Hoggle

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Hoggle
Hoggle in Labyrinth.
First appearanceLabyrinth (1986)
Created byJim Henson
Dennis Lee
Designed byBrian Froud
Portrayed byShari Weiser
Brian Henson
Voiced byBrian Henson
In-universe information
SpeciesDwarf
GenderMale
OccupationGroundskeeper, gatekeeper
AffiliationKing Jareth
NationalityGoblin Kingdom

Hoggle is a fictional character and the deuteragonist of the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth. Voiced by Brian Henson, Hoggle was performed as a radio-controlled animatronic puppet with body movements by Shari Weiser. The character was created by director Jim Henson and writer Dennis Lee, and designed by Brian Froud.

A cowardly and irascible dwarf, Hoggle is a servant of King Jareth who is befriended by Sarah Williams. Though tasked with hindering Sarah's progress on her quest through the Labyrinth, Hoggle develops loyalty to her, ultimately helping her to reach Jareth's castle and retrieve her baby brother whom she wished away to the goblins.

The character received a generally positive reception from film critics.

Development

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Labyrinth started as a collaboration between director Jim Henson and conceptual designer Brian Froud following their previous collaboration, The Dark Crystal.[1] In making Labyrinth, Henson wanted to create a film that combined elements of fairy tales and classical stories in a script that would appeal to a modern audience.[2][3] Unlike The Dark Crystal, which had featured only puppets, Henson and Froud wanted Labyrinth to include interactions between puppet creatures and human characters, "almost like a throwback to the original Muppet Show."[1] Froud had the initial idea of a journey through a labyrinth,[4] and in the film's early discussions between Henson, Froud, artist Wendy Froud and writer Dennis Lee, the main characters included a king and his jester, Snotweed. Lee's first treatment of the story changed the central character to a young teenaged girl and Snotweed became her companion "Hoggle, the warty dwarf".[5] Brian Froud stated that he designed Hoggle to appear "storybook", in such a way that "he's part goblin, and maybe a dwarf from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves"." The swirls in his costume are a slight reference to the Mystics in The Dark Crystal. Froud also designed a face hidden on Hoggle's back, inspired by "medieval manuscripts and gothic architecture in which there are always faces peering out at you."[6]

As with all of the non-human characters in Labyrinth, Hoggle was performed through puppetry and animatronics produced by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.[7] Biographer Christoper Finch wrote that the character was an evolution of the "humans with Muppet heads" concept that had begun with Henson's 1969 television special, Hey, Cinderella!, but went "way beyond".[8] The first fully wireless character that the Jim Henson Company made,[9] the Hoggle puppet was the also the most technically complex puppet used in film at the time,[10] involving 18 motors to control all the different portions of the face[7] including the lips, eyelids and jaw.[2] Hoggle required five performers to work in sync: Shari Weiser inside the costume performing the body movement and four puppeteers controlling the animatronic face via radio controls.[10] Weiser operated large mechanical fingers worn over her hands, and a television monitor was incorporated into the inside of the puppet's head that showed her what the camera saw.[4] Chief puppeteer Brian Henson, who controlled Hoggle's mouth movements, also provided the character's voice after the initial plan to sync up a voice actor with the puppeteers proved to be too difficult.[10] Although Hoggle had been planned to have a British accent, Brian created a "somewhat-kinda cockney New York type voice" for the character "that eventually grew on everybody";[9] Jim Henson attempted to record a new voice for Hoggle in post production, but ultimately decided to keep Brian's.[10] As Weiser could only see out of the costume when the puppet's mouth was open, Brian developed Hoggle's speech to include frequent "grunting and moaning and yowling" so as to have the puppet's mouth open often.[9][6]

The complexity of performing the puppet meant that many rehearsals were needed for Hoggle's scenes.[7] Acting alongside Hoggle was also initially a challenge for David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Jareth and Sarah respectively.[11] In his first few scenes with the puppet, Bowie was disorientated as "he kept wanting to look off-stage to where [Hoggle's] voice was coming from ... instead of where Hoggle, the puppet, actually was," Jim Henson recalled.[12] Similarly, Connelly stated during filming, "When we first started I'd be looking in Hoggle's mouth to talk to Shari. Now I just talk to Hoggle."[13]

After Labyrinth was completed, the Hoggle puppet was lost in a suitcase during transit, eventually resurfacing in 1997 at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. The puppet been restored twice, most recently in 2022, and is on display at the Unclaimed Baggage Museum in Scottsboro.[14][15]

In Labyrinth

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Main article: Labyrinth (1986 film)

Hoggle is approached by Sarah as she begins her quest to reach King Jareth's castle at the centre of the Labyrinth and rescue her baby brother. Hoggle shows Sarah the Labyrinth's entrance but warns her that attempting to solve it is futile and that she takes too much for granted.

