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The search continues

June 4, 2016 //
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First things first. In the picture above you see the Super Dede Competition management team . From left to right: Detail, Mouse and Devil. You don’t see Detail very often in a picture. She is very particular about her appearance and rarely approves a photo of herself. She is the only Dede featuring straight lines and she finds her eyes too dark for her light complexion. Ah well, she certainly won’t take part in the competition. This might be another reason why she happily volunteered to canvas for contestants.

The nicely dressed lady in the front is the director of the theatre where the competition takes place. She considered herself pretty enough to take part in the Super Dede Competition. When she auditioned the management team informed her the competition is strictly for Dedes only. Of course she is invited to participate with comments and suggestions like the rest of the audience and the readers. She was a little miffed, but still went off to reserve herself a seat in the front row. She just loves the theatre so much.

Yesterday, our reader Jessie suggested some puppets that would make an interesting addition to the cast. I gave the list to Detail and she diligently went off to talk to the nominated puppets individually and asked them if they were willing to be put on the list. (Remember, being on the list doesn’t mean they will actually partake in the competition. In the first week the readers will whittle down the list of 10 suggestions to 5 final contestants.)

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From left to right: Granddad Max, Twofaced, Philosopher (lying down) and Deutsch Fraulein.

First up, Detail asked Twofaced if she wants to be a contestant. Her response was “Mhm, not sure.” Detail said “Okay then, I take it that’s a no” and crossed her of the list. Then she went on to ask Granddad Max. Granddad Max said “Mhm, not sure.” Detail nudged him with her ellbow and said “C’mon, don’t you feel flattered that someone put your name forward? And it would be great to have the perspective of an older member of society in the competition!” Granddad Max still said “Mhm not sure” but Detail put him on the list and promised if she had more than 10 applicants she would ask him again.

Next on Detail’s list was Deutsch Fraulein. “If you asked me to be a contestant on the “bachelorette” I would jump at the opportunity” the girl said arrogantly. “The Super Dede Competition, sorry, is not my thing.” Detail shook her head, crossed her off and moved on to Philosopher. Here she faced a dilemma. On the one hand she didn’t want bother this puppet as she knew what he would say. On the other hand she didn’t want to disappoint Jessie, who had put him forward. In the end she took a deep breath and asked. Sure enough, he waived the question aside. “Don’t bother me with that silly competition but I don’t want to spoil it for you guys so just leave me out of it.”

Detail was exhausted. All this hard work and she only has three contestants so far. The competition is supposed to start next Monday. Dear, oh dear!  There were two more puppets suggested by Jessie. One is called Patience. Patience is the one that got lost in the process, never to been seen again. But  Detail is not giving up. She couldn’t find the wannabe artist Sunny either, but he must be around somewhere. So there are still two maybe’s. Good luck, Detail.

And remember you still can get the free ebook of the previous Super Dede Competition from smashwords.com until tomorrow. Enter the code VV39S to get the ebook with a 100% discount.

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Categories Absurd, Art, Books, Comedy, Competition, contest, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Promotion, Relationships, Social Network

Rustling up contestants

June 3, 2016 //
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Detail is very good at keeping lists and things, so she volunteered to rustle up the contestants again. She is also very conscientious and got to work immediately. She opened the box where all the Dedes hide from the sunlight when they have their days off, and asked who wants to take part in the Super Dede Competition 2016. The one thing she is lacking though is a loud and commanding voice! So no Dede reacted to her question except for Bobby, the policeman. He jumped out of the crowd and placed himself right next to Detail. “Oi”  he shouted with his booming voice, “the lady is talking to you guys!”  All of a sudden everyone looked up.

Detail is not sure if they listened because he has a booming male voice or because he represents authority. To be honest, she doesn’t care, as long as she gets 10 willing Dedes on her list before Monday. So far she has only two: Chambermaid and Snippedy, the clown.

Have a look at the Characters page. Which one would you like to see in the competition?

