From: "Richard Johnson" <djdick-AT-georgiasouthern.edu>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 01:54:52 -0500
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] so-called Christian puppets


Although I had taken a puppetry class as an undergraduate, it was not very
impressive, and my real introduction to puppetry came from Jim Henson's
articles in Women's Day Magazine, which not only had patterns for puppets
but had a script included (I don't remember whether it was The Magic Onion
or the Purple Necked Black Bearded Blaaaschk, but while living on a Doctoral
Teaching Stipend in Theatre, I had four children and limited income.  It was
the birthday of my oldest son, so for his party, my wife and I made puppets,
made a stage from a refrigerator carton (the pattern was also in the
article) and did a show for his party.  One of the mothers asked if I could
do one for her daughter, and before long I was making more money doing
puppets than I was from my stipend.  Except for the Black Bearded critter
and a couple of characters in The Magic Onion, all the puppets were built
from felt in a very Kermit like pattern.  (I did regular performances of
these two shows for almost two years, when I got tired of them and began to
write my own, but still making puppets much on these patterns.) I have since
made marionettes, sock puppets, almost innumerable rod puppets, body
puppets, parade puppets etc., but they all began with Henson's big mouth
glove puppets.  (I confess that during that time I made about twenty Oscar
the Grouch puppets, using Quaker Oat meal boxes for the garbage can, as
Christmas and birthday presents for the friends of my children and for a
multitude of nephews and nieces. I used Henson's patterns for the
manufacture, and never even thought of royalties till I wrote a couple of
plays that were done without my permission and the reality registered with
me that royalties for puppet characters were probably as valid as those I
had paid French's and Dramatist's Play Service for years.)

Richard B. Johnson, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Actor, Director,
Puppeteer, Playwright, Teacher,Writer, Thingmaker, Mormon, Person, Fool.  I
sometimes think that the last persona is the most important- and most
valuable.
Http://www.PuppenRich.com 
Http://three-score-and-ten-ormore.blogspot.com


-----Original Message-----
From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org]
On Behalf Of Joe Dunfee
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 6:40 PM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] so-called Christian puppets


As a person who is guilty of using the generic large mouth puppets 
when I was in college, I felt I should speak up on a few things.

First is something that I know has been discussed here in the distant 
past, but newer subscribers may be unaware of. Jim Henson put out a 
pattern of their large-mouth style puppet in one of the women's 
magazines. So, the general idea of the large mouth puppet is not a 
"stolen idea", but rather one that was shared by the Muppet's founder.

We live in an age where you have a lot of communication made possible 
through the Internet.  But, before that, if you didn't happen to live 
near an established puppet guild, or even aware that such a thing 
existed, you were pretty much on your own. There might be a few books 
at the library, most likely teaching puppetry as a craft for children to do.

If you didn't have the skills to make your own, back in the 80's you 
had few choices about where to purchase puppets. The styles pictured 
were about all there were to choose from.

At the time I did this type of show, it was my start in 
puppetry.  But, a teacher friend happened to see a college 
advertisement about a puppet show (a college level Bunraku style 
stage production). I went and was both introduced to the other 
possibilities in puppetry, and found out that a puppet guild 
existed.  That guild was to be next phase of my puppet education.

We all have to start somewhere. Some puppeteers may have the 
wherewithal to continue to work on their puppetry skills and develop 
as an artist, but there may be some who tend to stay at the level 
they are at. However, I can accept that their strengths may lay 
elsewhere and that we say it is necessary for them to focus on 
improving their puppetry. My first exposure, as a child,  to live 
puppetry was by a man who wasn't very good at it. Nor have I seen him 
develop any further over the years. But, he was a great friend to the 
homeless, and to humanity in general.  I wouldn't dare suggest to him 
that he abandon puppetry, because it is one of the tools he has in 
his hands to do his life's work.


Joe Dunfee  joe-AT-dunfee.com
Gordonville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

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