MERRIE CHRISTMAS 2010

Christmas - - childhood.Dreams.Puppets.Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol.Chuck McCann's Christmas Specials.Jerry Mahoney dummies. Jingle Dingle Dolls. Family. Love.

MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY & BRIGHT

IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF SANTA CLAUS

All ways felt an affinity with the joy-bringing toy-giver in the white beard.

My sister Marcia and Mini-me Once Upon A Christmastime.

Made many many SANTA CLAUS puppets through the years. My earliest ones have vanished into the ether, but when we settled into San Rafael, CA, the MARKO PUPPET THEATRE had a need for Mr. C, so I happily made a new one. Here he is, still enroute to full Ho-Ho-Hodom, with FROZEN ROSEN his main elf. That's Marin in the middle sitting on our favorite red traveling trunk, with the Marko star HAL LEWIS NATION propped up in front.

THE NEWLY MINTED SANTA MAKES HIS DEBUT AT A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS PARTY CIRCA 1972
By 1975 I was living in Massachusetts, and produced a TV Christmas Special on the ABC affiliates. . .
(It was really 1975)

Note the ABBOTT & COSTELLO puppets front right.

Here they are in action as Costello applies for a job at the ELF OPPORTUNITY CENTER
"SANTA IS THE MAN, HE'S THE MAN WHO CAN. SANTA IS THE ONE WHO BRINGS A SACK OF FUN OH! SANTA IS THE MAN!"
Me and JERRY LEWIS watching SANTA'S ELVES on the monitor. . .

By 1980, OLGA and I built a SANTA MARIONETTE!

We used him on several stage and media projects, and when our son was born, on our Christmas Cards as well. That's GABRIEL in the Dr. Dentons.

Gabe always loved the puppets.

Sometimes, if the project called for it, we'd unpack the hand puppet.
(HOMELAND SECURITY can be tough!)

Olga and I hope you and yours (with or without strings) have a wonder-filled holiday!

CHRISTMAS GROWING UP

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!(my sister Marcia and I celebrating the Magic Morning!)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care (though we lived in an apartment we had FIREPLACE furniture. Still have it - - and my stocking too!)

I looked forward the entire year for the

WPIX CHRISTMAS PARTY
Chuck McCann (with Laurel & Hardy puppets), Captain Jack McCarthy, Gloria Okon, Bill BOZO Britten, and Officer Joe Bolton.

I was always the kid who dressed up like SANTA at school and Christmas morning.

MOM & DAD made sure our days were merrie & bright

Olga and I did the same for our son, Gabriel.

The BEST PRESENT ever!