STRETCHY SAM
The Ice cream
CLOWN
Another super fun novelty puppet for the PreShow up at the Heights of Abraham .
But he didn't start out this way, he was originally going to be a jolly and happy clown.
A grumpy concertina stretch body clown, who refuses to share his ice creams with anyone else!
Designs and ideas often change as I go along.
About 5 years ago I made some slinky long body sections, but never got round to doing anything with them.
This is what I call a 'quickie' character.
He doesn't have to look like anyone in particular.
In fact he doesn't even need to look like my concept sketch.
Total freeform and fun.
When I changed the unfinished Parisienne "Toto" puppet from green to Ruby and Gold for the 2024 show, I kept his fancy hat brim.
This puppet will be a chance to recycle and use up these old body and hat parts.
But this one got a long way built before I changed my mind.
I even drew very thorough concept sketches.
Ears and shoulder disc are sculpted separately from the head section.
With the first layer of pulp it's important the head is connected to the wooden dowel rod at both ends to prevent the stick coming loose later.
Now the neck can be thickened and the hat base extended.
With the structural part completed, the final facial details can be added.
Ice cream cone built over a cardboard core. Shoulder section and wooden neck joiner.
Parts joined together with galvanised wire. As ever Pulp is used as the strengthening 'glue'. Pulp bonds easily to metal, wood and other hardened pulp.
The only things pulp does not stick to are plastics. That is what I cover base formers with electrical tape for easy release .
A flake and a wafer are first made separately, them combined into the 'ice cream'. Arm has pulp strengthening also. Looking good I think.
BUT THEN ....
IT'S ALL CHANGE !
A chance photo on the internet of this wonderful Halloween mask made me rethink this character entirely.
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What if instead of another happy clown, this guy was a miserable greedy clown who refuses to share his ice cream(s) ?
Dramatically this has much better comedic possibilities in the show. This creates a character that Mr. Punch can get annoyed with.
Designs and plans change and adapt. And as always they are only a guide and not a blueprint. They will doubtless change again before he is finished.
He now has two ice creams.
The Happy Head will get relegated to the "Save for later" box in my workshop.
So let's start making a new "grumpy" head.
A kitchen foil core is covered with electricians tape.
And the whole thing is given a thin base layer of paper Pulp.
A slightly out of focus photo, but it does show how I make a pair of ears.
The easiest way to get two matching ears.
Sculpt them as one unit, then cut them in half afterwards.
When hard , the head is cut in half and the foil core is removed and discarded.
The two halves are rejoined and the ears fixed into place, all using Pulp as both glue and sculpting material.
Two very dodgy looking characters : I wouldn't trust either of 'em !
Now Ive settled properly on a new head, let's start on his feet and mechanism.
Giving a new lease of life to some sparkly kids trainers from the charity shop.
The shoes will help weigh down the base ring onto the playboard in performance.
Yes. It's big and heavy.
But to work one handed in the show, this is how it has to be.
There is a wooden 'notch' where the whole puppet can slip onto the theatres playboard.
Time to cut up these old tubes from 2020
Adding in a central motif panel.
Checking the new tube can properly fit onto the shoe base.
Adding a ring of plastic boning to every section, so that his body can collapse and grow neatly.
I don't know of any other sewing machine with both the free arm capacity and the power to cope with this many layers and plastic boning.
Without a Bernina 1006 sewing machine, I honestly couldn't make my puppets.
As always, pulp-sculpting is a case of building up layer upon layer.
Starting the second Ice cream cone and arm.
This second cone is deliberately bigger, and will have no flake or wafer.
Two very different ice creams will help build his dialogue and character.
He has a head that can swivel and look at each cone in turn.
Fabric bandaging and PVA wood glue strengthen up his arms.
When it has dried pulp is very strong indeed.
But it's not indestructible.
If he ever gets accidentally dropped onto a concrete surface, this will prevent his arms from getting snapped.
His hands are the final layer in the sculpting process.
But they also help bind the cones to the arms : they are yet another strengthening layer.
They help complete the illusion that the puppet was actually holding and carrying two Ice creams.
The hands are both decorative and structural.
A trip down to Kent to visit my folks was a nice chance to start painting this puppet.
Part way through painting. After the base coat, dark contours then highlights are added.
I'm so glad I've made him Grumpy, not happy.
Time to permanently join his head to his torso with the control stick.
This is a potential weak spot and the puppet will be heavy.
So this join is strengthened before it's painted.
It is wonderful to finally have his head and feet sections joined together.
Despite being grumpy, he also looks super cute. The children in the audience will love him !
Cuffs and sleeves can now be constructed over his arms.
A clowns bib shirt front and collar perfectly accentuate a Bow-Tie.
He was going to have a fake fur mullet hair-do. But a big Baby Bonnet will be much more funny.
Once dried, Pulp is as hard and strong as wood. So hat parts can be fixed on by hammering in upholstry tacks.
He really does look splendid.
I am very happy with the result.
I cannot wait to use him in my 21st Summer Season up at The Heights of Abraham.
Stretchy Sam is not a 'regular' Glove Puppet.
He is very much a 'Novelty' or 'Trick' performance piece.
Throughout its 353 year history, Punch and Judy shows have often included such 'Exotic' characters.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing the process of building this one. Richard
