Dasher

Last Christmas, niece Devin's belief in Santa Claus was wavering. In her annual letter to him, she asked for a picture of one of his reindeer. Her parents suspected she wanted proof he exists.

Well, sure enough, on Christmas morning, Devin found a framed photo of Dasher under the tree, with a letter from old St. Nick himself that read

Dear Devin

Thank you for writing. You asked me for a picture of one of my reindeer, although they are very shy and dislike being photographed, I do have one photo of old Dasher as a young buck many years ago that I can give you.

When Dasher was still learning to fly, he would "dash" off in all directions, often landing in odd places. That's how he got his name. In this picture taken by Mrs. Claus, he landed on the workshop roof one day. It's always been one of my favorites. I hope you like it.

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year.
-Santa

18 Days 'til Halloween: New Yard Walk -Thu Test

I think I mentioned this in a post awhile back, but I'm trying out a new layout to the lawn this year that will create a winding path through the display for Trick or Treaters. Last weekend, as my brother Ted and I debated if where we placed the guillotine would work, niece Devin said...

"Well, let's see!"

Then she did an impromptu test walk-thru, that cracked both of us up.

Jasonella

This weekend, niece Devin and I discovered our local Party City store is beginning to look a lot like Halloween.

Niece Devin's "When The Light Is Forbidden"

A few weeks back, niece Devin and I made an impromptu horror short film together for the fun of it based on her spooky idea. Devin was an iron fisted executive producer supervising everything. The gloomy title of the film? Her idea. The bloody hand prints separating the credits? Her idea. The funny Waddell/Lowe production vanity card at the end featuring her pet bulldog Twinkle? Yep, you guessed it, Devin's idea too.

My Review of BRAVE

Niece Devin and I saw BRAVE together.

After, I was unsure what the main character's name was. Because of the Scottish accents, I said it sounded like "Murder".

Devin looked up at me with daggers in her eyes and said "It's MERIDA" as if I had insulted her entire clan.

The film encouraged a 10 year old girl to correct an elder who was obviously wrong. Kudos PIXAR.

Go High Voltage!

Until niece Devin, no one in our family has displayed any athletic talent since our great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great uncle Davidus won a footrace against his fellow Christians escaping hungry lions in the Roman Colosseum.

She loves softball and has advanced to the Encino/Sherman Oaks League All-Star team, and will be playing in tournaments against other San Fernando Valley All-Stars this summer. This past weekend, her team "High Voltage" got off to a good start winning their first tournament (and a trophy half as tall as the players).

I'm happy and proud to say, I was asked to design and illustrate the team logo.

It's nice to be able to contribute and show my support this way since I can't offer her any useful advice from my sports playing history - unless learning how to trip over your own feet running between bases and fall down flailing your arms in a spastic manner is a valuable skill to her.

Santa Silhouette

A belated Happy New Year everyone.

I think one of the best elements created in niece Devin's Christmas yard display was also one of the simplest and quickest to make - the window silhouette. My sister Megan, bro in law Paul and niece Devin's front lawn is off the side of their garage and had the perfect window for it.

After we established the workshop theme, Devin thought it would be fun to see Santa and an elf inside making toys. She drew the initial design idea.

Then we worked together revising her drawing so it fit the window better.

In this daylight picture, you can see, it was just sketched out on black foamcore board, cut out and simply double stick taped to the window. Inside the garage, a short "under the cabinet" style fluorescent strip was placed along the bottom to back light it.

We were lucky that the window was already frosted glass, but in a window that isn't, taping large sheets of tissue wrapping paper or trace paper on the inside would create the same effect.

Devin and I have decided changing the silhouette every year, would be a fun new tradition.

1985's Niece of Frankenstein

I'm not ashamed to say I'm a fan of the old 1985 TV series Niece of Frankenstein. Sure it was campy and stupid, but that's what made it great. How could you not enjoy the implausible premise of a trendy, lovable orphan from the big city being raised by her two old world uncles in Transylvania?

I was in a vintage book and poster shop the other day and discovered a bunch of old magazines and publicity stills featuring the show. I just had to buy them. Thought I'd scan and share for those who remember the series or just love 80's nostalgia.

