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The Story Behind Joe Coconut
Joe Coconut was originally created when I was in 11th grade reading class. Initially conceived as a short story about Joe and his brother Marty, Joe’s tale would evolve over the years. Eventually the story became a screenplay.
As a junior in college, I interned for the Muppets. There I built the very first Joe Coconut puppet under the tutelage of a Muppet Workshop manager named Connie. Joe’s original style and format is quite different from his look today, as is the case with many characters.
The screenplay was first pitched to comedian Colin Quinn. Although both Quinn and the Henson Company took interest in my screenplay, it would be years before anything progressed.
I took the screenplay with me to Los Angeles. By this time, I was working at NBC Universal with a man named Richard. There, I filmed a Joe Coconut pilot on the Universal Studios backlot, calling in favors from executives and getting discounted access most filmmakers only dream of. We were even part of the Universal Back Lot Tour. Next, Comedy Central decided to pick up the pilot only to reverse course the following week.
Despite these hurdles, Joe stayed with me as my next business began to grow. Soon I would reintroduce him as the mascot for my arcade business. Once Covid hit, the arcade business unraveled and I moved to Orlando. At this point I had already manufactured hundreds of Joe plush. One day I decided to introduce Joe to the community on TikTok. I knew with the inspiration of Mickey’s pie eyes and a vintage look, Joe would be well received by the audience. However, I never expected Joe would be as popular as he is today.
Joe Coconut started as an idea in the mind of a teenager and has spent most of my life accompanying me on many journeys. It is a dream come true to create a character and have him grow alongside you. I look at the Joe plush today and all I can think of is how may people told me to abandon the character and move on. I always rejected the notion. Thanks to you, Joe has finally found his audience. Thank you for making Joe’s journey well worth the wait. – Royce
Where's Joe Coconut?
Find Joe in this new 3D interactive video series. Now on YOUTUBE! Click on the video move the camera around and see where that monkey could be hiding! (Check the Newsletter for answers.)
