Joggy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Messages
- 646
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Anyone here ever had criticism on your self-made puppets because they are too Muppet-like? AAARGH!!!
I have this sketchbook in which I make doodles of characters I want to build, and characters that are already built. These are a few examples of things I hear from my classmates who are NOT a fan of puppetry in whatever way and they see my doodles.
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"They look an awful lot like Muppets."
"That's Gonzo!" (Me: 'that is NOT Gonzo. That is Nergil, and he's my main character and he's NOT a daredevil and he has a TRUNK, not a NOSE, and he is LIGHT GREEN! SOOO NOT GONZO! CAPICHE?!')
"That's Cookie Monster!" (Me: 'again, wrong! Cookie Monster is blue, not yellow, and he has no eyebrow and he's fat and his eyes roll! What are ya, colour blind?!')
"They DO look an awful lot like Muppets. Shouldn't you create your own style? It's like, you're using other people's work now."
And top on the list:
"Uhm Jog... they REALLY REALLY look like Muppets. Are you sure you should continue puppeteering? I think you oughtta stop."
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I noticed that many puppeteers use the Muppet style, like me, because it's so easy. Once the Muppet style is good, your puppet has personality. That's why I don't want to move away from it. Furthermore I don't copy. I don't make replicas of Muppet characters, use perfect impersonations of their voices or put the same group of personalities together. Heck, I don't even use foam! All I use is fur!
Anyway, anyone else who has problems like this? And any solutions like witty swaybacks would be verrry much appreciated!
I have this sketchbook in which I make doodles of characters I want to build, and characters that are already built. These are a few examples of things I hear from my classmates who are NOT a fan of puppetry in whatever way and they see my doodles.
--------------------------------------
"They look an awful lot like Muppets."
"That's Gonzo!" (Me: 'that is NOT Gonzo. That is Nergil, and he's my main character and he's NOT a daredevil and he has a TRUNK, not a NOSE, and he is LIGHT GREEN! SOOO NOT GONZO! CAPICHE?!')
"That's Cookie Monster!" (Me: 'again, wrong! Cookie Monster is blue, not yellow, and he has no eyebrow and he's fat and his eyes roll! What are ya, colour blind?!')
"They DO look an awful lot like Muppets. Shouldn't you create your own style? It's like, you're using other people's work now."
And top on the list:
"Uhm Jog... they REALLY REALLY look like Muppets. Are you sure you should continue puppeteering? I think you oughtta stop."
-------
I noticed that many puppeteers use the Muppet style, like me, because it's so easy. Once the Muppet style is good, your puppet has personality. That's why I don't want to move away from it. Furthermore I don't copy. I don't make replicas of Muppet characters, use perfect impersonations of their voices or put the same group of personalities together. Heck, I don't even use foam! All I use is fur!
Anyway, anyone else who has problems like this? And any solutions like witty swaybacks would be verrry much appreciated!