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Competition, Creative Writing, Fun, Social Network

A new suggestion

May 30, 2016 //
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We had a really tough weekend at the Dede household with lots of crying and desperation. Devil was frustrated. His “Freeday” didn’t turn out as he expected. One of the Instagram readers suspected that it is just another devilish ruse and who knows how much you really have pay for it in the end. The reader made a good point. Devil has no idea how other people perceive him. Of course, he thinks he is the nicest Dede on the planet. We won’t burst his bubble, but it does explain why his generous offer wasn’t taken up in droves. He has kindly extended the offer until the 5th of June 2016. And no, it isn’t a devilish ruse. The book really is free (go to Smashwords.com and enter the code VV39S before you check out to get your free copy).

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One of our followers,  Jessie Martinovic in Australia, downloaded the book and sent us a wonderful message (see comment in the previous post). Thank you so much Jessie for this amazing feedback, it made my day. Unfortunately it was too late to lift Devil’s spirits.  You know how it is, once you are in this downward spiral, you go down, down, down until you hit the ground. So Mouse and Devil, who are usually an excellent team, sat down together and cried their little hearts out. Each of them tried to outdo the other as to who is the poorer puppet. In the end Mouse pointed out that it is dire for them all as I have set up another instagram account called beyond_the_dedes. I won’t tell you what Devil called me on instagram, but I can assure you, he wasn’t the nicest puppet on the planet then :)) I knew very well they won’t like it. They really want to have my full attention. But I can’t help it, I do other stuff as well! At least now we have proper separation.

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Yesterday, the benevolent King had enough of their antics. He looked at the sorry pair and remarked that it doesn’t help anyone when they drown themselves in a sea of snot-drenched hankies. That made them think and when Chambermaid came along this morning to clean up their mess, they listened to her suggestion.

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Once she had picked up all the hankies, Chambermaid dragged a big piece of fabric into the room and suggested they should make a theatre curtain from the material and run another Super Dede Competition. The 2016 version. Devil wasn’t entirely convinced. He knows how much work it is and they would also need support from the readers to make it work. But don’t forget, a minute earlier he was still very depressed, and just putting the idea to the readers is something of a victory for Chambermaid. She of course dreams of becoming a contestant and that could mean “good bye snotty hankies for ever!”

Mouse doesn’t have an opinion. As usual, she just wants to be busy. Faster than you can say boo she got her clipboard out to make notes about how the whole thing could work across two platforms: Instagram and the blog.

So what do you think?

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, Books, Competition, Creative Writing, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Promotion

That’s, how it’s done!

May 26, 2016 //
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Mouse had taken on the promotion of The Super Dede Competition ebook, despite she has no clue about marketing. She did it basically because no-one else held their hand up (as usual), but somehow the book needs to be advertised. She was adamant it had to be an Instagram promotion, as the Dedes seem to be going well there. So she spent a day researching and then jumped onto the computer to create a regram ad with popular Chambermaid as the poster girl. Devil, who used to be the spokes person, poo-pooed her attempt and said  no-one would regram an ad for a book of the value of US$3.99. Most of the Dede followers on Instagram have a particular aesthetic on their site and such a regram ad would stick out like a sore thumb. Mouse was still thinking about an appropriate response, when Harvey, the rabbit came along and said the book should be free anyway. This was too much for Mouse and she had one of her break-downs, that unfortunately happen all too often as she works far too hard.  Devil could see:  Yes, Harvey had a point, but so had Mouse.  The book should be free to our followers, but we cannot do everything for free forever. At this point he volunteered to take over the ebook promotion. After all he used to be the MC for the “Super Dede Competition” and if the book sells it is in his best interest. His solution was to make the ebook free until Saturday, the 28th of May 2016.

So, head over to Smashwords.com and get your free copy. Enter the code VV39S before you check out. 

