Tag Archives: Folkmanis

Cat Eldridge Review: Folkmanis Puppet: The Fiddler

Posted on by
3

By Cat Eldridge: You know already that I collect very cool things and the Fiddler puppet from Folkmanis that’s looking down upon me from a bookshelf is no exception. The description on the Folkmanis website does it scant justice:

Before radios and TV’s, CD’s and MP3′s, if you wanted to hear music, most of the time you had to make it yourself. But if you were lucky, there was a village musician who’d make magic with his fiddle and bow. Make magic of your own with this enchanting Fiddler puppet. Hands enter from under his shirt and inside his sleeves to operate his mouth and/or both arms and fiddle. . .

The Fiddler is much more magical than that description would suggest. There’s a realness to him that definitely belies his physical nature of being “merely” a soft cloth puppet. He looks very much alive.

Measuring a generous twenty-four inches from the black soft soled shoes with teal stockings to the peasant cap with a feather on it, this is exactly what I’d expect to see in a fiddler puppet. According to Elaine Kollias, their publicity manager, he has no back story as such, but instead “Judy Folkmanis [co-founder of the company] has always wanted a ‘fortune teller’ in the line. When one of our designers designed the fortune teller, we decided she needed a companion, so the fiddler was born!”

Kollias adds, “While the fiddler was originally a companion piece, his sales have been superior to the fortune teller. That’s about it. . .”

The best feature of this puppet is those hazel-colored eyes which really do look like he’s watching you.  Those eyes bring him very much to life. He must make a very impressive companion sitting on the lap of a storyteller looking out at the listeners. Far, far too many puppets of this nature have eyes that are as dead as the soul of Charon. Add in that both the bow and fiddle, though not wholly realistic as they too are made of cloth, are fully movable, and, from a storytelling viewpoint, they add immeasurably to the feel of this puppet as a character. Now given that I think Folkmanis produces some of the finest puppets I’ve ever seen, this is no surprise.

Never Mind the News – File 770’s Best Feature Articles of 2024

Posted on by
Reply

Was the year too heavy, deep, and real? Yes, but it was also rich in creativity, humor, and shared adventures. It’s a gift and privilege for me to be continually allowed to publish so many entertaining posts. Thanks to all of you who contributed!

COLUMNS

CHRIS BARKLEY

[Note: Some of Chris’ columns don’t appear below because they are listed in the annual news roundup.]

Chris Barkley. Photo by Juli Marr.

FEATURES

ROBIN ANNE REID

STEVE VERTLIEB

Steve Vertlieb and Ray Harryhausen.

RICH LYNCH

Rich Lynch in Buffalo with a buffalo.

JAMES BACON

In addition to reviewing comics and graphic novels, James used his camera and descriptive abilities to take us along on visits to all kinds of fascinating exhibits and pop culture events.

James Bacon

TERESA PESCHEL

RICHARD MAN

RL THORNTON

PAUL WEIMER

MICHAELE JORDAN

CORA BUHLERT

JOHN KING TARPINIAN

CAT ELDRIDGE

TRIGGER SNOWFLAKE — BY INGVAR

The saga of Sheriff Trigger Snowflake, the lovely Coraline, and the shenanigans of the Solarian Poets Society added several chapters this year that were not so much ripped-from-the-headlines as amused by the news.

MELANIE STORMM

Stormm continued her humorous series about the misdirected emails she gets from Writer X throughout 2024, braiding together comedy, horror, and the pitfalls of being a writer.

MOSHE FEDER

HEATH ROW

SONDI WARNER

DANIEL DERN

LIS CAREY

CIDER

LEE WEINSTEIN

JOHN HERTZ

TIM MARION

STEVEN H SILVER

RIVERFLOW

TOY REVIEWS

CAT ELDRIDGE

Statue figure of Spider-Gwen character

IAIN DELANEY

FOLKMANIS PUPPETS

CATS SLEEP ON SFF

Mia Nutick Review: Folkmanis Puppets: Mouse in Shoe and Genie in Lamp

Posted on by
2

By Mia Nutick: I never liked puppets or dolls as a child; there were no Folkmanis when I was a child. I think there’s a direct connection there. When I first saw the Folkmanis line in the stores, I fell in love with the realistic animal puppets. When we began our Treasure Trove section, we were happy to receive Folkmanis puppets for review. Their fantasy puppets are some of the loveliest toys a child — or an adult — could ask for.

The two puppets I received recently are similar in that they are “pop-ups.” Mouse in Shoe is the first of the two, and it’s completely adorable. Five inches long, this very cute finger puppet is perfect for children. The little white mouse disappears entirely inside the shoe; the puppet is operated through a finger hole in the sole of the shoe.

