JJ SILVERS

When we did the Shining Time Station Home Videos, I floated the idea of giving the band a loud- mouthed manager. Executive Producer Rick Sigglekow liked it so I created JJ SILVERS. I based him on two of my favorite character actors: Phil Silvers & Walter Matthau.

BLOOD DRIVE

Several too many years ago we were asked to create a puppet video for the MET LIFE BLOOD DRIVE.
We came up with "THE GIFT OF LIFE - - THE ADVENTURES OF RUBY AND RED".

Olga (below) played RUBY and was my face RED!
We were assisted on the shoot by popular Cabaret singer
MOLLY SKATES (below RIGHT).


(I'm the Puppeteer In The Hood.)
The film ran for a year on monitors in the lobby and throughout the
Met Life Building in Manhattan.
I'll see if I can post it one day soon :O)

COMIC CON INTERVIEW May 21, 2001

We met so many great fans this past weekend. Gary M. Kenny, CC2K Comics Editor, just sent us this video he made. It really captures the vibe of the event.

BIG APPLE COMIC CON

It was May 21, 2011 and we had a rapturous time. May 22nd too.
IT WAS WIZARD WORLD/BIG APPLE COMIC CON!
We were surrounded by Superheroes in Spandex and Comic-book Artists in their element, yet there we were with our television puppets from so many childhoods.
And the response was ecstatic!
So (so) many people would spot us - - look away -- look back and go OH MY GOD!!! as the memories of long ago flash-flooded to the forefront of their present.
(click on the pictures)

See TITO SWING on my right? I had him positioned so that as folks would notice him he would wink at them. You should've seen the double takes!
Some people were crazy for the Juke Box Band from SHINING TIME STATION. DJ KAT pulled a strong response too. Others went weepy for PINWHEEL. Bobby Moynihan from Saturday Night Live stopped by to say hello to the Hobo Bugs he watched as a kid. (He took a picture with the puppets. I asked him to e it to me and if he does I'll post it. Bobby was terrific!)

We were also visited by fellow puppeteer James Wojtal. . .
A great experience. To have planted our imaginations into so many young minds and to have had it take root was a wonderful confirmation. The puppets (who have aged far less than the rest of us!) could not have been happier!
We are so looking forward to launching our next puppet project. Stay tooned.

Here is the official website:

http://www.wizardworld.com/home-newyork.html

http://www.wizardworld.com/craigmarin.html

ONE OF MY FIRST NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

I was rummaging through our storehouse today looking for slides from PINWHEEL and out fell a copy of THE MACY STAR - - MACY's very own in-house news magazine. After my dad retired from show-business he worked at the Herald Square store; they were putting on an event and dad got me hired. Well, me and my dummy, "Ravenal Valpole" (it's really Jerry Mahoney in glasses -- but shhhhh.) I found out years later that Ravenal Valpole was the name of one of my mother's brothers! Sorry Uncle Boots :o)
Here I am in 1964 with my co-stars:

click on pic to enlarge

I was so happy. Then I noticed they spelled my name wrong!!!! ARGGHH! Dad said not to worry 'cause it will happen again. It has.
(Hey! For the first time since this was taken I just noticed where the dummy is looking. And check out his expression! Good boy.)

SKETCH BOOK SKETCHES 4 (4/11)

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

FLEXITOON TRIBUTE TO SOUPY SALES 2007

The Laurel & Hardy "Sons of the Desert" founding tent in New York City held a Soupy Sales Appreciation night in November 2007 at The Players Club. Grand Sheik and MC Jack Roth surprises the crowd with a special guest appearance by the one and only 'HEEEEY BOOBIE" POOKIE (built and performed by Puppeteer Craig Marin). Along with other luminaries (listen for the JOE FRANKLIN quip at about 4:10) SOUPY and his wife Trudy were in the front row for the program!!!

Looky here!
http://youtu.be/qU3MNQgIDwA

PASSOVER 2011

PUPPETS THROUGH THE LENS

FLEXITOON participated in a cool exhibit at the University of CT School of Puppetry

It was called PUPPETS THROUGH THE LENS.

We displayed the PINWHEEL PUPPETS from Nickelodeon

(below, with Olga and me)

As well as the Juke Box Band puppets and marionettes from

SHINING TIME STATION

The exhibit took place in April '08 and it was great fun.

Many thanks to BART ROCCOBERTON and his terriffic team

for creating such a memorable memory.

RARE LAUREL & HARDY & CHUCK CLIP

Rick Sapphire just posted a rare clip, shot-off-the-TV, of him doing magic on the LAUREL & HARDY & CHUCK Show, 1962. A wonderful opportunity to see the great "Puppets by Ashley" and feel the warmth-through-the-tube that Chuck shared with us lucky lucky kids. Thanks, Rick for this treasure!

