I have been working hard on finishing a design for the puppet’s Zazzle store. So far I have created a series of six mugs depicting individual puppets. The “Embrace Diversity” series needs to germinate a little longer. Last night I showed the design of the mug to the puppets for sign-off, but they were all very quiet. Devil, the spokesperson, shed light on the situation. He said some of them had aired their concern, saying a Zazzle store devalues their standing as artworks and they are currently discussing the pros and cons amongst themselves. So they would like to postpone the first products for a little bit. This burst my bubble and I know when we slow down now it will never happen. Just like the Procrastinator puppet who is supposed to have been created with the first lot.
Of course most of the puppets agree they have to contribute to the household kitty. Only a few believe the whole thing is silly and play the artwork card. They are artworks for art sake! Unfortunately, as is most often the case, the few that disagree are the most vocal ones.
I asked them what they came up with in their one week of retreat and they looked sheepishly to one side. So I guess there was nothing workable.
“It is always so easy to be against things,” I said very frustrated, “but coming up with a constructive idea is a totally different story.”
I took my proofsheet and a pen and asked all the puppets depicted on the mugs to sign a model-release form. So it is all water-tight and I will put their mugs up today.
dedepuppets 
Do professional athletes feel devalued when they sell their images on products or sell replicas of their jerseys? Perhaps you could start only with the Dedes that want to participate. If the store is done carefully and becomes successful it may change the way the public perceives individual characters. Sometimes being an artwork can be a limiting proposition.
You are right. After all the Dedes are sharing their life already with the public in their blog. It just takes on a totally new dimension and it is always daunting when a new direction is explored.
One of the most vocal ones against the scheme is Pavlova, but thinking about it, there might be another issue here. She is not a beauty – who would like to have a rat on their coffee mug :). She might feel sidelined again.