Pepe the shrimp

Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
hey, do any of you guys know how pepe the shrimp, and rizzo the rat are Performed? their heads are too small for someones hand to be inside, and pepe's neck is too skinny for an arm to fit through, so how do they do it?
 

ToasterBoy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
386
Reaction score
54
I actually got to hold Pepe and work him for a few minutes one day. Inside his body is a wooden rod that you hold onto. This controls his head - left to right - movements. Then there is a little ring attached to a string thang hangs down the rod that you slip your index finger in. When you pull down on the ring his mouth opens. If you let go of it, it closes. It has some sort of spring mechanism in it that will constantly keep it in the closed position and only open when you pull down.

I assume Rizzo is done in the same manner. I'd love to know the mechanics of this. I know HOW to operate it, but I'm lost on HWO it works.

I was told that there's always two or three Pepe's around whenever they are shooting because sometimes the ring gets too slippery and slips off Bill's index finger and goes shooting up into Pepe's head and he can't reach it. So they switch it out.

There's what I know. I'm sure others on here know more!

Grant
throwingtoasters.com
 

Buck-Beaver

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
4,174
Reaction score
162
I've built dozens of puppets that work like this. It's actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it.

The simplest way to make a control for a Pepe (or similar puppet) is to just use a fish hook remover. In fact I'm surprised that they didn't just use one of these for Pepe. They're available from Wal-Mart (in the fishing section) and most outdoor outfitters. I posted a link to a picture of one of these in one of the old threads about this.

As for the rod control to make a puppet's head pivot from side to side, Nick Barone has some good examples of basic rod controls on his web site www.puppetbuilder.com.

To learn how to make a mouth like Rizzo's work check out http://puppetsnprops.homestead.com/funstuff.html - the designs there are meant for Vent dummies but can be easily adapted. That page is actually an excerpt from Michael Brose's "Figure Making Can Be Fun" which has all kinds of info on how to build different types of mechs.
 

Beebers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
1,289
Reaction score
3
Ah, but - since you are Brian Henson, Greg Brady, and Greg, and Brady, all rolled into one, you would already know the answer to that question, wouldn't you. Or maybe all those personalities are just too much to keep track of. There surely must be something else you could be doing with your time. Do it.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Beebers said:
Ah, but - since you are Brian Henson, Greg Brady, and Greg, and Brady, all rolled into one, you would already know the answer to that question, wouldn't you. Or maybe all those personalities are just too much to keep track of. There surely must be something else you could be doing with your time. Do it.
If you read the rest of that thread, then you would know that it was only a joke.
 

Whatever

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
2,968
Reaction score
20
beakermeepmeep said:
If you read the rest of that thread, then you would know that it was only a joke.
She knows all right. It's called sarcasm.
 

Beebers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
1,289
Reaction score
3
beakermeepmeep said:
If you read the rest of that thread, then you would know that it was only a joke.
I read the entire thread, and the other Questionable Thread you started, both from start to finish. It is ill-advised to mislead and/or waste the time of members of any online forum and most forums have rules against it. In fact, most would have booted you by now.

:cool:
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Dont complain to me, it was my friend. complain to gregbrady. Don't Boot me out, boot gregbrady, cause hes the one who did it
 
Top