Favorite Puppet Production Company?

[dmoss]

There are several really great puppet making companies out there, and I was wondering what everyone was a fan of! I know a lot of people around here like to create their own puppets, but there are many good ones offered by companies.

I tend to like the quality of Sunny Puppets...they're simple, and use materials that are kid friendly. However, as time passes, I'm not sure (after some playtime, and a bit of rough-housing) how long my puppets from them will last. There's also the issue of the material used on the inside of the puppets' torsos and heads. There are indentations inside the head from where my fingers poke up when performing...nothing cosmetic, just a bit of a bother.

For the first time, I'm trying out a Silly Puppet. I'm grabbing the Tommy model, and from the pictures I've seen, I'll like the way mouth opens, moving the entire head away from the bottom lip; I think that will make him easier to manipulate. The quality looks nice, but I won't be able to know for sure until he gets here...

There's also Folkmanis, but again, I've not had too much interaction with their puppets. In a college opera, I used a dragon created by them, and thought the quality was quite good, actually...very animated, and the color palette was nice. His mouth was simple to move, and I found no trouble making my hand comfortable in his head.

Okay...now you!

 

[Gelfling Girl]

Hmm...I really like Folkmanis too. (Whenever we go to that bookstore by the mall, I just absolutely have to go to the kids' section just to goof off with different puppets. ) Also, Maggie is a Melissa and Doug "Scruffers" puppet, and I haven't really had any experience with other puppets by this company, but this one in particular is very easy to operate.

 

[dmoss]

That's interesting; I've never used one by Melissa and Doug, and I never really considered it, because the designs aren't really my style. It's nice to hear they're good quality, though, because if you're in a puppet-jam, the price is right!