Valentine's Day card

Here is one of the new Valentine’s Day cards I designed for the Swazzle Store. Check it out, and remember - nothing says "I love you" like a pteranodon.

Roger Mara

Today’s post brings very sad news. My friend Roger Mara, who was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer, passed away on January 15 at the age of 53.

The talented puppeteer and builder behind Snapdragon Puppets, Roger had more than 30 years’ experience performing thousands of puppet shows at libraries, schools and special events across the West Coast. He performed at several puppeteer festivals, including the 2002 West Coast Puppet Fest at Asilomar in Northern California and 2006’s Much Ado About Puppets Festival in Tacoma, WA.

Roger created such puppet shows as The Big Little Circus, The Tall Tales of Paul Bunyan and The Three Little Pigs. His popular holiday show, The Mouscracker, was made into a video production that earned him an Emmy.

Roger’s live shows featured beautifully handcrafted puppets designed by longtime collaborator Elizabeth Luce. His puppets were technically inventive and expertly manipulated.



When my brother Sean and I started performing puppet shows in the San Francisco Bay Area, Roger was very supportive of our efforts. He offered helpful advice about presenting professional puppet shows and suggestions on nurturing a successful puppet business. He also shared practical puppet-building safety tips that we still use today.

Roger’s level of professionalism and showmanship is something I aspire to. I will always remember his sense of humor, and I cherish his friendship.

Rudolph

Rudolph is the most “Hollywood” of all the reindeer. He behaves like a child star who’s grown up and is trying to define himself. I gave him a red felt nose and sunglasses. The cell phone was a last-minute addition.

Blitzen

Blitzen required the least amount of alteration. I gave him bags under his eyes, and Kevin Carlson’s hilarious performance projected the rest.

Donner

Donner is the only reindeer, with the exception of Rudolph, whose name doesn’t correspond with his personality. We wanted one reindeer to behave like a political figure who toes the company line. I gave him a mustache and a thin tie to make him look square and out of touch.

Cupid

Cupid was given wings and a shiny halo. The wings were purchased at a craft store and enhanced with feathers.

Comet

Comet's character could have gone several different directions. At one point I considered making him obsessed with astrology, the stars and other heavenly bodies. It was decided that it would be funnier to make him a neat freak with some obsessive-compulsive tendencies, thus the apron.

Vixen

I designed Vixen to look like a ‘30s film star. She required the most alteration, including a doll wig, eyelashes, new eyelids, a pearl bracelet and a feather boa.

Prancer

Prancer is defined by his mannerisms more than his costume. I thought he should wear a wacky, flamboyant Hawaiian shirt.

Dancer

The two female reindeer were given pink or blue eyelids to give the impression they’re wearing eye shadow. The eyelids were cut out of felt and attached with double-stick tape. Dancer’s costume posed a challenge, but luckily I found a reasonably priced, child-size tutu at the craft store.

Dasher

Frosty the Snowman and his snowball buddy Steve count down to Christmas in the mini web series Frosty’s 12 Days of Christmas. In the series, created by Dylan Campbell, Sean Johnson and me, Frosty interviews a collection of Christmas characters who work behind the scenes to create the holiday. Frosty speaks with Santa’s bodyguard, a Christmas intern, the head of the North Pole post office and all nine of Santa’s reindeer.

Rather than build several new puppets for this web series, we re-dressed puppets from our show Poly Polar Bear and the Prince of the Sea. I designed nine costume changes for Reggie the Reindeer, who played all of Santa’s reindeer. I used the name of each reindeer to inform its character.



Dasher was designed to look like an ‘80s athlete. I had hoped to give him a red, white and blue headband, but apparently they stopped making those in 1987. Instead I gave him a bright red headband and a white tank top.