Joe Gandelman

In November 1990, Joe Gandelman left his job as a San Diego Union staff writer after nearly 10 years to do ventriloquism full-time. He had few bookings lined up and received little help from agents.

Gandelman has since become a highly booked -- and rebooked -- family entertainer. He opened for national musical groups, performed at Camp Pendleton before a speech by former Pres. Ronald Reagan and was seen on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. He has performed at schools throughout the West, comedy clubs, the San Diego Zoo, fairs and festivals across the country and many corporate events.

He and his wooden dummies and cartoon-like latex puppets have also appeared in family variety shows at California big stage venues such as San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, San Jose's Civic Auditorium, Oakland's Paramount Theater, and the Anaheim Convention Center.

His act features comedy, music and lots of audience interaction. Gandelman has a large cast of state-of-the-art wooden and "soft" figures. His main character is John Raven, a wise-cracking boy who frustrates him at every turn. John and Joe are as popular when doing adult corporate entertainment events, as when doing children's private parties, Scouts blue-and-golds dinners, holiday shows, strolling entertainment or comedy clubs. At the end of every adult show Gandelman suddenly becomes a comedian, doing several minutes of topical standup and customized comedy material without his characters.