Kennedy - Puppet Planet

NORTH LIGHT BOOKS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.artistsnetwork.com

Puppet Planet. Copyright 2006 by Hands in Art, Inc. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. The patterns and drawings in the book are for the personal use of the reader. By permission of the author and publisher, they may be either hand-traced or photocopied to make single copies, but under no circumstances may they be resold or republished. It is permissible for the purchaser to make the projects contained herein and sell them at fairs, bazaars and craft shows. No other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote a brief passage in review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. [800] 289-0963. First edition.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kennedy, John E.

Puppet planet : the best puppet-making book in the universe /
John E. Kennedy. 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58180-794-3 [pbk. : alk. paper]

ISBN-10: 1-58180-794-5

1. Puppet making. I. Title.

TT174.7.K47 2006
745.59224dc22

2005033711

Foaman and The Foaman Empire are trademarks of John E. Kennedy

United States Patent
Kennedy
US 6,540,581 B2
April 1, 2003
Puppet Construction Kit and method of making a personalized hand operated puppet.

Editor: David Oeters

Designer: Terri Eubanks and Marissa Bowers

Cover Designers: Leigh Ann Lentz and Marissa Bowers

Layout Artist: Kathy Gardner

Production Coordinator: Greg Nock

Photographers: Christine Polomsky, Tim Grondin, Al Parrish and Harvey Smith

Photo Stylist: Jan Nickum

Metric Conversion Chart

About the author

John E. Kennedy has worked with The Jim Henson Company for more than fifteen years and has also worked in The Muppet Revue at Walt Disney World, where he spent time working directly with Jim Henson. John has taught puppet making to children at museum workshops and has worked on Sesame Street, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Muppets from Space, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Animal Jam and Jack's Big Music Show. He travels extensively for film work and has been a frequent guest on HGTV's Carol Duvall Show. John is currently teaching a graduate-level course on puppetry at the University of Central Florida. He lives in Ocoee, Florida, with his wife, Julie.

Dedication

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO EVERYONE WHO DARES TO BE DIFFERENT. IT TAKES COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND IDEAS, AND A LOT OF DETERMINATION TO SEE THEM THROUGH. IF ONE NEW CHARACTER IS BORN FROM THIS BOOK, I'LL CONSIDER IT A SUCCESS.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank some key people in my life who believed in me and encouraged me to be the best I could be.

Thanks to

Peter D. Sims, my high school choir director, for helping me find the entertainer in me;

my college mentor, Dr. Dorothy Webb, for designing a puppet program just for me;

Verna Finly, for teaching me her craft;

and Jane Henson, for inviting me to her workshop.

Each of you have brought me creative inspiration and a creative place to draw from within myself.

Contents

Welcome to Puppet Planet

My best friend, Ed Lucas, and I got our first job performing puppets at the Elks Club in Plainfield, Indiana. We continued to land more gigs after that show. Ed's dad built an amazing, wooden stage that came in pretty handy because, before long, we were all over town doing parties and special events. Back then we weren't sure what we were doing, but we kept working to fulfill our dreams of entertaining people. That was my first experience on what I've come to call Puppet Planet.

Welcome to Puppet Planet, the place where puppet dreams can become reality! What you hold in your hand is what I consider to be the very first guidebook to puppetry. Its purpose is to provide you with a blueprint for creating new characters, methods for honing your performance skills, and help you discover the wonderful experiences waiting for you on Puppet Planet. While traveling on this planet, you'll discover a new civilization of wonderful creatures and a world where everyone is free to express themselves and have fun doing so. You are encouraged to discover your artistic side and, just as Ed and I did as sixth graders, get out and share your talents.

Don't worry; we're not going to let you get lost on Puppet Planet. This guidebook is filled with tips, techniques and ideas. You'll find field guide pages that give you an in-depth look at the citizens of Puppet Planet and how to use them outside of your workshop. You'll also meet Professor Foaman, the smartest puppet on Puppet Planet [or so he believes], who will be your mentor. His experiments and studies in puppet building have given him a bevy of useful travel tips for anyone visiting the planet.

Intrigued yet? I'm going to let you in on a little secretPuppet Planet isn't really a location, but a new way of thinking. Like a puppeteer, you're going to start looking for creative inspiration everywhere. You won't need a passport to visit this planet. All you need is a willingness to have fun and to be open to a creative vision, and you're there.