Pax Concert Puppets '09

The Grey Gunman · March 2009

So here is my idea for making PAX is little bit more awesome.

Those who attended the closing ceremonies last year will probably remember the massive gathering of Fallout 3 Pipboy puppets dancing along with the music. The sight, needless to say, was utterly hilarious and awesome (creepy as well, according to Gabe and Tycho).

My idea is that for this year we make puppets of our own for panels and concerts. Have them be gamer themed. Plan out a central meeting location at panels and concerts and have our own little puppet mosh pit.

Ideas, Suggestions, Concerns?

ukiyo e · March 2009

I thought that the best part about last year's puppet antics was it's spontaneity. I don't think that you can make it any more "awesome" then it already was. Don't let me discourage you, though. I'm 100% for community driven fun.

MaoChan · March 2009

I agree with ukiyo e, the best part of it was that it just happened on its own. It was like the concert last year, when everyone held up the DSes and laptops for the 1Ups it was very cool but then when Freezepop verbally asked "bust out your electronics", it felt horribly contrived.

Although I say go for it, I think the puppet antics (like the masturbating puppet), was a moment in history that might not be repeated.

Raiden333 · March 2009

For proof that planned events are always less awesome than stuff that happens randomly, I have three words:

ALL HAIL BALL

Moe Fwacky · March 2009

Yeah, you can't really plan something like that, it has to just happen. The ball, the puppets and other tales of PAX legend are legend because they happened out of nowhere, without planning and without expectations. If people are expecting it ahead of time, it's not legendary.

treyh37 · March 2009

not entirely true moe, the balls and the puppets were things given out at pax so there was some thought put into them, likely not in the way the people were expecting but some thought to make and bring them to pax to be given out to people was done so.

so if we want something cool like those to happen next year we need either a bunch of items that can be distibuted to the crowd or one big item people can interact with as a group

MaoChan · March 2009

The puppets were not planned to become a PAX icon. Bethesda gave those out and it was just that everyone took such a liking that they turned it into something more than just a puppet, a symbol. It could of easily gone the other way with everyone getting a puppet, looking at it, and then throwing it on the floor.

The argument is that it is one thing for something like Ball or the puppets to just spring up at PAX and take over but a totally separate thing to contrive an item.

ukiyo e · March 2009

treyh37 wrote: »

not entirely true moe, the balls and the puppets were things given out at pax so there was some thought put into them, likely not in the way the people were expecting but some thought to make and bring them to pax to be given out to people was done so.

so if we want something cool like those to happen next year we need either a bunch of items that can be distibuted to the crowd or one big item people can interact with as a group

The ball was just a ball, and the puppets were just schwag. They weren't designed with the intent of becoming icons, it just happened. The Buttoneers easily gave out 5,000+ buttons over the course of the weekend last year, and we gave them to Jerry and Mike in a pre-planned case, but I wouldn't consider them to be iconic. You can't consciously instigate these things. Maybe this year people will fixate on bubble gum wrappers.

MaoChan · March 2009

ukiyo e wrote: »

Maybe this year people will fixate on bubble gum wrappers.

And with that quiet statement, bubble gum wrappers took over PAX09!

treyh37 · March 2009

think your missing the point of what i'm saying, yes i know the puppets were schwag and the ball was just a ball (one of many) thrown into the audience by the keynote speaker that made its way into the waiting line area.

my point is that to make something like this happen next year it just needs enough people waiting for something with one big shareble item or a lot of little items that are recognizable from a distance, so others can join in if they have one of those items as well.

so we can't manufacture it necessarily but we can provide materials to make it more likely to happen

ElectricTurtle · March 2009

I'm going to break ranks here and say I think this is a good idea. How is this any more or less contrived than Buttoneering? That was and is arranged on the forums beforehand too. Granted, this is a deliberate evolution of a previously random event, but somebody could say the same thing of Sealab.

Why this is a good idea:
1) It allows people to express interest in characters and costumes without the hassle, bulk, and inconvenience (and occasionally social stigma) of cosplaying
2) The dancing/playacting of puppets is an amusing addition to any concert or panel

Gahh my battery is dead I will edit more in later.

Edit:
3) People drunk with puppets on the crawl or at afterparties somehow seems like a recipe for awesome to me
3.5) Combine this with the earlier idea of movies at afterparties and MST3King/rifftracking while drunk with puppets... that's like freaking youtube gold in the making... maybe
4) Asking questions with the puppets at panels as though the characters are asking them... if done right could be funny
5) Filming puppets making comments on things on the expo floor or around PAX has potential
6) CRAB BATTLE!
7) ???
8) Profit!

