Practical Long-Grin-1

In 1984, the Long-Grin Saga was already an expensive undertaking, even for a major studio. Nevertheless, as director of production for Cine-Media International, and with verbal support of its president and CEO Bond Johnson, Travis hired Billy (who about the same time created and Played Mr. StayPuft for GHOSTBUSTERS), to make a model of Long-Grin's head that Travis could show to studio executives and/or investors that they could see, touch, and have their pictures taken, it might go a long way to convincing them that LONG-GRIN was as feasible as it was exciting.

Travis and Billy had several meetings to discuss all the elements required in the design of the dragon's head, including the critical elements required for the dragon to "speak," and with the aid of puppeteers, display facial expressions that would be properly interpreted by an audience. BIlly began work on what became a 17-part mould. The model was not intended to be operational, but designed to allow for the servos and wiring required when the show went into production. What you see on this page is what Travis saw on the first day he went to see Long-Grin in Billy's studio.