'Puppet Man,' Walkers showcase state-of-art puppetry

Airman, Nov, 2004 by Mike Campbell

BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE. Washington, D.C. -- Everyone knows "The Muppets" and "Sesame Street," but how many people recall that the late Jim Henson's creation first came to prominence on Washington, D.C.'s WRC-TV with a daily, five-minute show called "Sam and Friends" in 1955.

Though Sesame Street has enjoyed virtually universal popularity for a generation, few actually practice the ancient art of puppetry nowadays; fewer still do it well. But at Bolling, Senior Master Sgt. Joey Walker, assigned to the 11th Wing Inaugural Office, can be counted among the chosen keeping the flame alive--to the immense delight of thousands who've caught his entertaining shows.

Better known as the "Puppet Man" to friends and fans, Sergeant Walker and his professional associates, daughter Rebekah, 16, and son Josiah, 11, appeared on local TV for an encore performance. The Walkers were huge hits in their January debut on a Christian-themed variety show "Wuzz Up" on CTV, Channel 76, a public-access cable outlet based in Landover, Md., so they returned in March. Once again they earned rave reviews from the savvy "studio audience," the "Wuzz Up" production team.

"The people that were taping the show said, 'You're really good at this,'" the Puppet Man said, "and they see stuff like this all the time. They said, 'Have you ever thought about doing your own [TV] show?'"

The possibility that he could carve his own niche in TV land someday is becoming increasingly real to the Puppet Man. It's not too far-fetched, actually, given that he's been doing this since he was 9, starting with a "light-bulb" puppet show for his fourth-grade class. As a high school senior, he felt confident enough to perform a puppet snapshot of Shakespeare's Macbeth for a full auditorium--and transformed a crowd of sarcastic teenagers into an enthusiastic audience that saluted his efforts with a standing ovation.

For the past 15 years, the Lenoir, N.C., native has shifted his puppetry practice into high gear, entertaining audiences around the world with his brand of songs, skits and interactive, audience-puppet happenings. In November 1995 he was named "Puppet Director of the Month" by One Way Street, one of the top puppet manufacturing and promotional companies in America, headquartered in Denver. With this endorsement, Sergeant Walker officially became a recognized "puppet master"--and a serious player in American puppetry.

"I like our shows; I think they're fun," he said. "They're exciting because kids get bored easily. We're coming at them with surprises. We want to give them as much as they can take."

--Mike Campbell 11th Wing Public Affairs