TV Guide from Oct. 1985. The cover features the original cast: Neecy Devdell as Goofy D, Teddy Edwards III as Uncle Frank(enstein) and David Lowenthal as Uncle Monstro. In the final 1989 season Lowenthal was unceremoniously replaced by the network with a puppet to compete with ALF in a failed effort to improve ratings.

Show Star Neecy Devdell became a huge pop culture sensation, especially among kids and tweens. The shows success made Neecy indistinguishable from her character Goofy D. She faded into acting obscurity after Niece of Frankenstein was cancelled. According to a recent People magazine Where Are They Now article, Neecy is in her late thirties working as a bowling shoe cleaner and runs an injured squirrel sanctuary out of her kitchen somewhere in Toronto. 

A bit of trivia. Director Kenneth Branagh was also a huge fan of the show! The left ear of Robert DeNiro's prosthetic monster make up in the 1994 Frankenstein film was sculpted to resemble Goofy D's left ear in homage. 

A classic publicity shot. How many times did we see this shtick from Uncle Monstro exasperated by Goofy D's wacky shenanigans?

Here's a similar publicity photo from the '89 season with the new puppet Uncle Monstro. Lifeless. No wonder the show was cancelled that year.

Episode 407: Rum Tum Raven! Goofy D goes on a trip with Uncle Frank to the Fringe Science Con in New York. While there they see CATS on Broadway. Goofy is inspired to write, produce and direct her own musical... RAVENS, based on the Edgar Allan Poe story.

Show 107: What's Wrong With Cousin Jason? Typical of many sitcoms at the time, the Just Say No campaign was worked into the storyline in a not too subtle, heavy cleaver handed way.

Episode 201: Cross Walk Conundrum. The new overly strict crossing guard at school, Patrick O'Treaty, makes life difficult for Goofy D and her friends.

Episode 410: This Really Sucks! Goofy D befriends a vampire boy named Orlock, who is afraid that his undead-ism will get in the way of making friends. With a little patience and effort, Goofy helps the other kids at school learn to accept Orlock for who he is. 

 Episode 113: Grave Matters. To get out of a test she never studied for, Goofy D fakes an illness but the scheme backfires and escalates. Needing to cover the lie, she's forced to stage her own funeral. Goofy learns her lesson though having to pretend to be a zombie for the rest of the school year.

Episode 111: Auntie Elsa's World.  When Uncle Monstro's glamorous and globetrotting pop star ex-wife comes to visit, Goofy D soon finds her usual haunted castle life boring. Zaniness ensues as the Uncles go overboard trying to make themselves just as hip and cool in Goofy D's eyes.

Episode 109: Arm I want For Christmas. This heart warming holiday themed episode featuring cousin Mikey needing a new arm never aired. It was preempted by the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton 'Ol Fashioned Country Christmas Live in Las Vegas Spectacular TV special.

Episode 302: Bow Wow What Tha?! Uncle Frank's experiments to create a winning breed at the Transylvania Dog Show are hilariously disastrous!

Here are a few rarely seen backstage pictures...

The original photo of the Uncles later made famous by urban artist Shepard Fairey.

Like the well known Andre the Giant OBEY and Obama HOPE posters, Fairey's stylized image of the Uncles can still be found papered on many city walls.

Rehearsing the RAVENS musical episode.

 

Legendary stuntman Yacky Kanutmous doubling for Cousin Mikey from the un-aired Holiday episode. The saddest thing about this show being preempted was that the public never saw Kanutmous perform his final gag falling two stories into a moat filled with piranha (Photo by James Goethals).

Teddy Edwards III and Neecy Devdell rehearsing on set. Many credit the shows success to Edwards' improvisation channeling his grandfather, famous vaudeville comedian Teddy "Jim Jam" Edwards Sr.

The rarest of all sights... Uncle Monstro unmasked! David Lowenthal, an actor with no ego, wanted the public to believe the character was real. He waived his own credit letting it read "Uncle Monstro as Himself" to help keep the illusion. Even on set Lowenthal only took the the mask off in extreme circumstances. There where veteran crew members who, for years, never knew what he really looked like.

After being replaced by the puppet Uncle Monstro, a brokenhearted Lowenthal returned to England and his acting roots. He performed in numerous Royal Shakespeare Company productions until his tragic death in 1997. Ironically, he was run over by a speeding delivery truck from a marionette and puppet supply company.

