The humble beginning was an old country general store in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the 1940's. EC's Great-Grandparents, Don and Mary Carl, brought their unique talents together serving local customers. After they sold the store, Don pursued his passion involving mechanical devices of all kinds. He was the go-to repair guy on anything that whirled, hummed or clanged. He also knew a couple of magic tricks. Mary was a gifted seamstress who, later went on to manage a factory floor.
Their daughter Brenda Carl (later Hanna) was an art teacher who began making puppets for her two children Ed and Bethany. As the years went by, what started as a hobby quickly gained momentum, Brenda found a great demand for her puppets and along with her parents (Don and Mary) created Furry Friends Puppets in 1971. They began selling and doing puppets shows at malls and festivals, selling tens of thousands of puppets, including hundreds of custom puppets for puppeteers all over the world. She also became a guest on the Hatchy-Milatchy TV show where my father Ed Hanna first debuted his skill as a puppeteer and voice artist.
Their longest engagement is the Kutztown Folk Festival puppet show which has run for over 50 years and is a tradition that continues to this day.
Three generations later, the Furry Friends brand gave birth to E.C. Hanna. In addition to being a world class sleight-of-hand artist, he professionally designs and builds puppets and animatronics. He and his team utilize 3-D printing, servo mechanics, and sophisticated control programs to bring his characters to life.
Check out our Creation Shop to see how Magic Box Entertainment continues the family legacy.