The shoe itself is very realistic. Though made of artificial materials, it almost feels like real leather and suede, but it’s durable enough for a child to play with often. The mouse is less realistic than some of the Folkmanis animals, looking like more of a cartoon mouse with little detail, but he’s pretty cute nonetheless. One of the best things about the Folkmanis are the stories included on the substantial tags attached to the puppets. Mouse in Shoe is accompanied by a Turkish folktale neatly retold by one Madeleine Scott, in which a mouse who lives in a shoe confronts the world with much flash and bravado. I’ll be passing on this toy to a friend’s child, and I’m pretty sure she’ll love it.

The other puppet I claimed from this batch is Genie in Lamp. Genie is a truly beautiful toy. The soft, shiny, gold lamp is 16 inches from the handle to the mouth, and the lid of the lamp has a small velcro closure to keep it secure. The puppet is operated through a hole in the base of the lamp; the hinged lid pops back and the Genie pops up through the opening in the top of the lamp.

The Genie is beautifully crafted, from his green blouse with jeweled cuffs, to his tapestry vest, to his gold jeweled turban. His warm brown eyes are sweet and become expressive with the simple addition of wild, furry black brows. His mouth is covered entirely by a thick black beard, but it is fully operational, as are his hands, and you can make him talk and gesture.

Genie’s tag tells an encapsulated version of “Scheherezade” and then “Aladdin” from the Arabian Nights; obviously it’s a little much to expect a full story on a toy tag but the Folkmanis tags highlight the stories in such a way that I’d expect most children will want to track down the full version of the tale. What a perfect toy to use when telling stories to your children before bed!

Like I said, I didn’t think much of dolls and puppets as a child. Thanks to Folkmanis, I get to recapture a bit of childhood that I missed. I highly recommend these two puppets to anyone, young or old, who enjoys a toy that can stimulate the imagination.

Cat Eldridge adds: That first photo is taken in my kitchen as there are no images on the net of it.

Denise Dutton Review: Folkmanis’ Jabberwock Puppet

Posted on by
3

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!”

By Denise Kitashima Dutton: I remember hearing about the Jabberwock in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.  He sounded spooky and dangerous.  Something I would never want to meet in person.  Granted, I first heard of him when I was a little kid, so there’s that.  Folkmanis made a puppet to honor the scary beast, though I have to say that this puppet is spooky and dangerous in all the best ways.

First, there’s the look of him.  He’s a shiny silvery-blue, and the velour they used to make his body is soft to the touch.  It also bends light, so parts of him are lighter or darker depending on his movements, and what catches the light. Velour barbels hang over a mouth lined in black, complete with matte vinyl fangs and a felt split tongue in bright red.  All the better to eat you with, my pretty? You bet. His eyes are a clear, sparkling orange, with deep black irises. They may scratch if he’s manhandled, so be careful with this beauty.

The detail of the claws is astounding.  They bend, curve, and slope just like real claws.  I may have to double-check him after midnight. On second thought, perhaps it’s best I leave him be at that time.  One never knows. This Jabberwock has gossamer wings of black, with a soft but sturdy netting in-between felt ribs. (Not so sturdy this netting won’t rip, so again I’ll say be careful.)  Then there’s his chest and horns, made of black fabric patterned with a silvery-gold. The fabric evokes scales, and with all the velour and shine, this is one impressive puppet.

There’s plenty of ways to maneuver this puppet, which makes for a whole lot of fun.  The head, each leg and wing, and even his tail all have pocket for you to put a finger or two into and make each section move. I started off with all five fingers working the head and four limbs, getting him to bounce along with Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”.  With his sparkly self, it seemed appropriate. He really got moving, so I’ll take that as an affirmative. Then there’s his tail, thrashing and slashing through the air if you manipulate it, though I tend to do that only when I have him “walk”. But with my thumb working his tail and the rest of my hand in his body, he’s not really walking.  He’s strutting. And it’s glorious.

So glorious that I had a hard time putting him down. I played with him so much, my stone gargoyle became jealous. I rubbed his soft silver-blue “skin” on my cheek, sighing with happiness over the sumptuous feel of it. This is a puppet to play with, sure.  But it’s also a puppet to treasure. It’s grand and glorious, and sits up perfectly on a desk, bookshelf, or credenza. As with their American Kestrel, Jabberwock can easily blend into a RenFest day. No, not blend. Stand out. So if you do bring him along, be prepared for many, many admirers.  “Can I pet your Jabberwock?” But of course. But be gentle. He has claws.

