Former head of Jim Henson's Creature Shop David Barrington Holt dies at 78

David Barrington Holt, the English business executive who established and ran the first Creature Shop in Los Angeles for The Jim Henson Company, has passed away at the age of 78.

David's son Chris Holt shared the obituary with Animation World Network and confirmed that the former creative supervisor died of complications from cancer on March 13, 2024, at his home in Los Angeles.

David Barrington Holt worked on several famous films such as George of the Jungle, The Phantom, Dr. Dolittle, Scooby-Doo, Cats and Dogs, and the TV series, Dinosaurs. Holt also worked on the development of the Henson Performance Control System, a program that allowed a single performer to operate complex, computer-driven puppets in the same manner as though they were physical.

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David Barrington Holt's son Chris announces the demise of former head of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in L.A.

David Barrington Holt was born in June 1945 in England. He received his education at London's University of the Arts in 1963, earning a B.A. degree in industrial design. After college, he was recruited by the Royal College of Art and British Rail.

David passed away on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at the age of 78 due to cancer. He is survived by his wife, Svetlana, and his son Chris Holt, who was the first to break the news of the David's passing. Holt worked in several fields as a designer, photographer, modelmaker, and restorer of mechanical antiquities in his two-decade-long career.

During the early 1960s, David Barrington Holt owned and operated his own clothing boutique in London. He worked with the noted fashionista Thea Porter, at the time. The executive had managed to attract some big clients to his business, including the London Science Museum, the Greater London Council, and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

However, in the late 1980s, Holt changed his direction when he returned to school to become certified as a psychological therapist. In 1984, he also founded Hero Models, an organization that supplied models, miniatures, and hero effects for TV shows, films, and commercials.

Although Holt managed to run a successful practice as a therapist, he was scouted by The Jim Henson Company. In 1986, David Barrington Holt joined the firm as deputy supervisor of its Creature Shop in the U.K. However, he was soon promoted to creative supervisor and went to Los Angeles in 1993.

David Barrington Holt set up Creature Shop on the West Coast and produced the Disney-ABC series titled Dinosaurs from 1991 to 1994. The head of the branch was responsible for creative oversight of shop operations, including animatronics, puppetry, special effects, talent, administrative matters, and more. He also worked on research and development that focused on real-time 3D CG animation

The Jim Henson Company, formerly known as Muppets, Inc., was officially founded by Jim and Jane Henson on November 20, 1958. Their son, Brian Henson is the current chairman of the organization, while their daughter, Lisa Henson, is the CEO.

Holt had a 23-year run with Henson, where he spent three years consulting for Walt Disney Imagineering R&D. The project comprised him assisting in the technical transfer of innovative animal-robot-like characters into public exhibits. Talking about his father, Chris Holt said:

"He could design and build an animatronic rabbit that you would swear would take a carrot right out of your hand or a model train that, if you were much smaller, you could board and ride to the adventure of a lifetime."

The executive also worked and consulted for other companies such as the Chiodo Brothers, Insudung Media, 11:11 Creative, and Reisman Models.

David Barrington Holt was well-known in the entertainment industry for his creations of puppets and fake animals. He was credited with several films, both animations, and live-actions, including Indian in the Cupboard, Jack Frost, Snow Dogs, Stuart Little 2, and The Country Bears.