Light up Puppets - Before and After

The puppets for Swazzle's new light up puppet show Water Color were covered with Electroluminescent Wire, also know as EL Wire. Hundreds of feet of EL Wire was painstakingly hand stitched to the puppets with transparent thread. Water Color is now on tour all over Southern California, to see when Water Color is playing in your town check out our online tour schedule. To see what the puppets look like with the stage lights on, and with the lights off, I've posted some before and after photos.



The cast of Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...



...after.



The Cycloptopus from Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...



...after



Ellie Fish the Jelly Fish from Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...



...after.



Adolfo the Dolphin from Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...



...after.



Gray the star of Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...



...after.



Star the starfish from Swazzle's light up puppet show, Water Color, before and...

Light Up Puppets

The light up puppet cast of Swazzle's light up puppet show Water Color. Water Color is now touring in Southern California click here to view our tour schedule.

Glow in the Dark Puppets

Swazzle's new puppet show Water Color features a cast of glow in the dark puppets. The puppets are covered with EL wire. Pictured above are the dolphin, jellyfish, starfish, and nautilus.

New Forest Fables Puppet Stage

The new puppet stage for Swazzle's summer puppet show, Goldilocks and the Three Buccaneers is finished, and ready for it's debut. New Swazzle puppeteer Artie Esposito will be touring this show at many Los Angeles Public Library branches.

New Water Color Puppets

Patrick just finished a bunch of puppets for Swazzle's new glow in the dark under water puppet show, Water Color. Check them out.

New Swazzle Stage

I just created a mock up for Swazzle's new puppet stage. This stage has four major playing areas. One on the left, one on the right, an optional shadow stage in the middle, and one out front (with the puppeteer visible). This stage will be impressive, colorful, and easier to set up than our current stage.

New Puppet

This is the latest puppet for the new Swazzle puppet show, The River Otter Circus.

More Team Smithereen

I still can't say anything about Team Smithereen, the crazy cool puppet show that we've been shooting for the past couple of months, but check out this photo taken by Dan Clark Company producer Don Asher.

Walking with Dinosaurs

I just saw Walking with Dinosaurs live at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The show was amazing. The life size dinosaur puppets looked and moved great. I was impressed by how fast and precise the puppetry was despite the massive scale. Also, all of the sounds came from the dinosaur's mouths which was extra cool. We were sitting three rows from the front, so when the full grown Tyrannosaurs Rex walks to the edge of the stage, lifts her head back and roars my chest chest rumbled. Walking with Dinosaurs is now on a North American tour, you must catch it when it comes to your town.

They did not allow flash photography during the show - most people ignored that request. I set my camera to the night setting, and got some nice non-flash photos. I'll share some the better ones in future posts.

Puppet Stage 4.0

The new stage was different from any other because of the trunks. I worked with a representative from Encore Cases to design trunks based on our specific needs. I measured the inside of my car, and the dimensions of our previous stage to determine the size of the trunks. We came up with a design that called for one wheeled trunk and one non-wheeled trunk. For easy load in, the non-wheeled trunk would sit on the wheeled trunk.

The new trunks had two holes in the lid, and corresponding couplings inside. The fiberglass poles could slip into the holes and rest snugly in the coupling. The stage would be built from this sturdy vertical support. As in the previous stage the front and back were made from wooden curtain rods joined with PVC. The top sides were made from PVC which was lighter than the electrical conduit. The curtain was attached with velcro and then wrapped around the poles.

As an added benefit, these new trunks and painter poles gave us such a stable base that we used this design principle to make a larger school stage, and a smaller one trunk stage.

While we are still looking for ways to improv our set up, This new stage currently meets all of our requirements: It’s light weight, easy to unload, quick to set up, sturdy, and versatile.

Puppet Show Trunks 2.0

After years of experience we knew we needed a stage that was light weight, easy to unload, quick to set up, and trunks that were large and professional. We talked to different puppeteers, and got their recommendation - something I really appreciate about the puppet community is it’s willingness to share. Puppeteer Scott Land gave us two suggestions that led to our current stage. He recommend using fiberglass painter poles for the vertical support, and Encore Cases for custom trunks.

