I was sad to hear the news this week of the passing of Arthur Novell, who served as Jim Henson’s publicist for almost two decades. Arthur was not only a publicist, but a confidante and one of Jim’s reliable “fixers”–as many inside the organization warmly described him to me–who could be counted on to solve problems quickly and quietly. No matter what time of day it was, or where in the world Arthur might have been, he could almost always make things better with a phone call, taking care of the business of business and letting Jim Henson be Jim Henson.
After Jim’s death in 1990, Arthur was chosen by Jane Henson to serve as one of the founding board members of The Jim Henson Legacy on its establishment in 1992. That’s actually where he was when I first came to know him; he was serving as president of the Legacy when I approached the organization in 2008 to talk about a biography of Jim. He was genuinely warm and encouraging–and always so patient with me–and once I got the okay to proceed with the project around 2010, Arthur was one of the book’s biggest fans and cheerleaders.
There’s a good reason I called him the spiritual father of the biography; it wouldn’t have happened without his careful attention. I loved getting his e-mails dispensing guidance on how to approach performers, giving me his perspective on Jim’s career, or calling me “just to check in.” And there were times, I’m sure, when his hand on my shoulder–or his working behind the scenes on something I’m probably not even aware of to this day–made a real difference in my conversations with the Henson family, friends, and colleagues. With Arthur on your side, you were a made man.
After the book was published, Arthur and I stayed in touch, sometimes just a line or two in an e-mail. Any time I was in New York, I would try to have dinner–usually Chinese food–with him and his husband, Eddy, lingering for hours just so I could listen to the man tell stories, whether it was of his dancing on stage in New York as a young man, taking phone calls from Jim at 2 in the morning, or ushering around guests for Muppets Tonight. One of the last times we tried to get together, my train to New York was impossibly delayed and prevented us from having dinner. But Arthur texted me well into the evening and told me he was sorry we wouldn’t be able to see each other and that he missed talking with me.
That’s how he was.
Arthur was a lovely, lovely man, a true gentleman, and I’m forever grateful to him and even luckier to have known him. Godspeed, Arthur Novell; you were one of the good ones.
It shouldn’t be surprising to me because Jim Henson always picked the best people, but I am very ecstatic to find out you and Arthur stayed in touch even when your biography on Jim was published. I’m sorry for your loss. I’m also sorry we keep losing more people that were in Jim’s life, but time keeps moving one way. – Dustin Hauff
Hello Brian, I am Victor Lamkay, Eddy’s brother. You have written a beautiful and most accurate tribute. Arthur spoke about you often, and gave me a number of copies of your wonderful book which I distributed here in Palm Springs California, including our local library. A short article was posted in the NY Times yesterday, In case you did not see it, here it is.
I wrote my own tribute which will appear on that same link in the next couple of days. Thank you again for your beautiful words about Arthur who I loved dearly. Here is the tribute I wrote:
Arthur has been in my life and in my brother Eddy’s life for as long as I can remember. From the very beginning, he was never simply a brother-in-law, I always considered him my brother, and an integral member of my immediate family.
Arthur was someone I counted on for sage advice, steady guidance, lots of laughter, and a listening ear that was always generous, thoughtful, and sincere.
Professionally, Arthur was a trusted friend, confidant, and Public Relations Manager for Jim Henson and the Henson family for much of Jim’s career and beyond. In a fitting and affectionate tribute, the Henson organization honored him by creating “Arthur Modell,” a caricature Muppet inspired by our own Arthur Novell. The character appeared frequently on Muppets Tonight in both the U.S. and the U.K.; a testament to the respect and fondness he inspired.
On a deeply personal level, Arthur’s passing feels like losing another brother. It does, however, bring me comfort to imagine that in heaven he is already adding his trademark humor and warmth to our special Angels who left us all too soon.
Arthur, rest well and rest easy. Know that you are deeply loved and truly missed.And knowing you, you’ve probably already charmed the angels, straightened out their press releases, and made sure everyone hits their cue on time.