Meet the Geppetto of Hip-Hop: How Zack Buchman Built Furry Puppet Studio
Tucked away in SoHo, far above the clatter of Manhattan traffic, sits a workshop that feels like a cross between a fever-dream toy chest and an old-school Hollywood effects lab. Foam heads rest on metal stands, bolts of vibrant fleece hang from the walls, and pairs of acrylic eyes stare out from plastic bins.
This is Furry Puppet Studio, the brainchild of founder and Creative Director Zack Buchman. Over the past decade, Buchman has quietly established himself as the go-to artisan for rock stars, late-night icons, and global brands looking to trade digital pixels for real-world felt and wire.
The Spark: From Nightmares to Tangible Art
Like many kids growing up in the tri-state area, Buchman was raised on a steady diet of Sesame Street produced out of Astoria. But while most children were captivated by Big Bird, Buchman found himself mesmerized—and slightly spooked—by a different kind of magic.
“One of my earliest puppet memories is The Amazing Mumford scaring me a little as a kid,” Buchman recalls. “He had no real eyes, just the suggestion of them. It gave me true nightmares and left an impression.”
That haunting fascination with character design eventually led him to explore animation early in his career. The digital screen, however, felt too cold. “I tried animation very early on, and it did not last long,” Buchman says. “I think I missed the physical part—something you can touch and move with your own hands. Custom puppets just felt right.”
Strings Attached: The Missy Elliott Masterpiece
That hands-on philosophy reached a pop-culture peak when hip-hop titan Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams called on Furry Puppet Studio to star in their futuristic “WTF (Where They From)” music video.
Instead of basic hand puppets, Buchman and his team crafted full-scale, incredibly detailed marionettes complete with streetwear outfits and carved likenesses.
“Marionettes are more difficult to tame than hand puppets,” Buchman explains. “We built the whole thing by hand, faces included.”
The result was an instant classic in music video visual history—a surreal, string-operated flex that captured the exact energy of two music icons.
The Art of the Impression
Beyond music royalty, Buchman’s studio has brought late-night television into the felt universe. When building miniature puppet versions of Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper (“Lil AC” and “Lil Anderson”) for CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, Buchman didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
“Andy Cohen is actually my neighbor, so the faces were already familiar,” Buchman laughs. “Everyone was awesome, and I was happy to see them being obsessed with puppets even after the original shoot.”
Whether building news anchors, mechanical worms, or full-body monster suits, Buchman follows a strict code of physical design:
“I look at the silhouette first. The shape and the expression have to read clearly even if you let your eyes go out of focus. The goal is to make sure the core of the character is strong, and keep any additional details minimal.”
What’s Next?
With a client list spanning Apple Japan, major networks, and global chart-toppers, Buchman remains hungry for weird, ambitious music collaborations. His current dream client? Alternative pop icon Poppy.
“I would love to do more music videos with interesting artists,” Buchman says. “Poppy, if you’re reading this, reach out!”
Interview conducted by John Witw
Transcribed by John Schwarz
