WE COME IN PEACE ...

For those of you who don't know me ... I have been interested in puppets almost as long as I have been in drawing. I took courses in puppetry at USF under Professor Bill Lorenzen. Worked with the likes of Kim Rivers, Renee Duplechain White, Joe Erwin, and Terry Woods as the Promenade Players. Taught puppetry for the St.Petersburg Recreation Dept. 

At several times during my life I have tried to master ... (don't hate me) ... 

ventriloquism.

The "B"s ... "M"s ... and "P"s are a ditch (vent joke) and I'm still working on it. In fact just before my birthday this year, I will be attending the 40th Annual Vent Haven ConVention. 

At least that's the plan.

I did this two years ago. Cluck Cluck is my main puppet but sometime ago I ordered a green version of this Axtell puppet. 

I opted for green skin and legs ... a little green man ... named Ronco from the planet K-Tell 995. I'm crafting a space suit. I'm started with a toddler fight suit (who knew they let babies fly air planes) and am working to modify it. I am using my art programs to help in the design process. The costume parts are placed on different layers. Below is the beginning of the helmet figuring the size of globe I need to order.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ... WELCOME 2016

"There's a new kid in town."

Well ... Happy New Year, one and all. It is my extreme pleasure to report that I met last year's goals. This blog had 52 entries and 60 pictures. It may have been by the skin of my teeth, but I made it.

Wheewh!!!

I want to thank everyone who took the time out your busy day to take a gander and for your support. Again I want to thank my cousins, Eric and Sara, for their generosity. And last but not least my very understanding Yoko for being ... well ... you know ... understanding.

A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to one and all! 

I PROMISE ... THIS IS THE LAST TROLL POST ...

This year ...

I like the 4th and the 6th but fell the last two posts 

the characters are more goblinoid than troll-like .

<sigh!>

TROLLIN' ALONG

Here we go with even more trolls ...

The chamber pot was also known as a "thunder mug" 

and was the name for one of Grandpa Cappy's giants 

from the stories he told to entertain my Mom.

This one holds a chamber pot as a coffee cup. 

Guess he's not using a Keurig!

CIRCLING ... CIRCLING ...

More trolls ... more circling ...

NOTHING BUT COAL.

Gotta love it when you wake up on Christmas and find coal im your stockings. There is a story in my family about my Great Aunt Rose whose brothers did that as a joke. She threw the lump through a window on a cold Ohio winter morn. I am sick ... thanks Santa. I think Yoko got it from him kissing under the mistletoe and she in turn gave it to me. 

On top of that my Christmas post is posting below the earlier post ... attempting to fix it only puts it lower in the list ... go figure .. so you need to scroll down to find it.

Bah Humbug :)

Merry Christmas!!!

MAYBE THEY'RE ...?

So one of the perks I get from working at the Contemporary is that there are a steady stream of college kids. Nice shiny bright faces. Sometimes they notice I keep a drawing journal and ask to take a look. The one thing I can count on is them giving a unvarnished opinion. One lovely young lady was Rachel Reed. Her comment was ... "John, you have to do something with these."

Well Rachel ... I have. 

What I have been doing is circling. 

You see I have an idea for a cartoon. It seems appropriate for the time. Something special ... in what should be a terrifying form. 

The problem is my cancerian nature of circling is going full speed ahead ... Sort of. I'm trying to come up with trolls. These are the ones that Rachel saw.

The problem is I'm not sure if they aren't more ogre or giant than troll. (Notice the pale eyes ... that started when I started having problems with mine. Yoko would say that I'm courting trouble.)