When Sarah's progress stalls, Hoggle offers to escort her back to the start, but she bribes him with a plastic bracelet to guide her forward instead. Confronted by Jareth, Hoggle falsely claims he is returning Sarah to the beginning; Jareth sees through the lie and threatens to suspend him over the Bog of Eternal Stench if he continues helping her. Admitting he is afraid of Jareth, Hoggle attempts to abandon Sarah, but she stops him by seizing his jewellery collection. Despite his duplicity, Sarah calls Hoggle her friend, a role he briefly accepts before fleeing at the roar of an unseen beast.

On his way back to assist her, Hoggle is again intercepted by Jareth, who commands him to give Sarah an enchanted peach and warns that if she kisses him, Jareth will turn him into the “Prince of the Land of Stench”. After Hoggle rescues Sarah from the Fireys she kisses him in thanks, sending them both to the Bog; they are saved by Ludo, the beast Sarah earlier freed, and joined by Sir Didymus. Hoggle attempts to dispose of the peach but is stopped by Jareth. Reluctantly, he gives Sarah the peach, which puts her under an amnesiac enchantment, and flees in shame.

As Hoggle laments losing his only friend, Sarah breaks the spell and reunites with Ludo and Sir Didymus. The trio is halted by Humungous, a giant mechanical guardian of the Goblin City, but Hoggle subdues it by dislodging its pilot and halting its advance before it explodes. Forgiving him for the peach, Sarah returns his jewellery, and Hoggle helps her reach the castle to confront Jareth.

After Sarah returns home with her brother, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus appear in her mirror to assure her that they will be there for Sarah should she need them; she admits that she does and they appear in her bedroom for a raucous celebration.

Characterisation and themes

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BBC Culture's Luke Buckmaster described Hoggle as "a morally dubious, Sméagol-esque character whose motives and allegiances are unclear."[16] A double agent,[17][18] Hoggle is torn between helping Sarah and obeying Jareth's orders to hinder her progress.[19] "His moral ambiguity and clash of alliances make him a complicated character who drives a central point of the narrative," wrote Courtney Mason of Screen Rant.[15] Fairy Tale Review identified Hoggle as Sarah's "white rabbit", as he guides her through the maze but betrays her trust.[20] The Artifice highlighted the face on the back of Hoggle's vest as indicating the character's "two-faced" (deceitful) nature, and noted that it also "invokes the two-faced Roman god of thresholds, Janus"; Hoggle is the gatekeeper who shows Sarah the entrance to the Labyrinth.[21] Discerning Labyrinth as having Christian themes, scholar Donna R. White identified Hoggle as a Judas figure due to his betrayal of Sarah.[22]

"Cantankerous, selfish, sly, deceitful, childish, and cowardly", Hoggle also shows himself to be "clever, brave, loyal, decent," with a heart of gold, state the film's production notes.[2] Brian Henson described Hoggle as "a grumpy old man who regrets everything [he's] ever done in his life"[10] and who tries "as hard as he possibly can to make it appear that he has no heart whatsoever ... and that all that matters is him and his agenda", when in fact he is very sensitive; Hoggle protects his heart because "feeling is so painful and overwhelming for him".[23] Discussing the relationship between Hoggle and Sarah, A. C. H. Smith, the author of the Labyrinth novelisation, said that Hoggle has been a "rather lonely, disadvantaged, self-pitying little creep" but because Sarah is kind to him and takes him seriously he "becomes a proper person in his own eyes".[24] Serena Toh in The Straits Times noted the film's major theme of friendship shown in Hoggle's transformation from a selfish creature to a loyal friend.[25] Noting that Sarah and Hoggle's relationship is forged "through a complicated process of distrust, bonding, betrayal, guilt, and redemption", Bridget McGovern of Tor.com wrote that Labyrinth shows the complexity of friendship and trust as a learning process that includes both risk and reward.[26] Sarah and Hoggle together learn the value of forgiveness;[27] The Mary Sue's Sara Godwin identified one of the film's important lessons as giving people a second chance, writing "Sarah was justifiably upset when he betrayed her, but Hoggle came through. He grew as a character, overcame his fear, and stood strong when it really counted."[28]

