Hero Lenny Gremlin Puppet

screen MATCHED hand puppet prop

Introduction

It’s hard not to love Lenny. His big, dim-witted personality perfectly complements his short, grumpy sidekick George, and together they bring a constant stream of goofy humor wherever they appear. While George may be the brains of the duo, Lenny stands out as the lovable oaf — a fitting nod to the classic pairing of George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men.

The Lenny Gremlin sculpt was created by Cinovation Studios artist Matt Rose. Although the film doesn’t clearly show their size difference, Lenny is noticeably larger than his counterpart George—standing roughly a foot taller with broad, muscular proportions. His sculpt features an exceptionally detailed paint pattern, particularly across his back, and he’s instantly recognizable by his trademark pair of buck teeth.

This half-body “hand puppet” version of Lenny served as the primary puppet used throughout his scenes in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Two main Lenny puppets were created for the film, each easily identifiable by the distinct spot patterns on their chests.

One of these hand puppets was featured in the entire Microwave Marge sequence, as well as the Lenny and George scene inside the toy store. Its current whereabouts are unknown, as no photographs of that puppet have surfaced since production wrapped.

The example in our collection was used for all the “New York, New York” shots, along with scenes of Lenny and George watching The Beast from 50,000 Fathoms and Lenny tinkering with the Clamp Center air vents. This same puppet also appears in a deleted scene with Grandpa Fred, in which the Gremlins crowd around the TV host—a production still from that moment was widely circulated in the film’s promotional materials.

On set, the puppet was operated by multiple puppeteers. The primary performer worked from beneath, reaching into the torso to control the mouth and head movements, while a second puppeteer handled the arms and hands. Additional triggers allowed for subtle facial animation, including eye positioning, blinking, and ear motion.

Like many of the heavily used puppets from Gremlins 2: The New Batch, this Lenny puppet has not aged gracefully and has required several rounds of restoration to prevent further deterioration. His first major restoration was carried out by former Cinovation Studios artist Brian Penikas, whose team carefully brought the severely damaged puppet back to life. Significant repairs were needed to stabilize the neck, jaw, and arms, all of which had suffered extensive wear from both on-set use and the natural breakdown of materials over time.

Following its restoration, the Lenny puppet was sold through Propstore in 2015 and remained in a private collection until 2023, when it was acquired by the Gremlins Museum.

While overall in decent condition, Lenny began to show concerning signs of wear over the intervening years—most notably a series of cracks developing around his neck. For hand puppets, the neck is often the most vulnerable point, as it must support a disproportionately large and heavy head. With this in mind, we arranged for Lenny to make a stop at Tom Spina Designs in New York for evaluation and preservation before continuing his journey from Switzerland to Seattle.

Despite being transported by a professional art handler, the puppet’s structural fragility became evident during transit, resulting in new and significant damage.

Despite the new bumps and bruises, Lenny couldn’t have been in better hands. Tom Spina’s team expertly stabilized the puppet, ensuring he’ll remain display-ready for decades to come. They carefully sealed the cracks, meticulously matching texture and paint to create a seamless blend between original material and restoration work.

The team also made use of Lenny’s original base, re-configuring his pose with a more secure arm position in place of the original arm supports. As always, Tom’s crew managed to breathe new life and personality into the character—a testament to their remarkable craftsmanship and ongoing care for these iconic creatures.