Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem He is named for his wild behavior and drumming. Some speculate the character is based on either Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, or Levon Helm while others have suggested Mick Fleetwood. In the April 8, 2002, episode of "Inside the Actors Studio", Billy Joel claimed that Liberty DeVitto was the inspiration for The Muppets character Animal. This assertion has not been taken seriously as Animal's initial appearance in the 1974 pilot for "The Muppet Show" occurred two full years before DeVitto even made his first recording (on Joel's 1976 album "Turnstiles"). Others say there is no evidence that Animal
Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". He has a close relationship with Janice and is Animal's close friend and handler. In books like "The Case of The Missing Mother", by James Howe, Animal is practically Floyd's pet. Floyd has declared himself to be an excellent songwriter—when the band briefly went on strike, one of his conditions was that he be allowed to write new theme music for the show—but with no apparent contradiction, admits that everyone hates his music. "If I didn't know I was a genius," he once declared, ""I" wouldn't listen to the trash I write." Janice