While there's TECHNICALLY still a few hours left in the year I will be doing absolutely nothing until Monday (Audrey said that was okay...)
More soon (I promise!)
Avery
Saturday, December 31, 2022
The Creations of 2022
Here's ALMOST all of the Puppets, Props, and Costume Pieces we built in 2022 for artists and performers in 12 US States and 3 Countries around the world!
Keep an eye out for LOTS more characters and creatures coming your way in 2023!
More soon,
Avery
Last New Video of the Year!
It's almost impossible for me to get videos out at the end of the year, so here's a little something until I can get myself back on schedule!
More soon!
Thursday, December 8, 2022
About Last Week...
Being a part of 'The Nutcracker' with Lafayette Center for Dance is one of our favorite Christmas-time traditions (three years running!) and this year's show was definitely the most fun I've had so far!
It's very inspiring to be in the midst of such a dedicated group of artists, and (as tired as I am) I'm grateful I got to play a small part again.
More soon,
Avery
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Friday, November 18, 2022
'Disenchanted' Review
It took 15 years, but the magic of Andalasia is FINALLY back in our world, thanks to 'Disenchanted', now streaming on Disney+!
Most of the original 'Enchanted' cast returns; led by McDreamy... er, Patrick Dempsey as Robert and Amy Adams as Giselle (who, full disclosure, was (and still is) one to my first big celebrity crushes, and is probably the reason I married my own Princess...)
'Disenchanted' also sees the return of a Princesses' best friend, Pip, this time voiced by Griffin Newman (replacing Jeff Bennett from the first film); and the relatively unknown Gabriella Baldacchino who replaces Rachel Covey as Morgan and does a wonderful job playing all that this movie asks of her.
We also get a visit from the King and Queen of Andalasia, Edward (James Marsden) and Idina Menzel's Nancy (and she finally gets to sing!) who's appearances are MUCH less significant than the previous film, but I'll take ANYTHING I can get from those two.
When it comes to new characters, it doesn't get much badder than Malvina (Maya Rudolph) and her lackeys (Jayma Mays & Yvette Nicole Brown) who channel Snow White's Evil Queen and Cinderella's Stepsisters, and play the (easily stale) Fairy-Tale stereotypes with a lot of giggles along the way.
Add in cameos from Broadway's 'Genie' James Monroe Inglehart, 'The Office's' Oscar Nunez, and Disney Animation's lucky charm; Alan Tudyk (who voices a Magic Scroll, who's design and animation I'm currently obsessed with...) and this movie is set for nothing but success!
Add in cameos from Broadway's 'Genie' James Monroe Inglehart, 'The Office's' Oscar Nunez, and Disney Animation's lucky charm; Alan Tudyk (who voices a Magic Scroll, who's design and animation I'm currently obsessed with...) and this movie is set for nothing but success!
The biggest gift this movie gives us has to be the new music from Disney Legends Alan Menken ('The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast') and Stephen Schwartz ('Wicked'). Though the songs aren't quite the ear-worms from the first film, they are certainly worthy Disney tunes and will be on repeat a lot over here for the rest of the year...
It's not all perfect... The CG can be a little "Video-Gamey", I had some problems with the editing, and I saw a few timing issues in the 2-D animation; but that didn't stop me from crying happy tears many times throughout.
Even if it's not perfect, I really liked this movie, man...
More soon,
Avery
Friday, November 4, 2022
Practice Puppet on eBay!
The perfect gift for an aspiring Puppeteer!
Now in my eBay store!
More soon!
Avery
Dracula on eBay!
Halloween is over but there's still a few creatures lurking around here...
Now in my eBay store!
More soon!
Avery
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Halloween Goodness!
Audrey worked herself silly (Dopey?) on this year's Halloween costumes (and was awake for around 30 hours to get everything done...) With the exception of her wig and our shoes, everything you see here was made by her very talented hands (and very little help from me, I'm afraid...)
I was finally able to edit some of our photos and I'm sure we'll both be sharing more shortly!
More soon!
Avery
Monday, October 24, 2022
Goosebumps Throwback: UNICEF
Here's another Goosebumps Movie goodie from the past:
In 2017 I (well, Slappy...) was asked to participate in the annual Trick or Treat for UNICEF promotion. Initially it was only supposed to be a little voiceover work; but it became obvious that it would be best for everyone to have me actually shoot something.
The Slappy puppet was removed from the Sony Archives and shipped across the country to my home where I shot my bits at a local studio (a full Vlog of that adventure is on my YouTube channel!)
