Gonzo's nose (materials/strength)

[dwmckim]

(Debated as to whether i should post this in classic Muppets or puppetry - but since this is largely a "puppet building"/technical question, it seemed more appropriate here...and those most able to answer would be more likely to see it)

I have long wondered about the durability of Gonzo's nose...it's made of foam, right? I'm sure there's different ways one could harden the foam a little but it seems to this puppetry-building novice that between the materials and the shape mixed with the frequent use of a main character and different gags involving his nose (being grabbed by others, stuck in different places) that it would be quite susceptible to being torn/broken off. (Which was a controversey when Master Replicas did their Gonzo since they apparently didn't want to use the same material for the replica due to the risk of breakage)

So to those with actual knowledge...how sensitive is it? Anyone know if it has gotten broken before...and how would you effectively fix it without re-building the whole puppet? If i was a guest actor in a Muppet production and the scene called for me to grab Gonzo by the nose, i would be so terrified of breaking it (or even just touching it...i imagine a lot of people would want to touch his nose...and you'd have it constantly exposed to various people's natural skin oils etc. (even if their hands are freshly washed).

Puppet builders, please share your enlightenment - insiders that have actually handled the Gonzo puppet, especially please pipe in!

 

[rickly]

Gonzo's nose is carved scot foam. Nothing special is done to the foam to make it stronger. Scot foam is pretty resilient, so it can take a fair amount of abuse. It might tear, but wouldn't likely break - unless it was an old puppet, where the foam was getting brittle.

 

[Scooterthegofer]

It's definitely not hard, because it has a mechanism that allows the puppeteer to scrunch it. I think it's foam carved into a nose shape. It definitely looked like that in the first season. and it's probably covered in blue/purple/orange flocking.




Hope this helps

 

[rickly]

Nope, no flocking. Bare foam. There is some color brushed lightly onto the surface, which is one reason his nose is so hard to replicate.

 

[Scooterthegofer]

After I posted that, I thought that might be the case. Thanks.