Tag Archives: Folkmanis

Camille Alexa Review: Folkmanis Stage Puppet

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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

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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

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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.

Denise Dutton Review: Folkmanis Puppets Dragon Wristlet, Pearl

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Review by Denise Dutton: The How to Train Your Dragon series of films has a place in my heart. Toothless is such an adorable cutie, I Cannot Even. But let’s not forget the adorable Light Fury that becomes Toothless’ mate. If you wish you could have one of your very own, the time is now; Folkmanis’ Pearl is an absolute delight.

This particular puppet is part of their Wristlet Puppets collection, along with the Phoenix, Sea Nymph, and Midnight Dragon. And while I adore their larger puppets? When I see this wee puppet wrapped around my wrist, there’s something that tugs at my cold, dead heart. Am I succumbing to the sweetness of this little face? It’s gloriously shiny silver wings? That suede-like patch on her torso? Or perhaps the silver hair that runs down the back of her pearlescent body? (Pearlescent. Pearl. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE FOLKMANIS.)

I could simply say that this dragon is beautifully crafted with nary an imperfect stitch. But really? It’s the way I feel like Pern’s Menolly, with a fire lizard of my very own. In fact, the poem that’s attached to Pearl harks to moments at Faire, or within your favorite dragon-centric fantasy tales. I can’t wait to slide her onto my finger, and wrap her tail around my wrist, for Faire season. When I hear that click of magnet meeting magnet, the base of her tail meeting the uppermost part, I know that she’ll stay put.

One word of caution, however. This wristlet’s magnets are situated in such a way that folks with wrists bigger than your average 12-year-old’s may not be able to have the two meet. Me? My wrists are bony, so that’s not an issue. But even without the magnets meeting, Pearl will wrap around your wrist. She may not stay, so if you take her on walkabout, be sure that she’s got a nice pocket or pack to peek out of, or else she may stray. And you don’t want that.

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.  You can find her at Green Man Review, Atomic Fangirl, Movie-Blogger.com, or at that end seat at the bar, multi-tasking with her Kindle.

Warner Holme Review: Folkmanis Mini Frog

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Folkmanis Mini Frog

Review by Warner Holme: I’m far from an expert on puppets, finger or otherwise. That said, I was quite impressed by the Folkmanis Mini Frog when it arrived at my door. Well constructed with a lot of personality, it serves as a delightful example of what a company can produce in soft goods. As with most plush toys and puppets the appearance was an early and important impression.

The little creature is certainly cute, made of soft fabrics and vibrant colors which seem to aspire to a heightened naturalistic appearance. When the frog first appeared before me he had a certain bit of a spitting expression. While a finger puppet and, as such, not really made to be used for mouth articulation the jaw is manipulable to a small degree. As a result it wasn’t difficult to change the expression slightly, to look more open mouthed in general. The fabrics are soft and firm, with a delightful texture that matches the color patterning throughout the object. 

The simplistic bead-like yellow eyes are surprisingly effective, lending to the realistic and animal-like appearance of a wild frog.  This is particularly true in light of the fabric eyelids and bulges surrounding them, all of which look delightfully familiar to anyone who’s ever spent time around a “real” frog. The legs are also quite effective, although some clever stitching is used to create the illusion the back legs are significantly longer than they actually would measure.

This household is by nature frog-puppet friendly, with other animals either treating it or respectfully or ignoring it. By and large the delightful coloration on this small puppet made it a particularly impressive bit of work, although not exactly photorealistic, certainly less cartoony than one might expect. Even the extremely basic stitching for nostrils is surprisingly effective, giving just the faintest impression of a vascular system. Added to the aforementioned impression is the fact that this frog is very much the size someone might find an actual green North American frog. 

On the other hand, the little amphibian’s information tag says it was made in Vietnam, an area whose frogs I’m unfamiliar with. Appropriate to the brand name there is an almost folksy appearance to the design, more professional than what one would see from a normal handmade unit but nonetheless feeling almost bespoke.  The little ones who have seen it have enjoyed it immensely, and I found it staring down local toys and puppets.