BrokenAngel · March 2009

I'm with ET, and I am SO making a puppet.

ukiyo e · March 2009

As stated above, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from having fun with puppets. This thread just turned into an interesting discussion about how PAX legends form. I was thinking about this on the ride home, it could definitely become a whole new genre... Micro Cosplay!

CRCelf · March 2009

I can't sew worth beans, but if i have time i might try crocheting a puppet... at which point the question becomes who/what will my little puppet be?

millislim · March 2009

ElectricTurtle wrote: »

Why this is a good idea:
1) It allows people to express interest in characters and costumes without the hassle, bulk, and inconvenience (and occasionally social stigma) of cosplaying

3) People drunk with puppets on the crawl or at afterparties somehow seems like a recipe for awesome to me
3.5) Combine this with the earlier idea of movies at afterparties and MST3King/rifftracking while drunk with puppets... that's like freaking youtube gold in the making... maybe

5) Filming puppets making comments on things on the expo floor or around PAX has potential
!

This is what I was thinking....especially the cosplay thing...

what if there could be a PAX puppet booth...this could be the "spontaneousness" people long for...like the pipecleaners. If everyone donated paper lunch bags, gems, NO GLITTER!, construction paper, and glue sticks you could have something there. I'm sure there would still be people with hand made fabric puppets which would be cool but this would be for anyone who didn't read this thread saw everyone with puppets and wanted to participate

ElectricTurtle · March 2009

Not that I'm going to try to dictate to anybody what to do, but I think lowering the quality to increase quantity is more often bad than good. I am thinking in terms of "micro cosplay" to use the already coined term, where people value the attention to detail and authenticity like cosplay. Fandango-ad style paper bags seems to me too much like the cosplayer who picks a generic character from some present-day present-time normal series, wears the same color clothes that they picked up a secondhand store, and then pretends that's cosplaying.

When I heard this idea I immediately thought of the cool stuffed toys that one lady makes and brings to the PA Q&As, like the Leviathan. Things like that, but as puppets would be freaking awesome.

BrokenAngel · March 2009

ElectricTurtle wrote: »

Fandango-ad style paper bags seems to me too much like the cosplayer who picks a generic character from some present-day present-time normal series, wears the same color clothes that they picked up a secondhand store, and then pretends that's cosplaying.

I think thats still perfectly legitimate cosplay. Yes it's not as impressive as others, but some people don't have the time or money to put into something frivolous like that, but still want to have fun and dress up.

MaoChan · March 2009

CRCelf wrote: »

I can't sew worth beans, but if i have time i might try crocheting a puppet... at which point the question becomes who/what will my little puppet be?

If you can crotchet I would like to commission a Sackboy from you, not for PAX, just for me to snuggle.

PikaPuff · March 2009

This thread just makes me depressed I didn't get a puppet last year.

MaoChan · March 2009

Sounds like I need to eBay my puppet LOL.

JonnyNero · March 2009

Planning stuff can work, look at bad horsing last year (and I guarantee the PAX Prank this year will equal or better it). And that required tons of planning to pull off.

BUT!!!

It also is a case for spontinaety as well, because both last year and this years prank is being left open to spontanety, the only planning is what exactly would be performed, not the when, where, and who (although G&T were on the list from the get go)

So, I think this could be fun, but it shouldn't be planned as an event, just as a "Hey, lets all make puppets and if we see other people with puppets....THEN we can see what happens." I think that's the only way it would work

Qs23 · March 2009

Damnit, I'm going to have to bring Chemotherapy Ernie to PAX now...

*Chemo Ernie is a Ernie puppet I have with no hair.

iamconfidence · March 2009

Reading this thread is great!

Summary: "Cool idea... but we may have to doubt its epic-ness.... aww hell! let's do it!"

I'm game

my puppet might look like a Lamb Chop reject instead of what I intend for it to look like, but I'll rock and roll with it anyways

chibidani · March 2009

JonnyNero wrote: »

So, I think this could be fun, but it shouldn't be planned as an event, just as a "Hey, lets all make puppets and if we see other people with puppets....THEN we can see what happens." I think that's the only way it would work

I agree with this. I'm totally thinking I'll make a puppet (its really hard to cosplay when you're carting around a 5 month old AND cookie brigade stuff), and spontaneous stuff with other puppets would be super awesome, but I don't think we can plan events with puppets and have it be awesome.

