Looking for a reference on a puppet maker!

[rwb]

Statler and Waldorf by oliver

i was in contact with oliver for making me the 2 old grumps. that i would die to have statler and waldolf for my basement he gave me a price of $3000 A piece which is real high. maybe $1000 each but 3 is way too high. I am really on the look out for the large made dolls of Statler and Waldolf. I want them for my bar in my basement anyone have them contact me
gonebaby@ptd.net

thanks rwb

 

[pd0062]

Hi guys,

After ordering and paying for a couple of puppets (not a Muppet knock-off I hasten to add, I have my Photo Replicas!) from Oliver for my upcoming wedding, I was fobbed off with numerous e-mails about being busy and starting my order soon, he only e-mailed me if I contacted him first and then his website mysteriously went down and hasn't come back up yet.

It's been over a week now and still nothing and, if you search 'Google' for it now, the site isn't even listed in the search results, only his blogspot or MySpace site...

I'm hoping my credit card company can help me get the money (or some of it) back and only wish I'd found this thread on the forum before I parted with my money.

An unimpressed Scotsman! Och aye the noo etc etc

 

[MuppetCaper]

I personally think Ravagefrackle and Melonpool's puppets are incredible and very different than the Muppet line. They are both good at what they do. If it was me to get a puppet made, your best bet is with someone who is original in there own design. I think this is what makes them special.

 

[Puppetainer]

Sorry to hear things haven't worked out for you pd...maybe he'll come through eventually? Let's hope so. Otherwise you could always give him a little of the Scottish marshal arts (as described in So I Married An Axe Murderer).

 

[Melonpool]

I personally think Ravagefrackle and Melonpool's puppets are incredible and very different than the Muppet line. They are both good at what they do. If it was me to get a puppet made, your best bet is with someone who is original in there own design. I think this is what makes them special.

Thanks! I have to say that the best thing you can do is experiment. I've drawn these characters for years and continually try to make the puppets look more and more like the drawings. I think too many people think "this is close enough" when trying to match something -- or so many hours go into the initial build that they can't even phathom the idea of starting over from scratch.

Which is what I'm about to do... again.

 

[Animal31]

Let's face it, who in this forum wouldn't want a Kermit in their personal collection? And those who can't build one would buy one.

I e-mailed back and forth with Mike (Oliver) frequently a few years ago, it started with a compliment on "his" Kermit that he had posted on eBay that unfortunately turned out to be a doctored photo (I found the original posted somewhere else). He told me that he worked for Henson studios many years ago as well, which I can neither confirm or disprove. I did ask him a price for it, even back then it was $800.00 or $1,200.00 with legs. It was very disappointing to find out how things really were with him, but if I had the money, honestly, I may have gone thru with it. If this is something you personally do not support, don't buy it from anyone. Honestly, I can't see them selling many of these at $1,200 a pop anyway......

I can understand why you would be so upset and against it when it's done for a living, but to help someone else out by building them one because they are less fortunate, or less talented, I just don't see the harm in it? I mean think about it, there are people out there selling R2-D2 replicas (There's even a builder's club), and Lost in Space Robot replica robots, and CBS isn't coming down on them. It's all part of a fanbase....

It's good to be a fan, and I personally don't think dreaming of having a replica of your favorite muppet, robot, phaser, or Batsuit necessarily makes you a criminal.


So rock on!

 

[staceyrebecca]

Let's face it, who in this forum wouldn't want a Kermit in their personal collection? And those who can't build one would buy one.

I can't afford one & could probably build one for myself. In 8 years of making puppets I haven't, & I won't.

Wheee!

 

[CoOKiE]

Heres a good question...

OK say you're hired to build a puppet for the Muppets. This character has NEVER been made till you came along.

Is this your work or theirs?

And does it matter who asked for the character?

As opposed to Disney, if i were to ask someone to make me a green Mouse with a rhino horn... can they sell the same idea to someone else or does this mean that the idea belongs to me?

 

[staceyrebecca]

From my understanding (which is quite limited) if you create something at work while being paid by your employer they own the legal rights to whatever it is you created.

When I worked at Disney they warned us not to doodle at work. That could have been a fun little scare-tactic to play with the college kids' minds, (which we promptly ignored) but either way, that's what they told us.

Also, when I made/designed puppets at the puppet theater, they owned everything I made while at work.

 

[practicecactus]

OK say you're hired to build a puppet for the Muppets. This character has NEVER been made till you came along.

You answered your own question with-

..you're hired to build a puppet for the Muppets.