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Aftermath

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Anticipation

B.A.R.K. On Stage!

Don’t miss B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 pm at the NoHo Arts Center. Tickets are $10.

Eccentric inventor Mr. Johnson leaves his pets Ratchet the Cat and Rivet the Dog home on a rainy day. The house is turned upside down when Rivet discovers B.A.R.K., an unpredictable robot dog. Rivet's new robotic companion turns out to be trouble, ruining Ratchet's champion yarn ball and threatening to destroy the house. Can Ratchet and Rivet set things right before Mr. Johnson comes home?

Bad B.A.R.K. II

This Bad B.A.R.K. puppet design is a little closer to the final look. His head is round, his eyes are separated, and his hands are no longer claws. I made many more changes before I arrived at a final design, including removing the neck to make Bad B.A.R.K. more imposing -- like a bodybuilder who’s all muscle and no movement.

Don’t miss B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 pm at the NoHo Arts Center. Tickets are $10.

Bad B.A.R.K.

This is one of my preliminary Bad B.A.R.K. puppet designs. Bad B.A.R.K. is a bigger, meaner, more destructive version of B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog. This design has a neat science fiction look, but the claws, visor-style eyes and bucket-shaped head were too much of a departure from the original puppet. Bad B.A.R.K. had to be similar enough to Good B.A.R.K. that the audience would believe a transformation had taken place, rather than assuming the giant puppet was a new character.

Don’t miss B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog at the NoHo Arts Center on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 pm.

Plan59.com

When I was designing the background for B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog I originally wanted to give Mr. Johnson's home/workshop a 1950s feel. I found plan59.com, an online museum and gift shop of mid-century illustration. Plan59.com is a wonderful resource for anyone looking for inspirational images from the optimistic 1950s. Be sure to check out the different galleries and the blog.

The Mayor

Here is another photo from the Nightmare Before Christmas exhibit at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. The Mayor of Halloween Town is one of my favorite puppets from the movie. I love his tall hat and rotating head.

Nightmare 3-D

Puppet designers and builders alike, I recommend you go see the 3-D presentation of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The 3-D effect adds another layer of enjoyment to this entertaining and wonderfully inventive movie. I noticed textures and background elements I had never seen before. The newly discovered detail helped me appreciate the craftsmanship of the puppets and sets on an even greater level.



Disney's El Capitan Theater in Hollywood has some of the original stop-motion puppets on display in its downstairs gallery. The light is very low to protect the fragile characters. Here is a photo of Jack Skellington and trick-or-treaters Shock and Barrel.

Werewolf

I designed this werewolf logo for the puppeteers’ booth at the Jim Henson Company’s Halloween party. On Oct. 31 the courtyard of the old Chaplin Studio was transformed into a creepy and silly Halloween fair as each department decorated a booth based on a theme of their choosing.

The puppeteers’ theme was Sci Fi Horror High Reunion. We came up with a memory board, a "Where are they now?" display and yummy eyeball drinks. Our efforts earned us the coveted Golden Doozer Award for Resourcefulness.