Older Puppets

I don't really have anything new to show at the moment, though I've picked up some very nice new techniques in building.

I thought it might be fun to dip into the past a bit to see some of my earlier puppets, and how far I've come.

So, here are some of the first puppets I ever built.



I decided to make a puppet for my friend's birthday quite some time ago.  It had a fairly simple design, made to his specifications.  It's a bit crudely put together, but it's not fair to judge by my current standards.

 

All things considered though, I'd say it came out pretty well.

 

This was one of the earliest puppets of this kind that I had ever made.

What I learned in making this puppet, I applied in making Gertie: 

  

(She's on the left.)

She is very similar in shape.

Another puppet I made for a friend, was a replica of an even older puppet I had made:

 

...though I don't think I ever got a picture of it in finished form.  it doesn't seem to have hands, and it looks like the legs are pinned on.  However, it's not supposed to have eyes.  The original didn't either.  I decided to give this replica feet so you could tuck the sleeve in, and it would become a little doll-looking thing.

To see what I'm talking about, you'd have to travel way back.  Back to the very first puppets that I ever built.

These two were made out of old shirts.  The red one, "Red," as I took to calling it, gained a really big fan in one of my friends.  So, I made a more up-to-date version for them, also as a birthday present.  I kept the original for myself.

I'm sure I still have it somewhere.

Now, the blue fellow...  I wonder if anybody would make the connection...

Blue, horizontal stripes...  crazed eyes...

 It's Staniel.

Maybe it's not that obvious.

That old, old puppet there, is the first iteration of Staniel.

I grew attached to the character, and when I got to building new characters, I thought it would be nice to update him.  He got a total overhaul.  And among other things, moving eyebrows.

Around the same time as those two came around, I made my first big, foam-and-fur puppet:

That was quite an undertaking for someone who didn't know quite what they were doing.

It's also notable for being my first gloved-hand puppet.  The only problem with this was that the character's arms were so short.  He basically had hands sticking out of his body.

...which despite being what the design called for, it proved to make things difficult when operating the character.

I've come quite a way since then.  I learned new technique, how to better use my materials...  and to quit fussing too much over the details.  Sometimes, simpler is so much better.

At the time, I nitpicked these puppets to death.  Looking back, they're not perfect...  but how could they be?  They look good for what they are, they function fantastically, and have the spirit I wanted to give them in the first place.

You don't need amazing craftsmanship to make a puppet that is entertaining or endearing.  It's entirely possible to get an emotional response from a character that's just a bare hand.

Some New Photos

Blank character fun.                I'd like to make this a header.

Threeee Deeeeee...                  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Floyd

Puppet Rack & Photos

Now they have a place where I can display them...  and they're out of the way.




I didn't realize until I put all this up that I have as many blank characters as finished characters.  sweet.

Floyd, now with 100% more tongue.

Staniel... posing, apparently.

Gertie is too close.

Erma wants you off her lawn. 

Staniel is up to something.

Old commercial and out-dated custom-info

ATTENTION:  
THIS PAGE IS OUT OF DATE.  IT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE "CUSTOM PUPPET INFORMATION" PAGE ABOVE.
If you are viewing this post to find out about custom puppets, please go here or click the "Custom Puppet Info" button above.






Take a look at our commercial, to get a brief overview, as well as some contact info:

Puppet Bases:
the shape and type of the puppet's head and body.

Sock-style puppet-
--- This comes with:
-a fully customizable face (eyes, eyebrows and nose's size shapes and positions, all to your specifications)
-hair (if desired, made from, yarn, felt, or feathers)(more complicated hairstyles will bring a higher price)
-Simple-style hands and 1 basic-style rod(both explained further down).
sock style examples:

Round, person style puppet-
-includes:
face
hair
simple-style arms/hands and 1 rod.
examples of this style here:

Larger, more complex character- 
This one is a bit more open-ended, a full-out customized puppet.  You can design and request every last detail.  Hence the price difference.
For this one, you can request specific shapes for the character, costume, and style of controls.

If commissioning a fully custom puppet, a design sketch would be greatly appreciated.

However, if you can not provide one, give as detailed a description as possible to me, and I'll do the design sketch for you.

Once I get your okay on the sketch, I'll begin building to it.

Sack-style & monster puppet-
This style also may have customized shapes, number of fingers, length of arms etc.
(though, you may request the "standard" which is basically what the example drawing is)
Hands are controlled by putting your arm into the puppet's arm. This type is able to manipulate props and objects.
This style may have some limitations, depending on what fur-fabrics are available at the time of order. (Though, it doesn't necessarily need to be fur at all.  A non-fur puppet of this kind would be a considerable amount cheaper.)
The head may be any shape you like, it isn't limited to this round one.
You only get one option of hand type, obviously.
examples:

Similar to Rowlf or Cookie Monster.

