My primary figure, Larry Lack-O-Witz, is a hard figure. He was made by Clinton Detweiler in 1972, and about 11-12 years ago rebuilt by his son, Kevin. I learned through the Maher Course while in college back in 1977-78 on a hard figure and it's what I'm most comfortable with. Only lately have I started using soft figures to add some variety to my shows. My very first figure was actually a Simon Sez figure I got from Sears. (Where else would a young beginner vent get his first "dummy" back then?) Since I was in Bible College at the time I called him Simon Peterson. I worked with him for a few months then got Larry and we've been together ever since. So, yes, I like hard figures.

I once did a Christmas show at a local coffee house. "We" had a LOT of fun. About a year and a half later I was in our local grocery store around 9:30 in the evening, looking for some snacks to bring to a CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) meeting the next afternoon. All of a sudden I heard a little girl's voice shout out, "Mommy look! It's the magic dummy man!" I turned to look and up the isle was a little girl pointing at me. Of course everyone else was looking at me, too. I went to speak with her and found out her name was Cathy and she was at that Christmas show I did. She couldn't remember my name or any of my figure's names (I've been called "Bro. Larry" more than once), but she remembered I worked with "dummies" and did magic, so she called me "The Magic Dummy Man". She even remembered the acrostic for L.O.V.E. I did. I gave her an autographed business card (at the time they had a picture of Larry and me) and I did a pocket trick for her that I always have with me. I shared the story the next day at the meeting and our director said that's exactly what I do from a child's perspective, and I needed to utilize it somehow. So, I use it on my business cards and as a "business" email address (themagicdummyman@gmail.com). Like Art Linkletter used to say, "Kids say the darnedest things!"

I have a portable screen that I keep my figures behind when I'm not using them on stage. I often have one of my figures behind the screen make a comment or two while I'm performing with a different figure or doing magic. Several times I've been asked if I had a remote recorder behind there.

What's the leaderboard, and how does one get on it? Enquiring minds want to know.

I'm working on a whole new 45-50 minute program with my 2 primary figures and introducing 2 new figures and doing a monologue, then ending the whole program with my primary figure, Larry Lack-O-Witz, doing, "Who's On First". (I've been doing my current program of Vent and magic for several years now, so I figure it's time to work up a new one.) My current program is called, "Attitudes Are Contagious, Is Yours Worth Catching?". I'm calling my new program, "Ain't We Got Fun!".