I will admit, though, at the time I was blinded by the whirlwind of emails and deadlines that I didn't appreciate how truly awesome it was to be asked to play a small part in the history of UNICEF.
Not only have they been an incredible resource for the last 75 years, but their connection to so many things I love (like Audrey Hepburn and 'Its a Small World' to name only a few...) makes this opportunity all the more special.
I shot A LOT more than what I've seen since the promotion, perhaps the Goosebumps fans out there know where I can find more?
More soon,
More soon,
Avery
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Goosebumps Throwback: Huluween
Going through some old videos and found a few Goosebumps Movie gems to share in the lead-up to Halloween!
Here's one in a series of ads we shot for Hulu while promoting 'Haunted Halloween' in NYC.
This was one heck of a day... And yes, the cake was REAL!
More to come...
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Friday, October 7, 2022
Friday, September 23, 2022
Double A Podcast
We're trying something new!
Our first episode is live now on my YouTube channel, with the audio-only version coming soon to all Podcast platforms!
More soon!
Avery
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Monday, September 12, 2022
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cars: On the Road Review!
'Cars: On the Road' is one of many new releases for Disney+ Day, celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the streaming service.
I'll have more to say on other releases in the near future, but let's start small:
The show has a fairly simple set-up, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Lightning McQueen (a returning Owen Wilson) leave Radiator Springs to travel crosscountry to attend Mater's sister's (?!?) wedding. Hilarity ensues; and we get some sweet moments between the two besties in all of Carburetor County.
The 9-episode series, which essentially serves as a truncated Cars 4, is full of fun new characters, beautiful animation, but did sometimes feel rushed. In the end I found myself wanting either a few more episodes or for the episodes to be a BIT longer...
I'm always happy to revisit Radiator Springs, and, while I thoroughly enjoyed the series, I was left with questions about the complex workings of the Cars Universe:
What does a car's soul look like?
Who's driving?
And how can a car have a ghost?
Or how cars could have evolved from the dinosaurs but have also evolved in the styles and manufacturing of our world?
Dadgum, I probably shouldn't think too hard about it...
More soon,
Avery
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Audrey Made Elizabeth Swann's Dress!
Check out Audrey's latest costume-making vlog!
I took WAY to long in editing because I don't understand what she's talking about most of the time...
We're both working hard to put out more videos like this in the near future!
Keep an eye out!
Avery
Disneyland's Engineer Mickey Unboxing!
I'M BACK!
New videos coming your way every Monday!
New videos coming your way every Monday!
More soon,
Avery
Saturday, September 3, 2022
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
My Night in Theatre HECK!
Facebook Memories can be a blessing and a curse, and I was recently reminded of a happening I've not spoken about (publicly, at least...) that I feel the need to share.
As I type I don't know if I'll even publish this, but I'll still write it up nonetheless.
Maybe it will be therapeutic?
I will not be dropping any names, but for context I should let you know that this story takes place at a local Community Theatre; a place where I spent my High School years (and then some) on stage and off. Where I would say a bulk of my early theatrical education and training took place.
I learned a LOT from the people and the productions with this group, and still hold the memories made there with much reverence and love.
With that being said, 6 years ago I was invited to a performance at said community theatre, and that's where this story starts:
I had several old friends in this show, as well as some new friends I had recently met as part of my new relationship with Audrey.
I was NOT aware however, that my abusive ex (whom I had broken up with more than 6 months prior) was a part of the show until it was too late to get myself out of the situation.
And. I. Was. Terrified.
For hours leading up the show I was paranoid, shaking, and probably not a lot of fun to be around...
BUT I was surrounded by friends so I convinced myself I would be able to get through it...
Audrey and I had dinner, slipped into the theatre right as the lights were going down, and made it through Act 1 unscathed.
During my intermission bathroom break, though, I was told (through text) that my ex was walking the theatre looking for me, and was warned to stay in the restroom until the cost was clear.
Because of this, I was a WRECK through Act 2; and as the show was coming to a close, we decided to make an early exit to prevent an unwanted encounter at the post-show meet and greet.
In the parking lot we were approached by two strangers (who Audrey and I have since nicknamed "The Goons"). They were Ex's friends, and told me that they "knew I was there to see her" (how I was able to convince my new girlfriend to help me stalk my ex-girlfriend, is beyond me...)
I was told to "leave her alone" and that I was not welcome at the theatre anymore.
I sputtered some sort of response, and got into my car shaken and angry.
We let our friends who were still inside know what happened, and the head of theatre (who I'd known for MANY years) called to apologize a few days later.
