I first learned his name when I fell in love with the movie poster for Excalibur long ago in the '80s (which was then and still is, one of my top ten favorite films). The return of traditionally illustrated movie posters is long overdue I think. These images are as memorable and legendary as the films they were created for.
On my list of things that I love every Halloween is the kid "heckler".
It's the one Trick or Treater you can hear coming from the end of the driveway announcing themselves with statements like...
"This ain't scary!"
Up close, they do some annoying head shaking dance while chanting...
"Oooo Frank-en-stupid, you're soooooo scary."
Of course they still want candy, but instead of saying "trick or treat" they act as if it's a showdown...
"What ya gonna do Frankenstein? HUH? I'm taking the candy! Come on, you gonna stop me?
I give them the candy, just to move things along. Next, they usually stand off to the side and heckle for a few minutes or so, reveling in their perceived victory over the monster. I wait patiently, doing nothing.
Once they grow bored and decide to move on I strike. When they turn around to leave, I stand up and walk fast, but quietly, catching up to them. When literally inches from their heels, I'll silently follow until they spin around sensing a presence and see me towering above them.
The heckler always... ALWAYS... shrieks and runs scared down the block.
Most ideas start with a sketch. The first incarnation of this prop was a smaller creature made in 1996 (I know I have a picture of, but still looking for). This doodle was well after that creation depicting the ideal version.
Halloween 2000. Pressed for time, I went with a clunky robotic looking neck.
Halloween 2004. A makeover which fell apart shortly before being finished. A pity because it was looking far closer to the original concept.
Halloween 2006. I went Great Stuff foam crazy. It was planned to be part of a larger radioactive dump idea with many more canisters strewn about, but never happened.
Halloween 2007. Dressed it up with ivy and placed in a garden pot. Actually turned out looking pretty good especially adding a few more potted plants around him.
Halloween 2008. Moved the monster eye idea into a window becoming a cool illusion that it follows you. For details on that, click here.
The eye took a break in 2009. Halloween 2010? I'm thinking about combining the original idea with the moving eye illusion version creating a new character. We shall see.
Niece Devin recently took courses in a summer long children's art program. She chose to study ceramics, jewelry making and woodworking. I attended the last day presentations for family members were the kids showed off their projects and talked about what they learned. To my surprise, she had made me this little boat in woodworking.
She pointed out the glued on details and proudly told me...
My temporary Halloween themed public art installation, also known as a yard haunt, back in 2000.
This was literally thrown together in a couple of hours one afternoon a day or so before the 31st. Everything had been at my girlfriend's condo where we hosted a Halloween party the weekend before.
The sitting ghost mannequin was a favorite of mine. Her simple customizing (just paint, some draped fabric and hollowed out eyes with a light bulb shoved in her head) looked good and creepy in the low light. The open bench space made a fun photo-op for a few folks that night. I acquired her through my Mom in '98, who was working for Robinson May Co. at the time. They were closing down their Sherman Oaks department store and getting rid of old display stuff. She was missing an arm and had numerous cracks... no, not my Mom, the mannequin.
She was actually one of two figures I was able to get, the other became my False Maria aka Spooky Robot Lady who still haunts our dining room every October. I ended up selling the "sitting ghost" at a garage sale when I moved to a new place and I've regretting it ever since.
This mummy and coffin were dressing for Sci Fi Channel's SCI FI Buzz, a set I designed years before. Both props have long since fallen apart and just crumbled away. As a matter of fact, the electric chair that I use every year (and you can sort of see silhouetted on the porch in the top picture) is the only remaining prop I have from that show. I'll never get rid of it and try to keep it in good shape, as both a great Halloween decoration and nice memory from the series.
The Area 51 alien eye was the one all new prop I had made that Halloween. It's still around today, but it's gone through numerous stages of evolution over the years. It's last appearance was 2007 as a one eyed plant type creature.
My zombies back then were just painted "bluckys" with minimal, if any, customizing. Parts of these guys have been used in some of the undead characters I've made in recent years. The gravestones were last minute additions I knocked out really fast using chunks of leftover upholstery foam from a job and pieces of old drywall panels.
This is the latest acquisition for my cabinet of curiosities - a princely sword. This tiny weapon cannot be linked to any known world culture or period. Interestingly enough, it seems to be made from particular elements found only in asteroids, but no metallurgists or archaeologists can confirm this for sure. What are the facts are on it's old label. Click images to enlarge.
I realized it had been awhile since I created a new prop for my children's story themed oddities and this idea, inspired by The Little Prince, has been in my head for some time. I took it's design directly from the illustration by author Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
The blade is foamcore, The hand guard is one half a $.99 cent "candy ball" found at a party store. The grip is a cut dowel wrapped 3 times in felt which once painted has a nice rotting leather look (string pulled tight around it creates the ribbing). The pommel is a plastic Xmas ornament. All was given a faux rust treatment with acrylics. The label was done in Photoshop, printed and aged with coffee.
