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Spitting Image remembers The Phantom Menace puppeteer Phil Eason

Mark Newbold
By Mark Newbold
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Much-loved puppeteer and puppet builder Phil Eason passed away earlier this year, his skills seen onscreen in a multitude of projects including Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, Lost in Space and The Phantom Menace, where he portrayed Yaddle. By way of honoring his immense legacy and with the blessing of his family, Phil has been immortalised as an ‘additional player’ in the Britbox revival of Spitting Image, which means Phil – or his caricature puppet incarnation – will appear in sketches for years to come.

Phil’s friend Brian Herring posted this to Twitter, showing Phil, the puppet and the reasons for its wonderfully thoughtful creation.

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SourceBrian Herring
Mark Newbold
Mark Newbold
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Much-loved puppeteer and puppet builder Phil Eason passed away earlier this year, his skills seen onscreen in a multitude of projects including Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, Lost in Space and The Phantom Menace, where he portrayed Yaddle. By way of honoring his immense legacy and with the blessing of his family, Phil has been immortalised as an ‘additional player’ in the Britbox revival of Spitting Image, which means Phil – or his caricature puppet incarnation – will appear in sketches for years to come.

Phil’s friend Brian Herring posted this to Twitter, showing Phil, the puppet and the reasons for its wonderfully thoughtful creation.

Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures T-Shirt
Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures T-Shirt
  • Official Star Wars Merchandise
  • Star Wars T Shirts for Boys, Girls, Men, and Women; Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures Boys Shirt; Star Wars Shirts for Men; Star Wars T-Shirts; Galaxy of Creatures T-Shirts; Star Wars Graphic T-Shirt
  • Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
$22.99 Amazon Prime
Buy on Amazon This is a paid link. Learn More. Price incl. tax, excl. shipping.  Details correct as at: 2025-08-31
SourceBrian Herring
Mark Newbold
Mark Newbold
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
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