Shortly after I was offered an olive branch, and was asked to build some puppets for an upcoming show. BUT when the aforementioned Ex found out, she started spreading rumors amongst the theatre about MY abuse and how I'd recently vandalized her mother's car.
I was removed from the project and haven't been back since.
On one hand I'm glad that a theatre I called home will listen when women speak about abuse, but on the other it feels very cold to have people who'd known me since I was 15 suddenly sever all connections without trying to get all of the information.
Maybe one day I'll be able to go back, but as of today I still have a bad taste in my mouth... even six years later.
More soon,
Avery
Monday, August 22, 2022
Goosbumps Throwback: Freeform
In honor of our local Spirit Halloween opening for the season, here's a throwback to when Goosebumps Movie took over Spirit Halloween in Brooklyn with Madison Iseman for Freeform with Dominic Sherwood & Kat McNamara!
We shot overnight in a functioning Spirit Halloween store in the corpse of a recently closed Toys-R-Us.
If memory serves, we shot a few more bits with Slappy, but those either got cut or were put into another interstitial I can't find online.
Happy (early) Spooky Season, friends!
More to come soon...
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Friday, July 22, 2022
I Went to Comic Con with Jack Black!
This week's new video is a throwback to EIGHT YEARS AGO and the craziest weekend of my life!
More soon,
Avery
Monday, July 18, 2022
Baymax! Review
Between 'Obi Wan' and 'Ms. Marvel', this one snuck up on me, so I'm more than a little behind in watching...
Even though I haven't watched much of Disney Channel's 'Big Hero 6' series, I expected this to be something similar:
A 2-D episodic with no REAL over-arching story, as Baymax stumbles his way into helping a collection of one-off characters we'd never see again.
To be fair, I would have watched it either way; but I was happy to be proven wrong with a beautiful, film-quality, 3-D animated story revisiting San Fransokyo and Disney's most universally adored character since Stitch.
Scott Adsit, Maya Rudolph, and Ryan Potter return to voice their characters from the film, along with a handful of new friends that more than make up for the absence of two-thirds of the Big Hero 6 (where are they anyway?)...
There were several things that surprised me in this series, things that I haven't seen a SINGLE angry blog post about (maybe the internet tired itself out with 'Turning Red' and 'Lightyear'?)
No spoilers here, but kudos to Disney for not dialing back after previous "controversies" earlier this year.
With six 12-minute episodes, it's a quick watch, and worth your time.
I am more than satisfied with my care.
More soon!
Avery
Friday, July 15, 2022
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Showtime with Emmet & Eloise
During the 2020 lockdowns Audrey and I produced a Theatre-Ed series for our the socially-distant students of our local theatre.
I've just posted all of the episodes on my YT channel, click the video above to take you to the full playlist!
I've just posted all of the episodes on my YT channel, click the video above to take you to the full playlist!
We still have plans to cover even more in this series, so I hope we haven't seen the last of Emmet & Eloise!
Check it out if you like!
More soon,
Avery
Friday, June 24, 2022
Monday, June 20, 2022
'Lightyear' Review
I wasn't going to write much more than an "I Loved It", for this one... but as I'm still typing an hour later, I guess I had some feelings:
The internet seems very confused about what this movie is or what this movie should be...
It's the movie Andy saw in 1995 that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday.
It's the movie the 2000s animated prequel series 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command' was spun-off from.
'Lightyear' is Andy's 'A New Hope'; and it does a wonderful job of being just that.
If Toy Story 4 is the ending of Woody's story, it's only fitting to finally see the beginning of Buzz's...
But don't go in expecting 'Toy Story' references; Andy and Woody don't appear, and it's much better for the movie that they don't.
If you're familiar with the 'Toy Story' movies you'll recognize the many "mirrored" shots of previous Buzz moments from the franchise, but aside from a few repeated lines of dialogue there's not much connection to previous films.
Chris Evans is a fantastic Buzz, there's some heavy acting here that I'm not sure Tim Allen's Lightyear could have pulled off, so having Evans in the role was an excellent choice.
The other characters are fun to spend time with; Izzy (Keke Palmer), Sox (Peter Sohn), Mo (Taika Waititi), and Darby (Dale Soules) illustrate once again that Pixar does ensembles better than anyone.
The internet has created all kinds of drama around this movie, and though that might have hurt attendance on opening weekend, I don't think that will last long, especially when it moves over to Disney+ in a few months...
Interpret any way you want of course, but despite what Twitter would have you believe: this movie is not political, it's not "woke"...
It's the movie that a six-year-old fell in love with 26 years ago, that we all FINALLY get to fall in love with now.
