(Detroit Institute of Arts, 1969).
Kermit was not born a frog but gradually evolved into the character we recognize today. When created in 1955, he appeared as a lizard-like creature with rounded feet, assembled from an old coat, denim, and ping pong balls (National Museum of American History, n.d.; Rhodes, 2013; Eames, 2021). Although simple in design, Henson deliberately gave Kermit a flexible, unstuffed head and soft materials to allow for subtle facial expressions, making him exceptionally expressive and versatile (Falk, 2012; National Museum of American History, n.d.; Owen, 1993). An example is his “scrunch” face, used to convey annoyance or disgust (Muppet Wiki, n.d.-c), as shown in the video below. This inventive approach later influenced a typical Muppet technique, with characters being made of foam rubber covered with fleecy material (Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d.).
Kermit Doing his "Scrunch" Face (a bagel, 2016).
With the rise of color television in the early 1960s, Kermit gradually adopted a more frog-like appearance, starting with a brighter green and soon followed by the addition of a collar to hide the seam between his head and body (Eames, 2021; National Museum of American, n.d.; Puppet Nerd, 2021b; Muppet Wiki, n.d.-b). Throughout the 1960s, the collar underwent several changes, evolving from an orange minstrel-style design to green triangular points with varying numbers. In the 1970s, Kermit finally settled on the iconic single collar with eleven points, Kermit briefly wore a double collar, as shown in the image below (Muppet Wiki, n.d.-b). During this period, Kermit's feet were reshaped into flippers, further enhancing his frog-like appearance, and by the late 1960s, he was consistently portrayed as a frog (Muppet Wiki, n.d.-d). However, he also has human traits, evident in both his ability to speak (Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d.; Langer, 1983) and his human-like hands.
Kermit's eyes, with their cross-lined pupils unique to him alone, are among the most distinctive features of his design (Muppet Wiki, n.d.-c; Puppet Nerd, 2021b) and add to his special charm. Positioned to subtly suggest eye contact, their slightly cross-eyed placement makes Kermit seem attentive, while the lack of eyebrows softens his expression (Muppet Wiki, n.d.-c). Over the years, fans and creators have speculated about the inspiration behind Kermit's iconic pupils, as highlighted in the video below.
Speculations on Kermit's iconic pupils (Puppet Nerd, 2021a).
The evolution of Kermit's design has shaped the beloved character we know today, but at its heart, it is Henson's enduring ideas, such as the flexible face, soft features and distinctive eyes that give Kermit his lasting charm and emotional appeal.