Yesterday the three volunteers and I went into the studio. And, boy, did we have fun! The images I had envisaged are simple clear cut full body shots of the individual puppets. They bring out their character and can be understood without the background knowledge of the book or the blog. The three characters I dealt with yesterday couldn’t be more different. I took the images separately and what you see above is a composite.
I started off with Mouse. She is a cute little thing and yesterday came across as a little needy and, dare I say it, childish. While I was taking the images I was thinking about what kind of short caption would go with each of them. Mouse on the right definitely wants to have a hug. That is so her.
The second one was Alien. He is such a showman and a perfect model. No matter how he posed he always radiated enjoyment and fun. Below is a composite of just a few of his images. He is so cool and his smile is simply infectious. I can tell you it is so much easier to work with someone who is plain fun. (I don’t know how reliable he is though. But as a model he did a fantastic job!)
The last one was Devil. He is – as you certainly all know by now – one of my favourites. But he turned out to be a grumpy old fart in the studio. I just couldn’t tickle a smile out of him yesterday. Maybe he was a little envious because he had just watched me having so much fun with Alien, who is such a natural. But Devil shouldn’t be worried. I appreciate him for his own values and in particular his honesty. On the other hand I can’t take Alien seriously at all. And anyway, in the very beginning when I created Devil, I fell in love with him and wanted to print his face on a hoodie for winter. New Zealand isn’t terribly cold in winter (except the houses, because most of them are poorly insulated). Outside you won’t need a heavy coat. You get away with a sweatshirt with a hood to keep the wind off your ears, particularly when you are out walking.
I don’t know what got into Devil yesterday. I said to him he should look straight at me but he couldn’t even manage that. He argued a lot and always looked past me. Maybe it is not such a good idea to try and direct a devil on how he should pose. I will take him into the studio again today and hope he is in a better mood and just let him be himself.
In the end I asked Alien to get together with Devil for one last image. I thought he might be a good influence and cheer him up. It didn’t work, but I still love this image. I immediately thought of a caption for it: “Embrace Diversity”.
This caption is the essence of the Dedes. And for me this image says it all. So, if Devil doesn’t shape up today, this might be the one I will print on my hoody!
I woke up this morning with the thought of expanding on the idea of “Embrace Diversity”. There are a few pairings that wouldn’t speak to each other in real life. A prime example would be Rob D Light, the robber and Bobby the policeman. Or Mouse and Push Push, the elephant. Even Professor and Pig, the poster boys of the Dedes, are an unusual couple.
Once again, I will just tell them that this is what we are going to do. I am not fluffing about anymore. I have to show better leadership skills here. No more discussing things until the cows come home…
I got a request via facebook yesterday. The question was whether I could set up the Alien mug so that one can print their own name on it. I looked into it last night and yes, it is possible. So I will set this up later today. Thank you for the suggestion. I think this is a brilliant idea… if your name is on the Alien mug and you take it to the office, it certainly won’t disapear :).
Phew, I hope you enjoyed this little insight on how we work. We have heaps to do today and I better get on with it! 
The last image is of Mouse who never loses faith in the Dedes. She is a strong believer we are winners. Thanks Mouse!
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