)
Good luck, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us you (dammit). Seriously though, you’ve earned this opportunity through hard work, dedication, and commitment, and there’s no-one I’m happier for than us you (dammit). You’re a good man, a true friend, and one of my favorite people in the world. Here’s looking at us you kid (dammit, I wonder how long it’ll be til I stop doing that?)
My thanks to everyone who submitted something for Ryan. Thanks to the amazing Mitchell Stein for his hard work and help. And thank you to you, for reading all of this!
The Muppet Mindset 
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