Boopos Blank Puppets
YOUR CHARACTER STARTS HERE
Boopos Blanks are customizable puppet bases designed by professional puppet builder Sam Carter to give you a head start on building a character of your own.
Choose your Boopo, add the features, materials and personality you imagine, and turn a professionally designed blank into a one-of-a-kind puppet character.
SO...WHAT EXACTLY IS A BOOPO?
A Boopo is a professionally designed blank puppet that's ready for you to turn into a character.
Instead of starting puppet construction completely from scratch, you begin with a formed puppet base designed by an experienced puppet builder. From there, the creative decisions are yours.
Add eyes. Hair. Fur. Fleece. Fabric. Teeth. Horns. Ears. A nose. A hat. Something nobody has thought of yet.
Boopos provide the starting point. You decide who they become.
NOT A FINISHED CHARACTER. THAT'S THE POINT.
Every Boopo intentionally starts blank so different makers can take the same starting shape in completely different directions.
How To Build a Boopo
01 — PICK YOUR BOOPO
Start with the shape that speaks to you. Each Boopos Blank has its own proportions and personality potential—from broad and round to tall and narrow—but none comes with a predetermined character.
02 — MAKE IT YOURS
This is where the fun starts. Add your own character features, fabrics, textures, colors and details using the materials and puppet-building techniques you choose.
03 — BRING IT TO LIFE
What started as a blank is now your character. Perform with it. Film it. Display it. Give it a ridiculous name. Then show us what you made.
CHOOSE YOUR STARTING SHAPE
SAME IDEA.
VERY DIFFERENT HEADS.
Your Boopo's shape gives you a starting silhouette—not a finished personality.
Choose the form that works for the character in your head, or start with a shape and see where it takes you.
Squash
Stretch
Betty
Buddy
Snoot
THIS IS WHERE YOUR BOOPO BECOMES YOUR CHARACTER.
-
Sleepy, alert, scared, curious, big pupils, the eyes are a great starting point for any character.
-
Wild, tidy, fuzzy, bald. Your call.
-
Small changes can completely transform a character's silhouette.
-
Felt, fur, great stuff, the list of options goes on and on.
-
There is no rule saying it has to be of this world.
-
Sometimes you don't know who you've built until you dress them.
WHAT COMES WITH A BOOPO?
YOUR BOOPOS BLANK
A professionally designed blank puppet base ready for you to customize into your own character.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Decorative and finishing materials shown on completed characters are not included unless specifically stated in the product listing.
Because every maker's character is different, you choose the materials, colors and details you'll use to finish yours.
Want the whole Boopo?
Or just the head?
Want more control over the body—or a lower-price starting point? Choose Head Only. Build it into a rod puppet, tabletop puppet or another puppet style of your own design. You can choose the Head Only version of any available Boopos shape.FULL BOOPO
Choose the full version when you want the Boopos puppet foundation ready to become your character. Customize it with the features, materials and personality you choose.HEAD ONLY
NEVER BUILT A PUPPET? BOOPOS WAS MADE FOR YOU.
You don't need professional puppet-building experience to make a Boopo your own.
Sam created Boopos to give makers a professionally designed starting point so they can spend more time developing their character and less time figuring out every element of the puppet from scratch.
Beginners can start simple. Experienced builders can take the blank much further.
There isn't one “right” finished Boopo.
WANT SAM TO SHOW YOU HOW?
Boopos Blanks were created by Sam Carter, an Atlanta puppet builder, fabricator and film artist with more than 20 years of professional making experience.
After years of building puppets, props, practical effects and one-of-a-kind fabricated pieces, Sam developed Boopos as a way to give other makers a professionally designed starting point—and leave the most important part open:
the character.
STILL WONDERING HOW THIS WORKS?
-
A Boopos Blank is a professionally designed customizable puppet base created by puppet builder Sam Carter. It gives makers a starting structure that can be transformed with their own materials, features and character design.
-
No. Boopos are designed to make puppet building more approachable for beginners while still giving experienced makers plenty of room to customize and experiment.
-
A Boopo is intentionally sold as a blank starting point for your character. You customize the blank with the colors, textures, facial features and other details you choose.
-
The supplies you need depend on the character you want to create. Decorative and finishing materials are not included unless specifically stated in the product listing. Visit the Puppet Building Blog for techniques, material ideas and tutorials from Sam.
-
Our adaptable methodology serves manufacturing, retail, professional services, and public sector entities.
-
Yes. Head Only versions offer a lower-price starting point and can be incorporated into rod puppets, tabletop puppets and other custom body styles. Available Boopos head shapes can be customized into whatever character you imagine.
-
Absolutely. You can keep your first character simple or make it as elaborate as you'd like. Boopos provide the starting point; how far you take the build is up to you.
-
Recommended ages 12+
-
Possibly. Sam accepts inquiries for custom Boopos Blank builds on a case-by-case basis. Custom projects begin with a consultation to determine whether the idea is feasible and establish pricing.
Sam made the blank.
You make the character.
Pick your starting shape and see who shows up.
SHOP ALL BOOPOS
