Task of the Red Death.

Relax, everyone. Don't get up. Stay in your comfy seats and keep talking and enjoying the ol' S&P.

I just wanted to show you a few things. Been doin' some sculptin'.

A foam skull, a little earth-tone sculpting compound, a few plastic half-round eyes I got over the winter online (a buck for four pairs!) and an hour of 'Hhmmm, maybe it oughta be -- NO it's better if it's like... ah! there you g-NO NO I hate that put more on the -- I fail!', and L'Mort Rouge begins to take early shape.

I love this last one because even though it's a bit blurry, he looks very tired.

Yes, he needs a wash of dark brown and scarlet mixed with flat black, then highlights of drybrushed terra cotta, flesh, grey... and of course, dottings and dabblings of bright, hot blood red.

"His vesture was dabbled in blood -- and his broad brow, with all the features of his face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror."

He'll be enshrouded... tatters of the 'habiliments of the grave' will wrap around parts of his face and most of his body (skeletons to loan, anyone?), and he'll be enrobed, though I'm not sure if it will be too fancy; this 'mummer' was supposed to look like he walked out of the grave.

Don't mistake me -- I love the classic dastardly look, the feathered hat and impossibly long, folded cape and gown and sceptre of the Phantom of the Opera's Red Death:

... but I think that Poe envisioned something a lot more like this:

Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961)

Hopefully, I can make a simple, shrouded corpse and with a big clock face, proper lighting, luck and a touch of scarlet terror everyone will know that

"He had come like a thief in the night."

DUMDUMSHREKPLAGUE!