Denise Kitashima Dutton has been a reviewer since 2003, and hopes to get the hang of things any moment now. She believes that bluegrass is not hell in music form, and that beer is better when it’s a nitro pour. Besides GMR, you can find her at Atomic Fangirl, Movie-Blogger.com, or at that end seat at the bar, multi-tasking with her Kindle.

Robert Tilendis Review: Folkmanis Snow Leopard Cub Puppet

Posted on by
3

By Robert Tilendis: LOVE THIS FLOOF. Yes, I love cats of all sizes, but this little fella? He’s simply adorable. Okay, so maybe little is incorrect; this guy is about the size of an average housecat. My kitty got jealous immediately. I don’t blame him. Look at that picture – how fuzzy-wuzzy is this cub? Answer: extremely. I adore running my fingers through the soft, silky faux fur that covers this puppet. It’s a marvel. Then there’s his velvety paws, with a shorter, slicker fur, so the stitching can show the individual “toe beans” clearly. The nose is covered in a fabric similar to the Jabberwock’s scaly but soft skin, though with this puppet it’s a matte black.

I couldn’t help but notice a knot of clear plastic thread near his nose, and being a bit of a perfectionist it was driving me crazy. So I gave it a tug to see where it was attached, and found it was actually the bottom of his whiskers. They’re pushed through the fur at, well, whisker level, and hidden away at the sides of his nose, and I could have easily removed ’em. This knot-end must have slipped out of its hiding spot, so I pushed it back in, allowing the whiskers to fan out again, and gave the whiskers a good solid tug. They’re not going anywhere, and now the knot is all but impossible to find after my efforts.

This puppet has a tummy entrance for your hand, which can either slide into his front paws, or into his jaw to move his mouth. I can’t seem to do both, but then I’ve never been the most dexterous person in the world. I just stare into his big dark blue eyes and give him a pat. And another. And yet another. I think I’m in love.

Robert M. Tilendis lives a deceptively quiet life. He has made money as a dishwasher, errand boy, legal librarian, arts administrator, shipping expert, free-lance writer and editor, and probably a few other things he’s tried very hard to forget about. He has also been a student of history, art, theater, psychology, ceramics, and dance. Through it all, he has been an artist and poet, just to provide a little stability in his life. Along about January of every year, he wonders why he still lives someplace as mundane as Chicago; it must be that he likes it there.

Denise Dutton Review: Folkmanis Baby Dutch Rabbit Puppet

Posted on by
1

Review by Denise Kitashima Dutton: Unlike Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Anya, I absolutely adore bunnies. Tiny widdle noses, adorable fluffy tails. The look they always seem to have, as though they’ve judged you and found you wanting…but they’re cool with you anyway. Bunnies are fantastic. So when this little fluffball dropped into my lap, it was love at first sight. 

Speaking of sight, if this cutie looks familiar to you, you probably watch the Academy Awards on the regular. Because this puppet took the stage with Melissa McCarthy, in her fun, over-the-top cosplay of The Favorite during 2019’s show. And my little guy looks exactly like the one who stole the show that evening. Well okay; I’m a bit biased, but mine is cuter. Something in the eyes, perhaps. A soulful wisdom? Okay, sure.

Folkmanis never skimps on the craftsmanship of their puppets, and this baby rabbit is sturdily stitched, with beautiful furred fabric and shiny large-pupilled eyes. There’s grey velvet lining the ears that I can’t seem to stop touching; I’m a sucker for velvet. The fur is soft, with parts that have a nice brindle/ look to it. The other color is a nice cream, and for the life of me it looks like this little guy is gonna go full Velveteen and turn real at any moment.

But the most important part? He’s absolutely the best dancer. He can dab!  He can waltz!  He can shimmy! And it’s so much fun popping him onto my hand and letting him go wild with his bad self. Yes, he’s adorable, but a puppet wouldn’t be so great if he wasn’t fun to play with. And this little guy is a blast. Dig bunnies? Hop to it and grab yourself one. Not mine though. You can’t have him.

Denise Kitashima Dutton has been a reviewer since 2003, and hopes to get the hang of things any moment now. She believes that bluegrass is not hell in music form, and that beer is better when it’s a nitro pour. Besides GMR, you can find her at Atomic Fangirl, Movie-Blogger.com, or at that end seat at the bar, multi-tasking with her Kindle.

