Bill Diamond, born June 5th, 1957, is a renowned American puppeteer, puppet fabricator and producer who worked with Jim Henson and has won two Emmy Awards for his work on the YES Network. At his 2019 Niagara Falls Comic Con Q&A panel, he discussed his amazing career, shared interesting behind-the-scenes stories and answered puppetry fan questions.
In 1976, Bill Diamond founded his self-titled production company and went on to produce and direct multiple television series in the 80’s and 90’s including "Stuffy’s Place," "The Land of the Moonshins" and "Dr. Rock’s Dinosaur Adventures" which appeared on Fox. He was also the associate producer of the documentaries "The Phantom of the Opera: Unmasking the Masterpiece" and "The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World."
In 1984, Diamond was hired to build and puppeteer an off-Broadway version of 'Audrey 2' -- the carnivorous plant from "Little Shop of Horrors" originally created by "Sesame Street" puppeteer Martin P. Robinson -- when the play's popularity exploded. He still operates the giant plant puppet for "Little Shop of Horrors" road tours to this day!
In 2016, The Jim Henson Company sponsored a fan film competition held on "The Dark Crystal" website. The competition invited fans to create and submit animated short films inspired by the iconic Jim Henson film. Bill Diamond Productions submitted a short film for the competition titled “Rise of the Skeksis” and received an honorable mention.