A Change to a New Platform

Hi everyone. I know it has been a REALLY looooong time since I posted any new blog posts here on Blogger. Terribly sorry about that! Over the last few years I've had quite a number of challenges to deal with that have kept me more than a bit occupied.

Another reason is that, to be honest, I've always found the Blogger interface a bit cumbersome when it comes to creating new blog posts. It discourages me from creating new articles. It just shouldn't be that way and now I know it doesn't have to be.

I've always wanted my blog to be easier to work with, but also I wanted it to be hosted on my own website instead of a separate platform such as this. So . . . , long story short, I have slowly but surely been moving my blog over to my new website and finally finished doing that.

All future posts will be on the new blog on my website. Here is the link:

https://www.puppetsandprops.com/blog/

So if you get a chance, go over there and check it out (all the old blog posts are over there). While you are there, please subscribe to the new blog (there's a place to do that at the end of each blog post). That will be necessary if you wish to receive notifications of new blog posts.

Thanks to all that have been following me here on Blogger. I hope some of my blog posts have been interesting to you and that you learned something.

Sparky says, "Thanks everyone!"

Sorry guys. I've gotten busy with so many things here that I've neglected posting to my blog.

Our customer 'Gene Ellis' writes: "You are a talented man and I am soooooo proud, I've been showing him (Sparky) online to my friends, they love him! So thanks one last time, your awesome Mike!!!!!!!"

Gene also called us yesterday to say, "I just wanted to give a long distance 'hug' and 'high five' to you and your wife Cathy. I can not express the joy that the figure is bringing to people, especially children at the shows I'm doing. I'm so grateful to you and Cathy for what you do!" That was a nice call to get! And here's a couple of photos Gene sent us not too long ago after receiving his figure. Sparky is getting ready to go on Safari.'

It so nice to hear from our customers after they have received their figure. I put my heart and soul into each and every figure that I make, so such nice comments make it all worth while!

Another Happy Customer. . .

Below is a picture of Sparky just before he headed off to customer Frank Conenna in New York. I always worry about these little guys until I've heard they have arrived safe and sound. Here's what Frank had to say to my wife (Cathy) and me (Mike Brose):

"We picked Sparky up from the post office today. I wanted to tell you that he looks and works great! I could not be more pleased. You are a true artist. He was worth the wait. You have absolutely gone beyond my expectations. I am very happy to have found you both in my pursuit of a ventriloquist figure. Again, thank you both. If you ever need me to provide a reference or feedback regarding my experience, please do not hesitate to ask me.

With Regards,
Frank"

(I made an extra body for Frank. One body has the regular stuffed feet that come standard, and the other body has bare feet, as shown below. Having 2 bodies makes it very easy for costume changes)

Thanks to Frank for all the kind words. We do aim to please, and we hear about it often from our customers. But it is always nice to hear it again.

A peek inside the process. . .

A peek inside the installation of an upper lip sneer in a professional ventriloquist figure's head. A customer and good friend requested this animation for his figure order (he ordered awhile back and just finished his figure recently) and I wanted the challenge of installing this animation in this particular character head, as there is limited space inside our popular Fred head. Here's the figure on the workbench......

I took several snapshots along the way while building this figure, per our customer's request, and took some video footage as well and put together a quick glimpse of the process, that is now up on our YouTube channel. Click on the link below to see the video. Enjoy!

Upper Lip Sneer - A peek inside the process

Sparky's Younger Brother.........

Introducing Sparky's younger brother 'Skippy'! I've been meaning to do this for quite awhile, but 2013 has been so crazy, I just could not get to it until now. In any case, with no further ado, here he is, Skippy!

He is now up on our website and is available as a finished figure, or as a kit head. Here are the links for those pages............

'Skippy' - Finished Figure

'Skippy' - Kit Head Casting

Hope you like him!

Fred on the Workbench

Like many other figure makers, when a figure is completed, I will spend some time making sure everything is working as it should before the figure gets sent out. And as you'll see, when I do this, I pretty much always end up making the figure talk a little. Yes, as the saying goes, "I talk to myself a lot, and work with dummies all day long!"

The professional ventriloquist figure shown in the video below, is made by me, Mike Brose, of Puppets and Props, and has moving mouth, side-to-side self-centering eyes, raising eyebrows, and one-control blinkers (which means one control closes both eyelids at the same time). 

We of course also offer figures with two-control winkers (like the figure in our Sparky video on YouTube), which can close each eyelid individually or both at the same time. Here is the video clip of Fred on the Workbench getting a little mini workout with his controls......

To find out more about Fred and to see some of our other quality figures, you can go here on our website......

 http://www.puppetsandprops.com/FiguresNew.html

I get this strange feeling.....

Every so often, while I'm working in the workshop, I get this strange feeling like someone is watching me! Hmmmmmmmm.............. 

I don't think I'm imagining it. Someone IS watching me!

 

 

Oh no! Everywhere I look there are eyes following me!

 

 

And MORE eyes following me!

 

Then my wife taps me on the shoulder and says, "Did you forget that you work in a puppet shop again, dear?" "Sigh!" Yeah, every once in awhile, I have to be reminded of this strange, but wonderful reality. I build puppets for a living! It's a way cool, childhood dream that has come true for me and is now my regular daily workweek. I actually have to pinch myself some days to see if this is all really happening or not. 

 

Very fun, but strange profession at times. I still get a kick out of it when my adult kids tell me about one of their friends who asks................

 

 "What does your dad do for work?.........  He does what?!?"