Now to decide who/what to make a puppet of... anyone got any ideas? I haven't seen any on this thread yet.

VThornheart · March 2009

Must make Banjo, the God of Puppetry.

BrokenAngel · March 2009

VThornheart wrote: »

Must make Banjo, the God of Puppetry.

Hehehe I have a half made Banjo. I think for pax however I am going to do a video game themed one. Hmmm ::ponders::

chibidani · April 2009

I've already decided that if I make one, it will either be a Katamari Damacy cousins, or one of the job classes from Final Fantasy Tactics.

CRCelf · April 2009

MaoChan wrote: »

If you can crotchet I would like to commission a Sackboy from you, not for PAX, just for me to snuggle.

Haha... I've been wanting to make myself a Sackboy, but I'm not ready to tackle the task yet. Also, as a craft freak I should point out that Sackboy is knitted, not crocheted, which makes authentic sack-ness more complicated. I'll figure it out eventually though

CaptainTapole · April 2009

CRCelf wrote: »

MaoChan wrote: »

If you can crotchet I would like to commission a Sackboy from you, not for PAX, just for me to snuggle.

Haha... I've been wanting to make myself a Sackboy, but I'm not ready to tackle the task yet. Also, as a craft freak I should point out that Sackboy is knitted, not crocheted, which makes authentic sack-ness more complicated. I'll figure it out eventually though

My best friend crocheted Sackboy for me for my Birthday and it came out rather well.

CRCelf · April 2009

I didn't mean that crochet Sackboys didn't turn out properly, I just mean that a truly authentic one would be knitted, and my knitting skills aren't yet ready for the challenge... also I have like 15 projects to finish before I even dare to start a Sackboy or a puppet... in other words I'm just making excuses for my own lameness

VThornheart · April 2009

BrokenAngel wrote: »

VThornheart wrote: »

Must make Banjo, the God of Puppetry.

Hehehe I have a half made Banjo. I think for pax however I am going to do a video game themed one. Hmmm ::ponders::

I want to see your Banjo, bring it with you anyways!

Hmm, video game themed, eh? Maybe I'll go for Locke from FF VI. Ooh, maybe I can pay Recruit back for the Edgar Figaro art last year by making him something. Ask him what his favorite FF VI character is!

tehnakki · April 2009

I'm totally up for this! Have no idea what i'm gonna make, but yeah, puppets rock! Micro-cosplaying for the win!

treyh37 · April 2009

hmm i'm thinking i might make a pokemon trainer/gabe the pokemon trainer on one hand and various pokemon on the other.

so i can do things like

poke gabe: Infernape, get the fuck out here!

raise other hand with infernape on it. say line (or not if i decide to do skelly version)

JonnyNero · April 2009

THe puppet I'm bringing will be a part of my cosplay for one day. I'll just have the puppet with me at all times. Although, it makes me wish I had splurged and got the one the size of a bicycle but only ways 10 pounds. Epic Puppets ftw!

ukiyo e · April 2009

Let's work on some ground rules. Since this is the "PAX Concert Puppets" group our basic goal should be to find each other during the nightly concerts and Omegathon final in order to bunch together and "dance" with our puppets. Are there any other events that we should plan on showing up for?

MJPM · April 2009

Oh man, I'm definitely in! I saw Avenue Q this year (Walton Arts Center in Arkansas, Hail Walmart!) and would love to engage in some more Puppet antics (I was one of those with a Vault-Boy last year, next to the guy with the Angel and Demon Vault-Boys made that way with pipe cleaners). I think I'll attempt a Trekkie Monster.

ukiyo e · April 2009

I think i might try to recreate one of the Potter Puppet Pals

The Mysterious Ticking Noise

Moe Fwacky · April 2009

that... was amazing

CRCelf · April 2009

How strict are we planning on sticking to game themed puppets? because i'm torn between making a Big Daddy or Doctor Who...

BrokenAngel · April 2009

CRCelf wrote: »

How strict are we planning on sticking to game themed puppets? because i'm torn between making a Big Daddy or Doctor Who...

...I love you.

Which Doctor?

treyh37 · April 2009

hmm i suddenly want to make a khoo and enforcer one...

Penny Arcade

Quick Links

Pax Concert Puppets '09

Posts