Face lift

I received a Howie Olsen head from Bill in Texas. He asked if I could repair him. After talking with him, we decided to turn her into a "church lady" someone who doesn't practice what she preaches.

This particular Howie head was made of plaster. It is very thick yet not too durable. Apparently, he had an accident and that was his reason for coming to Gepetto's Workshop.

As you can see in the pictures, his face is cracked in about three different places. The first thing I did was glue his fractures and bind him until he dried.

I then removed his Iris' as they were old and scratched. Then I went to work with my magic sculpt. I sealed around the areas that weren't sturdy to give them better durability and sculpted a new face. After she dries, I will sand and paint her and then add moving eyebrows.

Here are some pictures of the process so far. Have a good week. As always, if you have any questions about ventriloquism or figure making, please email me at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com. If I have the answer I will gladly help you. If I don't, I will point you in the right direction to find it.

Finishing Jimmy Light

It's been a very busy month. Lots of orders, a few repairs and alot of overhauls.

Jimmy Light and his crew are finally finished and off to Canada. I hope the new looks give your act one up.

This month I will be working on more overhauls. I have one from Bill in Texas and one from Jimmy in New York. I've got a couple of special projects that I will bring to the blog also as well as discussing sprucing up your act for spring. Here are some more pics of Jimmy's finished figures. As always any questions about figure making or ventriloquism are always welcome and will be answered as they come in. Any thing at all, no matter how insignificant it might be to you or overwhelming, if I can't give you the answer, I will direct you to someone who can. Email me at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com Happy Venting!

Finishing up Jimmy Light Show

I have spent basically the entire weekend on getting Jimmy's figures ready. I have one left to finish. As I stated in one of my earlier posts, Jimmy uses his vents to intimidate and make the other wrestlers lose their train of thought, giving his wrestler the advantage. A really great twist to managing a wrestler. Jimmy is the first to use ventriloquist figures in this type of work. He has made his own nitch for the pro wrestling circuit.

Here are some of the finished figures. I have made 3 sets of wigs and eyebrowsfor the old man. a new wig and sharks teeth, moles and ears for the evil looking guy and a 2 sets of wigs and eyebrows for the crazy looking one. I also gave him his tongue. I think he came out pretty well!

I also had a chance to finish up my version of Slappy II from night of the living dummy II. He is on ebay this week. His face was hand sculpted and is as close to the real one as you can get. The only difference being his hair is real and not molded like the one in the movie.

I told Jimmy I was going to take a sebatical after working on his figures. Darlene has a "honey-do" list a mile long and spring is here which means.... Thats right.... yard work!@#+?/@!!!!

Have a great week and remember, I answer any and all questions regarding ventriloquism or figure making. If I can't answer your question, I will direct you to one of the professional people in this business that can. as always my email address is gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com

Jimmy likes teeth

Jimmy has sent almost all of his Payes puppets to me for dentures. I am also setting them up for quick change velcro hair. I have added some moles and changed the shape of the lips on some of them. The crazy looking one had a great set of teeth on the top, but nothing on the bottom so I made him a set of "lowers" to match his "uppers".

He is also going to get this wild looking tongue once it dries.

Jimmy has been keeping me very busy with refurbs. I told him my wife is going to leave me if i don't come out of the shop on the weekends. So when I'm in the "doghouse" so to speak, I'll be camping on Jimmys porch up in Canada. (I better bring a warm blanket!)

More Jimmy Light Show

Jimmy has been sending a lot of work my way. I am humbled that he trusts me with his figures.

Jimmy is a professional wrestling manager who uses puppets as well lights on his attire while trying to distract his wrestlers opponents. Jimmy also manages an antique store in Canada. He has quite a following up there. It is his unique methods of entertainment that gather the crowds.

Here are two figures he had me make for him. They are "the stoners" Roach and Bud. I think they just made a deal with a Rastafarian I've been working on! I've got to monitor the goings on in my shop a little closer!

Each figure has blinkers, raising eyebrows,slot jaw movement and a smoker/spitter.

As you can see inside Buds mouth, there is a brass tube which runs down into his jaw and is connected to some surgical tubing which in turn connects to a squeeze bulb. The bulb can be loaded with either talc powder and used as a smoker or water and used as a spitter. I had fun making these guys. My inspiration came from a few "stoners" I knew growing up in the 60's.

Hope you like them Jimmy.

I am also in the middle of adding warts, teeth a different chin and bigger ears to one of his Payes puppets. Here is what I have so far. Have a great week! I thought I'd ad that I have two figures on ebay this week. A girl figure and a Jerry Mahoney with blinkers. I've never seen a Jerry with blinkers before so this may be a one and only!

Some friends from Canada

This week I have been working on Jimmy Reedyk's puppets. Jimmy is an entertainer in Canada and his show is called "The Jimmy Light Show. He sent me his Selberg Max to get a facial (there were some scratches to his face and a crack in his head.)

I took care of those problems and then repainted his head. Herre some before and after. The trick to doing scratch repairs and repaints is to match everything perfectly. That way, no one knows anything had even happened. I accomplished that with Max. There were scratches to his nose, cheeks and around his ears which were repaired and cab't be seen. Here are some before and afters. He also requested a different look for his Payes doll. He wanted bigger lips, "cruddy teeth", and a nose job. I added bigger ears also. Here is a picture of him.

Jimmy requested that i make some different wigs for him which are interchangeable. I removed his wig and filled in the staple holes. I then attached removeable velcro to his head and velcro strips inside each wig. When your on the stage and you want to do a quick change, velcro attachments are the way to go. Here are some pictures of the wigs. I also made a "soul patch" for each wig which can be connected also by removeabvle velcro under the lip. Hope you like them Jimmy.

