Hello, all!

Long story short, my son, who is 18, dearly loves puppetry and has been collecting puppets for some time.  He is seeking a blinking puppet, and I have concerns about what would be right for him.  He actually wants animatronics, but I don't think this would be a good choice realistically, due to his living arrangements.  He lives in central Illinois, I am in the St. Louis area, and I wondered 1. If anyone could point me in the direction of a good place for him to learn about puppeteering, and 2. Where would I find better grade puppets for him that would stand up to his occasional roughness without breaking my bank account?

As an aside, he seems more interested in the muppet-style puppets than, say, a marionette or glove puppet.

Thanks so much!

~D

Welcome jtjmom.  We actually have quite a few puppet builders here at PandS and a few of them have even built blinking eye mechs into their puppets. I'll let them reply if they feel confident in building "extra strength". I am sure that any of our members can build basic well made puppets for him that would hold up it is just when it comes to mechs they can be a bit fragile. Even with gentle use they can need repair from time to time. All that being said you might want to check Axtell Expressions. http://www.axtell.com/ Yes they are pricy but you might want to contact the directly and explain what you are looking for and if they feel that their puppets could hold up to your unique situation. Steve the owner is a great guy and they may be able to work with you... never hurts to ask.

PofA (Puppeteers of America) has regional guilds and there are two in Illinois. http://www.puppeteers.org/community/regions-guilds/ One is in Chicago but the other is Central Illinois Puppetry Guild. Not sure where they meet but you could contact them and see if they meet in an area close to your son.

Lastly your son is more then welcome to join us here. We are a very friendly group.  We are all inclusive and tolerant of any ones needs special or not.

well said Shawn