To Infinity.
More soon,
Avery
Friday, June 17, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
Prehistoric Primate
Happy Friday!
It's been SO LONG since I've made a sketch on the channel, and I'm happy to be back at it!
Enjoy!
More soon,
Avery
Friday, June 3, 2022
Avengers Assemble! | DCA 2021
ONE LAST re-edit/re-upload from last year's cross-country visit to Disney! I was sick and rushed to get the video out right after the trip, but wasn't terribly pleased with my work...
So here's the FINAL version (one I'm actually happy with) this time with a bit more silliness and fun from the park!
Back to our regularly scheduled program soon-ish, stay tuned!
Avery
Saturday, May 21, 2022
'Rescue Rangers' Review
'Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers', now streaming exclusively on Disney+, is like a Thanksgiving feast for animation fans.
It's a modern-day 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', with toons, humans, and puppets living together in a world that isn't what it seems on the surface...
The film, directed by The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer, is in no way a reboot of the 90s series, but instead the "real-life" story of how Chip (John Mulaney) met Dale (Andy Samberg) and tells (briefly) of their rise to stardom and their relationship years after the series ended.
It feels odd to hear such distinct celebrity voices from iconic Disney characters, and I was EVENTUALLY able to separate the character from the voice, but it did take a while...
The rest of the Rescue Rangers are here, too: Gadget (Tress McNeille; the only OG voice returning), Monty (Eric Bana), and Zipper (Dennis "The Allstate Guy" Haysbert) but their appearances are definitely less significant than the leading 'munks.
Other character voices include the likes of J.K. Simmons, Flula Borg, Paula Abdul, Seth Rogan, and many more.
From a technical standpoint this film is a HUGE undertaking (and I'm sure a logistical nightmare for Disney's licensing department...) References and cameos abound (Doug Funnie?!) I'm sure I missed plenty in the the HUNDREDS of characters hidden in the background, so I'm already planning a second viewing purely for Easter Egg hunting...
I had a few small issues with the film, but they weren't enough to prevent me from enjoying the movie; through it all it's clearly an love letter to my era of animation, made for fans by fans.
Ch-Ch-Check it out!
Friday, April 15, 2022
Friday, April 8, 2022
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Inside the Disney Archives | Memphis TN Vlog!
Another re-upload/re-edit because I just wasn't happy with the previous version(s)...
Enjoy!
More soon,
Avery
Disneyland Vlog! | November 2021
This is pretty much a re-upload of a previous Vlog, but not really...
I wasn't totally pleased with the edit the first time around so I made a handful of changes and I'm uploading once again.
At last, my inner perfectionist can finally rest easy!
More soon,
Avery
Saturday, April 2, 2022
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Turning Red Review!
LONG (AND OVERDUE) POST ALERT:
Not even Post-Booster sickness could keep me from a new Pixar movie; we were up early (or late, depending on how messed up YOUR sleep schedule is...) and pressed play at 3 AM when 'Turning Red' was released exclusively on Disney+!
In short, I thoroughly and completely enjoyed the movie; the story feels unique, the character designs are super interesting, and the 2000s nostalgia hit all the right notes. You'll hear no complaints out of me, other than my missing John Ratzenberger's usual Pixar cameo...
But of course, the internet has cooked up a controversy, deeming this movie "inappropriate" for Pixar's usual audience, claiming this female coming-of-age story is "too mature" for DARING to mention puberty...
But despite what you may have read, and other than a few BRIEF (and usually comedic) references, 'Turning Red' is no more explicitly "about periods" than it is about a Tamagotchi.
On the surface 'Turning Red' is a story about a quirky group of 13-year-olds, one who can transform into a giant red panda, and her relationship with her mom. There are themes of community and breaking generational trauma, but VERY little of that has to do with menstruation.
That is, of course, open to individual interpretation... Members of the LGBTQ+ community identified with 'Luca', despite the director basing the story on his own childhood, with no intention of making it a queer story. And one doesn't invalidate the other, stories are what we make them.
I am, unfortunately, a man; so there are subtleties to Mei's story that I may not be privy to, but there's nothing inherently "girly" about this movie.
As much as I love sequels and revisiting old Pixar friends, this recent batch of original stories from the studio have been special, and with 'Lightyear' coming this summer (which somehow checks both boxes) as far as I'm concerned Pixar can do no wrong, and their 27-year success streak continues with 'Turning Red'.
Period.
Saturday, March 5, 2022
The Cuphead Show Review!
