A Little History…

I’m Jack Venturo. I was born in Lima, Peru and I have been drawing, sculpting and creating since I was 5 years old. I am a voice over performer, puppeteer and Freddy Krueger cosplayer.

I attended the Pinellas County Center for the Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida in the 90’s and I am a Jim Henson Company trained puppeteer.

I began creating dioramas and customizing toys at 15, the same time I began puppeteering. I have been a voice over performer and professional puppeteer since 2015 and have worked for the Jim Henson Company and Disney.

Jack’s Mini Blurb…

Jack was born in Lima, Peru. He is a storyteller and has been making movies since he was 16 years old. He is a multiple award-winning filmmaker who has written, produced and directed 9 films (6 award winners, 2 distributed), 2 shows, and 2 documentaries. He has also completed 6 screenplays. (1 optioned, 2 official selections).  And is constantly working on new projects ranging from Movies to TV Series and more.

He is also a bilingual SAG/AFTRA puppeteer & voice over performer, a show host, editor, cosplayer, winemaker, artist and BBQ pitmaster.

He is a husband and father of five daughters. He loves his family, friends, coworkers and pop culture. He is also pretty good at playing checkers.

Jack Venturo

Artist/Puppeteer/Voice Performer/Cosplayer/Filmmaker

E-mail = JackVenturo@gmail.com

Jack’s Full Bio…

Jack Venturo was born Pedro Renzo Humberto Venturo Lañas in Lima, Peru on January 9, 1981. He was brought to the United States on March 13, 1990. Spending two months in New York before settling in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992 and Jack then settled in St. Petersburg, Florida where he was accepted in The Pinellas County Center for the Arts (P.C.C.A) at Gibbs High School in 1996 as a Visual Artist.

While in P.C.C.A. he pursued a wide range of visual arts including photography, oil painting, welding, sketching, design, sculpture art history and film history.

An interest in puppeteering led Jack to create his puppet, Stanley Merrick who quickly became very popular and inspired him to write a full three-part screenplay about the puppet. He then created his first film, “Natural Born Stanley” which was released on December 19, 1997. Jack went on to build two more puppets Seally and Eddie and with them came the much-anticipated sequel “Stanley 2: The Legacy” on February 13, 1999.

On February 18, 1999 he changed his name legally to Jack Venturo. keeping the name Renzo as his name when speaking Spanish.

Jack continued his sculptures, painting and artwork and held an art exhibition in March of 2000, entitled “Fear”, which dealt with horror and its portrayal in motion pictures.

He quickly moved on to the next project, writing and directing his third film “Lost in the Wilderness” which opened on June 22, 2000 at the Film Paradiso Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The premiere was an undisputed success, with lines forming around the theatre, it was sold out opening night. “Lost in the Wilderness” was restored and remastered in 2018 and in 2020 it became:

  • Official Selection (First Time Film Maker Sessions Awards, Pinewood Studios.)

He was a full-time high school student at Gibbs and a part time cameraman and floor director at The Home Shopping Network.

While working at The Home Shopping Network Jack cross trained and learned everything there is to know about TV cameras and production. He directed four segments with America’s Store in Home Shopping Network with Suzanne Somers, Wolfgang Puck, and Billy Mays.

He graduated high school in June of 2000 with artistic honors but without a High School Diploma, he had difficulty taking the final exit exam and attempted to pass it seven times before the year was over, he was given a certificate of completion and was allowed to walk with his classmates.

On December 24, 2000 he packed up everything he owned, took a seven-day road trip and moved to Los Angeles, CA. He spent the first several years learning the ropes and finding odd jobs as a production assistant, casting assistant and a temp in student films and other productions like “The Man Show”, “The Weakest Link”, “Scary Movie 2”, “The Majestic”, “Bubble Boy”, & “Saw”.

In 2001 he got an acting gig on the show “El Tribunal del Pueblo” (A “Judge Judy” type of show for Spanish Television.)

In 2002 Jack was hired at Alpine Pictures International as an Associate Producer, connecting producers and investors and assisting in solidifying contacts and deals for such projects as “Toolbox Murders”, “The Blue Light”, “Love is the Drug” and “Dark Honeymoon”.

Jack’s 4th film, entitled “The Shortest Day” was released on August 12, 2003. It was the most nominated and most awarded movie at The 2003 Circle of Excellence Film Festival Archie Awards. The awards ceremony was held at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, California. It was nominated for four Archie Awards, of which it won three:

  • Best Director – Jack Venturo
  • Best Screenplay – Jack Venturo
  • Best Actor – Chris Pagano
  • Best Film (Nominated)

In 2004 Jack assisted as a baby wrangler for “General Hospital” and “Desperate Housewives”. He also created www.Jackorama.com which is a portfolio of all his art. In December of that year Jack was working in Simi Valley where he met Eydie, they quickly became great friends. Eydie and Jack started dating October of 2006.

