Puppetpalooza

"People love going along with the idea of a beautiful pig. It's like a conspiracy."
-Jim Henson

We've got PUPPETS! I'm loving today's theme. I went a little bonkers with the links at the end.

Yoda
voiced by Frank Oz
Photo © Lucasfilm Ltd.

Marionette Series No. 1
by Fang Tong

Octopus
by Furry Puppet Studio

Also from the Furry Puppet Studio:

Family Farm
By Carlos Zapata

Shadow Puppet
by Leonidas Kassapides

This wonderful carved Desmodus is by Lena:

Links:
~ A bio of renowned silhouette animator Lotte Reininger
~ Great article about the making of the Corpse Bride puppets.
~ Amazing productions by puppeteer Basil Twist
~ A "Working in the Theatre" seminar on Puppetry and Theatre. This is an hour and a half!
~ ThinkQuest has a great description of the cultural significance of puppets from five different traditions.
~ Hand Puppets 101 by Lani
~ Info about cabaret mechanical theatre
~ How to master the art of puppet theatre, a series of videos by puppeteer Paul Louis.
~ Puppets and Stuff: A Community on the Web for Puppeteers
~ Wallace and Gromit's Create a Puppet Show downloadable kit
~ Shadow Puppets from Orange Moon Toys.
~ A shadow puppetry lesson plan for grades 5-8.
~ For puppet news
~ After I named this entry "Puppetpalooza," I looked that word up to see who was already using it and found this paper puppet instructional book, among others.