About Us

Where Do Ventriloquists Come From?

Terry Carlson is a native of Southern California. He was an only child until the age of 7 and that left him with plenty of time to entertain himself. Early on, Terry was fascinated by puppets and was inspired to try throwing his voice by ventriloquist Paul Winchell (the voice of Tigger in Walt Disney’s Winnie the Pooh) and his puppet Jerry Mahoney who had a children’s TV show that aired in the Los Angeles area. Terry never missed an episode. On his 5th birthday his parents got him his first dummy (patterned after Jerry Mahoney) and he began doing ventriloquism himself shortly thereafter.

Terry had a natural ability for ventriloquism and loved playing with and making puppets every chance he got. His socks became talking worms, his jacket pockets housed little people and even his shoes were known to “kick up” speech from time to time. By the time he was 7, Terry had quite a collection of puppets. He loved to entertain his friends and family with shows and funny routines that he put together. 

For Christmas, Terry got a small tape recorder and a record player which is where his talents began to take shape. Terry found that he could pre-record parts of the show to play back while he spoke in another voice giving even more dimension to his performances.

Soon, one of his friends suggested that while the other kids had “lemonade stands,” they should set up a puppet theater in Terry’s backyard for the neighborhood kids. Before long kids from all over town were paying 10 cents each to attend these performances. Terry persuaded some of his friends to help him build bigger and better stages, props and even more elaborate puppets. Some of his friends helped him work some of the puppets.

Terry eventually found an ad in a classified section of a magazine for specialized puppets and supplies. It was through this resource that Terry was made familiar with several leading ventriloquists. He was able to expand his talents under the instruction of Edgar Bergan (and puppet Charlie McCarthy as well as Jimmy Nelson (and puppet Danny O’Day).

Terry continued to practice his art every chance he got and was soon writing his own routines. By age 13 he had an active business entertaining for birthday parties, civic clubs, and special events. He saved his money and had Andy Wentforth carved for him by one of the leading wood carving puppet masters.

Terry has also developed several other characters that he alternates between depending on the audience he was performing for. Each character has its own distinctive voice quality and character traits. He has talking birds, dogs, rabbits and more.

Terry was eventually booked on the county and state fair circuit and has entertained at civic clubs and theme parks all over the country. He opened for various top name music artists and continued to use his talent during breaks from school and when times got tight, he earned extra money throughout his college years and beyond.

During high school Terry began working at a local radio station as a DJ and his put character voices to work by making special funny drop-ins and hilarious bits for the daily radio shows. Terry continued to make special appearances at events like concerts, business grand openings for clients of the radio and television stations he worked for. Terry continued his career in broadcasting and moved to various markets around the country.

When Terry gave his life to Christ he began using his talents for the Lord. In 2000, Terry founded Kids Life Ministries Association, a non-profit organization that produces live and recorded programs for kids as well as books, stage plays and other materials to help teach kids moral stories and life lessons.

 What Do Pastors And Youth Leaders Say About Terry Carlson & Andy Wentforth?

When I booked Terry Carlson & Andy Wentforth for an annual Spiritual Youth Retreat at Camp Mivoden, in Northern Idaho, I had no idea how moving this presentation would be. I had heard Terry was an exceptional storyteller and had hoped that he would bring a little fun to the overall program for the Christian young people aged 13-18 attending this event

Terry worked with the featured youth speaker and developed the theme for the program, “The Depth of God’s Love.” Terry wrote a special 4-part allegory miniseries called “The Toy Master,” based on the conflict between Christ and Satan. Every segment was designed to augment the subject the featured speaker covered each meeting. We were all pleasantly surprised with his results by bringing a different perspective on an age-old subject. I would highly recommend using Terry and his puppet skills to reach young people in a unique way. Terry made this weekend program a bigger than anticipated blessing for all who attended.

Wayne Hicks

Upper Colombia Conference

Pathfinder Director

Spokane, WA

We used Terry’s extraordinary skills during one of our crusades in the Southwest. He was the featured speaker for the Children’s Ministry Division during our 5-week campaign. Terry did several series of stories that would continue each night. The kids wanted to come back the next night as the stories continued, and when the kids come back, mom and dad have no choice but to bring them! Terry used an outreach designed for kids to dedicate their young lives to Jesus. At the end of this series, we had nearly 100 adult baptisms with many kids who took bible studies and were looking forward to being baptized themselves.

Ken Cox

National Evangelist

California

As a teacher at a Christian school, I am often in charge of religious assemblies that the entire student body attends each year. We are constantly looking for new and unique speakers to address our students. Terry & Andy are always a big hit and are repeatedly asked for by students and teachers alike. We have invited them back several times through the years. The programs that Terry and his puppet Andy put on always bless both the kids and faculty.

Gloria Guzman

Teacher

Phoenix, AZ

We are proud to have had Terry Carlson as part of our congregation. He is the Children’s Ministry Coordinator for our church. The kids and adults both look forward to whenever Terry shows up with Andy’s “Big Blue Box.” All are blessed with Terry’s insight on the various subject matters he covers during the Children’s Story sermonettes. It gives a refreshing perspective because Andy can (and often does) ask the tough questions that most people only think about but are afraid to express. It makes it fun because many Christians feel the way Andy does about their own religious experience but are too afraid to admit! Andy isn’t shy when it comes to complaining about how his religious life is going and Terry is always quick to redirect Andy’s thinking to God’s purpose for his people.’’

Bob McGhee

Pastor

Phoenix, AZ