Jack became a set intern for Shadow Machine Films in 2007, building miniature sets and props for “Robot Chicken”, “Moral Orel”, & “Robot Chicken: Star Wars” on Cartoon Network’s [adult swim].

On August 17, 2007 Jack became a citizen of The United States of America, being sworn in at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles. In September Jack and Eydie discovered they were pregnant with their first child, and 9 months later on May 29, 2008 at 4:35 PM they welcomed their daughter Athena Phoenix Venturo into the world. She weighed 8lbs 5oz and measured 20 inches long. Athena is Eydie’s 4th and Jack’s 1st daughter.

On September 1, 2009 Jack and Eydie got married in a small private ceremony in Ventura County.

Also in 2009 Jack worked as a set photographer on “The Sanctum”, “Rules” and “Bollywood to Hollywood”.

Jack’s 5th movie “The Death of Tempo” began production in 2008 and was released on January 1st, 2010.

The film was accepted into the Crystal Palace International Film Festival in London and got nominated as a finalist and a special transmitter award.

  • 1st Place Jury Award (Panel of judges included a film critic for the L.A Times at the 10 Squared Film Festival, Fullerton.)
  • Best Picture – 1st Place People’s Choice (After watching all 10 films the audience chose the movie as their favorite at t he 10 Squared Film Festival, Fullerton.)
  • Best Editing (Onyko Films Awards, Estonia.)
  • Finalist (Crystal Palace International Film Festival, London.)
  • Nominated Transmitter Award (Crystal Palace International Film Festival, London.)

On September 6, 2011. Jack completed the screenplay “Jeffrey’s Injuries”. A psychological thriller/drama about Jeffrey Montgomery, a man who after the death of his daughter begins to self-harm and suffer from multiple medical symptoms that could be attributed to several diagnoses such as a sleep disorder, a brain tumor, schizophrenia, alcoholism, personality disorder, or alien abduction.

Jackorama premiered for the first time to the public as a whole entity at DesignerCon in November 2011 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

In February of 2012 Jack and Eydie found out they are pregnant with their second child and 9 months later on November 28th, 2012 at 4:17 AM they welcomed their daughter Vivian Jade Venturo into the world. She weighed 8lbs 6oz and measured 21 inches long. Vivian is Eydie’s 5th and Jack’s 2nd daughter.

Also in February of 2012 Jack’s father gifted him an antique copper Alambique, taught him everything there is to know about distilling, wine blending and the history of Jack’s grandfather Pedro Venturo Zapata and all of his work at the Hacienda Higuereta before it was destroyed in the late 60’s inspiring Jack to create “Venturo Spirits”.

On February 21, 2014 Jack completed the screenplay “Stronger than a Superhero” an optioned script commissioned by director David Mejias. The story of three talented homeless street musicians in New Jersey who struggle with drugs and violence. Their brotherhood grows with their passion for music and need for survival.

In 2014 Jack decided to earn his High School Diploma. He went to the Antelope Valley Adult School in Lancaster and signed up to an Algebra course and a test prep class. He hired a math tutor and went to night school every week. He took the final exit exam once more time and passed on the first attempt. In May of 2015 Jack graduated again, wearing blue once more but this time with a real diploma.

While scrolling through Facebook one day Jack came across a post from The Jim Henson Company stating they were looking for new puppeteers to join their crew and attend an eight week puppeteer workshop, Jack filmed an audition video of himself performing his puppets Stanley, Seally and Eddie and a week later he was invited to audition with more than 200 other candidates in front of Brian Henson, Patrick Bristow, Kevin Clash, and Allan Trautman. He got the callback and in the summer of 2015 Jack and thirty other puppeteers worked once a week at The Jim Henson Studios training in Improv and the Henson puppetry technique.

Fellow puppeteer Noel Williams built and sent a white rabbit puppet for Jack as a gift. Chester Pepper is born.

On February 05, 2015 Jack completed the screenplay “The X-FIles: Syndicate Control”. A spec script he spent a year working on. The film is set in 2017, it deals with colonization and conspiracy and continues after the second movie “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” (2008). It also ties in the story from the first movie “The X-Files: Fight The Future” (1998) and pulls the mythology arc from the series that ran from 1993 to 2002. In the script an employee at the Pentagon commits suicide and leaves a cryptic message that acts as a catalyst for a new investigation into the whereabouts of Mulder and Scully’s son William, the alien colonization and a new villain. this was meant to be sent to the producers at FOX but a new season of the show was green lit making this screenplay an obsolete piece of fan fiction.

On January 23rd 2016 Jack released his 6th movie. A Short titled “The Date” about a man who brings a woman home on a date to his apartment full of puppets.

