Samuel (Uel) McGinnis

Let’s Build Something Extraordinary Together

A custom handcrafted puppet is unlike anything you can buy off a shelf. It is built specifically for you. Your character, your project, your vision and fabricated by hand from the ground up. Whether you need a portrait puppet of a real person, an original character for a production, a mascot for your brand, or a one-of-a-kind puppet for a special occasion, I build puppets that are designed to perform, built to last, and genuinely unlike anything else.

Every commission starts with a conversation. I want to understand exactly what you need. Who the puppet is, what it needs to do, where it will be performed or displayed, and what your timeline and budget look like. From there I handle everything including design, fabrication, and a full performance demonstration of the completed puppet so you can see your character brought to life before it leaves my hands.

What I Build

🎭 Portrait & Caricature Puppets

A portrait puppet captures the likeness and personality of a real person in puppet form. This is one of my favourite commissions to work on because it sits at the intersection of caricature art and functional puppet design. The puppet has to be recognisably that person while also being expressive, characterful, and built to perform.

I have built portrait puppets for musicians, performers, and creative projects including five custom portrait puppets for Cup Cup the Band, each one representing a real band member and designed for integration into promotional campaigns and music video productions.

Portrait puppets make extraordinary gifts, incredible promotional tools, and genuinely unforgettable keepsakes.

Perfect for: Musicians, performers, bands, content creators, personalised gifts, corporate mascots, promotional campaigns

🌟 Original Character Puppets

Have a character in your head that needs to exist in the real world? I design and build original characters from scratch. Working from your brief, your sketches, your references, or simply a description and a feeling. I have designed and built original characters for theatrical productions, independent film, social media series, and live performance, and I bring the same creative investment to every commission regardless of scale.

Original character commissions are a genuine collaboration. I will push the design until we have something that feels right. Not just functional but alive.

Perfect for: Theatre productions, film and video, social media content, live performance, brand mascots, original creative projects

🎪 Production & Event Builds

Need puppets built to a specific deadline for a production, event, or campaign? I have experience building under tight time and budget constraints. Including complete puppet builds within 48-hour competition windows and I understand the specific demands of building for camera, stage, walk-around performance, and parade. I will work with your production timeline and deliver puppets that are built to do the job they are needed for.

Perfect for: Theatre productions, film and video productions, brand activations, festivals, events, promotional campaigns

Contact me today!

Not sure where to start? That is completely fine!

Drop me a message and we can have a conversation about what you are imagining, what is possible, and what it might cost. There is no commitment at the enquiry stage and no such thing as a question too small. I love talking about puppets! it genuinely does not take much to get me started.

Contact me at: 3rd.eyed.lion@gmail.com or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puppet_show_at_the_end_of_time/

Latest Commissions