On 2011-10-13 08:49, Wanlu wrote:
That's what he said...but NO WORRIES, it's just a small thing. He did tell me a few minutes ago via email that he tried to match the wig. He also gave me $50 to buy a new matching wig...

COOL!

On 2011-09-16 07:39, marshalldoll wrote:
Duane it has been reported that Frank could knock out a figure in just a week. I really find that hard to believe. Bob Isaacson told me that he did in fact complete a figure in just one month. That sounds reasonable to me.
Dan
http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

On 2012-02-22 22:11, TheDummyDoctor wrote:

Quote:

On 2011-09-16 07:39, marshalldoll wrote:
Duane it has been reported that Frank could knock out a figure in just a week. I really find that hard to believe. Bob Isaacson told me that he did in fact complete a figure in just one month. That sounds reasonable to me.
Dan
http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Responding to an old post (I'm just catching up...I've been busy making dummies, and making an actual living on the side...LOL)

In any case, with regard to Marshall being able to complete figures in a week (when properly motivated), all I can say is ===Believe it!===
Definitely.
I know that this is true, from a firsthand account.

Roughly 20 years ago, I had contact with and brokered some items for a retired vent in NY who, in 1951, flew from NY to Chicago on a Sunday, met with Marshall the next morning (Monday) and flew home with her brand new vent figure on Saturday. The figure was a "Nosey" model and was equipped with side to side and crossing eyes, raising eyebrows, closing eyelids, upper lip sneer, and standard drop-jaw.
The price was $750 (factoring in the inflation rate that's the equivalent of roughly $6000 in today's money!)

Now, it should be remembered that the _vast_ majority of Marshall's figures were in fact duplicarved heads. That, coupled with the fact that even custom carved wood heads do not require the drying and cure times of various composite heads and the simple fact that someone of Marshall's experience could even bang out a custom carving in a few days (as well as the fact that Marshall used a pretty high proportion of accelerants to dry his paints)... I find that the one week turnaround is entirely possible, and I don't doubt it for a moment.
Not that I've ever been able to match that timeframe. LOL. But I've come close. We figuremakers just don't like to admit it. And that admission will probably bring some "what the hell...?" e-mails. But, what the hell.

As a defense, let me say this: For the most part, figuremakers (myself included) tend to sell their work at a price that doesn't nearly reflect a real world working wage let alone the sale of a work of original art (if you don't believe me, try building one sometime from something other than a kit).

Also, I feel fairly safe in saying that most of us work on new figures as time allows, during downtime from other occupational pursuits. At the risk of p---ing some people off, I will admit that when a reasonable fulltime wage has been agreed upon (for example, the deal I had 12 years ago with the producers of the feature film "DUMMY" to build a custom figure (while at the same time I was also busy as per my contract spending a few hours a day giving Adrien Brody his vent lessons), it is really _entirely possible_ to finish up a new custom figure in a few weeks. It's a matter of economics for the artist.

To that end, I mentioned Marshall's being able to do it when 'motivated'. That selling price (especially for 1951, when he was routinely selling figures for $100-200) was a ***ed good motivation, and to be fair, was honestly and mutually arrived at taking the customer's required turnaround time into due consideration.

So yes...the one week Marshall legend is not mere legend. At least this particular instance I was privy to, I can verify that it is historical fact.