{"id":20009,"date":"2019-06-05T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/?p=20009"},"modified":"2026-09-17T18:02:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T22:02:01","slug":"kevin-carlson-on-being-a-puppeteer-for-the-mcdonalds-mcnuggets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/kevin-carlson-on-being-a-puppeteer-for-the-mcdonalds-mcnuggets\/20009\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Carlson On Being A Puppeteer For The McDonald\u2019s McNuggets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Heather Taylor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kevin Carlson thinks everyone should keep a set of googly eyes on them at all times. Tuck a few pairs into your wallet with your driver\u2019s license and you\u2019ll be all set to take on life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey will impress others!\u201d Carlson insists, \u201cYou\u2019ll always find a way to have fun with googly eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not unconventional advice coming from Carlson, who describes himself as a career puppeteer. Wherever there\u2019s a puppet, it\u2019s safe to say Carlson isn\u2019t too far from it. He spent 27 years, from 1992 through today, as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company. There he worked closely alongside Jim Henson (who \u201ctook a liking to me\u201d as Carlson recalls), Frank Oz, and Fozzie Bear. Carlson was so close to Fozzie that he was the Muppet\u2019s right arm.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beetlejuice (5\/9) Movie CLIP - Scary Snake (1988) HD\" width=\"1240\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Lcf227lWEek?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where else did Carlson bring his passion for puppets? He was the resident robot Conky on the TV series <em>Pee-wee\u2019s Playhouse<\/em>, and worked on the sequence where a stairwell bannister turns into a snake for Catherine O\u2019Hara in Tim Burton\u2019s <em>Beetlejuice<\/em>. He also voiced Timmy the Tooth in <em>The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth<\/em>, and lent a hand in <em>Forgetting Sarah Marshall<\/em>\u2019s Dracula musical scene.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Forgetting Sarah Marshall - A Taste For Love\" width=\"1240\" height=\"930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kd5lMDkvzvI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Muppets aside, the most recognizable role in Carlson\u2019s career doesn\u2019t have the phrase \u201cwaka waka!\u201d associated with it. Instead, it\u2019s another little jingle that goes \u201cI\u2019m lovin\u2019 it!\u201d \u2014 the iconic McDonald\u2019s slogan where Carlson was a puppeteer for the <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/watch-the-mcnugget-buddies-dress-up-like-ronald-mcdonald-in-clowning-around\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McNugget Buddies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_2.jpg\" alt=\"mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_2\" class=\"wp-image-10536\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-finding-a-puppeteer-dream-job-with-the-help-of-talking-hands\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Finding A Puppeteer Dream Job With The Help Of \u201cTalking Hands\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growing up in Southern California, Carlson enjoyed watching <em>The Muppet Show<\/em> and dabbled with puppets. Puppetry stuck with him because of its performance art nature. As a puppeteer, Carlson could act and be an actor but he could never be typecast. There was no limit to the roles he could play with puppets, and no limits for anyone else passionate about the work either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carlson attended California State University, Fullerton in the early 1980s where he studied speech communication. One day, he was running late to class. As Carlson hurried to class, he noticed a picture of talking hands tacked on a community bulletin board. He ran up a flight of stairs before curiosity got the better of him. What was it about that picture? He ran back down the stairs for a closer look. It was an audition ad for a puppeteer workshop. Carlson wrote down the phone number, went to class, and later went to the audition. 400 applicants applied for the workshop, hosted by legendary puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft. Only 25 auditions made the cut \u2014 including Carlson. He began training to become a professional puppeteer, quickly catching the eye of another puppeteer named <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/halloween-throwback-scared-silly-with-mcdonalds-mcnugget-buddies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tony Urbano<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-making-a-mcnugget\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Making A McNugget<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1982, Urbano hired Carlson to help puppeteer McDonald\u2019s commercials with him. The puppeteers worked closely with Leo Burnett, the ad agency that had the McDonald\u2019s account and its McDonaldland characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_4.jpg\" alt=\"mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_4\" class=\"wp-image-10538\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carlson\u2019s shop duties included building the world of the McNuggets and their props and set pieces. Unlike the McDonaldland characters like Grimace and the Hamburglar resided in, the McNuggets were built on a smaller scale. They didn\u2019t have hands, legs, or feet. A cardboard box could comfortably fit four to six McNuggets, much like how they were sold at the fast food chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The McNuggets were fond of their silly shenanigans and antics. They couldn\u2019t, and wouldn\u2019t, stay cooped up inside of a box in every commercial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Urbano and another puppeteer named Tim Blaney created the McNuggets prototype for Leo Burnett. Carlson recalls that the McNuggets were rod puppets, lovingly nicknamed \u201cMcNuggets On A Stick.\u201d The hand-carved McNuggets were composed of sculpted foam (think the material inside a sofa), which was whittled down with scissors. This allowed for cutting open mouths and sculpting cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every McNugget had googly eyes. Carlson was often at the helm of the pupil-making process, using round cutouts and felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making McNuggets was also harder than it looks. You couldn\u2019t get it down to an assembly line science. \u201cSometimes we would get feedback that Leo Burnett wanted the \u2018right\u2019 shade of brown,\u201d Carlson says, \u201cWe would have to re-dye them again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-great-basketball-playoff\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Great Basketball Playoff\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of Carlson\u2019s favorite McDonald\u2019s commercials to puppeteer was 1986\u2019s \u201cThe Great Basketball Playoff.\u201d The 30-second spot features Ronald playing b-ball against the McNuggets. (Standing straight up, the McNuggets are no taller than Ronald\u2019s big red clown shoes.)