I love puppets! I love watching them, I love performing them, but most of all, I like creating them.

What began as a hobby in high school – a few "dinosaurs" for a short video – soon became an exciting accomplishment that quickly encompassed most of my creative endeavours.

By the time I was in university (film school, ironically) I had figured out a way to incorporate puppets in nearly every project. My peers – the aspiring James Camerons and Yoko Onos of the industry – looked on me with confusion and disdain. They thought puppets were "immature". I shrugged, offered them a blank smile and no comment.

I think it was the utter freedom that puppetry allowed which first grabbed me; my keen interest had always been fantasy, fairytales, and stories directed at young people. Puppets could be at home as easily in the middle of a misty forest as they were surrounded by children, singing. And, a puppet has an advantage over a "human" actor; a puppet doesn’t belong to any race, religion, or creed. A puppet is ageless. A puppet belongs to everyone.

Meesha "All right…we need dinosaurs!" the aspiring 10th grade director fretted over his storyboard. "How are we going to do this?" The members of our group looked at each other. "Miniatures?" a shaggy-haired boy suggested. "We take little dinosaur figures and do stop animation – like GODZILLA!" The director did not look impressed. "I could make models, or puppets," I said. By this point the director had already moved on to the more exciting prospect of cave people. Trusting me to my devices, I was left alone to build a small set and two creatures – a brontosaurus’s upper half, and an archaeopteryx . Qwert, as the little dino-bird was called, was my first inkling towards greater things. She was soon re-named Meesha, and five years later, joined the cast of Black Water. Meesha is built out of an old cotton blanket, a cardboard base for the body, head, and legs, that were then painted. Wooden struts hold the wings in place, attached by guide wires which the puppeteer can manipulate. The puppeteer’s other hand is inside the puppet, controlling the head.

Luut "Black Water" In a world far away, a young Ulfin named Luut meets a peddler who tries to sell him mysterious "black water". The "black water" is actually oil, a substance foreign to the gentle Ulfins. Through a twist of magic, Luut and his friend Meesha are transported to our world, where they learn about the ills of "black water" first hand. They return home, just in time to warn their friends of the dangers, and the Ulfins live happily ever after. Black Water was my first year film, a ten minute piece aimed towards grade-schoolers, dealing with environmental issues. And yes, I received an A+ on the project! Luut is made from a cardboard base covered with tough cotton, with clay painted eyes and yarn hair. The colourful clothing were added for his appearance in The Land of the Merfins.

Mingletoff "Elisabeth in the Land of the Merfins" The Land of the Merfins is a bright and colourful place where no one has to do anything they don’t want to. When a little girl named Elisabeth wished to go to such a place, she was surprised to find her wish quickly granted by the extravagant Mingletoff. However, it soon proves that a world of total gaiety is an impractical way for a human to live, and Elisabeth is happy to go home. The Land of the Merfins incorporated every puppet I had built to date, but the enigmatic Mingletoff (requiring two puppeteers to manipulate his hands and head) was the scene stealer. Mingletoff’s soft hands and face are made of terry cloth, with a cardboard base underneath. Feathers and bright, shiny and textured cloth work to express his extravagant character.

The Meeps What’s a Meep? They looks kinda like potato sacks with eyes. Created for a few short spoofs, the creatures who say "meep!" proved to be my most popular critters. What more can I say about them? Meeep! The meeps were made out of old sweatshirts and pants. Their eyes are ping-pong balls. Meeep!

Thanks!

I would like to thank all my friends, family, and peers who have dealt with my crazy puppets. And a special thanks to the puppeteers: Lance, Renée, Dan, Andrew, Leanne, Francine, Lucas, and Victoria. Couldn’t have done it without you! J