rod puppet mech

[Frogpuppeteer]

hey guy i was wondering if anyone had a simple design of the style of mech the use for pepe and rizzo, i have an idea how it works but have no idea where to start

 

[Jinx]

I know that Mike "Propologist" had posted about exactly this thing some time ago. The thread link is here:
http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=20828

His links to the pictures don't appear to be working at this time, but if you contact him I'll bet he'd hook you up with the pics. He's an extraordinarily kind and helpful guy!

 

[Buck-Beaver]

A cheap and easy way to make a Pepe-like rod puppet is to buy a fish hook remover and use that as the mechanism. Wal-Mart often sells them.

 

[staceyrebecca]

oh man, i was just looking at Gordon's rod mech photos. Like, mere seconds ago.

I hope its okay that I'm linking this..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41111968@N00/sets/72157602722674058/

(yell at me if I shouldn't!)

 

[practicecactus]

I remember reading somewhere on here someone got to operate pepe and said it was just string with a ring on it. I was kinda dissapointed when I read that, cause I always figured muppets had really clever mechanisms.
Anyway, reading this I just came up with an idea so I dunno how well it'd work, but this is the kind of thing I'd do
Not sure how clear it is, but looking at it now, I also thought maybe you could have string running the opposite way to the trigger through another hole so the trigger always makes a push-pull movement and no need need for a spring.
The trigger would probly need to be bent and ring be slightly further down so it didn't hit your thumb out the other side.
Anyway, just an initial idea. I'd probly fix a few things through trial and error if I was to make this. I already see the hole for the string would need to be more vertical so it didn't start to wear out through the rod.

P.S. I made a simple little cable control puppet already using this method of operating

 

[Blink]

I remember reading somewhere on here someone got to operate pepe and said it was just string with a ring on it. I was kinda dissapointed when I read that, cause I always figured muppets had really clever mechanisms.

I've tried on Pepe and I would have to disagree with that.

He is actually a fairly complicated mech to operate. There was not just a simple ring on a string. Your hand also needed to be in an "engaged" position (with the mechs) to actually hold him in a neutral position.

You needed to operate three different movements at once (head, body and mouth). So it was more difficult than just a ring on a string.

It was not easy to control at all.

P.S. Cool cable design.

 

[practicecactus]

I knew about the head movement but remember reading his mouth movement was a ring and it would slip off during scenes when Bill's hand sweated up inside and they'd use another pepe.
But anyway apologies for using the word 'just'. I meant the mouth was just a ring on string, not that, that was all that was entailed in operating pepe.
I'd love to know more about how your hand operated pepe, but I guess you probly can't go into detail.

 

[MGov]

I was kinda dissapointed when I read that, cause I always figured muppets had really clever mechanisms.

We all think like this, don't we? Assume that the Muppets MUST have some extremely complicated way of doing things when all they do is find the simplest way that works. Like when Stacey asked Dave Goelz about arm rods and he said they just used two face tape and velcro.