Camille Alexa Review: Folkmanis Sea Serpent Puppet

Posted on by
4

Review by Camille Alexa: Folkmanis has gained an excellent reputation in recent decades for its overwhelming array of puppets. The plushies range from eerily lifelike to utterly fantastical. Right now I’m holding the Sea Serpent Stage Puppet in my hand. Well, okay, I’m wearing it on my hand. . . is that so wrong?

Fun facts gleaned from the tag:

  • Made in China for Folkmanis, Emeryville, CA
  • Contents: Polyester fiber, polyurethane foam
  • Care: surface washable with cold water; air dry

This little sucker has incredibly well-articulated features for a plush puppet, and lots of different elements: beanbag-filled flaps (ears? horns?); nostrils deep enough to play around with — pull out as though puffing and huffing, or push deep in, which gives the Serpent a look of deep concentration; eyes with great range of movement, though I could never quite figure out how to manipulate them with the interior ring which begs to be toggled, explored, experimented with. I imagine someone could become quite proficient with enough practice at the eye ring — eyes bulging, goggling, recessing . . . overall an intriguing addition to the puppet’s functionality.

The hide’s scales are a rich lustrous aqua, and the fins have a delicate rippled quality to their accordion pleats along the spine and “hands” (flippers? the attached play calls them fins — more about the play in a moment). This is a very shiny, sparkly puppet. The scale pattern is printed into the fabric rather than sewn, and there’s mercifully little glitter fallout; it’s not at all like playing with one of those toys which seem to herald the glitterpocalypse.

For a smaller hand, it might be tricky to manipulate multiple elements at once — the flippers, the eyes, the mouth. And unless you’re willing to experiment with both hands, it would be impossible to use all the manipulable features at the same time — the tongue (oddly the most satisfying part of the puppet: forked and bright red and very expressive), the jaw (typical open/closed puppet style, though with two great soft rubber accent teeth — fangs? — one on each side of the mouth), the eyes (goggling; recessed; recessed & goggling). At least it’s a nice, long puppet, reaching nearly to my elbow, so with a little practice one can achieve some great serpentine motion, like a sea creature riding waves. My brief forays into two-handed use produce some lovely undulating neck motion.

Attached by a small cord about the neck is a play, “Help Wanted.” (Opening: “Sea Serpentis center stage looking around nervously. Enter Cat. . . “)

A brief synopsis of the play:

Cat asks Serpent for a resume and display of typing skills, neither of which the Sea Serpent can offer due to the lack of hands (the Serpent explains). When asked for a list of useful skills, Serpent replies, “Well, I’m great at capsizing large ships, I can eat 20 sailors per minute, I am very good at creating giant whirlpools on short notice . . . and I am highly impervious to evil.”

Serpent describes past employment, including a Mermaid: “for about two hundred years, mostly just chauffeuring her around on my back and eating her enemies,” though there were also “more menial tasks, dredging harbors and whatnot.”

A bargain for gainful employment is eventually struck at the pay rate of five trunks of pirate treasure per year, with benefits.

The end.

Camille Alexa shares her Edwardian home in the Pacific Northwest with an array of fossils, dried willow branches, pressed flowers, and other very pretty dead things. Her first book, Push Of The Sky, earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the Endeavour Award. She likes her humor dark and her horror funny, and can be found on twitter @camillealexa or on LiveJournal as camillealexa.

Camille Alexa Review: Folkmanis Stage Puppet

Posted on by
Reply

Review by Camille Alexa: Ahh, Unicorn. Mythical, magical, mysterious. Holding this Folkmanis puppet of you, I can’t help wishing it were more as I picture you. Folkmanis got some things right. They did not, for example, neglect your billygoat’s tuft, that underchin goatee featured — flowing, curling — in medieval prints of you. They chose a rather nice fur for your hide: marshmallow white with a hint of opal sparkle. Your neck in this, your likeness, is depicted as long and elegant (as it should be), your velvet-lined ears prick forward, alert, and your eyes are deeper-set than any mere horse’s eyes, without the gentle passivity of a domesticated animal. No: these eyes are dark, and narrowed, and hinting at the capacity for violence if need be…

So those things they got right. But other things, other elements, are not as I would have them. Not for you, O ethereal creature, whom Leonardo da Vinci described in his fifteenth-century Notebooks as a libidinous beast, which “through its intemperance and not knowing how to control itself, for the love it bears to fair maidens forgets its ferocity and wildness; and laying aside all fear it will go up to a seated damsel and go to sleep in her lap, and thus the hunters take it.”

