My First Puppet

I have always been interested in puppetry, but actually came to it through an evolution. Starting with scenic design, and slowly moving toward props, then masks, and finally puppets.

This is the first puppet I ever made. His name is Artaban, the fourth wise man. For a long time I have wanted to do a marionette version of the Other Wise Man. So far this puppet is as far as I have gotten. He was made in about 1997 while I was working at Mattel in the large and small dolls department. I actually demoed him at the Folk Art Festival on the Miracle Mile in LA in the summer of 1997.

Except for his head, he is solid wood, very heavy, and he didn't move very well. The head is paper mache, and painted horribly I might add. I was finishing him up in the middle of the night before the festival. I learned very quickly that you don't have to have detail parts that will be hidden by costumes.

Anyway, there it is, my first marionette.