Ventriloquist dummies can be charming, hilarious, spunky sidekicks! But sometimes, they'd like to really come alive and be the start of the show. No better way to bring extra pizazz to your dummy than to add a set of realistic eyes that look around as they perform!

You can use your Adafruit MONSTER M4SK board to add windows into the soul of your ventriloquist dummy. Then, take them to the open mic night at your local cafe, or even just give it the opportunity to watch over people who come to your house for trick or treats on Halloween!

Find other interesting dummies in the Vintage Ventriloquism group on Flickr.

Ventriloquist Dummy

There are a number of resources for acquiring a dummy. There are relatively inexpensive, entry level dummies, such as our friend Slappy used in this guide, available at online retailers and auction sites, made by the Goldberger company.

These basic dummies have a soft body and a fixed head position. They use a string pull from the neck to articulate the jaw, which is on a rubber band return.

You can also upgrade to a modified Goldberger dummy, which has a rigid hollow body and a stick for controlling head motion, as well as a finger pull for the jaw.

Then, there are higher quality dummies made for all levels from amateur to professional. Check out Throw Things, and Braylu, which is the company that made my upgraded Slappy.

Parts

Optional

Depending on the dummy you use, and how you choose to incorporate the M4SK eyes, you may also want the following:

Tools & Materials

Some additional tools and materials may be required depending on the style of build:

• Hobby knife
• Hot melt glue gun and glue
• Zip ties
• Black card stock
• Black marker
• Pencil
• Velcro strips