Another Murphy's Law week

It started off well. Then on Monday, I noticed a problem with my van. I took it to the shop. While voting on Tuesday, my other vehicle broke down. I waited in the freezing cold for 2 hours before AAA got there. On Wed, I left work because I was ill. (probably from waiting in the cold) and on the way home, I went into a sneezing fit and ran up on the median and had to be towed off. I have been in bed ever since with Bronchitis.

I see on http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/ That Dan has relisted me as a figure maker. He received his likeness and did so to my request. I didn't make this figure to prove that I can. I did it as a tribute to him and Bob Albano for the amount of effort and work they put in to their websites. I have never had the desire to prove anything to anyone. I do what I do because I want to.

In his blog, he says that I should continue making pro figures. I will of course, but I never stopped. I have made many of them. I have seen some resold on Ebay, but for most part, they were made to resemble someone and aren't usually parted with.I have used everything from paper mache to wood putty and from paper clay to apoxie sculpt.

I don't make them and sell them on ebay. I sold one stage figure back in September of 2005 on ebay. I never sold another.

I think Al Stevens put it best.... "take in to consideration all the materials, tools, time and sweat that you put in to a figure. That will give you an idea of what you should charge for it.

Ebay is not a ventriloquist's site. It is a general flea market for everything you can imagine. It is a good place however to get people interested in Ventriloquism. Therefore, I give them an alternative to buying a stock Charlie, Mortimer or Howdy with fleece hair, unpainted with a cardboard body which is sold on several websites for 299 dollars.

That is the price I ask for my conversions, and believe me, I put alot more work into them than you can imagine. What I offer is the opportunity to get involved in Ventriloquism without having to spend 5oo dollars on a stage figure. (I have noticed that stage figure heads are getting alot smaller these days) I have many different customers. I have ministers doctors, lawyers, policemen, park rangers, and the whole gammet of people who use these figures to teach, express important issues and bring kids out of their shells as well as entertain.

I have alot of children also who email me and ask questions about problems they are having pronouncing certain letters, or being afraid and many other issues they encounter as they become young entertainers.

The truth is, I am happy making conversion figures. As Clinton Detweiller said in his blog, "I like to help people learn to walk" in this field. That is my place and I am happy to be part of the newbie community. I am available all the time and answer every email that is sent to me. If I can help, I will. If I can't, I will direct you to the most competent person in my opinion that will.

This doesn't mean I won't make stage figures. I make them whenever they are requested. My customers will attest to it. I have built four or five on my blog so far.

I thank you Dan for putting me back on the makers page.

and Bob, thank you for never removing me. Your faith in my abilities will never be forgotten. Your figure is on his way. They told me about three weeks. (slow boat to Taiwan)

Have a great week all. As ever, if you have any questions about ventriloquism or figure making, feel free to email me. I am here to help. my email address is gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com

Here is another stage figure I just finished for one of my customers along side a conversion figure I am working on.

Some friends of mine

One of my problems is I can't say no. I start too many things at one time and then put my pet projects to the wayside. These started in September..... A little here, a little there and finally! They are finished.

This is my tribute to two individuals who have spent alot of their personal time and alot of searching and asking to develope two of the most informative websites about the History of Ventriloquism and it's players both vents and makers. it was not any easy undertaking and neither of them were paid for their efforts. They are deeply dedicated to this ancient and facinating field and are paid in satisfaction from the amount of people who visit their sites.

I have cast you both in stone (magic sculpt) so that your characatures as well as your efforts will be there for all to see for a long time to come.

Thank you from both of us, to both of you. We visit your sites regularly as well as hundreds of others who pay you tribute through their comments.

If you notice, you are both wearing your logo's, so the face can be matched to your works!

The Bob that Gepetto built

I couldn't wait for the whig to arrive any longer so I pieced his hair together from several wefts that I had.

Darlene is up and walking already so it has given me time to get back in my shop. I am making a few special outfits for Bob and Dan and then will ship them off to their dopplegangers. Here is a couple of pics of Bob's finished Cabezza.

Building Bob VII

The Doctor gave my wife the good news on Saturday. The cast will come off on Thursday. One more week.....

I am looking forward to some shop time and finishing some figures I have and of course finishing Bob.

I had a chance to install his eye control and eyebrow control. As you can see in the picture, the brass rod is in a sleeve which goes all the way through the neck to the post. It is bent at the bottom to accomodate a wooden ball for the control.

At the top, the rod has an "L" shape that goes through the loop. When the ball at the bottom is turned, the L in the rod turns and pushes the loop to the right or the left.

an eye screw is connected to the back of the head where a spring connects from the L to the screw. The spring keeps the eyes at center and causes them to return to center when the control is turned. You might have to put the screw in several times to make sure that the eyes are centered. I never get it on the first try.

The brass tubes that are through the forehead have brass rods that are bent in the front to create an eyebrow and are looped inside the head so a spring can be attached to each loop. I tie a cord through the center of the spring and run it over the top of a brass bar with a sleeve on it.

The cord then goes through the hole at the base of the head to be connected to brass conrtrols.

Inside the head, there is a dowel mounted across the inside of the cheeks. This is used as a stabilizer for the brass sleeve eye control. I tie the brass rod to it securely and then cover it with super glue.

Before i attached the dowel to the inside of the head, I put a bobbin on it. The mouth has two eye screws. One is connected to a spring which keeps the mouth closed(spring is connected to back of inside neck) The other has the control cord for the mouth attached. It runs over the bobbin and through the hole at the base of the neck where it will be attached to brass controls.

I'm waiting for Bob's hair to arrive. When it does, he will be complete.