It's A Great Day In America... For Puppets

One of the best parts of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is the cold openings. Usually Craig speaks directly to the camera--but sometimes he likes to let puppets do the talking for him. (And really, who doesn't?) Craig created unique characters for his animals, but the puppets themselves are all store brought. They're made by a company called Folkmanis, and you can find them online or at your favorite independent toy store.

Here are some of the show's more popular puppets:

• Monkey, Long-Legged
• Crocodile Stage Puppet
• T-Rex Stage Puppet
• Rabbit, Standing White
• Pig, Large

If you like puppets at all, check out the entire line-up. Most commercially available puppets are targeted at kids and don't really work well as puppets. They either lack character or they they don't articulate well. Not so with Folkmanis. These guys are built to be used. They're not all great for performances (or for adult hands), but many are. Even better, some of the puppets are stuffed enough that you can just use them as stuffed animals if you want. (Suck it, Gund!) Recommended: The Jack Russel Terrier and the crazy-floppy Sheepdog.