And yes, the back-story is inspired by
And as some people were asking: the new Folkmanis ferret (cute as it may be) is very tight... I had to remove all the stuffing inside the head just to so-and-so be able to fit my hand in. It might be more comfortabl to work the pawpet with just three fingers (index, middle and ringfinger) but I'm not used to that motion. I'll save "Zap" for some comedic elements but I doubt he'll get hours of air-time ;P
To enhance the "slinky" effect of the ferret, Folkmanis added a second... well... hole on the back end which allows you to controll both sides and actually make the pawpet turn around 180° without moving the hind quarters ;P