I've just discovered this artist via John Rozum's blog. Not only is the "collection of curiosities" theme of Scott's work (for the show he's working on in this video) right up my alley, but the low budget materials he uses brings a huge smile to my face. Look for the googly eyes as rivets, I've used them for that exact purpose as well on projects.
These scene from the film encompasses everything one might experience beginning a new project. The amazement of being hired. The possibilities of what it could be. The self doubt. The offer of very little money to do.
Just came home from a four day trip to Akron Ohio where I made slime and art directed a mini stage show version of BrainSurge for LeBron James' annual Bike-A-Thon charity event. I'm in the these pictures, but don't try looking for me though... I'm behind the logo on the curtain, holding the ladder for the basketball star.
Scratch one of the nerd/geek career bucket list. I've just designed and created a few intentionally campy props for a Full Moon movie... Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver.
Although an extremely fun project to do, there was little time and little budget. Which of course are restrictions I'm well experienced working under. What money didn't buy was found in my stash of junk. Another argument in favor of my pro-hoarding lifestyle.
I know one day in the future folks will be very nostalgic for Tuesday DVD releases, but in my youth, just having a now antique VCR let alone owning a store bought film on VHS was luxury. During those years, it was a big deal when big movies aired on any of the regular big three networks even though they where a few years old by the time they did.
The ABC Sunday Night Movie was a "second coming" for beloved movies in those days. They where heavily promoted, starting from a few weeks before right up until the very last minute before air. There was a unique feeling of excitement caused by these network premiers that recent generations will never experience due to DVDs, BLU-RAYs, web downloads and the 1001 cable channels to choose from.
Below are some opening title clips from the Sunday Night Movie that feature a few of my favorite movies. The creative inspiration from these is very personal. They remind me of evenings when I'd sit in my room after the movie ended at 11pm, drawing or making stuff, pumped up and wide awake due to the "event" feel of it all until the wee hours of the morning.
I'm not a big fan of extreme gore at Halloween, but a touch of it is okay by me, especially if creepy and mysterious such as an unseen severed head wrapped up waiting to be disposed of or saved for some unspeakable reason. The fun of this prop is it actually can drip blood for upwards of 2 hours (depending on how you make it) and is easily refilled as needed.
It's really simple to make and requires zero high tech. Basically you just wrap a plastic jug full of colored water and poke a few holes in it. It also lends itself to numerous variations creating different hanging "parts" using different sized containers. A bunch of these will be dangling around my Frankenstein lab this year. Imagine a tree full of these that folks have to walk under Halloween night and get hit with a few drips doing so. It would give me the "willies".
The one pictured here is sort of a quick "proof of concept" version. I hope to make improved ones later with added details in more natural shapes. One with visible strands of hair or an ear or nose poking through the burlap would look great. Fake hands and feet attached to longer thinner bottles are definitely planned on.
Materials: Used milk gallon container, red food coloring, pitcher of water, nail (or something similar to poke small holes with), burlap, rope and black spray paint (I suggest Krylon Fusion for plastic).
Step 1 - Spray paint the milk container. This will help disguise it if seen through any gaps in the burlap weave.
Step 2 - While the paint dries, mix up some blood in the pitcher of water by adding red food coloring. Make extra and have standing by for refills on Halloween night. Store bought fake blood will work but thin it out, thicker fluid doesn't flow as well through the small holes.
Step 3 - Once the paint is dry enough, fill the container about 3/4 full and close cap tight. Having a funnel on standby is a good idea, especially for refilling.
Step 4 - Place on your piece of burlap. Tie the rope to the container handle. This will be taking all the weight when hanging so use a good strong knot.
Step 5 - Pull up the sides of the burlap, wrapping the container and tie off with a separate piece of rope. Fray and trim the burlap if needed. Some extra looping of rope will help create the illusion it and the hanging rope are one piece. Keep loose enough to open or untie easily should you want to refill.
Step 6 - Test hang from somewhere and make sure all the knots are good. While at it, a good time to embellish with paint if you like creating blood stains or adding other aging.
Step 7 - The fun part. Hang where you like and poke 2 or 3 very tiny holes at the base of the container. Don't poke any above the water line as this will allow air in and create a stream of water flowing out (unless that's what you want). Also don't poke any too high on the sides as once the water decreases below the hole, it will affect the same way. You might try experimenting on another spare container first. Red food coloring can stain, so make sure where it's dripping will not damage anything or has a catch basin. Small push pin sized holes will drip slow and should last about 2 hours before refilling. Obviously the larger the hole the less dripping time. The one I made here has 2 fairly big 1/8 wide holes and lasted about 45 minutes.
