Moving Muppet Faces

[BEAR]

Some of these puppets may have no mechinisms, it may just be the way they puppeteer moves his hand

Example: Kermit (No mechinism)

Big Bird (blinking Mechinism)

Any one knows how these mechinism work, any drawings?

Yes, but we are specifically referring to characters with mechanisms. Not characters like Kermit who just skews his face manually. Read the first post again.

 

[wes]

thanks, sorry about thats

 

[Erine81981]

Don't forget about Mahan Mahan, Bear, Treelo (I think) and the Guru (or Bruster) can do the same thing too.

 

[furryfriends]

when i said elmo can move his eyes i ment that as a question sorry i forgot the ?

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Here are the two I have personal knowledge of...

Bert's eyebrows. It's a very simple lever. You press it down inside his head and his eyebrows go up on his face.

Guy Smiley's eyebrows. There are two strings that extend all the way down and hang out the bottom of the puppet. They are connected by a tiny dowel. When you twist it one way, his eyebrows raise, twist it the other way and they go back to where they were. To operate it, Jim had to drop the arm rod.

 

[BEAR]

when i said elmo can move his eyes i ment that as a question sorry i forgot the ?

Yes, althought I have only really noticed it recently in the last few years. Basically they do this thing sometimes where they will tilt to the side made to look like he is thinking/imagining, or to make him look confused or dizzy. Check out the part in Elmo's World after he opens the closet door and all that stuff falls on him. Sometimes his eyes will be in that position. Then he shakes his head and the eyes will focus normal again. Its probably just a little string he pulls from inside or something.

Also, OWE, I didn't know about Guy Smiley. Are his eyebrows anything like Johnny Fiama's one eyebrow that moves up and down? Which reminds me, Johnny is another one to add.

Another question for some of you...When Dr. Teeth's eyes move, are those supposed to be his eyelids or are they glasses? I have always wondered. Thanks.

 

[furryfriends]

i always thought glasses

 

[Erine81981]

I've always called them his eye brows.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Also, WOE, I didn't know about Guy Smiley. Are his eyebrows anything like Johnny Fiama's one eyebrow that moves up and down?

Guy Smiley's eyebrows are each on one single pivot point on the outer edge so they can be turned down to make him look angry, or turned up to make him look surprised.

This is a very old puppet mechanism. There was a local puppet show in Philadelphia when I was growing up and one of the puppets had eyebrows like this.

 

[practicecactus]

Pepe can throw his head up (look up).Thats his trick.