Jack got the puppeteering bug again and he decided to audition for a project for Disney. He got the part and on April 1st, 2016 he worked as a puppeteer for their Disney Interactive YouTube Channel “Disney’s Tsum Tsum Kingdom”.

On August 1st, 2016 Jack officially became a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry.

The Jim Henson Company held a Fan Film Competition for “The Dark Crystal” in early 2016. Jack designed and built three puppets from scratch including a replica of the Skeksis Chamberlain from the film. With the help of Eydie operating the camera they set off into the woods and filmed a 5 minute short in which Jack performed and voiced all three puppets. He edited the film and submitted it.

His 7th movie “Akasta: The Salvation of Thra” was released on May 2nd, 2016 and was distributed by The Jim Henson Company on their YouTube channel. The film was one of 29 films entered. It did not win the grand prize title but it did win:

  • Runner Up #2 (5 Runner up films were personally selected by Brian Henson, Cheryl Henson and Blanca Lista)

Cheryl Henson personally sent a photo from the film and a signed letter from the Jim Henson Archives. Cheryl is quoted in the official Dark Crystal website…

“I love this film! I imagine it being shot out on the empty desert plain and by the stream in a forest glade. Wonderful puppets. The rock and the bark creatures are inventive and well performed. Their integration into the environment is very well done. Nice story with a clever twist at the end.”

– Cheryl Henson – 2016

In late 2016 Jack and his friends Ben Goretsky and George Gaspar decided to create a weekly YouTube web series that would be filmed at Ben’s toy store 3DRetro in Glendale, they would have guest hosts, guest artists and talk all things art, toys, apparel, plush, events and more. The show “Toy Geeks: Behind The Counter” premiered on January 17, 2017. Jack hosted, directed, edited and produced season 1, and the beginning of season 2.

On July 15, 2017 Jack completed the screenplay “The Rules of the Game”. An adult comedy about a recently single guy who moves in with his womanizing brother who tries to teach him the guidelines on how to pick up girls and to stay away from love.

In July of 2018 Jack became a Freddy Krueger cosplayer, he debued his cosplay at San Diego Comic-Con and has been doing it at cons ever since, having fun impersonating the character and posing with fans for pictures. #KruegerJack continues to travel the conventions. Krueger Jack was featured in “A Haunting at Mountain View”. A commercial created to advertise the sale of a large property by a real estate company.

On September 7th, 2018 Jack completed the screenplay “Stewie’s Island”. This was a spec script for an episode of “Family Guy” written in the hopes of sending to the producers at FOX, it was used as a submission to enter writing workshops and as a good exercise in writing a 30 minute sitcom, also a great learning experience in writing a spec for an existing comedy show.

Jack spent all of 2018 digitizing his original VHS tapes and media to re edit, restore and remaster all of his movies to upload them all to YouTube for free.

The Jim Henson Company called Jack to action for the show “Earth to Ned” in 2019 working as an additional puppeteer rotating with other puppeteers as Ned’s Hands and several CLODs for Disney+. in 2021 he was featured in the behind the scenes series “Disney Insider” puppeteering Ned.

October 2019 Jack and his father Pedro Venturo Markoch purchased a two acre parcel of land in Lancaster, CA. Named “Rancho Venturo”.

After a very successful IndieGoGo campaign in March, Jack began production on his 8th movie. and on October 14, 2019 “The Repossession” was complete. In 2020 “The Repossession” made its rounds at film festivals all over the world and won several awards including:

  • Best Horror Film (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Best Horror Film (South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.)
  • Best Drama (Best Director Award Festival, England.)
  • Best Short Film (Golden Wheat Awards, Turkey.)
  • Best Short Film (Andromeda Film Festival, Turkey.)
  • Outstanding Achievement (Flash FIlm Festival, Berlin.)
  • Honorable Mention (Anaheim International Film Festival, California.)
  • Special Mention (Madras Independent Film Awards, India.)
  • Best Director – Jack Venturo (Vegas Movie Awards, Nevada.)
  • Best Editing – Jack Venturo (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Best Actress – Michaela Myers (Eurasia International Film Festival, Moscow.)
  • Best Lead Actress – Michaela Myers (Madras Independent Film Festival, India.)
  • Lead Actress Honorable Mention – Michaela Myers (South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.)
  • Supporting Actress Honorable Mention – Megan Feely (South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.)
  • Best Make Up – Jacqueline Holden (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Best Make Up – Jacqueline Holden (South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.)
  • Best Poster – Das Frank! (Vegas Movie Awards, Nevada.)

