Those of you who have been following this blog will be relieved to hear that Howdy Doody is finished. After I changed the eyes in the first Howdy head I made I constructed a NEW body using the measurements given to me by Alan Semok. I made all his clothes and carved his boots this time using canvas to make the top part. Howdy stands about twenty-eight to thirty inches tall depending on his position when you measure him. I finished Howdy in time for the Vent Haven ConvVENTion in Kentucky this year and took him with me.
I brought him out to show to Alan Semok not realizing the fuss that would be made by others who were seeing their childhood friend in person for the first time. Jay Johnson (SOAP) thought he was great looking as did everyone who came to see him. Bob Abdou (Mister Puppet) couldn’t say enough positive things about Howdy. But the biggest compliments came from Alan Semok who not only said I did a great job with the sculpture but he said I nailed it and that Howdy worked well and was well balanced and functioned as he should.
When I returned home I called my friend David Eaton (one time Bozo the clown) a renowned puppeteer and co-founder of Pinocchio’s Marionette Theatre and asked him to set up a meeting so Pady Blackwood could give me his opinion. He set it up for the next day! And last night Pady was thrilled and impressed with my Howdy and I was thrilled and awed in return when he sat and told me stories about Buffalo Bob Smith and Lew Anderson (Clairabell the Clown).
I brought him out to show to Alan Semok not realizing the fuss that would be made by others who were seeing their childhood friend in person for the first time. Jay Johnson (SOAP) thought he was great looking as did everyone who came to see him. Bob Abdou (Mister Puppet) couldn’t say enough positive things about Howdy. But the biggest compliments came from Alan Semok who not only said I did a great job with the sculpture but he said I nailed it and that Howdy worked well and was well balanced and functioned as he should.
When I returned home I called my friend David Eaton (one time Bozo the clown) a renowned puppeteer and co-founder of Pinocchio’s Marionette Theatre and asked him to set up a meeting so Pady Blackwood could give me his opinion. He set it up for the next day! And last night Pady was thrilled and impressed with my Howdy and I was thrilled and awed in return when he sat and told me stories about Buffalo Bob Smith and Lew Anderson (Clairabell the Clown).
This is a photo of my Howdy and Alan Semok, Howdy Doody’s official personal physician.
These are pictures of my Howdy with Pady Blackwood, Howdy’s official puppeteer from when the show was revised in the 1970’s.