I'm NEARLY a month late, but I was finally able to sit down and drink in all of Netflix's highly anticipated 'The Cuphead Show!' based on the video game created by Chad and Jared Moldenhauer.
The series, developed by Dave Wasson (who also developed Disney's current quirky incarnation of Mickey Mouse shorts) follows Cuphead (voiced by Tru Valentino) and Mugman (Frank Todaro) and their adventures of Inkwell Isle along with a cast of other unique characters, like the charming King Dice (Wayne Brady), the adorable Ms. Chalice (Grey Delise) and the Devil himself (Luke Millington-Drake) to name a few...
I was pleasantly surprised by the series' originally, it could have easily borrowed more heavily from the game, with each episode centering around each level and its villains, but the series exists in a very full, developed world, inhabited by all the game's characters, and I'm sure we'll meet them all when the time is right.
The art and comedy style of this series is right up my alley, strongly inspired by Max Fleisher and Disney shorts of the 20s and 30s, with sequences set to classical music (a la Silly Symphonies) and fun original tunes sprinkled throughout. Pair that with the (relatively) unknown voice cast, making sure the series doesn't sound like anything you've heard before.
There was clearly a lot of love and talent put into this series, the hand-painted backgrounds are beautiful and really make the goofy "rubber-hose" animation feel like something from the Golden Age of animation that we somehow all missed.
My only compliant is having to wait for a Season 2...
Friday, February 18, 2022
Pool, T-Ball, and EVEN More Dumb Criminals | Driving Me Crazy Podcast #12
A brand new episode of the Driving Me Crazy podcast is live!
We're still not back on our usual schedule, but it's a start!
Available at the link above or wherever you get your podcasts!
More soon!
Avery
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Goosebumps 2 Vlog REUPLOAD
An updated and complete "Director's Cut" version of my 'Goosebumps 2' Vlogs from my time working on the movie in 2018!
Documenting the entire film-making process, from my first meeting to the DVD release!
More soon!
Avery
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Friday, January 21, 2022
Back to the Rock Review!
I won't take to much of your time with this one, because clearly I was onboard since this was announced...
After MANY years of will they/won't they and news of possible movies and reboots, Apple TV and The Jim Henson Company have successfully brought back one of the happiest shows ever produced!
While it is a "reboot", there's not a whole lot that has changed in the Rock, why fix what isn't broken? The puppets are BEAUTIFUL and wonderfully performed by both new and original cast members.
The music is a lovely mix of Fraggles classics and new songs that sit perfectly alongside the originals.
The ONLY "negative" (and that's probably too strong of a word) is the fact that Dave Goelz's characters were puppeteered by another performer and dubbed in post (I assume because of COVID?) but you can feel that something is a little "off", which is kind of a bummer...
But if that's the ONLY thing that didn't sit well with me, I'll happily let it go.
I am SO happy that this show exists.
What a perfect love letter to the original series, while staying relevant and keeping these characters alive in a world where kids need Fraggles more than ever.
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Saturday, January 1, 2022
2021
2021 was a tough one for me (even more than 2020, if I'm honest...) but I'm grateful for all of the people (and the others not in this pic) who shared some of their days with me.
More soon!
Avery
Big Heater Workshop in 2021
Many thanks to everyone who gave one of our characters a home in 2021
This year we created nearly 100 puppets for performers in 19 US states and 4 countries!
See you in the New Year!
Encanto Movie Review!
Maybe I'm a bit late on this one, since the film dropped in theaters over Thanksgiving weekend... but now that Disney+ has given us all the gift of 'Encanto', it's worth talking about.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one, the trailers were expertly designed to sell the world without giving away any story; so there were moments along the way where I had no idea where the movie was going next, and that was legitimately exciting to me.
Lin Manuel Miranda has delivered another soundtrack full of instant classics as he flexes his musical muscles in songs of all sorts; with ear-worms, to comedy, to possibly one of Disney's greatest and most heartbreaking love songs (that will make me cry if I even think about it right now...)
The musicality of everything in the world of 'Encanto' feels very theatrical, and I hope that somewhere a stage version of this story and it's music is being discussed...
At the same time, there are so many things that are wonderfully unique to the animation, things that can only be done on screen: like the different art styles and colors for each character's gift, or the genius animation of Casita, using tiles, patterns, and slats to bring out character without even needing a face.
...Gosh, I love that kind of stuff...
The internet has no shortage of breakdowns for all the wonderful little details, that even after watching the movie more than once, I can still find something I've not noticed before.
So, as I wrap up, we're already watching it over again... And you should to.
More soon!
Avery
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