It was Nominated and was a finalist as well at these festivals:

  • Finalist (Falcon International Film festival, London.)
  • Finalist (jelliFEST Season 6 Film Festival, Los Angeles.)
  • Finalist (Frostbite International Film Festival, Colorado.)
  • Finalist Best Independent Film (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Finalist Best Low Budget Film (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Finalist Best Cinematography – Chris Jackson (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Finalist Best Editing – Jack Venturo (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Nominated Best Short Film/Best Sound/Best Trailer (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Top Nominee Best Thriller (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Nominated Best Trailer (The Monthly Film Festival, Glasgow.)
  • Top Nominee Best Director – Jack Venturo (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Top Nominee Best Screenplay – Jack Venturo (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Nominated Best Director – Jack Venturo (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Nominated Best Writer – Jack Venturo (The Indie Horror Film Festival, Illinois.)
  • Finalist Best Production Design – Jack Venturo (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Top Nominee Best Lead Actress – Michaela Myers (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Nominated Best Actress – Michaela Myers (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Top Nominee Best Supporting Actress – Maria Olsen (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)
  • Top Nominee Best Make Up – Jacqueline Holden (FilmHaus Film Festival, Berlin.)

“The Repossession” is now available to watch on Tubi, TromaNow, and Amazon Prime.

In January of 2020 Jack auditioned and got the part of Richie Gamblé. Jack voices and puppeteers Richie who is the mascot and spoke “person” for The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino. Filming commercials, promotional spots and other fun videos for the casino, staff, and more.

While on a stay at home order because of the Covid-19 Pandemic in April 2020, many talented creatives were performing their craft from their homes. Jack decided he needed to do his part to entertain and share his craft. He wrote a short script and made an announcement on facebook for anyone who would be interested in being in the movie. the script was sent to performers, 29 people recorded themselves, sent in their files and within three days Jack edited and released his 9th film “The Connectionist” on April 30, 2020.

Jack’s 9th movie “The Connectionist” was submitted to film festivals and it was a winner of several awards including…

  • Best Covid-19 Film (New Cinema Lisbon Monthly Film Festival, Portugal.)
  • Finalist (The Scene Festival, Maryland.)
  • Finalist (The Quarantine Monthly Film Festival, Hollywood.)
  • Finalist (Onyko Film Awards, Estonia.)
  • Finalist (Online Isolation Short Videos Festival, Russia.)
  • Finalist (Prague International Film Festival, Prague.)
  • Official Selection (Vancouver Quarantine Performance Project, Canada.)
  • Official Selection (Berlin Flash Film Festival, Germany.)

On July 30, 2020. Jack released the first episode of his new cooking show “Coyote Jack’s Smoke Pit”. Jack wrote, filmed and produced every episode in which he also hosted, cooked and had conversations with Chester Pepper his bunny puppet which he also voiced and puppeteer. “Coyote Jack’s Smoke Pit” was sponsored by Char-Griller Grills and B&B Charcoal. Season 1 and 2 can be seen on YouTube now.

On March 29, 2021 Jack Venturo officially became an Actor/Performer/Puppeteer with the Screen Actor’s Guild.

Fellow puppeteer Kanja Chen built a new and improved version of Stanley Merrick based on Jack’s upgraded designs. Both Stanley Merrick and Chester Pepper are featured stars on Jack’s TikTok account and have their own following of fans who love and support them.

in 2021 Jack was hired as the voice of three characters for a special puppet episode of the show “Raven’s Home” titled “Far from Raven’s Home” which Jack voiced Tour Guide Danny, The Bahteri Guard and The Mummy. Jack was also hired as the voice of Pain in “Descendants: The Royal Wedding”.

He was featured Freddy Krueger in “Behind the Monsters” a horror movie documentary for Shudder TV.

In 2022 Jack was hired as a puppeteer for the Coldplay music video “Biutyful” that was filmed in a bar in Hollywood and the State Farm Stadium in Arizona where Jack puppeteer live on stage for the shoot.

On August 17, 2022. Jack completed the screenplay for “Stanley 3: Evolution”. this is a sequel to “Natural Born Stanley” (1997) and “Stanley 2: The Legacy” (1999). The final chapter of the Stanley Saga has gone through many editions and revisions and there are several different versions of what the final sequel actually could be, depending on who is willing to be in the movie and where and when it can actually be filmed. This movie ends the trilogy as Jack always intended and it opens up to a spin off with  the new version of Stanley, a new story and a new series of Stanley projects.

Jack is currently living in Lancaster, California. He is developing a 30 episode, 3 season TV series which he hopes to pitch and produce.

He is also currently writing and developing several other projects ranging from live action TV series, puppet shows, cartoon shows, short and feature length movie treatments for Venturo Productions and working on his art and making TikToks in his spare time.

When Jack is not working on his projects he spends time with his beloved wife Eydie and their daughters, Athena (2008) and Vivian (2012).

Their other daughter Hali (1994) finished trade school became a hairstylist and is currently living in Florida with her boyfriend Justin.

Their other daughter Isabella (2002) is currently studying to become a pastry chef at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.

Their other daughter Xochitl (2003) is currently studying biology to become a doctor at Fresno State University in California.

To be continued…

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