Now I’m no puppeteer, but that didn’t stop me from building a 40ft alien puppet.
A few years back I saw some huge rolls of silver mylar at a local art supply store and was inspired.
(napkin rendering)
For the next year I kept experimenting, trying to find a workable adhesive (black automotive gasket sealant) while designing and cobbling together what I could. Eventually I crashed Boston’s New Years Eve celebration, First Night, with my inflatable friend.
(The black bar is not the alien’s yoke. It’s an unfortunate juxtaposition of the walkway’s railing behind him.)
He was awesome. He stood a third taller than any other puppet. Random kids came up and hugged his legs (that were attached to mine, making him walk). An ice pyramid installation shot laser beams that my alien could deflect with any part of his silver body (coolest was his pointer finger). And diners in the Four Seasons Hotel’s second story restaurant had their expensive meals briefly interrupted by a large pair of shiny black almond shaped eyes staring at them.
He only lasted about 3 hours before stress fractures caused too many leaks for him to go on, but a grand 3 hours it was!