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What is karagozis?
Karagozis is the name given to traditional Greek shadow puppetry. Technically speaking, Karagoz is the name of a particular popular character in this genre, and has ended up representing the whole of Greek shadow puppetry. Image gallery provided at the bottom of this post.
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What are marottes?
Marottes are really an unofficial term, applicable to a type of rod puppet. These puppets are operated from below, either with the puppeteer visible and/or sitting on the floor, or with the puppeteer hidden by a ‘flat’ (theatre term for false wall). This is unlike table-top puppetry, where the usual performance style is to work from behind the puppet, holding the rods at right angles to the puppeteer’s body. A very easy way to imagine a marotte is the jester’s stick, the one with the little jester head at the top of a stick. Example video at the bottom of the post.
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What are shoulder puppets?
Technically speaking, this isn’t so much a type of puppet, but a particular brand of puppet. That is, someone has built a puppet a certain way, and has made it so well-known the name they gave it has become well-known amongst the public. (Much like how a "muppet" isn’t really a type of puppet, just a name someone gave to their style of puppetry) I first heard about shoulder puppets via Puppets and Stuff. So what are they?
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What is wayang golek?
Wayang golek is the name given to Indonesian rod puppets (not to be confused with wayang kulit), and is also often known as Javanese puppetry. Java being an island within Indonesia. Wayang means ‘puppet’ - which is why it is often confused with wayang kulit. Wayang golek is distinctive due to its particular character designs: angular shoulders; long, skinny arms and legs; and extremely elaborate carvings, paintwork and costumes. Excellent video can be found at the bottom of this post.
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What is wayang kulit?
Wayang kulit is the name given to Indonesian shadow puppetry (not to be confused with wayang golek), and is also often known as Javanese shadow puppetry. Java being an island within Indonesia. Wayang means ‘puppet’ - which is why it is often confused with wayang golek - and kulit means ‘leather’ and ‘flat’. Wayang kulit is therefore, flat leather puppets. Wayang kulit is distinctive due to its particular character designs: angular shoulders; long, skinny arms and legs; and extremely elaborate carvings. A slideshow of example puppets can be found at the bottom of this post.
@Jack, Actually I have a separate post on buying materials (found here: http://www.schoolofpuppetry.com.au/tutorials.php/materials/) The thing is, there's no one-stop-shop for buying puppet materials in Australia. I generally pick stuff up from Spotlight or Riot Art & Craft. It also depends on what you're making: a shadow puppet can be made by going to your local newsagent and getting some cardboard for instance. On the other hand, most of the materials for a muppet can be found at Spotlight... Hope that helps, Naomi
... School of Puppetry on Basics of puppet design and building