Hoggle is a materialistic character, with a love of jewellery.[29] Noting a twist on the German fairy tale "The Frog Prince" in Jareth's threat to Hoggle that he will turn him into a "Prince of the Land of Stench" if Sarah kisses him, scholar Tammy H. Gladwin wrote that Labyrinth challenges the "Prince Charming ideal" by reversing princehood from a desirable fate into one to be loathed; Hoggle learns that he does not need to be brave or handsome to be worthy of Sarah's friendship.[30] Despite Sarah's and the audience's first impression of Hoggle's "crude masculinity" when he is introduced urinating into a pond, Gladwin wrote that Hoggle's obsession with pretty jewels subverts norms of stereotypical masculine behaviour.[30]

Reception

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Ahead of Labyrinth's release in the U.S. in June 1986, Hoggle was brought to a New York press conference to promote the film.[31] According to Jim Henson, reporters engaged directly with the puppet: "They weren't looking at my son Brian, who was standing to one side doing Hoggle's voice, or the four puppeteers controlling his facial expressions electronically," Henson said, "They were actually trying to talk to Hoggle. It was fascinating."[32]

Hoggle received mostly positive feedback from entertainment critics. Several reviewers referred to the character as "endearing".[33][34] Alaina Urquhart-White of Bustle described Hoggle as "that character that you don't want to love because he's a grump, but you end up rooting for anyway."[35] Hoggle's puppetry received praise, with Luke Buckmaster of BBC Culture enthusing, "With a huge lumpy nose, spurts of shoulder-length white hair and a crinkled, finely detailed face, Hoggle is an amazing puppet, at once both magical and realistic."[16] Lauding the performances in Labyrinth's finale scene, Karl Puschmann of The New Zealand Herald wrote, "Hoggle’s sad sack demeanour lifts and he seems to grin — an incredible piece of acting from a person in a puppet suit".[36]

In a negative review, Allen Malmquist of Cinefantastique wrote that Hoggle "capsulates a mundane reluctant-helper personality", opining that Ludo and Sir Didymus were more interesting characters.[37]

According to Screen Rant, "Hoggle's uniquely lovable personality has made him a favorite" among viewers.[15] The same website ranked Hoggle among the "10 Most Underrated Jim Henson Creations", arguing that he deserves more recognition as he is "the potential of every villain who decides to do the right thing."[38] Daniel Rutledge of The New Zealand Herald wrote that the film's puppet characters, particularly Hoggle and Ludo, are a big part of why Labyrinth "is so beloved", arguing that their being "physical beings moving about in a very tactile world makes them incomparably more real and lovable than CGI creations in a CGI world."[39] Glamour's Ella Alexander considered Hoggle as one of "16 reasons [Labyrinth is] the best film ever".[40] Rating Hoggle among the "Top 14 Best Jim Henson Creatures of All Time", SciFiNow gave the character a "nightmare factor" of 3/5, writing, "His eerily realistic facial expressions are definitely in uncanny valley territory."[41] Total Film ranked Hoggle among the "32 Greatest Jim Henson Creatures".[42]

Other appearances

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Hoggle appears in Labyrinth's tie-in adaptations, which include the novelisation by A. C. H. Smith[43] and the three-issue comic book adaptation published by Marvel Comics,[44] which was first released in a single volume as Marvel Super Special #40 in 1986.[45] He also appears in the film's picture book adaptation[46] and photo album.[47]

Music videos

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Hoggle appears in two music videos for the David Bowie songs "Underground" and "As the World Falls Down" from the Labyrinth soundtrack. Produced by Steve Barron in 1986, both videos were released on the 1993 VHS tape Bowie - The Video Collection and the 2002 two-disc DVD set Best of Bowie.[48] The videos feature footage of Bowie (as himself) performing the songs accompanied by Hoggle.

