In 2023 Marty Allen and Leigh Walter were commissioned to imagine their own take on the medium of crankies.
What’s a crankie?!? A crankie is, generally, a kind of old-time backlit or frontlit scrolling panorama. A moving storytelling device that has its origins in the 19th century, but has a life of its own in the hands of modern puppeteers and artists.
They developed a classic Uncle Monsterface song, ‘The S.C.U.B.A. Diver’ into an 8-bit crankie!
https://unclemonsterface.bandcamp.com/track/the-s-c-u-b-a-diver
Meet the undiscovered handheld gaming system, The CrankieBoy! This crankie cranks vertically downward as we explore the depths of the ocean in an adventure inspired by old school gaming AND old-school sea-faring.
The Legend of the S.C.U.B.A. Diver premiered at Flushing Town Hall as part of 2023's New York Crankie Fest.
Other showings:
• Theatre @37 Puppet Slam, Perry, NY, October 2025
• A La Dada Cabaret, Unruly Collective, Brooklyn, September 2025
• ‘A Marty Party for Leroy’s Place’, Oct 2024
• Baltimore Crankie Fest, May 2024
The piece features the vertical scroll as well as shadow puppets and mask-work. Marty acts as the shadow puppeteer as Leigh cranks.
Marty’s Roles: Co-creator, performer, puppet builder, puppet designer, crankie box builder, composer (with Uncle Monsterface)