▁and ▁began ▁his ▁entertain ment ▁career ▁at ▁God d ard ▁College ▁with ▁artists ▁in ▁residence ▁the ▁B read ▁and ▁Pu ppet ▁Theater , ▁a ▁tr oupe ▁special izing ▁in ▁self - in vent ed , ▁home - made ▁theatre . ▁One ▁of ▁their ▁performance ▁local es ▁was ▁C oney ▁Island , ▁where ▁Z alo om ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁given ▁advice ▁to ▁the ▁" uno fficial ▁Mayor ▁of ▁C oney ▁Island ", ▁Dick ▁Z ig un , ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁bring ▁in ▁the ▁crow ds . ▁In ▁his ▁solo ▁work ▁he ▁util izes ▁found - object ▁animation , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁takes ▁objects ▁as ▁varied ▁as ▁coffee ▁p ots ▁and ▁hum id ifiers ▁and ▁turns ▁them ▁into ▁elements ▁of ▁political ▁sat ire . ▁His ▁personal ▁politics ▁are ▁liberal ; ▁he ▁has ▁referred ▁to ▁Elizabeth ▁D ole ▁and ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er ▁as ▁" right - wing ▁nut job s ". ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁a ▁fier ce ▁critic ▁of ▁U . S . ▁foreign ▁policy ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁having ▁helped ▁to ▁lead ▁a ▁dis arm ament ▁march ▁during ▁the ▁Cold ▁War . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Z alo om ▁appeared ▁in ▁The ▁Un n atur als , ▁a ▁sketch ▁comedy ▁series ▁featuring ▁Tim ▁Bla ke ▁Nelson , ▁John ▁Mar iano ▁and ▁S io b han ▁Fall on ▁Hog an . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁Z alo om ▁star red ▁in ▁the ▁cable ▁TV ▁children ' s ▁science ▁program ▁Be ak