Spin-off comics

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Return to Labyrinth

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Main article: Return to Labyrinth

Hoggle appears in Return to Labyrinth, a four-volume original English-language manga sequel to the film created by Jake T. Forbes and published by Tokyopop between 2006 and 2010. In the manga, Jareth has delivered on his threat to turn Hoggle into the Prince of the Land of Stench. Hoggle lives in a small cottage in the Bog, has a small throne and several goblin underlings.[49]

Archaia Entertainment comics

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Archaia released a short story titled Hoggle and the Worm for Free Comic Book Day on May 5, 2012.[50] Hoggle also features in the 2018 short story En Guard, which provides a backstory for how he became the caretaker of the Labyrinth.[51] He has a minor appearance in Labyrinth: Coronation, a 12-issue comic series written by Simon Spurrier and published by Archaia between 2018 and 2019.

References

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  1. ^ a b Jones, Alan (July 1986). Clarke, Frederick S. (ed.). "Labyrinth". Cinefantastique. Vol. 16, no. 3. pp. 7, 57.
  2. ^ a b c "Labyrinth Production Notes". Astrolog.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 1999. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Fantasy, reality intertwine in 'Labyrinth' A bewildering journey echoing life itself". The Canberra Times. Vol. 61, no. 18, 697. Australian Capital Territory. 11 December 1986. p. 4. Retrieved 25 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ a b Magid, Ron (August 1986). "Goblin World Created for Labyrinth". American Cinematographer. Vol. 67, no. 8. pp. 71–74, 76–81. ProQuest 196314081.
  5. ^ Block & Erdmann (2016), pp. 27–29
  6. ^ a b Brian Froud (2007). "Audio Commentary by Conceptual Designer Brian Froud". Labyrinth (Anniversary Edition) (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  7. ^ a b c Des Saunders (director), Jim Henson (writer) (1986). Inside the Labyrinth (Televised documentary). Los Angeles: Jim Henson Television.
  8. ^ Finch (1993), p. 187
  9. ^ a b c Block & Erdmann (2016), pp. 76–80
  10. ^ a b c d e Watkins, Gwynne (29 June 2016). "'Labyrinth' Turns 30: Brian Henson Shares Memories of David Bowie, Jim Henson, and the Grouchy Goblin Hoggle". Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  11. ^ Ruof, William (3 November 2014). "The world of cult films: 'Labyrinth'". The State Press. Arizona State University. Retrieved 26 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Pegg (2016), p. 674
  13. ^ Hartmetz, Aljean (15 September 1985). "'Star Wars' and Muppet Wizards Team up in 'Labyrinth'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  14. ^ Lemieux, Melissa (11 July 2024). "What Happened To Hoggle After Labyrinth & Where He Is Now: A Weird True Story". Looper. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Mason, Courtney (18 December 2021). "Labyrinth's Lost Puppet: Bizarre Story Of What Happened To Hoggle". Screen Rant. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  16. ^ a b Buckmaster, Luke (28 June 2016). "Why Labyrinth is so memorable". BBC Culture. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  17. ^ Nankervis, Troy (25 November 2016). "We've ranked Labyrinth's BEST creatures in time for its 30th UK anniversary (and Christmas too)". Metro. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  18. ^ Javid, Ruwa (1 May 2025). "The secret dark side of Labyrinth you probably missed as a kid". Soap Central. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  19. ^ Bentley, Rick (10 July 1986). "'Labyrinth' Fascinating Fantasy". The Town Talk. Alexandra, Louisiana. p. C-11. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020 – via Newspaper.com.
  20. ^ Smith, Trisha; Riccio, Jon (20 March 2015). "Fairy-Tale Files: The Labyrinth Edition". Fairy Tale Review. Wayne State University Press. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  21. ^ Monique (2 May 2014). "Labyrinth (1986): Power, Sex, and Coming of Age". The Artifice. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  22. ^ White, Donna R. (1993). "Labyrinth: Jim Henson's 'Game' of Children's Literature and Film". In Rollin, Lucy (ed.). The Antic Art: Enhancing Children's Literary Experiences Through Film and Video. Highsmith Press. pp. 117–129. ISBN 978-0-917846-27-4.
