Reference

The Figure Makers

The people who built the dummies — 34 makers, 111 photographed figures and 1061 photographs, with the mechanics, materials and dimensions of each object. As far as we can establish, the figures have never been published this way: organized by the hand that made them.

Every maker here carries a written introduction drawn from the documents — who they were, when they worked, what distinguishes the mechanics, and who trained whom. Where the record holds only the objects, the page says so rather than inventing a life.

Best documented

Where the record runs deepest.

Frank Marshall 408 photographs · 46 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)
Len Insull 82 photographs · 5 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)
Ken Spencer 76 photographs · 8 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)
Theodore Mack & Son 62 photographs · 8 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)
Brian Hamilton 41 photographs · 4 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)
Brant Gilmer 39 photographs · 3 figures Photo: Dan Willinger / Ventriloquist Central (ventriloquistcentral.com)

All makers

Alphabetical by surname.

Makers who also performed

These figure makers were working ventriloquists too. Their full dossiers live in the performer directory.

In the register, not yet in the gallery

These makers appear in the figure register with cataloged objects but no photograph we can publish. The register is ahead of the gallery, and will stay that way until more images are recovered or supplied.

Dennis Alwood · Bill Anderson · John Arvites · Steve Axtell · Steve Barry · Jerry Baum · Mark Behrens · Bill Boley · Walt Botley · Scott Brekken · Mike Brooks · Mike Brose · William Kirk Brown · Don Bryan · Glenn Cargyle · Roger Carrol · Ron Cataldo · Bev Cipperly · Greg Claassen · Effanbee Co. · Jack Coates · Tim Cowles · Fred Crawford · Charles Cristadoro · Kenny Croes · N. Cruz · Virginia Austin Curtis · Tony Davies · Chris Donahoe · Bill Dozier · Jeff Duckworth · Lee Dunn · Jimmy Eisenberg · Tyler Ellis · Alan Ende · Chuck Fields · Howard Fink · Verna Finley · Michael Fisher · Mark Garrett · Isidoro Golman · Barry Gordemer · Barbara Guyll · Dennis Hall · Lawrence Harris · Philip Hatter · Doug Higley · Victoria Hilsden · Harold Hines · Bill Hume · Henry Hunter · Leonard Insull · Chuck Jackson · Len James · Mark Jones · Len Insull Jr. · Israel Juarez · Steve Kilgore · Gizmo Labs · Walter Lambert · Joe LaPenna · George Pinxy Larsen · Jerry Layne · Joel Leder · Peter Leger · Dan Leighly · Craig Lovik · Keith Lovik · Charlie Mack · Theodore Mack · Arthur Martello · Rick Martin · George McAthy · Robert McRay · Marcelo Melison · Steve Meltzer · Masatoshi Mizguchi · Bob Munstedt · Bob Neller · Phil Nichols · Deloris Nitz · Howard Olsen · Rey Ortega · Mike Palma · Frank Paris · John Parisi · Cecil Parkee · Puppet Partners · Darrell Patt · John Wayne Peel · Revello Petee · Austin Phillips · Greg Pierce · Chuck Poole · Kem Poyner · Rick Price · Dave Privett · Arthur Quisto · Glen Rappold · Gary Reuter · Cindy Reynolds · Eric Riggs · Finis Robinson · Al Rosson · Norman Schneider · Tim Selberg · William Henry James Shaw · Rod Smith · Billy Sobe · Ken Souza · Aaron Steinman · Al Stevens · Martin Stevens · James Tattersall · Mary Ann Taylor · Jacques Thijs · Darrell Trammell · Bob Wallace · Sean Webb · Dick Weston · Dick White · Kirk Wickizer · Colin Williams · Trevor Wilson · Chance Wolf · Edmud Wostkowski · James Yonkman