Custom Costuming-
This can be pretty much anything you'd like it to be.
However, if the larger and more intricate it is, the more I'll ask for it.
If you'd like a simple t-shirt, or even a real shirt if the character is big enough, price can be negotiated down.

Hands:
Different styles of hands balance between affordability and awesomeness.

Mitten-hands- This style comes free with the base price of a puppet.

Basic Hands-  -This style has with 4 fingers, which are stuffed, and not posable.

Deluxe hands- -Comes with 4 fingers, and has an armature inside, which allows the hand to be posed.

Live hands--
-This type of hand generally works better with a larger character, but if you like, the option is available with smaller puppets.  (I personally like the 'small character, big hands' look)
-This is similar to the "sack-style" puppet, where the puppet's hand is a glove, and you control it by putting your hand inside.
-Since having two live-hands on a puppet would require another person to operate it, you may opt to have only 1, and have the other hand be stuffed.
-anything you'd like to request, just ask.



Rods:
How the rods attach to the puppet's hands.  With the base price, you get 1 free rod, and the "basic" option. 

Basic detachable configuration- 1 free rod with base price

-The arm is sealed, like a stuffed animal's arm.

-the rod is attached to the hand with an elastic band (instructions will be included which explain the easiest and best way to do this)

~pros: cheapest, simplest option that allows for detachable rods

~cons: you have a visible elastic band around the puppet's arm.

Attached rod-

-The rod is attached into the hand/arm of the puppet, it IS NOT removable.

-If you want another to control the other arm, it will cost another $3.

~pros: the firm attachment to the hand allows for very precise control, you will never lose the rod, looks very nice.

~cons: you can't remove the rods from the hands.

Deluxe detachable rod-

-a hidden pocket in the bottom of the hand allows for a rod to be inserted and removed.

-If you would like another to control the other hand, it will cost another $5

~pros: The best of both worlds.  The hand looks good with and without the rod in it

~cons: costs more, due to the amount of work needed to make it.

If you want to mix-and-match rod styles, you could, for example, put a deluxe rod option on one hand, and a basic on the right.  Just ask.


Other Options:

Legs, extra arms, different hands, fur, or any other custom options may be requested.
If any request requires me to make a vastly different pattern, I'll inform you of a price difference.
This would include something like, a very involved nose, or head shape, a large chin or something like that.
Totally do-able, but it would take some special consideration and prep-work to get done.

Color:
You may choose whatever color you like. The options for the "skin" tone are pretty much limitless. Pretty much any color you can imagine.


Again, don't hesitate to ask if an option is available. If you have a price limit, I can make some changes to the design to accommodate.
If you don't, you can request pretty much anything. I aim to please, and am capable of customizing anything you like.

What started all this puppet business, anyway?

Years ago (high school), I had the idea to create a video series with some puppet characters.
I liked the idea, and always wanted to do something with puppets.

There were a few impediments preventing me from doing this, though.
First and foremost:  I didn't have any puppets.  I had no idea where I could find one that didn't look like a toy, and I didn't know the first thing about making them myself.

The short version of the story:  I still haven't gotten to that video series, but I managed to teach myself the ins-and-outs of puppet building.

As I was learning how to put puppet characters together, I ended up making a few characters for friends and family.  One thing lead to another, and I began offering my services selling custom puppets, which is why you're seeing this webpage right now.


I built a cast, then life hit me hard (college will do that), and I wasn't able to pursue video-making much.  I did make the occasional test here and there, though.

Such as this "gem" before all the characters were finished:

I started on a character that was perhaps a bit more ambitious than I should have attempted as a beginner.

I worked with materials that I could find, and made sure to save my patterns, in case I stumbled backwards into any "happy accidents" that I wouldn't be able to replicate later.









All things considered, this character turned out pretty good for a first attempt.  I've considered going back and giving it real eyes and teeth.











You can see it here, with a few of my other, very primitive early puppets:

I had even made plans for some more elaborate characters:

And eventually, I amassed enough of a "cast" to put some sort of videos together.  






But, like I said, life got in the way of that goal.  School demands attention, you know.

Around this time, I also made an attempt to sell some puppets, too, since I'd just learned a pretty interesting skill.
For a hobby-level, I did pretty well with that.

Which, eventually resulted in the webpage you are now reading, and the armfuls of puppets that we've built for people.
And, if you're interested, you can have a custom puppet from us.
Have a look at our custom information, and order form here.