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A light-up lightning-struck Gonzo (Dave Goelz) puppet from Tim Hill's Muppets from Space. After climbing to the rooftop of the house he shared with his fellow Muppets, Gonzo was struck by lightning, which allowed him to communicate with a pair of otherworldly Cosmic Knowledge Fish who told him the truth about his origins.

Years before he was established as one of the most beloved Muppets, Gonzo began as Snarl, the Cigar Box Frackle, appearing for less than 10 seconds in the 1970 CBS Christmas special The Great Santa Claus Switch. It was a very small role for a very unique-looking Muppet, puppeteered in that short appearance by Danny Seagren. But in 1976, Jim Henson gave the long-nosed blue puppet to performer Dave Goelz to perform as new character Gonzo the Great for Henson's groundbreaking variety series The Muppet Show.

As his popularity grew over the years, Gonzo rose from a bit-part puppet to one of the main Muppets, a role solidified in the Muppets' first theatrical venture, James Frawley's 1979 musical comedy The Muppet Movie. Decades later, Muppets from Space finally answered the question asked both by audiences and by his fellow Muppets since the character's introduction: What exactly is Gonzo? After decades of being called a "whatever," Muppets from Space declared Gonzo to be an alien.

The film also marked the end of an era in the storied franchise as the last Muppets film to be produced by The Jim Henson Company before the property was acquired by The Walt Disney Company. It was additionally the final Muppets project featuring original Muppet performer Frank Oz in his roles as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle, and the last Muppets project made with the involvement of screenwriter and long-time Henson collaborator Jerry Juhl.

This full-body Gonzo puppet was created for the sequence in which Gonzo was struck by lightning, leaving his nose burnt and his eyes glowing. It is also possible that the puppet's head and body were used in different iterations for other shots during filming.

The puppet was previously sold in Profiles in History's Hollywood Auction 65 in October 2014. It is constructed from low-density foam covered in blue faux fur with wispy feather-like purple hairs on top of the head. The nose, hair, and head fur were purposefully distressed by production with black scorch marks to appear lightning-struck. An opening in the puppet's rear allows for access to the puppet's interior, which includes a rigid bodyform with a doodle drawn on it, and elastic straps.

Following production, the eyes underwent sympathetic restoration to replace the previous bulbs with modern LEDS operated via a control switch and powered by a battery pack. When turned on, the eyes glow blue due to blue-tone film. Additionally, the beak and upper lip underwent sympathetic restoration.

The puppet comes mounted to a custom-made black stand for display with a plaque featuring the film's title logo and also includes a copy of a book about the making of the film. As wire armatures were used in the limbs to allow for some poseability, the limbs of this puppet should be handled with care due to their age. This puppet exhibits some of the burnt bits having come loose, and minor discoloration to the eyes. Dimensions: 14" x 11" x 29" (35.75 cm x 28 cm x 73.75 cm)

Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: $50,000 - 100,000