"Sleepy" Podling Full-Body Puppet - Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary Auction on Julien's Auctions, sold for $22,400 - Lot 134
I have very strong, very negative feelings about this podling's feet. Put some damn shoes on, dear Thra...
"The full-body puppet for the "Sleepy" Podling that is seen primarily in the fourth episode of the prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix, 2019), entitled, "The First Thing I Remember Is Fire." When Rian (performed by Neil Sterenberg and voiced by Taron Egerton) ducks into a Podling Hut to get out of a storm, he is greeted by a rowdy group of Podling patrons playing music and indulging in food and drink. This eye-patch wearing "Sleepy" Podling is the drummer of the band playing at the Podling Hut who, at one point, is seen having a drink blasted into its mouth from a barrell being held by another Podling - all while still playing the drums.
The puppet's head is made of sculpted and hand-painted foam latex, with wig hair. Its hand and feet are also foam latex. Please note: this puppet only contains one hand. Its costume is comprised of a striped cotton nightgown-esque main garment, with a cotton-linen knit sleeveless jacket with gathering at the sleeves, leather hat, and adhered resin eye-patch.
Built inside of the puppet's head is a metal plate with two screws backed with magnets and affixed to the glass taxidermy eyes to allow the puppeteer to control the puppet's eyes. This metal plate also served as a resting place for the puppeteer's hand. A protective covering of either leather or another material was also built into the inner mouthpiece so the puppeteer's hand wouldn't sweat through. The body of the puppet is an articulated pod with foam arms with inner wooden dowels to create bone structures. The arms of the puppets were created to be foam latex up to the elbow and then have the ability to be Velcro'd on and off for easy replacement, as damage was a regular occurrence because of prop usage or rod replacement.
Dimensions: Overall: 26 x 15 x 11.75 inches"
