“The most famous ventriloquist,” because he would say, “Here is how you make a dummy out of that dead duck.”
When did you learn your skills, and how did they develop? “When I was in Junior High School at Westwood High School in California, I had to practice making dummy heads by hand. I used to try it by hand and then use the wooden box to make the head. I thought it was so weird.”
What was the first puppet you made that you regretted doing? “The first puppet I made from scratch was a clown that had a mustache. He was very bad and I liked it that way. I think it was a very well made clown puppet.”
Do you have any puppets that are in poor condition? “I have two clown puppets but one is broken and one is too worn out to be worked on any more. The other is very old and has a broken head but is still in the stage line. I’m afraid I may have to get rid of the old one because I don’t have time to fix it anymore.”
What about other puppets that were made at your school? “I’ve done a lot of stuff with plastic toys and things – toys for children and the like. I’ve also done some puppets with live animal animals for Christmas. I have a lion and a bear and several monkeys and other animals – I guess I’m a little bit of animal lover. It’s a nice hobby, but it can get tiresome.”
Where was your first puppet performed at? “When I was 5, 9, 15, I got a part in a commercial [TV movie] on an electric guitar. It was a part where the electric guitar is the same color as the puppet, they’re sitting in chairs and it would be funny if you were playing on an electric guitar and it was the right color. It was a lot of fun.”
What kind of performer would you describe yourself as, and what’s your role in the company that you run? “I don’t think of myself as a performer. I just try to put on a show. I don’t get too much involved in producing puppet shows.”
Is there any show that your students have to audition for? “Well, they come up with a lot of ideas and I give them a good time. I teach them to be able to make up their own show if it isn’t available that day. They can use my set and
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