Of course if you want to support the Dedes feel free to buy the book. If you like the Dedes, tell everyone about it. And if you don’t like it,  keep your mouth shut. :)

“Really!” said Mouse, “isn’t that obvious? Do we have to say that? Oh, …I hate marketing!”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, Book Launch, Books, Comedy, dada, Fun, Promotion, Self-publishing

The struggle continues

May 20, 2016 //
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Yes, the Dedes are back to normal. Unfortunately part of their normality is their struggle for survival. They don’t want to have anything for free, but for some of them it is very difficult. Look, for example, at Rob D Light. He has been looking for a job for ever and lives under a blanket of newspapers. His old one is ripped and he gratefully grabbed the discarded ransom note because it was glued on 120gsm paper. That will be a bit warmer than the thin newsprint in the approaching New Zealand winter.

SuperDedeCompetition_CoverMouse said Cool Cat should do some work to get noticed, but that is easier said than done. Mouse works relentlessly. She is a workaholic to be precise, but does she earn a decent income? No! She has put together the Artist’s Survival Cookbook which is available in print, and just two days ago, she put the latest publication The Super Dede Competition as an ebook on smashwords. The problem is the marketing. Not one Dede is an expert at that.

So, Mouse has taken charge of this now as well. She put the price on US$3.99, which for an ebook might appear a bit dear, but she argued it should be viewed as a donation to the Dedes. They don’t want to have anything for free, though it is obvious they can’t survive on thin air. “Look at it” she said defending her decision. “It is the price of a cup of coffee”. Then she went on to explain where the money is going. $1 from each book goes to Rob D Light and another $1 goes to L’Artiste so he can continue his carefree work. The rest that is not withheld by Smashwords for administration will go to repay debts the Dedes have accumulated in recent years. Originally she wanted to put it in the kitty for a rainy day, but no, it is better to get rid of debts first the others said.

So here we are: click on the image, buy the book, donate to the Dedes and tell all your friends about it. The Dedes will be eternally grateful.

xxx

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Categories Absurd, Art, Book Launch, Books, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Promotion, Relationships, Self-publishing

Issue of equality

May 18, 2016 //
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The Dedes are back to their old antics. The exhibition opening is over, mother’s day with all its warm and fuzzies is over. Remember in my last post I revealed I particularly like the cow, as she has my eyes, and Devil as he was the first puppet. Two of the lesser known Dedes, Magician and Eve L. took issue with the fact that I have favourites and decided to do something about it. Though they didn’t compare notes of what they are going to do and each of them approached the issue from a different angle.

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Eve L. requested some old newspapers and packaging tape and disappeared into the studio rustling about all day. The next day she appeared and announced that she had figured out I obviously liked puppets with horns, therefore she adorned herself with a homemade contraption so I would love her more. Mhm. Interesting! I have to say her sample data was a little too small. She obviously looked at one post only. If she had followed the blog more carefully she would realise that there are plenty of puppets without horns who feature strongly.

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Anyway Cool Cat looked at Eve L and said it is not a good idea to do things only to be loved and accepted. Right she looked pretty silly, didn’t she.

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When Magician had seen the newspaper he had the idea to write a ransom note to the artist (that would be me). His announcement to do this and the proof of taking action (the picture of him fetching the scissors) had the most views on the Dede Instagram site so far. I have to ponder what this is telling me.

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Anyway he demanded equal treatment of all puppets and delivered the note anonymously. Though it didn’t quite work as the hat was a give away.  I was a bit confused. You might know that one of my favourite signs is the saltire (x) as it is very ambiguous. I looked at the note and wondered, if Magician is not able to sign his name or if he sent three kisses with the note.

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Before I could make up my mind, Milky Bar Devil grabbed the note and ripped it up. Remember the last we saw of Milky Bar Devil was when he was ordered to read a big pile of philosophy books. And sure enough, the reading had an impact on him. He said: “Rubbish, you don’t need to treat everyone the same, you should treat everyone fairly, right?”

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In the meantime Cool Cat, who is – just like any other cat – far too proud to join the crowd, asked what one HAS to do to feature in any of the Dedes stories.  Mouse, who happened to walk past just said: “Do some work”

Yes, you see, everything is back to normal.

 

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Life, Relationships

The Dede history

May 12, 2016 //
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I am often asked how the Dede puppets came about and I think now is an appropriate time to tell the story as it was Mother’s Day last Sunday.

