Blueshawk1:

I agree with you on the duribility of latex. We used to have a line of latex puppets when we first started. Latex, by its very nature begins to degrade from the moment it comes out of the mold. There are things that you can do to retard the degredation (such as Armour-All) and making sure to wash your hands after they come in contact with copper (pennies in your pocket). You can also wear a light glove before putting your hand in them. However, we concluded that for the most part they were at best a 6 or 7 year lifespan. that's not to say that there are not some great looking latex puppets out there. Axtell is living proof of that.

On your concerns about the mouth degredation on soft (sculpture) puppets, the better makers line the interior of the mouth with a thick plastic to stop the perspiration from your hand traveling through the fabric and staining the mouth of the puppet.

I have now seen some of Verna's original puppets now going on well over 20 years and holding up well. (And I might add, fetching a pretty nice price when resold.) I truely believe that the lifespan of a soft puppet is dependent on the care it is given. They will in fact wear out. This explains why Jeff in now on (I believe) his third "Peanut", but look at the money he has made with that character!! I can't speak for all makers, but we keep a full set of patterns on file for every puppet we make. Our concern is not as much that it will fall apart, but that the vent might have the misfortune of encountering baggage handlers at the airport or a home fire etc.

I just had to speak in defense of the soft puppet market, but to each his own.

Steve
http://www.thedummyshoppe.com

Hope nothing I wrote came off as intending to be a slight against soft puppets, like I said before, I really enjoy watching other people use them, and I like them when I use one because you can get a lot more animation out of them, but I did worry about those other factors. Turns out I was wrong about the cloth puppets, but right about the latex ones from what you said - which is a bummer because I really like the one I have, and there's no way I could get another because it's a Lovik flexi-folk I got from Maher Studios about 15 years ago.

Soft is amazingly approachable and nothing moves like your hand inside a puppet. Depending on the care, Axtell Latex puppets will last 3-10 years before breaking down (some are still going after 20 years... but even when you develop a crack and what that "new puppet look" we can just replace a head for 1/3 the cost of a new puppet. No worries. By the way, you should check out the new stuff we have coming out... http://www.axtell.com/new/

Found some pictures, and this isn't a great one, but this it's a small pic of the lion puppet I mentioned earlier;



BTW, for those who use soft puppets, there is someone selling the heck out of George Bush full body puppets on ebay for a dollar plus 12.95 for shipping. For fourteen dollars, can't go wrong, the Bush thing doesn't matter, he could be any older guy figure.

I like the soft figure ones more because more face emotions can be shown.

After using soft puppets for 4+ years, I finally get a chance to use a custom-made hard puppet. My personal verdict is that I still prefer soft puppet, for practical reasons as I need to travel from shows to shows.

Soft puppets are easy to bring around, hard puppets are really 'hard' to transport them.

On that "latex degrading" thing...
Yes, it does. I've made any number of puppets and masks and prosthetics out of latex, and it does degrade. Takes a long time, but it does.

But you've reminded me...
Back in the mid-sixties I did a commercial film for Phillips 66. Built a handful of muppet-style puppets (It was so long ago that the film producers had never heard of the Muppets!). I didn't really understand how Henson built his, so I sculpted mine in clay, made latex heads and covered them with terrycloth. They lasted well into the eighties (My contract stated that I got to keep my puppets), and I used them in several Christmas shows.

They're down in the basement (along with the Punch and Judy celastic set). I should go down there and look them up and see how they're fairing. The terrycloth covering could serve to make them viable even after the latex started turning. If I can find 'em, I'll report back!

-Philip

I've got a Lovik Flexi-folk figure in a case in the closet, I'm afraid to even get him out and look at him.

Being in the dark might've helped him.

-Philip

The last time I had him out and looked at him, he still seemed solid, other than his face looked like it had yellowed (but not his hands). If he is still hanging in there, I could probably paint him.

Now you can tell your kids, "I have a monster in the closet!"

Heaven knows, just may be by now.

Earlier this week, I decided to have a look at that latex figure I've got, still looks the same. He hasn't deteriorated or melted down, but you can see in the pic how parts of his face yellowed. He was never on display, always in a case, is this a sign of deterioration?
With the exception of that, he seems the same as always. Can I paint those yellow parts, (it doesn't show in the pictures, but it's on his hands too). And what kind of paint would I need to use?



I also have two other "Puppet In A Can" latex puppets, they seem fine in every way.
I really love these two. The upper part of the face is actually hard plastic, maybe if the latex does ever go bad, I could replace the latex part with cloth as I would be very sorry to lose them;

I know this is a year old thread, but I just wanted to add my part to it.

I prefer soft figures (currently in anticipation of a new acquisition). I like the way I animate them and their flexibility allows for more movement so to me they seem a lot more expressive rather than an animated head on a lifeless body.

I have used both for years. But when I first started out all I had was the soft body big mouth style puppets. I was given my first hard figure by my mentor David Mitchell in the early nineties and he became my exclusive puppet/figure for many years. He is a Lovik knee pall and have never had any issues with the children being afraid of him. I loved mainly because I got so much more expression from him. He has moving eyes, raisin eyebrows, and both right and left blinkers. I just recently retired him and have two hard figures a boy and a girl. and now also use several of Axtell's puppets. The soft body puppet has come a long way in the past 25 years since I first started. You can get as much expression out of them as any figure these days. But still when I think Ventriloquist I think hard figure.

I guess in reality the latest trend with hard figures and the amazing quality of their faces together with all the movements does make them far more animated than the older type, but of course that also comes at a price and not having those kinds of funds to invest in such a wonderful hard figure leans me more to the softer side of the fence

A lot of newer figures do have amazing quality and all kind of movements, which some like, and some think they need, but it really isn't needed as many have proved in the past with much simpler figures.

Jeez, man, chill.

OK skipping past the weirdness of Unknown419 and back to the question at hand

If anyone knows me knows I prefer soft puppets for a lot of the same reasons Mark mentioned. It may be just me, but I have a hard time getting the life out of a hard figure that I do from soft.

I know Dan said this a while ago, but yes Jeff and I use puppets (although Jeff uses hard figures too) but I don't think that makes me less of a ventriloquist because I don't use a "traditional" figure. I admire those who do it well, but I don't. For my audiences and my own preference, soft puppets are my choice.

Was my response all that bad?

Neale, you are right, it does NOT make anyone any less of a ventriloquist because they use soft figures.
I only use hard figures, it's my preference for my own use, that's me. Others prefer using soft figures, that's their choice, and I know that I enjoy watching other vents who use soft figures.