And then there's this little fella

I just put this cherub-faced youngster on my website, kennycroes.com. He's looking for a home, too. Know anyone who could use a good laugh? I bet this little guy could help.

I'm old, I'm cranky and I like it!

This elderly gentleman may "brighten up" someone's Christmas this year, though it won't be because he's filled with goodwill toward men. He's a curmudgeon and he's hoping to find someone who will listen ad nauseum to his many complaints this holiday season. He'll be for sale on my website's "In-Stock" page. He's 42" tall, has moving mouth, raising eyebrows and self-centering side-to-side eyes. 

A grinch in time for Christmas

I guess he's mad about seeing all the holiday decorations, ads, commercials and pop-ups so early in the year. Or maybe he's upset because I've only painted him with a primer coat so far. Or was it the election? Whatever it is, I don't see him changing his attitude any time soon.

Change of plans

This is the same "Alfie"...just dressed up for Halloween. Actually what happened was a client bought him from my "In-Stock" page on my website, but she had admired my "Norbert" nerd figure before he was sold. So she asked if I could re-costume Alfie to be a nerdy little fellow. I parted his hair in the middle, changed his clothes and added the bow tie and oversized nerd glasses. Now he's off to his new home in Nebraska.

Happy Halloween

What's it all about, Alfie?

I've been working mostly on conversion figures lately. Which is okay since I enjoy making them, too. This one I've dubbed "Alfie" and he's for sale on my in-stock page on my website (kennycroes.com). Check out his red lace-up shoes!

I've started to build a 40-inch Mr. Winkle. Hopefully I'll finish in time for him to end up under someone's Christmas tree. 

It must be close to Halloween

Seems every year I get a few requests for scary figures. Folks ask for figures with scars, blood, sharp teeth, bloodshot eyes, and take-offs on well-known freaky characters. Among this year's orders is a converted Goldberger Charlie McCarthy to masquerade as Billy in "Dead Silence".

However, no matter how much I darken the eyes, narrow the eyebrows and tweak the widow's peak hairline, Charlie still looks kinda cute.

The collector

Several of my customers own multiple figures of my making, but none have as many as Wayne. I built many of the figures in the photo, but Wayne also built several more from head castings, some from my designs sold by Braylu Creations.

Wayne is decorating his store for Halloween. He displays all of his figures (including many made by other well-respected figure makers). They will share space with scary dolls Chucky and Tiffany. As Wayne said, "After all, it IS Halloween!".

DIY

It's always fun to see figures built from my head designs. The castings are sold by Braylu Creations for do-it-yourselfers. These figures were constructed by Michael and Toby Fisher. Looks good, folks!

Change in complexion

Occasionally I  get an inquiry about a figure I've never built before. Such is the case today when I've been asked to send a photo of an Afro Uncle Earl. Every Uncle Earl I've built so far has been a Caucasian figure. So to reply to the inquiry, I used some Photoshop tricks to revise a photo of a previous Uncle Earl figure to show an Afro skin color with dark brown eyes. We'll see if his new look generates an order.

Barefootin'

I've completed a Mr. Winkle for my British client. The order came with a request for bare feet instead of the typical stuffed muslin. I purchased a pair of feet from Mike Brose. The down side is that I didn't have any shoes in stock that would fit Mr. Winkle's big feet. So he's barefoot for now.

Antidepressant

It's been awhile since I've built a 2T Mr. Winkle. The mold is getting old and the castings require more TLC to get them ready. The dark marks on the castings (other than the eyebrow tube holes) are pencil marking slight depressions in the casting that I'll fill with wood filler. Then he gets sanded down.

The other photo shows the PVC pipe headstick I'm making for Mr. Winkle, who will eventually entertain audiences in the United Kingdom.

The word is "Nerd"

No doubt this intellectual dummy is hoping to stump everyone on "Jeopardy". Until then, he'll take pleasure in showing off his IQ in public with a ventriloquist partner. His name is "Norbert". Oh...and he's for sale.

Wow. Two days in a row...

I've been working on a Nerd figure for ventriloquist Wayne Carroll, who probably owns more of my figures than anyone else I can think of. He's also built a few figures from the heads I sculpted, the castings of which are sold by Braylu Creations. It's nice to have a fan.

At Wayne's request, I built the controls using a rod-and-tube control system rather than the rocker-style. And as I do with all of Wayne's figures, the eyes are different colors.