by Melissa L. Nichols
In 2009, I deisgned a character based in the classic bumpkin archetype. Growing up, my biggest early influence in ventriloquism was the late, Great, Edgar Bergen, who was also my first real teacher. I loved Mortimer Snerd, and the sweet simplicity of the bumpkin type. Mixed with the innonce and precociousness of Shari Lewis' Lambchop (who was a perpetual five year old), I decided my first prime character would follow my two biggest influences in her design and creation.
I wanted her to be young and innocent like Lambchop, but less precocious.. more shy and simple like Mortimer, but not so much "stupid" as he was deliberately called out, just naiive and more ignorant. Following the stern guidance of her country fried guardian "Mamaw", Charlene's view of the world is very affected by the experiences she has growing up in the backwoods, and being from a large and dysfunctional redneck family. Mamaw , who is much talked about and never seen, is the biggest influence in Charlene's world and she quotes her Mamaw's bits of hickory smoked wisdom, which I have dubbed "Mamaw-isms", entitled: "Mamaw says..."
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| My sketch of Charlene (c)2009 Melissa L. Nichols |
I sketched out a buck toothed figure with round cheeks and freckles, sporting red hair which falls into pig tails and she has an over all tom boyish appearance. Sort of Mortimer Snerd meets Ellie Mae Clampet.
I handed the sketch to Phil...
Being the world class artist that he is, he ingeniously set to work, giving it features I hadn't thought of such as the wide big cartoonish eyes to denote innocence, and demples and brillant sculpture he put into the design. He took a paper sketch and brought her to life.
So now I share some images from the birth of Charlene Peckerwood, designed and created by Texas Vents-The Nichols Ventriloquist Studio (copyright Texas Vents).
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| Charlene before her primer coat is applied. |
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| a peek under the hood. |
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| Philip applies the primer coat of her flesh tone. |
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