You took the words right out of my mouth

Most men don’t keep their buddies in a suitcase. But if you’re one of the most famous ventriloquists in the country, you’re allowed to be a little, well ... different.

Jeff Dunham and his outspoken Suitcase Posse will bring their “Spark of Insanity” tour to the Pikes Peak Center on Sunday.

Dunham, a stand-up comedian and award-winning ventriloquist, has been wowing audiences across the United States for more than 30 years. His Comedy Central “Arguing with Myself” was one of the highest-rated comedy specials ever. His current “Spark of Insanity” tour has been selling out theaters across the United States.

Dunham’s Suitcase Posse is a lively group of — you guessed it — dummies. Walter, a cantankerous old fellow, probably wouldn’t take kindly to the term and he isn’t shy about telling anyone anything. There’s Peanut, who’s a woozle (I have no idea what that is, either) but he’s cute and fuzzy with green hair. Jose Jalapeño is a jalapeño pepper on a stick who’s afraid of becoming Taco Bell fodder. A recent addition to the posse is Achmed, the dead terrorist. Achmed is a suicide bomber who was a victim of his own “premature detonation” and likes to shout “Silence, I keell you.”

Due to the insanity of the Posse, the show is probably most appropriate for the 13-and-over crowd.

Dunham, born and raised in Dallas, knew by the third grade that he wanted to be a ventriloquist. He taught himself at home, then started performing in grade school.

“I wasn’t an athlete but I could make everyone laugh. Everyone looks for acceptance and this is how I found mine,” Dunham says.

In the ’80s, he appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and was invited to sit on the couch, a rare honor for comedians. Dunham is the only entertainer to win the “Ventriloquist of the Year” award twice.

Dunham hopes children and others interested in the art will be encouraged by his success. His advice: “Get up and do it anywhere and everywhere you can.”

Thanks to Dunham and other ventriloquists like Terry Fator, winner of “America’s Got Talent,” there has been a recent spike in the popularity of ventriloquism. Not since the 1950s, when Edgar Bergen, Jimmy Nelson and Paul Winchell hit the stage have masters of puppetry been so popular. Why the sudden rebirth for this classic form of entertainment?

“There are some very good ventriloquists out there who are receiving airtime and it can now be shown to its full potential,” says Timothy Cowles, a ventriloquist and owner of the Dummy Works, the largest supplier of ventriloquism supplies in the country, “there’s also some new technology that’s helped,” making dummies more expressive and easier to control. Cowles says art forms usually go through cycles and ventriloquism is now at a peak.

Crowds at the largest U.S. ventriloquism conventions, Vent Haven and I-Fest, keep getting bigger because of the popularity of performers like Dunham.

Mark Wade, executive director of the Vent Haven convention, says people are rediscovering ventriloquism all over again, “It’s always been in the public eye but not as visible. It now has international attention because of Jeff’s show and the convention. It’s always been there; it was just a little underground. Now things are pushing it to the forefront.”

WANT TO CREATE YOUR OWN SUITCASE POSSE?

Becoming a ventriloquist might be easier than you think. Many ventriloquists teach themselves at home. All you need is a mirror and plenty of time to practice, practice, practice. Of course, having a dummy around is a good idea, too.

The Maher Home Study Course is among the more popular online classes. It can be purchased at DummyWorks.com. The site also sells puppets and hard figures.

If you want to learn more, you can drop in on the annual ventriloquism convention held in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, home of the Vent Haven Museum. Aspiring ventriloquists can attend workshops, buy related merchandise, and see some of the most famous puppets in history.

I-Fest (International Festival of Christian Puppetry and Ventriloquism) is another popular conference and that is held annually in Illinois. Attendees can enter competitions and see world-class performances.

Come on! You know you want to. Go get your sock. Grab that mirror.

It’s never too late to learn something new.

DETAILS

Ventrioloquist Jeff Dunham and his Suitcase Posse present “Spark of Insanity”

When: 7 p.m. Sunday nov. 11

Where: The Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.

Tickets: $29-$35 at ticketswest.com.