Vent figure making

Dear Clinton: Hello I am a regular reader of your blog and would like to ask how old you were when you started making figures and what way you did it (clay, wood dough, carving). Thank you, Nick

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Dear Nick: I was 22 or 23 year's old when I built my first vent figure. It was made of paper mache following the instructions in Paul Winchell's book, Ventriloquism For Fun And Profit. It was more than 10 years later (1969) when we purchased Maher School of Ventriloquism that I built my second vent figure (and subsequent figures) of wood dough. Carving was required on the wood dough heads and hands, but I have never carved a figure totally from wood. I've always considered woodcarving another skill, one I'm intrigued with, but have not taken the time to master. Clinton