Character: Cookie Monster
Hand type: Live hands
Builder credits:
Pattern – Wally Wingert, Alex McGee; Alex In Wonderland
Mouth plate fabrication – Wally Wingert
Seamstress – Alex McGee; Alex in Wonderland
Eyeball fabrication – Wally Wingert, Jim Ojala, Mike McGee
Height: 44”
Notes: The first puppet I ever built was a Cookie Monster replica when I was 19. I still have him to this day. With the completion of a deluxe Cookie Monster in 2021, it was my intention to once again hang up my puppet building hat. I figured it would be a nice ‘full circle’ dynamic to have Cookie be the first and the last puppets I would ever make. But now, I can’t say with complete honesty that other replica ideas won’t continue to inspire me in the coming years. And building puppets is so darn fun!
Cookie’s look has evolved quite a bit over the years, but my target was the early 70’s Cookie with the slightly squarer mouth, and bigger pupils.
Cookie’s eyes are fortified plastic Christmas ornaments bought from Hobby Lobby (virtually the only place in town you can find Christmas ornaments in the middle of summer). They are fortified, in that the ornament’s thin walls have been thickened on the inside with an extra layer of plastic for durability.
Though the eyes are still hollow, my effects guy Jim Ojala discovered a way to slosh liquid plastic around the inside of the ornaments until a thin layer of extra plastic hardened on the interior, thus making the walls thicker and less prone to damage, denting and bending during fabrication.
From there the exterior seams could be sanded away, and the ornaments could be primed and painted. It’s a great way to get a perfect, seamless globe for the eyeballs. When the tiny screws that hold the pupils were drilled in, the extra layer of plastic helped them to seat more securely.
After getting a LOT of different fur samples, I fell in love with a fur from Poland that had a great denim blue color and a terrific “monster” nap.
At the time of his creation I was in touch with the family of a young 3 year old boy named Carlos who loved “Sesame Street” (particularly Cookie Monster) but was dealing with a very aggressive form of cancer. It was my intention to use my Cookie Monster in various Zoom calls with Carlos to help take his mind off his grueling cancer treatments.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, my Cookie Monster wasn’t completed in time, and Carlos passed away a few short weeks before my Cookie Monster was finished. I regret that a great deal.
Here are a few shots with my first Cookie Monster replica from back in 1980.
Lacey discovers that, in addition to cookies, Cookie Monster also loves to eat magazines!
She also discovers that Cookie loves kisses…
…and scratchies.
Ladies and gentlemen, the legendary comedy duo of Prairie Dawn and Cookie Monster!
This is a shot we like to call “Four Furry Friends.”