The following is an email Ricki Vincent from http://www.geppettodreams.com/ has sent me looking to hire puppeteers:

Wanna run away and join my circus? New Puppet theater opening in Austin TX this fall and I’m looking for experienced puppeteers to join my new troupe. Also looking for puppet shows (all Kinds) both children and adult shows to book throughout the year. all interested parties should contact me at acpa@geppettodreams.com for more info

Ricki(Geppetto)Vincent: Artistic Director, Austin Center for Puppetry Arts

The folks at Furrypuppet.com have a new blog! Every week they will post a new puppet they construct including behind the scenes pictures. Last week they posted an animatronic rod puppet designed and fabricated by Zack Bouchman.

Something has occured to me as of late.  There seems to be more and more commercials using puppetry.  I have long anticipated a new revival in the use of puppetry in mainstream media, and it seems as if it may be starting.

Take for example this cross promotion for Shrek The Third and Hewlett Packard.  The premise is that this production was created by one of the Shrek characters using an HP computer.  Obviously it is not intended to be “high quality” puppetry, but it definitely got my attention.  And look I am even posting about it.

One of our contributors, Tom Stewart, over at Puppeteers Unite! points out a wonderful shadow puppet commercial that he found.  And most recently there have been many people posting about the latest Mountain Dew commercial featuring puppets.

Some of my insider information sees many new and great things coming down the pipes that are puppetry related.  So I ask you, “Is this a new beginning for puppetry in mainstream media?”  Perhaps.  What do you think?

I stumbled upon this show months ago and have been meaning to post about it so here I am. What do you get when you cross the antics of professional wrestling with the silliness of finger puppets? You get the Thumb Wrestling Federation that airs on YTV and Nickelodeon.

I have long been a fan of professional wrestling (less now mind you, but in a big way back in the 80’s). I’ve always loved the rants that the wrestlers would do calling each other out. Well the TWF has that too. Be sure to check out more about this cute show here.

Enjoy.

A funny thing happend to me at work today.  Sitting at a table was a very nice woman with a set up for a shadow puppet performance and a selection of puppets.  After speaking to her for a short time I was surprised to find out that she was Anne Barber of Shadowland Theatre here in Toronto.

We spoke a bit and I mentioned something that she is involved in.  As a result it reminded me to post about it.  It is called Fresh Ideas In Puppetry and it is being hosted by Puppetmongers’ Toronto School of Puppetry.  It is a one day conference and includes some pretty great puppeteers, including Ronnie Burkett and Trish Leeper among others.  If you are interested in going, space is limited so sign up soon.  You can read more about the event here.