Here is the short version of the story:

When I was little, my mother used to tell us kids about a devil hand puppet she once made but left behind when moving house. I never saw the puppet but she talked about it with such passion that in my mind it must have been the most beautiful hand puppet ever. Some decades later I tried to get rid of a rather large pile of newspaper and I was quite surprised when I suddenly had a very strong desire to make a devil hand puppet. My mother and I didn’t have a particularly good relationship and when I started making the puppets I realised I was about the same age my mother was when she told me about her puppet. Anyway, the devil turned out beautifully – even if I do say so myself – and I continued making more. Within a week I had a cast of fifteen and they were received very favourably by my friends. At this stage my mother was still alive and could see pictures of the first puppets and hear how well they were received. Sadly she passed away shortly after. I can but view the puppets as my mother’s legacy to me. There isn’t a day when I don’t think about her and develop a better understanding of her life and her motivations.

In the picture above Cash Cow, who has my eyes, holds a picture of my mother. Can you see the similarity?

Below is my very first Dede puppet, Devil. He will always have a special place in my heart, even though I am sure he has nothing in common with my mother’s devil.

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, craft, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships

Easter break

March 28, 2016 //
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Happy Easter everyone. I love Easter: four days of peace and quiet, the weather is still warm, the homely sound of the lawn mowers in the neighbourhood. It is not unlike the Northern Hemisphere, unfortunately we are now heading into the colder period.

Anyway, I have to give you a run-down what happened in the Dede world since my last post. So Evan G List said to Milky Bar Devil he should read up on morals, values and beliefs to understand what a devil is. Punch Drunk (picture above) thought it was hilarious that Evan G List wanted to teach a devil morals. But Milky Bar Devil is an eager and conscientious student and he grabbed all the books he could find on the bookshelf. We are pretty sure we won’t see him for a while, we all know how difficult it is to read a philosophical text :)

Here a little gallery of what else happened

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, recipes

Gossip

March 14, 2016 //
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When Mr Vague realised how hard the Dedes had tried to warn the little Walrus about Top Dog he became very worried. While he is at pains to not draw any attention to himself, he is well aware he has done some pretty dumb things at times. He thought the Dedes might now gossip about him behind his back. Bad Conscience is always on the lookout for a tormented soul to latch onto so immediately jumped at the opportunity to grab Mr Vague. Once Bad Conscience has you in his vice like grip he likes to move in with you. While he doesn’t need much space and doesn’t say much, he has a big problem with reflux and regurgitates a lot. The room fills quickly with an air of sour grapes. A truly unpleasant smell. Devil spotted what was going on and came to Mr Vague’s rescue.

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

Top Dog’s return

March 11, 2016 //
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Easter is not far away and if you follow the Dedes you might recall that around this time last year I tried to sacrifice my Dede puppet Top Dog for the benefit of the others. (https://dedepuppets.com/2015/03/27/top-dog-has-to-go/).

With his narcissistic personality  he was unsettling the Dede community big time. In the end I put him in the garden to expose him to the elements and hoped for a quick decline. Unfortunately, he was stronger than me and he resisted his demise. After a week or so I felt sorry for him and let him back inside. Subsequently, I wanted to send him to a dog training centre. It was all agreed, but the handlers never came to pick him up. It seems I can’t get rid of him and he is still with us, and annoying as ever. The other Dedes try to ignore his antics. To find out what his problem is read the post https://dedepuppets.com/2014/12/07/top-dog/ and https://dedepuppets.com/2014/12/14/top-dog-deciphered/

For a year he tried to recoup his rightful position at the top of the pack. After all, he is convinced he’s the best. This time though he is going after the lil’Dedes. Maybe he expects less resistance. But what do I know? For a week or two now he has been wooing the cute little walrus, crooked teeth and all. With his watchful eye he spotted the money she keeps under her mattress and would love to get his hands on it for a new “business venture”. The Dedes have tried to warn the little Walrus but they might have to admit defeat. Isn’t it futile to warn someone who is infatuated?

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life
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