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Archive for puppets

Desktop Goodies 8/24

Posted in absurd, anthropomorphic, Books, cats, comics, humor, illustration, nature, puppets, robots, sci-fi with tags absurd, anthropomorphic, antiques, Books, cats, comics, creatures, humor, illustration, monsters, nature, pulp, puppets, robots, sci-fi, sea on August 24, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

I’ve been looking at a lot of historical nautical maps lately. What maps lacked in accuracy 500 years ago, they sure made up for with extravagant design. I’d be pretty thrilled if this guy showed up on my GPS.

Sadly, it’s pretty clear that “solitudes” has a double meaning here.

I don’t think this is what she meant by “Calgon, take me away!”

Actually, he said you guys were more like acquaintances. Just sayin’.

Breathtaking…

DY-NO-MITE! Actual mites, I mean.

You mean cats can saw wood and build things while mine have been eating and sleeping all day? Freaking freeloaders.

Speaking of cats…

That new fertilizer did wonders for the harvest.

Ugh. One of those evenings.

This requires careful planning.

I stared at this for like five minutes in a futile attempt to decide which one is creepier.

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Desktop Goodies 5/10

Posted in absurd, anthropomorphic, art, cats, comics, craft, humor, illustration, puppets, vintage with tags absurd, anthropomorphic, art, cats, comics, craft, humor, illustration, puppets, vintage on May 10, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

How do I get my hands on this?

This came up in my Amazon suggestions. Best mouse pad I’ve ever seen. I may buy it for my such clicks and many scrolls. And I like its enthusiasm: “Wow.”

I tried to find this album on YouTube so we could take a listen. Art definitely looks the part(y) here.

Dapper Vegetable Man. Wait for it…nobody BEETS him! (See what I did there?)

I have no idea who makes these, but they’re rather amazing.

Take this, Darwin…

Awkward Christ and puppet induced ecstasy:

So chilling…

Control your giant blob, dude.

Not the most practical default posture…but terrifying nonetheless.

“And then the Mammoth took the two of them in the circle of his trunk, and threw them into space.”

Anyone have these as a kid?

The look on the little kid’s face really drive home “poor life choices.”

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The Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Posted in cats, kitsch, puppets, video with tags cats, kitsch, puppets, video on April 11, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

I hope I’m able to get to Los Angeles and visit the The Bob Baker Marionette Theater before it closes down. This landmark theater, created in 1962 out of a run down old shop, may not be anything special on the outside…but has been described as a “giant velvet 1960’s Christmas present” on the inside.

There is no stage, leaving little separation between the audience and the show (many guests sit on the floor). All of the marionettes have so much character, and the theater’s inventory now exceeds 3,000 of them according to a recent article.

Has anyone visited this theater? What did you you think?

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater

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The WitchDoctor

Posted in animation, film, kitsch, puppets, stop motion, tiki with tags animation, film, kitsch, puppets, stop motion, tiki on November 28, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

Thank you Shivers of Delight for pointing me to this stop motion animation Kickstarter by Screen Novelties.

I love the concept:
Welcome to a magical realm of dense jungles, fiery volcanoes, and iridescent lagoons. Meet the WITCHDOCTOR, the overzealous protector of this mysterious archipelago. He’s ready for action with his shiny cauldron, potent elixirs, and shrunken heads. There’s only one problem… The Witchdoctor STINKS at magic. When he mixes a potion or casts a spell, watch out!

The film will use hand built props, sets, puppets, special effects and black-light to bring their classic Tiki influences (they also site George Pal, Karel Zeman, Rankin/Bass, Jim Henson, Lotte Reiniger, and Ray Harryhausen as influences…YES PLEASE!) to life in a creative, modern fashion. I can’t wait to see this!

The WitchDoctor

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Peter and the Wolf Stop Motion Short Film

Posted in animation, film, puppets, stop motion with tags animation, film, puppets, stop motion on January 20, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

Over the weekend, I saw a stunning combination of good old fashioned stop motion animation and skillful CGI. This animated retelling of Sergei Prokofiev’s classic musical piece Peter and the Wolf, written and directed by Suzie Templeton, won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2006.

The characters and scenery are incredibly striking. Peter and the Wolf share the same piercing, mildly unsettling ice blue eyes, and this film captured and held my attention from the first frame. I highly recommend this for ANY fans of stop motion animation.

Watch:

(And if you feel like going down a stop motion rabbit hole, check out a list of previous great ones on the blog HERE)

Many thanks to Casey for showing this to me!

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Cirque Obscure

Posted in craft, puppets, video with tags craft, puppets, video on November 26, 2014 by shewalkssoftly

The creator of Cirque Obscure recently shared his puppetry work with me, and these creatures are right at home here on SWS. One look at this, and I was sold:

All of these puppets have a distinct darkness about them; a sense of emptiness, melancholy…they are the misunderstood and the damned.

The aesthetic reminds me slightly of Tool’s “Sober” video (one of my all time favorites), which along with NIN’s “Closer” helped open me up in my early teens to dimensions of dark surrealism beyond what I had seen as a horror-obsessed child.

Watch the trailer for the latest release. I can’t wait to see the complete film: