Why McElroy?

People sometimes ask me why I'm so fixated on the McElroy brothers specifically. There are other great figure makers — Marshall, Mack, Selberg — so why these two?

The answer is simple: Glenn and George McElroy didn't just build ventriloquist figures. They built mechanical puzzles that happened to have a face.

When Frank Marshall first saw a McElroy figure at a magicians' convention in 1938, he reportedly said: "Looks like I'll have to go out of business." That says everything. Marshall was one of the greatest figure makers of his era — and he was genuinely shaken.

What makes a McElroy different is the control post. While most figures of that era had two or three functions at most, a fully loaded McElroy could have up to fourteen: floating eyes in all directions, crossing eyes, individual winkers, raising eyebrows, upper lip sneer, stick-out tongue, wiggle ears, wiggle nose, light-up nose, flip-up fright wig. All controlled by a typewriter-style keyboard of levers and keys built into the headstick.

The result is a figure that feels alive in a way no other dummy does. Every combination of movements creates a new expression. The possibilities are in the hundreds.

That's why McElroy. That's why I can't let this go.

Alessio

I'm Back — And the Dream Is Still Alive

It's been a while. Life gets in the way, as it always does.

But the McElroy brothers never really left my mind. If anything, the passion has grown stronger over the years — and now I'm ready to pick up where I left off.

For those who are new here: I'm Alessio, a ventriloquist and figure builder from Tuscany, Italy. This blog documents my journey building a McElroy-style replica from scratch — mechanics included. I've always been drawn to the inner workings of these figures: the floating eyes, the upper lip sneer, the typewriter-key control post. The genius of Glenn and George McElroy is something I think about more than I'd like to admit.

I already have a body cast from an original McElroy mold. The mechanics are my territory — I'm comfortable with metal stock, rods, and the kind of micro-mechanical work these figures demand.

What I'm still looking for is a head cast. If you're reading this and you know of one, or know someone who might — please reach out. I would be very grateful.

The project is alive. Stay tuned.

Alessio