Comic creator (and DC publisher/chief creative officer) Jim Lee has filmed scenes for an upcoming Sesame Street special focused on Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities called See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special. The special will also introduce the first Korean-American muppet - a seven-year-old girl named Ji-Young (played by puppeteer Kathleen Kim).
"I am so excited, thrilled, and honored to announce that I'll be appearing on Sesame Street this Thanksgiving day, welcoming its newest resident, a 7-year-old Korean-American girl named Ji-Young!" Lee writes on Facebook. "It's crazy and surreal to even write these words but as a young immigrant boy who literally learned English from reading comic books AND watching Sesame Street—I can say this is a dream I hadn't ever imagined even possible."
In a still from See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special, Lee is holding what appears to be an illustration he drew of Ji-Young and Tamir, another Sesame Street muppet.
"The cast and crew were so inviting and friendly and talented and made me feel truly welcomed," Lee continues. "Suffice to say, this is a personal and career-high for me—a moment that was both so much fun to be a part of and so moving and emotional when filming came to an end."
The episode will feature not only Lee, but also Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu, chef Melissa King, actor Anna Cathcart, TV host Padma Lakshmi, and athlete Naomi Osaka.
"Sesame Workshop's mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Today, we uphold that mission by empowering children and families of all races, ethnicities, and cultures to value their unique identities," says Sesame Workshop's executive VP of creative and production Kay Wilson Stallings. "See Us Coming Together continues Sesame Street's proud legacy of representation with an engaging story that encourages empathy and acceptance and uplifts Asian and Pacific Islander communities."
Sesame Street has comics in its DNA - not only has it been adapted as a comic strip in the past, the original actor behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch - Caroll Spinney - was a comics writer/artist earlier in his career.
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special debuts in the US Thanksgiving Day November 25 on HBO Max, PBS Kids, and Sesame Street's YouTube page.
Like Jim Lee? You'll love our list of the best Jim Lee creations of all time.