Denise Dutton Review: Folkmanis’ Winged Dragon Puppet

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By Denise Dutton: I love dragons, especially poor Viserion, Dany’s green dragon she’d named after her brother. (Shoulda spotted that foreshadowing a mile away, but noooooo.) I’ve always had a soft spot for green dragons; blame it on the Harper Hall series from Anne McCaffrey. Yes, those are technically fire lizards, but when I saw the Folkmanis Winged Dragon Puppet, my thoughts immediately went to Pern.

And okay, Toho. Because while this little guy is a few fingers over one foot tall, he’s definitely got some Kaiju in him. In fact, the little fella looks as if Godzilla and Ghidorah had a baby. (No, don’t Google that. Rule 34 and all.) This puppet has an adorable chubbyness to him that makes me want to just watch him waddle around, though his pretty chiffon-meets-corduroy wings look more than up to the task of keeping him aloft. With some help from you, of course. 

He’s made with the same loving attention to detail that Folkmanis gives to all of their creations, from his beautifully stitched and imminently boopable snoot down to the tip of his slightly upturned tail. His body is softly flocked green velvet that’s been patterned to show “scales”, with a ridge on his back that has sharp points that turn to fuzziness at the touch of fingers. I’m not sure if those ridges are more stable velvet or some other addictively soft flocking, but it’s wonderful. Add in a lightly ridged inner mouth with a deep maroon forked tongue (complete with “sharp” white teeth cut from vinyl cloth) and wee felt “claws” at the ends of his toes/tip of his wings, and you’ve got one impressively powerful – and powerfully cute – fella.

Moving this puppet around is pretty easy, as each leg and wing can accommodate a finger or two for maximum performance. Nimbler folks than I can also work his mouth, as there’s space to move upper and lower mandible if you’re so inclined. I myself can’t operate wings and mouth, but that’s to be expected from my uncooperative fingers. Mouth movements or no, he’s still one adorable little guy, and I plan on taking him to Faire this season. I’m betting he’ll get a whole lot of compliments. I’ve complimented him several times already.

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.  You can find her at Green Man Review, Atomic Fangirl, Movie-Blogger.com, or at that end seat at the bar, multi-tasking with her Kindle.

Robert Tilendis Review: Folkmanis The Little Hedgehog

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By Robert Tilendis: It’s the Little Hedgehog — and let me tell you, he’s a real charmer.

The construction is up to Folkmanis’ usual standard. The body is covered in longish plush, white tipped in brown. He looks brown until you pet him, and then you get a very rich brown-white, nice and shiny. The belly and face are covered in a much shorter, finer cream-colored plush, equally enticing to the touch. The body is essentially a furry bag, about eight inches from top of the head to the bottom, that fits comfortably over the hand — well, almost comfortably, but then, I’ve got fairly large hands: for a child’s hand, it’s just about perfect, with plenty of room to maneuver. Likewise, my fingers are a little large to fit comfortably into the arms and the areas that move the mouth, but a child will have no trouble. The seams are all tightly sewn, and one can see inside the main body that the makers have left plenty of extra fabric on the seam — there’s little danger of the body unraveling. And one detail that struck me, and only points up the quality of the creation: the snout is shaded brown, which gradually softens to a darker cream around the eyes. The devil’s in the details, as they say.

The beady black eyes, along with the pointed nose, give the puppet, when at rest, an expression somewhere between worried and amazed. He seems most given to expressions of exasperation or surprise — the arms just naturally seem to want to go up to the sides of the head. One can almost hear a cry of “Oh, my goodness!”

He also comes with a tag that has some fascinating information about real hedgehogs — did you know they’ve been known to live up to sixteen years? And if you look carefully inside the bottom of the body, you’ll see a sticker that says “Press magnet to forehead.” No, not your forehead — the hedgehog’s: and there he is, all curled up for a nice nap.

This little cutie is going to take a prominent place among my rescued plushies — maybe next to the donkey in the rabbit suit.