Gerald Teeth Sr. from Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem

David Bizzaro, a puppeteer who’s worked with Sesame Workshop (winning a Daytime Emmy) and The Jim Henson Company, believes the kids TV industry can learn a lot from puppetry because it offers something that animation doesn’t—characters kids can touch.

With the success of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Netflix series Waffles + Mochi (Bizzaro brought the puppet Mochi to life), the May release of new Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem (which Bizzaro stars in as Gerald Teeth Sr.) and the launch of a new full-service puppetry studio called Simple Mischief last month to help kids producers bring these characters and techniques into their projects, puppets are having something of a moment in the industry right now. 

Bizzaro is currently developing a new puppet-led TV concept with former Blue’s Clues host Steve Burns that promotes music literacy and includes some animation, as well as using puppets he’s made to promote the launch of his new Bizzaro Clothing line this month.

Kidscreen caught up with this busy puppeteer to talk about the value and inherent challenges of his craft, and why puppets will never go out of style. 

KS: Why do kids like puppets?

DB: Because kids want to connect with something they know they can touch. Even if they don’t fully understand the fabric they’re touching, their brain tells them that it’s something real. They believe the character is alive even when they can see that there’s a person [behind it], animating it in a way that a computer never could. And I see the same reaction with adults. They start talking to the puppet and ignore me. That’s really the power of this art.

KS: What challenges do puppeteers face today?

DB: When we perform on camera, the puppeteers are below the frame, and sometimes we can’t shoot on a set where we can elevate the puppets. And so a puppeteer has to squeeze his body down and find a way to get under the frame. 

When Jim Henson was alive, puppetry and practical effects were pretty common and typical in filmmaking. Productions had a pretty good sense of how to work with puppeteers. Since his passing, there are no longer so many productions that use mainly puppets or practical effects. Every time we work on a production, if it’s not Disney or The Jim Henson Company, we have to teach the production how to work with us.

KS: Do you think puppets are still in fashion?

DB: I think so, yes. They used to be more famous because many producers got into the industry thinking it would be easy. But then they started to face various obstacles—many companies didn’t take into account the budget to make the puppets and didn’t know what it was like to build a set for a show, with [room] for the puppeteers. 

Bizzaro is developing a new puppet-led TV concept with former Blue’s Clues host Steve Burns.

KS: How do you see the puppet industry developing in the future?

DB: My hope is that productions will really rely a lot more on the new puppeteers that are coming [into the industry] so they can create new and fresh content. Also, I wish all companies would see why puppets keep working. Puppets are unique, and they don’t have to be monotonous; there are many ways to perform or create a puppet, or tell a story with puppets. They are telling stories in a universal way [through movement, and their voices are easily dubbed].

Looking ahead, I don’t think puppets will be forgotten because one great thing about them is that they cross the boundary between kids and adults and appeal to a co-viewing audience.

KS: Could you tell me what you’ve learned about making good puppet content?

DB: To get into the puppet industry, you have to self-produce and show what you are working on. I’ve had clients find me thanks to my Instagram—Waffles and Mochi (Netflix), for example. They saw that I was creating my own puppet material and approaching it in a way that they wanted to pursue.

KS: What makes a puppeteer great?

DB: It’s not entirely the technique. If you watch a lot of the early Muppets shows, the technique isn’t quite there. What’s there are the characters, the story and the acting. Jim Henson would say, “We are actors from the elbow up.” And to become a better, more successful puppeteer, you have to focus on the character and the performance.

We’re looking for interesting people in the industry working on new projects for Kidscreen Daily’s In Conversation series. If you know someone who’d be a good fit, please reach out to Andrea Hernandez at ahernandez@brunico.com.