Jeff Dunham is no dummy

International comedy sensation comic and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has performed in front of sold-out audiences worldwide showcasing the undeniable power of induced laughter. Dunham along with his cast of hilarious characters have embarked on the “Jeff Dunham: Still Not Canceled Tour,” which stops in Beaumont at Ford Arena on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 5 p.m. Ticket prices start at $48.50 and can be purchased online at fordpark.com or the Ford Park box office at 5115 Interstate 10 South.

A quick glance of Dunham’s childhood photos reveals the milestones of youth – birthdays, graduations, awkward first dates… very awkward first dates. Nothing unusual – except for the fact that in almost every photo, he’s joined by a dummy seated on his lap. Literally.

Luckily for Dunham, and the millions of fans who continue to be entertained by his suitcase posse worldwide, those early wooden characters were a hint of the spectacular career to come.

Sold-out global concert tours. Ratings-shattering broadcast specials. A best-selling author. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A few Guinness Book of World Records set for good measure.

Dunham, the only child of a real estate appraiser and homemaker, raised in a Dallas suburb, at the age of 9 received a toy ventriloquist dummy for Christmas, began to practice, and started dreaming of characters who could say what nobody else would dare. The rest is history.

The little boy who fell in love with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd was soon charming and disarming classmates, appearing at Kiwanis Clubs and Scout banquets, doing TV commercials for Texas car dealerships, and was on his way to national appearances while still in high school. By the time he attended Baylor University, he was earning $70,000 a year for having public conversations with himself.

Whether the cranky old man Walter, who doubled as Wonald Grump and Ben Hiden during the last election, the hyperactive and crazy Peanut, the self-explanatory José the Jalapeño on a Stick, the redneck cliché NASCAR-loving Bubba J, the utterly befuddled Achmed the Dead Terrorist, and Url, the basement dwelling social media smart-phone addict, Dunham allows each to speak their mind, regardless of how much they embarrass their co-star in the process.

In an exclusive interview with The Examiner, Dunham talked about his love of Johnny Carson, his “dummy” characters, and how it all began.

Q: Most of your characters have actually become iconic themselves and have their own merch line. Did you ever think you would see their faces on clothes, hot sauces, T-shirts and mugs?

A: From a very early age, I was fascinated with Edgar Bergen and his characters, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd and all “they” accomplished. Bergen became the Seinfeld of the radio years, as he had the number one radio show for almost a decade. He and Walt Disney were friends, and they were both the first to successfully license their characters in extensive merchandise lines. So actually… Yes… Even at a young age I had dreams of whatever my characters were, being turned into toys and beyond.

Q: Can you tell me the process of actually designing and creating each of your characters?

A: First, I have to decide on a character that I think would be relatable and funny to the general public, and also to me. Next, I’ll either describe the character to an artist friend of mine and let him sketch per my description, and then I sculpt a clay head from that, or I simply start sculpting from scratch. (An alternate way of getting the initial head done when I’m in a pinch for time is to give that sketch or idea to another friend of mine who does 3D digital sculpting, and then go step by step with him, sculpting what’s been in my head.) Otherwise, I’ll digitally scan the clay head I sculpted. Either way, I end up with a 3D digital file of the head. I then print the shell of that head on my 3D printer. Next, I install the mechanics and controls for the head’s various movements, paint the head, (that’s probably my favorite part of the entire process). The final step is building the body with sculpted hands, etc, etc. “Figure building” is a time consuming, poorly rewarding art form. Not many folks make it a vocation, simply because the hours required to build a dummy can’t be afforded by the average potential customer. Thus, I learned the basic skills during my college years, affirming the adage that necessity is the mother of invention.

Q: I’m certain different cities have their favorite characters, but is there a character currently that you say, “I can't wait to perform with him tonight?”

A: Walter was my go-to television character for many years, and Achmed launched me to the international stage. But in all honesty, Peanut is the guy I have the absolute most fun with in the live performance. He picks on me the most and gets some of the biggest laughs, simply by being outrageous and outspoken; he’s fearless. So yeah: Him.

Q: I was a big fan of “The Tonight show Starring Johnny Carson,” as I read you were, too. How life changing was that experience once you performed on the show and sat with Carson?

A: I’ve always had an easy answer for the biggest one: That first night with Carson and heading to the couch was THE moment for me. I had set a 10-year goal after graduating from high school to be on “The Tonight Show” with Carson. I graduated in the May of 1980. After many years of building, then eight auditions and eight rejections, I finally was booked after my ninth attempt. I finally made it on air in April of 1990, and the night couldn’t have gone better, at that point in my career. It was a Friday night, and the other guests were Bob Hope and B.B. King. Plus, Walter killed it with Carson on the couch. Yep… Life and career changing. It was the Grade A stamp of approval for any comic. It’s hard to NOT get sentimental and emotional when I think about that day.

Q: With ventriloquism dating back centuries, how have you been able to keep this type of stagecraft so entertaining year after year?

A: Well, thank you! I think one of the reasons my 15 minutes has lasted so many years is simply recognizing, very early on, what I needed to do to stay appealing to audiences for more than one performance. And that was focusing on the comedy and entertainment value of my act, rather than showing off vocal feats of skill. Engaging, believable, funny, and relatable characters are infinitely more important than showing an audience you can drink a glass of water and talk at the same time.

- Chad Cooper is the Entertainment Editor. Contact him at cooper@theexaminer.com