| Frequently Asked Questions: |
| Q. How did the traveling Pee-wee thing start? A: It started in 1993 when I was moving from New York City to San Francisco, and my friend M. (full name hidden to protect the innocent) gave me her Pee-wee Herman doll to take with me. When she came to visit me the following year, we thought it would be funny to take him around town and take his photo in front of famous sites, just to prove he was there. Q. Why did she think you wanted to take a Pee-wee Herman doll to California? A. The doll had been sort of standing joke between us for a few years. At one point the doll was in my apartment, and the man I was dating at the time looked over at him menacingly and said (in his French accent): "I do not like zees leetle man - he ees always smiling at me!" and put him in the microwave! I had to rescue Pee-wee and give him back to M. before his life was endangered further. I guess I got kind of fond of the doll then. Q. Are you obsessed with Pee-wee Herman? A. No, not at all. I did see Pee-wee's Big Adventure and once in a while watched Pee-wee's Playhouse, but I wouldn't say I ever was obsessed with the character. Perhaps M. was, since she was the person who actually purchased the doll. Q. Why does this website look so - well - amateurish? A. Because it is! First, a lot of the photos are pre-digital and were scanned years ago, so some of the images are not very good. I like to think it adds to the charm of the site, but probably it just looks bad. If I can find all the old photos, someday I might try to scan them again. Second, I really have no skills in web design. Third, I don't really have much time to devote to this site, especially now that I am a mom. Some of the photos have taken about two years to get posted onto the site. Q. Did you take all these photos? A. No, not all of them. I think about 60% of the photos are from my own travels, including - yes - my honeymoon. I do have a nice cadre of friends and friends-of-friends who have taken the doll traveling with them. Q. How can I sign on to take Pee-wee on a trip? A. Send me some dark chocolate and two letters of reference and I'll consider it. Q. What do you like most about posing Pee-wee? A. The great thing about doing this is that it really makes people smile. In some cases it's recognition of the character. In others, especially in other parts of the world, it's Pee-wee's own smiling face (or the sight of an adult taking a picture of a doll) that just seems to make people happy. One of my favorite moments with Pee-wee was riding in a bus in Istanbul and waving his little arm at people on the streets - you wouldn't believe the smiles and laughter he got any time he caught someone's eye. Q. In some of the photos, Pee-wee looks a little bedraggled. Does he need to be repaired? A. Pee-wee is a little tired these days. His voicebox hasn't worked for years, and now several of his limbs are broken. His suit is also quite dirty. I am thinking about taking him to a doll hospital. Please feel free to make a contribution towards his care! |