22 Facts About Wendy Froud

Wendy Froud is an American doll-artist, sculptor, puppet-maker, and writer.

Wendy Froud is best known for her work fabricating Yoda for the 1980 film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, for which she has been called "the mother of Yoda", and creatures for the Jim Henson films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Wendy Froud's father was a German expatriate and her mother was from Detroit.

Wendy Froud began making her own dolls from the age of five based on her favorite stories, including "lots of fauns, satyrs, centaurs and things with wings" from Greek mythology and fairy tales.

Wendy Froud studied art and music at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Wendy Froud attended the College of Art and Design at the Center for Creative Studies, focused on fabric design and ceramics.

Wendy Froud graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts in 1976.

Wendy Froud designed and sculpted the film's two main protagonists, gelflings Jen and Kira.

Wendy Froud went on to work on several other Henson projects including The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, and Labyrinth.

Wendy Froud's contribution included sculpting the prototype puppet for Yoda.

Wendy Froud constructed the puppet armature from wooden dowel which gave structure to Yoda's arms and legs.

Wendy Froud assisted in Yoda's puppeteering, controlling the pointed ears.

Wendy Froud worked on the 2009 animated documentary Mythic Journeys, sculpting and fabricating puppets based on designs by her husband Brian Froud.

Wendy Froud served as a concept, character, and costume designer for the 2019 Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Wendy Froud's artwork is featured in three books for children, paired with stories by fantasy author Terri Windling: A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale, The Winter Child, and The Faeries of Spring Cottage.

Wendy Froud is a writer of short fiction and poetry, published in two anthologies: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers and Troll's-Eye View.

Wendy Froud collaborated as writer, with her husband Brian Froud as illustrator, on two books, The Heart of Faerie and Trolls, both published by Abrams Books.

Wendy Froud has been nominated for the Chesley Award for Best Three-Dimensional Art twice: in 2001 for her piece, "Goth Faery", and in 2002 for "Narnia's Friend".

Wendy Froud has won 4th place in the Locus Award for Best Artbook with her husband twice: for Trolls in 2013, and for Brian Froud's Faeries' Tales in 2015.

Wendy Froud received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Portland Film Festival in 2015.

Wendy Froud was a finalist for the 2020 World Fantasy Award for Best Artist.

Wendy Froud starred in Labyrinth at the age of one, playing Sarah's baby brother Toby.