John Hardman

John Hardman was a puppeteer and producer who did not work with the Muppets or Sesame Street but has still worked with puppets. He was best known for performing NorthPark's Scrooge (puppetry and voice at first, then voice only) for many years. John was also a regular performer for Axtell Expressions where he worked with Steve Axtell on various projects. Some of the projects that Hardman worked on included The Donut Man, Prayer Bear, and Jack Houston's Imagine Land, to name a few. He had the chance to work alongside a few other puppeteers such as Kimberly McDermott, Lori Lehman, and Lee Armstrong. I wonder how he met Steve Axtell in the first place; he was recruited to help him out with the puppets in a Donut Man video in 1995. I only wish that John Hardman had met a Muppet performer while he was still alive. People are probably wondering how he got the part of NorthPark's Scrooge in the first place and when he first started that role. He should have also been an Axtell puppeteer to get inspiration from a legendary Muppet performer in the early days. Sadly that never happened as John passed away from cancer in 2015, according to a Dallas news article. Hardman at least had a protégé to take over the NorthPark's Scrooge character before his death. I'm sure Axtell Expressions mourned over the death of their friend. At least he was able to work with marionettes and ventriloquist dummies way before 2015. John Hardman, you may not have guest starred or performed on Sesame Street, but you're still considered famous for your puppet character. I'm pretty sure that the people you've performed with are remembering you for the fun projects you've performed in. Rest in peace John. Farewell Hardman!