Maybe that’s it. Maybe this puppet is one of those captured-type unicorns, with a silver collar and everything. The horn here isn’t an embarrassment: it stands, proud and spiraled, all to the good. But that mane makes you look like a mop, dear Unicorn! A muppet, a widget, a buffoon! Not at all suited to the gravitas owed your majestic station. And the structure of your face has a somewhat bloated quality, poor thing, as though one late night too many has been passed trawling the streets for fair maidens or seated damsels, long past last call at the pub.

And yet, I’d still rather have a mythical world with you than without you, a catalogue with your likeness rather than without. So kudos, Folkmanis, for attempting to capture this most elusive of creatures in the three Ps: polyester, polyurethane, and PVC.

If only it hadn’t remained quite so elusive.

Jack Merry Review: Folkmanis Puppet: Enchanted Tree

Posted on by
Reply

Review by Jack Merry: All Jacks are storytellers and I’ve been known to weave many a tale late at night by the roaring fireplace in the Robert Graves Memorial Reading Room in the Kinrowan Estate Library. And I’ve used many a Folkmanis puppet including what I call The Rodents of An Unusual Size and the lovely red fox as they are perfect for storytelling — durable and creatively made!

It’s an Ent! Well sort of. What Folkmanis calls this incredibly interesting creation is an Enchanted Tree Puppet but it really could be a small version of one of those creatures to be used in telling the story of them as they are a race of beings in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in many traditions around the world with their name being derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant.

It certainly looks like an Ent — though it is what they call a character puppet with a moveable mouth, a bristly mustache and branches. You can also move its blue eyes. There are a few oversized green leaves on the top branches, and a red topped toadstool in one of its hands.  This puppet is about fifteen inches tall, not as big as I’d might have liked it to be, but big enough to entertain listeners in a circle around a teller of tales.

If you combine it with one of the small Wolf puppets that Folkmanis has released, you could tell the tale of Ygggdrasil and Fenris, the wolf that tries to destroy that World Tree in the Norse myths. Or perhaps you could tell the story of the Indian Tree of the Sun and the Moon that told the future. If you’re good at voices, you can be the two aspects of the tree trunk, which depended on the time of day; in the daytime the tree spoke as a male and at night it spoke as a female. Did you know that Alexander the Great and Marco Polo are said to have consulted this leafy oracle?

Whatever you use it for, it is indeed a wonderful puppet — certainly one of the most imaginative creations from a company that has done many, many fine puppets down the years! I’ll certainly tell many a fine tale with it!

Jack Merry — I’m a fiddler, contradance caller, and a teller of tales. I like Guinness poured properly and served warm of course, red heads, and short stories with a touch of the fantastic in them. I like The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings for my winter reading.

Camille Alexa Review: Folkmanis Baby Dragon

Posted on by

Review by Camille Alexa: Like every Folkmanis puppet I’ve so far seen, the Baby Dragon Puppet is a marvel of workmanship for the price: carefully stitched seams, articulated wings, darts along the inside of the limbs and belly to allow for movement and keep shape. The tag tells us it’s made in China, so we know who to thank.

I’m struck by how utterly soft this little plushie is — eminently suitable for a baby dragon if not for its parent. And like a baby, this little guy has a teensy pot belly, rounded and cute, filled with just enough stuffing to give him some heft without making him feel bulky or awkward; just the right amount of stuffing to invite you to go ahead and slide him on like a puffy green glove, give him a try.

Inside is considerably less soft, no fur — probably wise to line with moisture-wicking material where the grubby mitts go. The tail, too, is stuffed to perfection, not too much nor too little, so it curves up and away, retaining life of its own while the puppet is occupied. The outer material, perhaps not aided by the choice of ‘gator green, is more reminiscent of mock croc than fireproof scales. If the mouth is a bit stiff compared to other puppets, the arms are a nice fit for the fingers, in keeping with the excellent planning and design of the puppet’s stitching and stuffing.

Most exciting discovery: Baby Dragon’s lovely deep nostrils — so perfectly detailed, lined in soft rose to match the interior of his dragony mouth — go all the way through from one side to the other. This is not some lapse in construction, but a planned detail! I imagine staging a play with Baby Dragon, imagine making my own flames out of something stiff and colorful, like construction paper or crinkly tissue, or maybe something soft, like fluttering red silk. How cool would THAT be when you turned on the fan? Fire away!

Huh. Guess it brought out the kid in me. A success, then, yes?

Camille Alexa shares her Edwardian home in the Pacific Northwest with an array of fossils, dried willow branches, pressed flowers, and other very pretty dead things. Her first book, PUSH OF THE SKY, earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was a finalist for the Endeavour Award. She likes her humor dark and her horror funny, and can be found on twitter @camillealexa or on LiveJournal as camillealexa.