FLEXITOON @ HOME

Here's a mini-doc interview we did on 3/11/11 for NYCity News Service.

JUKE BOX BAND: "ABILINE"

Here are the Juke Box Band from Shining Time Station performing ABILINE. And thanks to Brian Blumenreich - - the Official Juke Box Band Historian - - we know it's from episode #107 called "AGREE TO DISAGREE".

ADVENTURES IN HOBBYVILLE

"Nutso Productions Present: ADVENTURES IN HOBBYVILLE with your host Dexter Dimbulb"
Just found this: While puppeteering DJ KAT, I also portrayed many live-action characters like the villainous ventriloquist BRACKISH SWAMPWATER and PHYSICAL ED the Out-Of-Work Work-Out Guy. Here I am as DEXTER DIMBULB, hobbyist extra-ordinary. . .

Shining Time Station LULLABY

MISS PEACH OF THE KELLY SCHOOL

One of our first television jobs together was working with Emmy-winning, former Muppeteer *Danny Seagren on adapting the Mel Lazarus comic strip MISS PEACH OF THE KELLY SCHOOL into puppet form. Advertising giant J Walter Thompson got behind it and it was syndicated through METROMEDIA.
First class production all the way. We shot 4, 1/2 hr holiday-themed specials in Toronto. A fella named MARTY SHORT was one of the voices - - debuting his Ed Grimley character voice as an intellectual turkey who's song and dance skills ultimately save him from the Thanksgiving table.
Debbie Grover played the live on-camera Miss Peach herself, and Second City veterans (Robin Duke, Mary Long, Ben Gordon) portrayed several other voices live-in-studio while we puppeteered. We of course did many of the voices live as well. Sammy Cahn wrote the theme song and Ed Sharlack (Mork & Mindy) co-wrote the specials.

Eren Ozker, Canadian content stand-in puppeteer, Olga Felgemacher, Danny Seagren, and Craig Marin

We loved doing these specials. Went on to do a one hour NBC After School Special. And I really enjoyed bringing MEL's amazing character's to life. I asked him if he would sign my script, and he said, "uh, yeah. . ." and walked away. When we wrapped, he came up to me and said "here you go." And on the cover he drew Arthur saying "Without Craig's hand, I'd have that empty feeling." It's one of my treasures, framed, and hanging on the wall. Thanks, Mel!!

*Danny Seagren has remained a dear friend to this day. Not only is he our son Gabriel's Godfoddah, but, he was also SPIDERMAN on Electric Company.
I'll see if I can post some PEACHY excerpts in the near future.

FLEXITOON TITLES from 1993

RANGER SMITH, and WOBBLES

Via the GREAT, Chuck McCann. . .

ROARING DOUGHNUTS!!!!

Our first TV show came soon after we started working together in 1979. It was called ROARING DOUGHNUTS, and was about a Van Race/Scavenger Hunt (the wheels were "doughnuts"). The pilot was produced by rock concert maestro DON KIRSCHNER(!!!) and it starred the wonderful Marryin' Sam hisself STUBBY KAYE!
OLga and I made the puppets and marionettes, and along with puppeteering, I played the on-camera knuckleheaded bad guy VINNIE THE VANDAL opposite Olga's tuff punk GOONEY BIRD.

SKETCH BOOK SKETCHES 3

These were done during the first three weeks of January 2011.

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ONCE AND FUTURE FLEXITOON PUPPETS!

(I should live so long. So long!)

PETER PAN RECORDS via THE BAIRD'S

THE BAIRD'S OF BARROW STREET

Just watched

ART CARNEY MEETS PETER AND THE WOLF

again. . .

And really had a case of missing

The BAIRD'S OF BARROW STREET

So here are a whole buncha rare items I want to share with you.
"THE BUNNY HUGGERS"
Two dancers performed in tandem by the great
Frank SULLY Sullivan.

Yeah! That's Bil and his Horse!
Bil Baird & Gabriel Marin (our son.)
In India (when it was exotic and over there).
CHARLEMAGNE the LION
Probably as close as Bil got to an altered ego
(except for maybe Snarky Parker. . .)
"THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS"

Directed By
FRANK CAPRA

BILL TOST, OLGA FELGEMACHER & PETER BAIRD

SEEK REVENGE ON THE STAGE MANAGER (CARL HARMS)
WITH THE HELP OF THE WOLF.

What a GREAT cartoonist he was!

Everyone starts out somewhere. . .

Thank you,
Baird's Of Barrow Street!