17 Days 'til Halloween: Tales of Scary Horror Mysteriousness - Episode Two

Tonight's Episode: The Girl Scout Troop Terror!

21 Days 'til Halloween: My 1000th Post!

I like the timing that my 1000th post since starting this blog has happened in October. To mark the occasion I present Episode One in a series of videos I made for Halloween this month hosted by a regular character on this blog (and in my life)...

Niece Devin's True Tales of Scary Horror Mysteriousness!

32 days 'til Halloween: Rooftop U.F.O - A Team Build

I meant to post this on Monday, but it's turned out to be one busy week.

As I mentioned the U.F.O has been something I wanted to make for years. As a matter of fact it's the one idea I've had for Halloween that my mom has often mentioned hoping to see become a reality. And just recently my brother's girlfriend Leia also voiced her enthusiasm for it and offered her help if it moved the project up on the list.

So I thought about it and realized there was no good reason not give it a shot this year. I took Leia up on her offer. She and my seasoned Halloween helper niece Devin stopped by the the grim garage Sunday making the U.F.O. a real team build.

I decided to just have fun creating it by cobbling together stuff in the stash and not stress trying to make a perfect saucer shape or other elements. If this one turns out pretty good, there's always next year to improve on it.

Ideally it would be great to make it 10' wide, but I figured being a first time rooftop prop, better to play it safe and keep fairly small and lightweight so it's easily secured from sliding or blowing off. Besides, the phrase is "little green men from Mars" isn't it?

The main saucer body is a 36" plywood round with an edge cut off to give the illusion it's slammed into the roof. I made a simple frame to stand it at an angle which will be beefed up more later when screwed into a separate larger base dressed to look like an impact hole of splintered wood and ripped up shingles. Since the main saucer body is small, making other ship components exposed like the main engine (made from plastic bowls) instantly adds a larger scale to it.

The cockpit is an overturned large plastic planter/pot with the bottom cut off. Here Leia is detailing and disguising the edges by gluing on tubing all the way around.

As in my sketch, I'm planning to have the cockpit dome open. So the interior will be seen and needs all sorts of cool control boards, alien tech and futuristic gizmo's.

I put niece Devin to work making them. No restrictions. I just gave her a bunch of odd junk, a hot glue gun and a loose description of what was wanted.

She created some pretty cool and fun things.

The initial test fitting and placement looked great. Devin noted it needed a chair for the alien to sit in and suggested a radar like in a submarine to watch out for meteors. Really good ideas and now on the to-do list.

Okay, before anyone even asks, the reason there are hundreds of little plastic compasses on everything is just because I had them. Why I do and where they came from is a long story, but it's just one reason the fiancee keeps an application for the show Hoarders at the ready. Once the saucer shell is painted they'll look like giant rivets and bolts. I'll leave a few unpainted on Devin's gizmos as they actually seem to have function.

Day one of the U.F.O build went terrific with a great team. We have loose plans to get together again this Sunday and finish the ship. In the meantime I'll get back to other projects in progress.

Go Riptides!

Lately, I've been distracted from Halloween prop making and doodling new Para Abnormal cartoons by the day job and other unrelated projects.

One such project request I just couldn't pass on though was illustrating a logo/banner for niece Devin's fall season softball team. Devin turns out to be a tough, but very good Art Director.  She's not at all timid with critique and notes on ideas and sketches knowing exactly what she wants with a clear vision. No time was wasted in the creative approval process. I'll work for her anytime.

The Long Epic Tale of Two Uncles, One Niece and Many Monsters

Uncle Ted, niece Devin and contrary to any of my fiancee's descriptions, not me.

Last Sunday I decided to visit the Monsterpalooza convention for the first time. I thought it a good opportunity to make new contacts, market myself, find future vendors and... who am I kidding right? It was always supposed to be a fun adventure. Especially after inviting niece Devin and my brother Ted along with me.

"Really scary things?!"

After Ted and I picked Devin up. I warned her there might be some REALLY scary things and let us know if she got too freaked out. Well, based on the excited look on her face thinking about it. I got the feeling she was going to be just fine.

I had read that the day before was so crowded that parking was impossible to find and many folks were held on line outside for hours until others had left to make room. We prepared ourselves for disappointment if we couldn't get in. Luckily, we found a nice close parking spot on the street and only four other people in line for tickets in front of us. We practically walked right in.