<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"1986 - McDonald&amp;apos;s Basketball Playoff\" width=\"1240\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t3ODSqXjeeg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A McNugget referee blows a whistle and the game begins! Ronald makes the first basket through the hoop. The McNuggets, meanwhile, make their own basket. It\u2019s a literal basket made of straw perfectly McNugget-shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, those wacky McNuggets! Gotta get your head in the game, gang! The McNuggets in the bleachers are blowing horns and waving banners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The crowd\u2019s going wild! Ronald dunks another hoop, while a McNugget driving a barbecue sauce truck enters the auditorium. Interesting. He unloads a few barbecue sauce containers, just the right size for a McNugget to dunk itself inside. All five players go for a \u201cdunk\u201d in the BBQ sauce. Ronald slyly comments that they didn&#8217;t even dribble \u2013 and the McNuggets erupt in giggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-shooting-the-great-basketball-playoff\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shooting \u201cThe Great Basketball Playoff\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe usually shot a 30-second commercial in one day,\u201d Carlson says. Puppeteers would begin setting up at 7 AM the day of the shoot. The shoots closely followed storyboards created by Leo Burnett art director <a href=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/spring-breakers-heres-what-happens-when-mcdonaldland-characters-head-to-the-beach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rich Seidelman<\/a>. Carlson looks back at these storyboards as \u201cthe road map for shooting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson.jpg\" alt=\"mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson\" class=\"wp-image-10540\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every setup for McDonald\u2019s commercials was an intricate process, but \u201cThe Great Basketball Playoff\u201d was elaborate in a blink and you might miss it kind of way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you watch the commercial closely, you\u2019ll notice the basketball court has slots in the flooring. It\u2019s a trick floor. The slots were covered using sliding mechanisms. This made it appear as though the McNuggets could waddle through. Four or five puppeteers were crouched underneath the basketball court\u2019s table where they used rods to direct the McNuggets where to go next. McNuggets that leapt from the bleachers into the BBQ sauce took a few practices from a marionette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How many McNuggets could the average puppeteer manage at a time? \u201cWe juggled two in each hand, sometimes three,\u201d Carlson recalls, \u201cThe speaking McNuggets had one person that did their dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-going-under-the-table-for-the-mcnuggets\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Going \u201cUnder The Table\u201d For The McNuggets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carlson was one of four or five puppeteers under the table. Sometimes there would be five or six puppeteers. Lest anyone feel alarmed by these squishy working conditions, Carlson has assured me that it was actually a lot of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe worked like actors and the director would direct us on what to do \u2014 under the table, of course,\u201d Carlson says, \u201cWe were puppeteers. Sometimes we had to squeeze into tiny areas, but we laughed through the uncomfortable moments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carlson also credits Urbano for keeping morale high on set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTony was the kingpin for us puppeteers,\u201d Carlson remembers, \u201cHe gave us so many opportunities and guidelines for how to act on set. He kept a lot of us working and paid as principle actors during the commercials. These commercials aired often and nationwide, which made a huge difference in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_5.jpg\" alt=\"mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_5\" class=\"wp-image-10539\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of the McNuggets, Carlson\u2019s exposure to the rest of McDonaldland was limited. He did one commercial with the Fry Kids. He also helped create a talking bowling pin for a later McDonald\u2019s commercial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-what-s-kevin-carlson-up-to-now\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s Kevin Carlson Up To Now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Carlson trains puppeteers. He teaches a class on film and TV puppetry and helps people audition for puppet-centric shows like <em>Avenue Q.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/popicon.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_3.jpg\" alt=\"mcdonalds_mcnuggets_kevin_carlson_3\" class=\"wp-image-10537\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe thing about puppetry is you really have to love it,\u201d Carlson insists, \u201cIt\u2019s like playing an instrument. Sure, you can make noises but can you make music? If you don\u2019t have a theater background, or the ability to perform and ham it up, then puppetry isn\u2019t for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even without a proper theater background, it\u2019s entirely possible an introvert can become a great puppeteer if they are able to tap into their inner child. \u201cSome people are quiet and mild-mannered, but then they get a character and get wacky. Tim Blaney is one of those people! He\u2019s introverted, but you give him a puppet and he turns into a kooky, wacky nutball. The transformation\u2026 It\u2019s hysterical.\u201d Carlson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a puppeteer, you watch people. You\u2019re seeing what the audience sees, and as such you can adapt immediately. The ability to do, to become, all these different characters from Muppets to McNuggets drew me in from the beginning. Puppeteers make characters work and delight audiences worldwide because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FilmingInMcDonaldland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McDonaldland. Filming In McDonaldland<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Heather Taylor Kevin Carlson thinks everyone should keep a set of googly eyes on them at all times. Tuck a few pairs into your wallet with your driver\u2019s license [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":20010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-20009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-popicon","topics-editorial"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.5 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kevin Carlson On Being A Puppeteer For The McDonald\u2019s McNuggets | AW360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/kevin-carlson-on-being-a-puppeteer-for-the-mcdonalds-mcnuggets\/20009\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kevin Carlson On Being A Puppeteer For The McDonald\u2019s McNuggets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Heather Taylor Kevin Carlson thinks everyone should keep a set of googly eyes on them at all times. 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