Monsters Everywhere!

Makin' monsters... 
They may not look like much yet...  But you just wait!

Studio Time~

Billie wasn't happy with her eyes...  So I fixed 'em!

Any day in the studio has got to be a good day, so if you can - GET IN YOURS!!!

Spring?

Not just yet!

But I'm ready...

Gonna be a great day - Coffee is brewed, studio is open, and Oingo Boingo is playing too loud in here for before 9 AM...  

Perfect...

Got a ton of puppets to work on!  A ton of projects coming up!!!

In the meantime check out - 

https://elmwood.vhx.tv/products

Keeping Busy....

Some work in progress...

 And now off to the studio!

 

Watch Elmwood Now! 

Bunny Buddy!

Got some great time in at the studio today...  

And had a visit from this little fella!

Who will we turn out to be!?!

Getting ready for next year, and happily wrapping up this awesome one... Live and Let Die

Thing might be a little quiet here on Jon's Java for the rest of 2015

But...

In 2016 the puppets will come back to this page a bit more...

Going to make an effort to post a puppet a week as Elmwood is prepping some big things to be shot over the year, and as I bulk up on commission and puppets on my Etsy page!

Looking forward to getting back to work!

Not a coffee

But sometimes just as important to making puppets...

7 Days Left on the "HEAD" Kickstarter!

ONE DAY ONLY NEW INCENTIVE ON KICKSTARTER! October 1, 2014 only!

For $300.00 Not only do you get everything from the $1-$100 range but you also will get a one of a kind puppet made by Elmwood Productions puppet Maker Jon Bristol! This is only available until midnight 10/1/201 Eastern Standard 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1153905735/head-horror-film-starring-puppets

Need a puppet???

I'm taking orders for the holiday season now!

Need a puppet for Halloween, or the Winter Holidays?

I'm your guy!

Check out my Etsy Shop for a Custom Puppet, or check out the puppets I'm selling there already!

The "Schmutsy" Project Part 2

So I got his "skin" on his head, and some features…  Next is hair/beard…

Then onto the body!

The "Schmutsy" Project Part One

Sometimes people find out about a puppet I'm making and can't wait to see it…

A handful of people found out I'm making a puppet of a friend, Pat, to be a character in Elmwood's upcoming web series "The Risley Brothers".

The puppet of Pat will be named "Schmutsy"

So here on the blog I'm going to post pics of his progress…

Here's the first two...

 The "skull" of Schmutsy is polyfoam.  I used the Project Puppet pattern "Punto" for him.  I have a few of their patterns and I recommend them if you're interested in puppet making

Here it is completed (skull) with the mouth added…

Next Time we add the skin!

Kyhole:

Kyhole

Mouth Puppet

Here's how Mr. Kyhole came about...

I got offered a commission to remake the already well known Kyhole (featured on Blam!) by his creator, Wayne Poe.

And I took the gig! Hahaha...

Here is two pics of the original that I used to base the new one on -

And here his is done, full body, hiding his junk behind the book!

And some pictures of him in progress...

-

Kyhole's Makeover as he remembers it...

For more Kyhole check out

Facebook

and BLAM!

Weasel

Weasel

Mouth Puppet

Weasel is a monster made for a webseries, more info coming soon!

I'm really happy with how fun this guy looks!

Here's a look into the making of Weasel....

Above is the design by the shows creator, Barry Lee...

Below is a look at the materials.

And Weasel is ready for a close up!

I do commissions!
Portraits, monsters, original designs...
Need a puppet? Shoot me a message:
jon(at)elmwoodproductions(dot)com

Jim Henson on Making Muppets 1969

From October 2008 to October 2009 I posted a puppet a day that I (or other members of The Elmwood Puppets) built.

Now Jim Henson and Don Sahlin and a few friends show you how to do it!

Video from 1969, Iowa Public Television

And more of The Elmwood Puppets coming soon!!!

"Can you make a puppet's nose bleed?"

Last weekend we shot some more "Steve The Vampire" shorts!

Here's Mom (Jim Williams), Steve (me!), and Han (Christoper A. Lemanski) on the set... And Jim's eye peeking through just to creep you out!

As a puppeteer and puppet maker I get asked some strange questions sometimes, usually funny.. . Or while working I tend to say and hear weird things that said anywhere else would just be wrong. In funny ways...

Ricardo (who directed Betty And Me and Plinksgiving) once asked:
"Can you make a puppet's nose bleed?"
My wise ass response:
"If you punch it hard enough."

Brie's sister Maggie asked while watching The Muppets last Christmas:
"What happens if you put a puppet in water?"
My wise ass responce:
"It gets wet."

Here are a couple of my faves from working with puppets...

"If I put my hand all the way in here, she'll pop."
- This came from Jim putting on a puppet that was very tight, and he could have popped a seam in her neck.

"Grab those balls and put them in my mouth."
- Making puppets with Pete one day I had a eyeless puppet on my hand and I wanted him to hand me two ping pong balls, and since the hand with the puppet on me was closer to him I wanted him to put them in the puppets mouth... We laughed untill we were in tears.

Many times we're all laying on a floor with the puppets up in the air and the director behind the camera will tell us we need to get the puppets closer to each other. In this case we have to spoon up together, or on top of each other and so on... Very often it looks like grown men playing Twister without the Twitser pad... A very bizarre orgy... I worry someday someone will get hurt and 911 has to be called and we're all stuck in position... That would be a story for the EMTs to tell...

Anyway... December 1 the next Puppet A Day goes up, another one from the collection. I'll start posting Elmwood Puppets again at the start of the New Year...
Have a great one!

I Am A Genius!

A few months ago I was getting ready to work on some things and I layed out some antron fleece to cut, and I folded it over a could times to do one cut instead of several. While cutting it I hit a part that took a little extra pushing with the scissors. Then a little while later I plugged in the power strip to get the glue gun warmed up... And it wouldn't... Hmm, I wonder why...

I will admit, this wasn't one of my brightest moments!

Hahaha

Kendra

Kendra

Mouth Puppet

And here she is with no hair and that Cookie Monster shirt that seems to end up on puppets while I'm still working on them... It's popped up a few times here. These eyes/ glasses ended up on another puppet instead of Kendra.

And here she is in progress...

I do commissions!
Portraits, monsters, original designs...
Need a puppet? Shoot me a message:
jon(at)elmwoodproductions(dot)com

Stephanie

I made Stephanie on a commission for a gentleman who wanted to surprise his girlfriend on their first anniversary with a puppet of her...

Here's a little peek into the making...

Notice the Mr. Universe and Don mug!

I do commissions!
Portraits, monsters, original designs...
Need a puppet? Shoot me a message:
jon(at)elmwoodproductions(dot)com