  23. ^ Brian Henson (2007). "Through the Labyrinth: The Quest for Goblin City". Labyrinth (Anniversary Edition) (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  24. ^ Downie, Sam (2011). Labyrinth - the 25th Anniversary interview with ACH Smith (Podcast).
  25. ^ Toh, Serena (14 December 1986). "Journey into a maze of bizarre creatures". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2021 – via NewspaperSG.
  26. ^ McGovern, Bridget (8 January 2014). "Suburban Fantasy, Gender Politics, Plus a Goblin Prom: Why Labyrinth is a Classic". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  27. ^ Karnick, Sam (January 1987). "Return of the Fairy Tale". Chronicles. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  28. ^ Godwin, Sara (27 August 2014). "7 Important Life Lessons Learned from Labyrinth". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  29. ^ Carroll, Shiloh (2009). "The Heart of the Labyrinth: Reading Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a Modern Dream Vision". Mythlore. 28 (1). Mythopoeic Society: 103–112. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  30. ^ a b Gladwin, Tammy H. (2012). "Jim Henson and Hayao Miyazaki: Reimagining the Female Quest". Beyond Postmodernism: Reconsidering the Fairy Tale in the 21st Century (M.A.). California, U.S.: National University. pp. 77–96. ISBN 978-1-303-37594-1. ProQuest 1434158981.
  31. ^ Plate, Andrea Darvi (22 June 1986). "CHILDREN OF MUPPETS CREATOR HENSON DISPLAY TALENT WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED". The Chicago Tribune. p. 8. ProQuest 290932619
  32. ^ Mann, Roderick (14 June 1986). "DELIVERING `LETTER TO BREZHNEV' ON A POSTAGE-STAMP-SIZE BUDGET". The Los Angeles Times (Home ed.). ProQuest 292372767
  33. ^ Noyes, Francie (2 July 1986). "Francie Noyes on movies: Singles, goblins, gymnasts". City Life. The Arizona Republic. Vol. 3, no. 40. pp. 24, 31. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Chandran, Kannan (12 December 1986). "Labyrinth takes wrong turn". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2021 – via NewspaperSG.
  35. ^ Urquhart-White, Alaina (9 March 2016). "Why I'll Watch 'Labyrinth' Over & Over Again". Bustle. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  36. ^ Puschmann, Karl (29 May 2020). "Is it a kind of magic?". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland, New Zealand. p. A40. ProQuest 2407338462
  37. ^ Malmquist, Allen (January 1987). Clarke, Frederick S. (ed.). "Henson's fantasy sapped by its lack of theme or emotion". Cinefantastique. Vol. 17, no. 1. pp. 42, 59.
  38. ^ Schmidt, Sara (16 July 2019). "10 Most Underrated Jim Henson Creations". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.
  39. ^ Rutledge, Daniel (6 January 2016). "Fantastical tale never fails to amaze". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland, New Zealand. p. A12. ProQuest 1753231993
  40. ^ Alexander, Ella (20 June 2016). "Labyrinth turns 30: 16 reasons it's the best film ever". Glamour. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  41. ^ Chandler, Abigail (11 December 2020). "Top 14 best Jim Henson creatures of all time". SciFiNow. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  42. ^ Winning, Joshua (24 June 2011). "32 Greatest Jim Henson Creatures". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  43. ^ Smith (1986)
  44. ^ Labyrinth (Marvel, 1986 Series) at the Grand Comics Database
  45. ^ Marvel Super Special #40 at the Grand Comics Database
  46. ^ Gikow, Louise; McNally, Bruce (1986). Labyrinth: The Storybook Based on the Movie. New York: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 978-0-03-007324-3.
  47. ^ Grand, Rebecca; Brown, John (1986). Labyrinth: The Photo Album. New York: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 978-0-03-007323-6.
  48. ^ Pegg (2016), pp. 27, 294
  49. ^ Jake T. Forbes (w), Chris Lie, Kouyu Shurei (a). Return to Labyrinth, vol. 1–4 (2006–2010). Los Angeles, United States: Tokyopop.
  50. ^ Connelly, Brendon. "For David Bowie's Birthday: A Preview Of Archaia's Next Labyrinth Comic, And Talk Of Another". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  51. ^ Prange, Melissa (3 December 2018). "Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Under the Spell #1 Review". Rogues Portal. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
Bibliography
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