Magma Worm

I just finished this puppet for Space Bugs Zeta. The Magma Worm was sculpted from a block of soft foam and covered with dyed miliskin. His eye balls are clear acrylic half spheres painted in the inside.

Puppet Arms

This past week Patrick and I have been busy building puppets for our new school assembly puppet show - The Swazzle Workshop Live. We will be presenting a seven minute sample of the show at this year's Orange County Performing Arts Center Performer's Showcase. The Swazzle Workshop Live is a live show based on Swazzle's popular web series The Swazzle Workshop. During the show students will learn team work and cooperation through the art of puppetry. The Swazzle Workshop Live was created with a grant from The Puppeteers of America in partnership with The Orange County Performing Arts Center's Arts Teach Program.

Puss in Boots

This is Puss in Boots from Puss in Boots from Snapdragon Puppet Productions. This puppet may look familiar to you, that's because it is pulled from the same mold as Bartholemew (see previous post). Puppet builder Roger Mara, simply changed the cat's color scheme, added an new costume, and created a brand new character.

Puppets After Hours

Puppets After Hours, Saturday, September 15 @ 7:30 pm, Free-of-Charge. 1745 N. Spring Street #4, Los Angeles, CA 90012. This is an outdoor venue, so please dress comfortably. Light refreshments available.

Farmlab presents Puppets After Hours as part of the Accidentally on Purpose Series. A fully immersive evening of adult-themed puppet theater, interactive performance art, and live music featuring some of L.A.'s best best puppeteers. Puppets sing, dance, perform sketch comedy, and engage in avant-garde art installations. The audience is invited to walk among giant fish in our puppet aquarium. Pick up a drum and jam with the percussion performance art group GLANK. Join in three-part harmony with our Praying Mantis doo-wop girl group. After the show all are welcome to mix and mingle with the cast.

Created, Produced, and Directed by Frank Langley IV, Donna Kimball, and Jordan M. Albert, in association with the Chiodo Brothers Productions, PUPPETS AFTER HOURS boasts these talented performers:

Contributing artists include: Tim Blaney, Alison Mork, Scott Land, Kristin Charney, Victor Yerrid, Peggy Etra, Donna Kimball, Michael Oostrom, Kevin Carlson, Brian Clark, Eli Presser, Robyn Simms Johnson, Sean Johnson, Patrick Johnson, and more!

Puppets After Hours is not suitable for children.

Archie McPhee 2

Archie McPhee in Seattle is a great place to find unusual puppet building materials, puppet show props and inspiration. Check out these cases: plastic coins, tiny pigs, miniature rubber chickens, 8 ball beads... and more. If you are not in the Seattle area check out their online store.

Hobey Ford is Coming to L.A.

Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets, Turtle Island Tales

Friday, September 14 - 7:00 pm

Scherr Forum Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Coumtrywide Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks, Blvd., Thousand Oaks CA.

Tickets: $16 kids, $22 adults. Purchase tickets by phone with VISA/Master Card, Call (805) 646-8907

Turtle Island Tales is a performance of songs and stories of Native Americans, told through shadow puppetry and a life-sized realistic Native American singer puppet who narrates the show. Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, Hobey Ford is known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft.

Hoby is an amazing puppeteer and a very talented puppet builder. I saw him perform a couple of years ago, and the show was great.

2006 Tour Begins

Our 2006 Summer Tour has just begun. Last week we premiered our two new puppet shows, B.A.R.K. The Robot Dog, and Rex and Boots Super Sleuths. Check out our schedule to see when we are coming to your town.

Puppet Show Posters

Check out the posters for our two new summer puppet shows, B.A.R.K. The Robot Dog, and Rex and Boots, Super Sleuths.

The Inland Emperor's New Clothes

Today I'm putting my B.A.R.K. Production Diary on hold to mention a charming puppet show I saw at California State University San Bernardino, The Inland Emperor's New Cloths. The show was directed an created by Johanna Smith, who teaches puppetry at the university. The puppets were designed by Sam Hale, a brilliant puppet designer. The puppets were all performed by acting students at the university, most of them were first time puppeteers. It is always very inspiring to see young people getting involved in puppetry.

By the way, I'll be away from my computer until December 11. Please check back then for more Puppet 101 postings.