This mask looks great!  Does it work with a bicycle brake cable like Wanlu offered and Lou Hilaro builds or is it string operated.  Also, how much is this wonderful creation?  Looking forward to seeing more photos.

I have already PM'd you, but for the threads sake I will answer here too!! the mask basically works on the same sort of cable system that wanlu's mask do, except I have modified the basic cable system and mechanism to be more efficient and silent. I do not currently have any of these to sell (it is very time consuming and I perform a lot!) but they normally sell for about £200-£250 depending on the paint finish and mechanism as one mask has a better mechanism and cable system installed, pus a more detailed and professional paint finish and the other has a simpler paint finish and simpler mechanism, but they both work brilliantly and its just a point of preference, however people do normally enjoy the added extras that the more expensive version takes advantage of.
Thank you for the compliments, I still use the first one I completely created (the newest design) and have a blast using it, they really are a riot to use and the audience are usually in tears of laughter!!
Ben.

I love it!!

Not sure I understand how you use this as a ventriloquist.  Do you put this on an audience member and then you do the voice and movement to make them look like the "dummy"?  How do you hold it against the head?  The designs look really interesting and you did a great job.

EPA recently increased the toxicity factor for formaldehyde by a factor of 12. Keep your lungs safe. Could you use those printers that make plastic molds for safer products?

Yes, you have understood its use exactly, you provide the voice and mouth movement, which is funny anyway, but that together with them squirming onstage and their eyes and eyebrows showing expression really adds to the hilarity of the act. mine are attached to the head via two soft elasticated straps, one that goes over the crown of the head and the other that goes around the back of the head at the top of the neck, so that it holds it onto the face and supports its minimal weight upwards. my masks are coated with a layer that seals in everything, so toxicity is not an issue, however the products I use to make these masks are not toxic anyway.

In answer to your question about viable other products being an option, you probably could 3d print these, but the weight would be a slight issue unless you printed it really thin, however you wouldn't get the smooth finish and detail, but I have in the past experimented with vacuum forming ventriloquists masks and re-enforcing the thin plastic, but you really cant beat the detail and strength to weight ratio that 'glass reinforced plastic/fibre-glassing' gives you as my masks are only a few milimeters thick, but very light and strong.

There is no better recommendation than you like it and have used it with success.  Can't wait to see the colors on them.

Yes, you have understood its use exactly, you provide the voice and mouth movement, which is funny anyway, but that together with them squirming onstage and their eyes and eyebrows showing expression really adds to the hilarity of the act. mine are attached to the head via two soft elasticated straps, one that goes over the crown of the head and the other that goes around the back of the head at the top of the neck, so that it holds it onto the face and supports its minimal weight upwards. my masks are coated with a layer that seals in everything, so toxicity is not an issue, however the products I use to make these masks are not toxic anyway.

In answer to your question about viable other products being an option, you probably could 3d print these, but the weight would be a slight issue unless you printed it really thin, however you wouldn't get the smooth finish and detail, but I have in the past experimented with vacuum forming ventriloquists masks and re-enforcing the thin plastic, but you really cant beat the detail and strength to weight ratio that 'glass reinforced plastic/fibre-glassing' gives you as my masks are only a few milimeters thick, but very light and strong.

I have seen these acts on a comedy show and they are hilarious to watch. The victims or volunteer can really be put in a spot and expressions and well timed script makes it so funny.

The masks you have made look so much like the originals. Will they be air operated or cable?

Yes, a talented performer could make using a ventriloquist mask an amazing piece of comedy, I origionally saw an act by Wayne Dobson on the royal variety show where he didn't use masks, but provided the voices and it was hilarious, then I saw people like Paul Zerdin, Lou Hilario, Wanlu Lunaria, etc.. all using masks of their own design and loved the thought of doing the same and so I did!

I haven't got any pictures of the last batch I created because stupidly I forgot to take pictures and the last 5 sold out at lightning speed, but I do however have one of my masks that I allowed some of my students at the puppet creation class I run in Nottingham to experiment using different products on it. they created holes just to fill them, sanded down areas to build them up again, etc.. it was a lot of fun mess and the mask looks a bit scruffy, but they had a great time and learned a lot. we also quickly mocked up an inner mouth piece out of foam as I didn't bring it along in order for the students to see the mechanism and its workings, but you get the idea!!

The masks are all controlled using Teflon coated brake cable inside a Teflon lined cable sheath via a control handle of my design too.

oops, forgot to add the pictures!! sorry if the pictures are a little askew or not upright, I am not a techno wiz!!

                       

Just thought I would post up a picture of one of my Chatterbox ventriloquist masks all painted and ready to be sealed with matt lacquer, I hope you like it!! The little thing you see sticking out of the side of the cheek is a little retainer bolt, its just there temporarily so that I can remove the jaw to properly lacquer that separately from the rest of the mask in order to do a proper job of getting every surface, nook and cranny!!