Hundreds of NorthPark shoppers looked forward to being insulted during the holiday season. They waited for Scrooge to sarcastically compliment their thrifty tendencies and parenting style.
Beloved puppeteer John Hardman brought Scrooge to life every December for nearly 40 years. A trip to Ringling Brothers Circus sparked his interest in the quirky art form when he was a child.
“The sideshow was a Punch and Judy show, and I was amazed one person could do that,” he said in 2006. “I started fiddling with it. I grew up in Wichita Falls where there wasn’t much to do. I raided the library and did what I could; it started as a hobby, went with me all through high school and college.”
So in 2015, when Hardman died after battling cancer, his protege Will Schutze was asked to take on a 38-year legacy.
“It’s bittersweet because when I’m doing the show, I’m constantly thinking of John,” Schutze told the Advocate in 2015. “But I find myself laughing at his jokes, and I feel like I can do that.”
