Sal Denaro

Sal Denaro is a designer, sculptor, illustrator, and puppet builder who is best known for working at the Muppet Workshop from 1977-1980, initially working with Don Sahlin. During that time, he's done The Muppet Show, helping to initiate and direct the foam latex casting department (making duplicates and repairs a whole lot easier. Sal also created prototypes and puppets for both The Muppet Movie and The Dark Crystal, including one that became the Blustering Bellowpane Monster. Denaro must have been thrilled to work alongside Sahlin, the legendary puppet builder, right before Sahlin's death in 1978. In addition to Muppets, his other achievements have included assisting Martin P. Robinson in fabricating Audrey II for Little Shop of Horrors, as well as rebuilding Burr Tillstrom's characters for the Broadway show called Side by Side by Sondheim. For television and film, he served as a puppet maker for Pee-wee's Playhouse and an assistant puppeteer on the Flexitoon production KIDS-TV. Sal Denaro also did puppetry for a 1986 Crest Toothpaste commercial making and performing three puppets, according to his LinkedIn profile. Besides puppets, he has also been a model maker for stop-motion, working with companies such as Curious Pictures, Hornet Pictures, and Broadcast Arts for many projects. If I didn't know better, I'd say working with the Muppets prepared himself to become the person he is today, the pro at both stop-motion and live-action puppets. Sal is still designing and building puppets and stop-motion figures today as well as being creative director of his own studio. Denaro worked with the best people such as Alan Semok, Olga Felgemacher, Craig Marin, Jonathan Freeman, and more throughout his career. There just doesn't seem to be anything he can't do when it comes to puppets. He still keeps in touch with Muppet designers and builders to this day. Sal Denaro, you're a pro when it comes to both puppets and stop-motion as many of your works won the hearts of millions of people across the US and the entire world. Keep on working at your studio and always remember how the Muppet Workshop has helped you launch your freelance career. Until then, keep your career going for years to come, so that people will want to follow in your footsteps and such. Excellent work Sal. You're a king Denaro!

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