Part one - A cast of hundreds….
Most of my videos rely on action figures to get the story moving and get the point over to the viewer. Whilst the Penny Mix repertory theatre does actually have a potential cast of hundreds if not over a thousand action figure cast members to call upon, several do seem to get chosen time and time again.
By all accounts a popular and much liked action figure, with comments that people were amazed Love Boat figures even existed. Well, I haven’t ever seen the show, but though this smiling 3 ¾“ chap would fit in well and did only cost just over a pound from a toy fair back in 2007. From his first appearance in 2007 for the SW 30th Anniversary, Isaac has not had an easy run of things.
For a start, most videos see him actually die. In Return Of The Jedi 25th Anniversary Celebration (2008), Isaac gets shot outside Rebel Bunker by Chewbacca and dies. He’s back again for Penny Mix Films and the Crystal Skull Trailer (2008), where he’s unashamedly thrown out of the truck by Indy. In Toyminator : Salvation (2009), Isaac is back as Isaac Reese, time traveller and potential saviour of the world. Unfortunately, Isaac is killed when his Batmobile overturns at the hands of a killer robot. Isaac was also featured in the Bo Pepper video 'Steppin On My Toes'. All in days work for Isaac the action figure. He’ll be back with a smile soon.
From his first appearance in Star Wars : Saturday Night At-At The Movies, our Quarren friend has had a better run of things. He gained a starring role in All I Want For Christmas Is Oola, where he did actually get Oola for Christmas, despite his vehicle braking down and getting a lift from the Imperials. In one of the videos that gained Channel 4’s attention, Squid Head starred in Celebritoy Big Bother parts one and two, where he was a contestant amongst other unlikely guys. For a fleeting cameo, also see his reverse parking skills in Toyminator Salvation. He was again featured in the Bo Pepper video 'Steppin On My Toes'. His latest appearance was in 'Last Squidmas', a recreation of the famous Wham video.
Bo Pepper :-
Originally envisioned to be stop motion again, the Bo Pepper sock puppet was too pretty to be mutilated and so our patented (and Sooty inspired) sock motion animation was born. Basically it meant the puppet was moved in passable manner with the hand just out of sight. From her first appearance in the ‘Buses’ video, the puppet gained a bit of a following over the next year and a half. Bo Pepper was actually created by a lady called Kitty Pinkstars, who made a whole range of Ice Creamie sock puppets, all similar to Bo. 3 actual Bo Peppers were made, the first was often tied to the mic stand during Bo Pepper gigs, the second starred in the videos and the third lived at Safe Management amongst all the left over Hearsay dolls.
A well travelled puppet, Bo (mk2) has travelled most of England, including to Milton Keynes and Blackpool, where she fitted in well with the other stuffed toys being paraded around by people. So much so, that we almost looked normal making ‘Buses’ back in August 2006. Well, as normal as two guys and a sock puppet can be.