Our first stop was the museum full of classic and recent film monsters displayed in a Drive-In theme. It included a large movie screen playing old horror films. The detail I liked most though, besides the fun entrance marquee pictured below, was the stands linking the ropes around the displays. Each had the speaker boxes you hang on your car door window.

Just a few feet into the room, stood a towering werewolf from The Howling. Devin was stunned declaring it to be the scariest, but best one she's ever seen. We both agreed that my Halloween yard needed one this year.

Moving along, Devin looked at all the displays with interest, but was a bit detached. I understood.

Despite how I tried to explain who Vincent Price was and the backstory of other characters, they weren't from films she's seen yet.

To her, I sounded like the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons mumbling nostalgic stuff about old stuff.


Then we came upon a minotaur from Narnia. Devin geeked out. She recognized it from her favorite movies. Now she was connected to it all.

She asked if it was the real one from the movie or just a copy. Yeah, even at 9 years old she gets the difference. I saw the plaque that said it was by KNB FX who created many of the creatures in those films. I told her that it must be a real one. Uncle Ted added how sometimes numerous costumes are made for an actor to wear because they can get beat up and worn out while filming.

"That's soooooo cooooool!" she said. It was her first celebrity sighting in the museum that soon included two types of gremlins. The funny Joe Dante film creatures and the creepy one from Twilight Zone the Movie, which she just watched recently with her Dad.


The flood gates had opened and hundreds of questions and comments followed about everything. The day now became the educational field trip about all things concerning movie monsters, madmen and maniacs that I sort of secretly hoped would happen.

After the museum, we wandered the show floor taking in all the sights. It was here that the curriculum strongly emphasized the importance of keeping a good sense of humor about the subject matter.

Devin was star struck seeing a life sized version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Believe it or not, he's another celebrity to her. His was the first monster movie she ever saw. Devin's uncle Kirk gave her the DVD a few years ago being a favorite movie of his when he was a kid.

Devin demanded pictures of the Creature be taken immediately like some seasoned cryptozoologist fearing he might quickly disappear.

Our team cryptozoologist also mentioned a Yeti she had seen in the distance earlier. Although I couldn't see it among the crowds, Ted and I trusted her younger eyes with less feeble vision and walked the maze of booths and tables in search of him.

Yeti's attitude seeing our camera explains why there
is very little photographic proof of his existence.

The irony that the Abominable Snowman remained elusive in a room full of monsters was not lost on me.

Sure enough, Devin was right. There was a Yeti! He was really friendly at first as we asked for footprints, hair samples and DNA.

But then Ted pulled out the camera.

He went ballistic! We just barely got away with our lives!

After that beastly encounter we needed to wind down and relax. The Moebius Model Make 'n Take seemed the perfect thing to do. Especially after we learned, as fate would have it, a Creature from the Black Lagoon snap together kit would be made!

Watching Devin put together a monster model warmed my heart remembering my days building those classic Aurora kits when I was a kid. Ted noted something about this event later. Not only were the Moebius people fantastic with the kids, but there was no sales pitch to buy any of their products after. It was just for the pure fun of making a monster.

Our time at Monsterpalooza was soon to end, so we backtracked our footsteps looking at stuff we missed earlier. All the while, Ted and I continued to fill Devin's brain with useless knowledge about Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and any other monster info we knew.

She soaked it in like a sponge!

We went too far. Below is the last picture taken that day. Ted and I were never heard from again.

Voodoo Devin's Zombie Bile

Made this goofy prop with leftover slime saved as a souvenir from this season's Brainsurge. The other materials are a used soda bottle, a cork and an old Halloween cupcake topper that niece Devin gave me last year.

Actually Devin gave me the soda bottle as well last year, with a cute note to make something out of, but I never did. I kept safe though and will finally now find a place in my Halloween decor this October.

Thought it fun to call it Voodoo Devin's in thanks to her contributions to the prop. The slime as well has a bit of connection, Devin came to visit her old uncle at work and be in the audience for a taping of Brainsurge this year.

I designed the label to be intentionally less creepy and more lighthearted looking with an "old timey" grocery or pharmacy style. Feel free to use, but I'm keeping the slime recipe a closely guarded secret.