Meeb becomes part of the Character Animator family

In the 1960s Keith Lovik’s father was a history teacher looking for a way to connect with his diverse students near Watts, Los Angeles. He created a “teacher” doll in hopes they could relate to it, and it worked. After the Watts riots in 1965 he left his job to become a full-time puppet maker and developed 25 lines of puppets. In 1995 Lovik had to suddenly take over the business. He had never made a puppet. With dozens of orders waiting, he needed to teach himself the craft. As a first step he took apart and then refurbished the puppets to understand how they were built. By learning the trade from the outside in he says, “I think I’ve improved greatly on the puppets both artistically and mechanically by deconstructing them.” He learned quickly and became a distinguished puppet maker. Check out Lovik being interviewed by his own creation, and the new Character Animator puppet, Meeb.

Lovik specializes in creating custom, traditional, wood-carved ventriloquist puppets. Lovik’s puppet-making evolved as he got into 3D printing. He designed puppets for renowned Las Vegas ventriloquist Terry Fator. Lovik used a 3D printer to make a robot puppet lighter than the traditional wood composition. It was an experience that Lovik enjoyed and a technique he continues to utilize. He used 3D printing to create parts of the new Meeb puppet to help make the puppet lighter so it could move more fluidly.

At the start of the pandemic, Lovik saw a new way to use his skills that has allowed him to give back to his community. “It seemed like the world was falling apart, so I thought why not move forward and do something I’m good at,” said Lovik. He and his partners created an open source, 3D-printable face mask with a filtered respirator. Early on and during the highest need, anyone with a 3D printer could download the specs, print the mask and filter, and wear it or donate the mask to first responders or healthcare workers.

He also collaborates with miniature enthusiasts who find rare and unusual pieces for him to recreate in miniature, using sculpting, carving, and 3D printing. Lovik uses old-style crafting to bring his myriad of three-dimensional creatures and critters to life. Whether fuzz or scales or something in between, the result is a colorful character ready to come to life.

Character Animator team member, Dan Ramirez, photographed Meeb and used Photoshop to create the digital puppet. He then rigged the puppet and added triggers in Character Animator. Fluffy, blue, cute, and expressive, the new Meeb puppet is ready for you to start animating. Check out the various eye and eyebrow triggers. Meeb is ready to entertain, teach, or just have fun. Download Meeb today.

Resources:

• Additional example puppets are here.
• More fun free puppets at Okay Samurai’s page.
• Learn more about using Character Animator here.