So how do you make a poser?

[ltm438]

Hey folks. I had plans to build a Kermit puppet when I have some time off from school, but then I had the idea to make a Kermit poser to go with my Master Replicas Gonzo.

So my question to you bunch of knowledgeable people is how would I make a poser as compared to the normal puppet building process? I have the general idea of how to construct a puppet but I'm drawing a blank on poser construction.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Walter]

Well, first off, You need to design a full body version of the puppet... The insides of it will be stuffed with foam and supported by strong wire.. To give you a good idea of what the inside of MR's poser Kermit looks like, here is a photo:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Hope that helps!

 

[ltm438]

Yes, that image should be a pretty good help to me.

But what sort of foam should I use for the body?

Also, how would I construct the head in a manner that would allow the mouth to open and close? It'd probably need some sort of foam skull, wouldn't it?

 

[Walter]

yeah.. hmm. a foam skull, and maybe some wire above the mouth seams to allow posability.. maybe something like a coat hanger would work..

as for foam.. sorry, I know nothing about foam.. I hope someday to work with it, but as of now all my puppets have been filled with stuffing. Maybe you should search around for some articles on here about puppet foam.

 

[Goochman]

I would go with something like you would for a normal puppet... probably 1/2" or 1" polyfoam. You can get it at Joann's Fabrics or a bunch of places on line.

 

[ltm438]

Thanks for the responses guys. I haven't started this project yet but will soon.

Another question: So if the body is filled with polyfoam, how would I attach the wires for the head and the limbs to the actual main body? This has been baffling me for the past couple weeks. I had a theory that involves ball joints, similar to what you'd find on an action figure but I wasn't sure.

 

[GregoryGruesome]

I found this picture, hope it helps.

 

[ltm438]

Hm...very interesting. Thanks for that picture. It actually helps a lot.