Death Takes No Holiday

Oh by the way. I found something that is interesting and a further reference to the Dance of Death. Here it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totentanz

References to Death and Puppetry

Good morning everyone or is that just...perhaps...one of you. Just up early and cruising the internet for some interesting puppetry sites. Here's on that I thought was interesting. This production recently won an award in the pupperty world. It of course deals with that thorny issue of Death. Hence, its inclusion here. Alright...no more waiting...here it is.

http://www.hobgoblinhill.com/danceofdeath.htm

Enjoy if you are lucky enough to see it.

Very Sad Day for Mankind

Just wanted to say something about how I am feeling. Yesterday I was working next to the Montreal shootings at a local junior college. It is of course very upsetting for everyone, especially the family and friends of the dead or wounded.

I am not quite sure why there are people, primarily men, that wish to kill and maime other people, as opposed to taking their own lives, when they feel bored and useless. There will of course be further discussion about the role of violence in our film and games.

That made me start to think about my own love for the spaghetti western. It seems that it is just part of the evolution in the media and entertainment which I was exposed to when I was a young pre-adolescent and adolescent. My fascination with these movies and works by Leoni or westerns could be not much unlike the man's who decided yesterday to kill perfect strangers. I of course enjoyed the killing in these movies, perhaps in some higher art form, but then again murder by any other name. Maybe it is the difference between 30+ years or it is no different. I suppose there are many reasons while one person can manage the images and feelings it arouses and others can not and wish to act them out.

I remember when my fascination for these films changed. It was at a screening of El Topo which I went to see with my father. I do not think I stayed through the whole thing. It was too much like what happened yesterday here in Montreal. To random without a plot. If that should really matter.

It is interesting, as most people would say that I am one of the most gentle people they know. I guess I need to thank El Topo or perhaps my father was providing me with a valuable lesson and I was not aware until this day.

Perhaps it is the ancient clash of good and evil that appeals to me in these films. I just wish that film did not have to often mimic real life. Yesterday it appears to have in Montreal.

Truly Lamenting Today

Where Does Inspiration Come From?

What is inspiration and where does it come from. Well here are a few of mine. First there are are the famous Bill Baird shows that appeared on the TV in the 1960's. They included:

Strange Case of Cosmic Rays...actually written by Billy Wilder and performed with some marionettes by Baird.

Then there was Davy Jones Locker.

Followed by Adventures in Telezonia:


These were the true beginnings of my desire to do puppetry. Unfortunately I saw them on television so I developed a chronically short attention span as well, which is the cause of so many unfinished puppetry projects.

Next I would have to say that Diver Dan provided further inspiration. A classic!


Then in adulthood there was Mr. Dwiggins. He provided great inspiration with his marionettes. These are the works that my own are crafted after. Love the hair. That is my look in old age.


An example of one of his works at the Boston Public Library Collection taken from a wonder book I have on his work:

Ebay Rules....Experimentation Drools

Well lookie here partner. Is this a find or what? Let me tell you the boring story about this picture. First, I spend two hours trying to sew a jacket for Death. Then abondoned it for the internet in the hopes of finding something to help me with making a pattern. Well, if I did not find on ebay, someone selling doll patterns (see pictures below) that were perfect for my task. I was so so excited. One set had sold for ten dollars with only one bid. So I figured I would be the only one bidding. So I bid ten bucks and then left to drive the daughter to college. About four hours before the bidding stopped, at one thirty in the morning, I decide to check ebay. Somebody was bidding up the item and had apparently set a twenty dollar max. I was bummed as I went up in fifty cent increments, receiving a outbidded notice everytime. I was thinking they might have wanted this real bad and were willing to pay around $1 million dollars. Actually just twenty. Since there was only four hours left to bid and it was the middle of the night, I felt safe...but nervous. But there is a happy ending to the story. I came out on top and now have the patterns to...not only the sheriff outfit...but many more. I am soooo excited. Just you wait and see.