Eddie Hunter (late 1930 - January 19th, 1996) was a graphic designer and puppeteer. He was credited as "puppet properties" on the Thunderbirds episode Trapped in the Sky and worked as an uncredited puppet operator on the series. He also designed the International Rescue uniform (including the organisation's logo) and helped furnish Creighton-Ward Mansion.
Hunter previously worked for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson on Four Feather Falls (1960), Supercar (1961-62) and Fireball XL5 (1962-63).
Eddie Hunter c. 1980
In or around 1970, Hunter joined CCT Theatre Lighting, a UK manufacturer of lighting fixtures. During his time at the company, he specialised in graphic and presentation design. He left the company during or after 1987 to work for Sutton London Borough Council; Hunter retired some time later.
On 19 January 1996, Hunter passed away in Australia following a heart attack. He was 65. Hunter's body went missing on the transit back to the UK, but would eventually show up a week later, causing his funeral to be delayed.
His Design of the International Rescue Cap[]
According to a colleague he worked with at CCT Theatre Lighting, Hunter shared a story about how the the International Rescue cap came about. The cap was the final item of the IR uniform to be designed and Gerry Anderson "was on at" Hunter to finish his work. One Sunday, Hunter was on a bus and unconsciously wrapped his bus ticket around his finger. He then looked down and realised what he had done. He thought "ummm… dented the top in and had the vision".
The following day, Hunter mocked-up a cap and took it to Gerry Anderson, who gave his approval. Hunter's above-mentioned colleague from CCT described him as "very amiable and also quite modest", so much so that Hunter did not tell anyone at AP Films about what inspired his design.
Trivia[]
- Hunter was once nagged by a Thunderbirds fan who wanted him to sell them an original puppet from the series. Hunter said he didn't have one, but would make a copy of the puppet in exchange for money (he claimed no-one would know it was a copy and not an original). Ultimately this deal never happened.
- He married fellow AP Films puppet operator Yvonne Cutler in 1962. They divorced by the end of 1974. Hunter married a Vera Alice Rice in 1984. Vera was "on her deathbed" and died just days later. Hunter was said to have later struck up a long-distance relationship with a woman from Canada that would last until his death.
- He was an accomplished artist who could caricature inanimate objects, including a floodlight.