Marionette Variety Artisits

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Comment by Kevin M. Menegus on February 4, 2010 at 7:15pm

I am working on a new ice skater for the Christmas show. I have one in my show that is based on the Ron Herrick design, but I am not totally pleased with it and looking for something else. Anyone have a good drawing or design they like?
Kevin

Comment by Joseph Emory on January 15, 2010 at 9:34am

Honey I'm Home.

Comment by David C. Herzog on October 19, 2009 at 8:51pm

Hey Bob let's see so far I have a break away skeleton, Scarecrow, Snowman, Turk, Clown, Robot, I know I'm missing something here. My favorite of your trick puppets is the multi face creatures. I have done my own version called ragmop. All the eyes are animated on mine. I always credit you as the inventor of the idea. I was inspired by the baby face puppet you sold in Toledo. I also remember your great ring juggling dragon you showed us in Tampa, that guy was a friggin masterpiece.

Comment by bob brown on October 19, 2009 at 8:33pm

Enjoyed all your comments about marionette variety routines. I try to give the old routines a new twist. And a good routine does have a beginning, a middle and an end. Even better if it has a surprise finish. I have been trying my darndest to write a book about marionette variety shows (in between shows). I have a couple of ideas that are originial that I have not seen any one perform. And I'd like to get credit for them before some West Coast puppeteer claims to be the creator. For instance, my design for a breakaway allows the arms and legs to leave the stage and return again. Because most of my audience is preschool I would never do a human type character for a breakaway because I think it is too frightening for toddlers. I've done a robot, a scarecrow and a snowman for example. I'm also adding little tricks that you can added to a routine . For instance, my ball juggler at one point bounces a ball off the top of his head and as he continues on a lump slowly rises from the top of his head . I think music is tremendously important. My wife, Judy, spends a enormous amount of time listening to and editing music for the shows and I get comments all the time on my music. (We buy a lot of music online.)
I am not a big fan of doing a lipsync number where nothing is happening. Once you've established that you have an animated head the novelty quickly wears off. In this day and age you've got to do a lot more. (bob)

Comment by David C. Herzog on August 5, 2009 at 8:39am

Good that way I'll only have to schlep three puppets instead of 12 to 15 LOL Have fun in Brazil!

Comment by Phillip Huber on August 4, 2009 at 10:07pm

David, sounds like a good character idea. Except, his entrance & exit could take up two-thirds of your show time. LOL

Comment by David C. Herzog on July 26, 2009 at 12:59pm

Well inspiration has hit. I was thinking the other day about the revival of my Furry Follies show that will open in January. the last time I did the show I did not use an opening host puppet the way I do in my shows now. I find that the host puppet adds a good chance for audience participation, and is a nice way to get the children used to the whole Idea of the show. Remember folks about 75% of my audiences are preschoolers. All of a sudden it came to me to use a non Furry animal as the host, and the idea of a turtle marionette popped into my head. Thus was born the idea of Thomas D. Turtle. He will have a little fuzz on the top of his head made from marabou. I know so far that I want his head to be able to retract into his shell. He will also have animated eyes and mouth. I will be searching on line for pictures of turtles in order to start the research. It might be fun to make his legs be able to retract into the shell as well. We'll see. I hope to be able to start scketing this week and see what I can come up with.

Comment by David C. Herzog on June 25, 2009 at 9:55am

A teacher once pointed out to me that many preschoolers don't yet understand the concept of what constitutes male or female and that they often stress in lessons this character is a boy and this character is a girl, and why. So I would assume that as preschoolers learn the concept , and by the way begin to understand what sex they are, that it becomes important to them to identify individuale characters as male and female. Then of course they get into that whole boys are better than girls or visa versa issue. Then some puppeteer goes and confuses them with a period costume and the poor kid ends up in therapy, and all I wanted to do is a puppet show.

Comment by David C. Herzog on June 24, 2009 at 7:00pm

I was mentioning the problem of the Pirate skater to a Mother after the show today, as her kids were back stage pointing out which puppets were boys and which were girls the Mother said to her son no the skater is a boy he is wearing a doublett and tights like they did in the olden days. I could have hugged her! I sad to the lady that I have discovered children don't understand period costumes and she said maybe not but the adults do. I could have hugged her again.

Comment by Susan VandeWeghe on June 24, 2009 at 4:00pm

I just got back from doing a Library Show and there were a group of kids who were wondering about the sex of each puppet. I think I agree with Phillip that we should make the puppets look the way we want them to look and not worry if the kids ask what sex they are. I think sometimes they just want something to say. Some times adults don't pay attention to the sex of the puppet either. My pretty Rosie the Riveter Juggler puppet is often called a he just because she is dressed in pants.

Guy, I often have the same problem with 2 very aggressive 8 year old boys sitting in the front row. I am not sure what the answer to this is. I remember one time a long time ago when Dave and I were working at Animart and there was a boy in the front row showing off by making rude remarks all through the show. The parents could not hear - or didn't want to. Finally Dave stopped the show and asked the child to either act right or leave. I can't remember what happened then - if the kid left or not, but he probably stayed and shut his mouth. Every time I have one of those kids in the front row I think of Dave and smile.

Can't wait to see you all next month at the festival.

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