A Hallowe'en Tree-t.

NO, not 'treaty', but treat!

And an incredible tree-t it is.

Now I've mentioned more than a few times over the years that I am an ardent admirer of Ray Bradbury, and of the work of his longest/greatest illustrating collaborator, Joseph Mugnaini. Surely anyone who has been around here for any decent length of time should know this.

Another name I've mentioned more than a few times is Shellhawk.

Beyond being 'one of us'-- a truly insane Hallowe'en Kid -- Shell is a fine potter, sculptor, painter, a real artisan, and she fills you in on her work and her life over at one the S&P's longest friend-blogs, Shellhawk's Nest, as well as proudly plies and trades in her craft at her Etsy store, Shellhawk's Creations. 

I have enjoyed her work and her friendship for years, being the proud owner of one of her famous Mini-boo figures, as well as one of her even more famous Jack O'Lanterns of unique, one of a kind designs.

I was also quite proud to be asked to contribute to one of her blog's wonderful themed guest-blogger series in 2012. You can read my entry as well as find the rest of the series here.

Well...

I have just been the recipient of a beautiful, serendipitous melding of Bradbury, Mugnaini, and Shellhawk, in one incredible labor of love that found its way to the ol' S&P, to take its place among the spooky detritus adorning the place...

What is it? Are you actually asking that?

It is a hand-painted, glazed, fired platter from the skilled hand and temperamental kiln of Shellhawk herself, depicting the perfect Joseph Mugnaini illustration of Ray Bradbury's beloved, enduring literary invention, The Hallowe'en Tree.

See for yourself -- the vintage Mugnaini original:

... and Shellhawk's beautiful tribute work:

Not that even Mugnaini himself could reproduce it stroke-for-stroke. For one thing, like an improvising jazz musician, you can't play the same genius solo twice.

For another thing, he's dead. Just sayin'.

Of course, being from Shellhawk, no one piece is ever delivered to its recipient all by its lonesome-if-gorgeous self...

Yes -- a black spiderweb with a rubber spider, two Hallowe'en pencils

(bats and pumpkins!) and a little jar of green slime! Bravo!

But this...

... is an orange and black dream on a plate.

I am just so very, very proud to be the keeper of this incredible piece of artistic Hallowe'en love. It will forever grace the S&P, reminding those whose eyes it catches to read more Bradbury, love more Hallowe'en, and keep and enjoy good friends.

A toast, to Shellhawk, to Mugnaini, and to Ray Bradbury...

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

My deepest thanks, Shell.

Everyone else... GO to her blog and her store, will ya?

DDSpookyPlate!

A post of a different color.

So... onward!

During my time on sabbatical from this homely house of Hallowe'en hijinks, I found myself needing quite often to simply relaaaaaax.

Among the various distractions I have been enjoying lately, one of the greatest and most enjoyable has been a rediscovery of one of greatest joys of my young, creative Monsterkid days...

COLORING!

Now, waaaaay back in December 2009, I posted about how spoiled I was as a kid (speaking facetiously -- we were broke!) and in that long post, I mentioned the incredible coloring albums Monster Gallery and Science Fiction Anthology (both Troubadour Press, 1974) and how we adored coloring those books with real markers of a zillion hues, under our artist mother's supervision (which, I hasten to add, was not in any way about how we colored -- we were free to go crazy -- but only about keeping our kid hands, faces and clothes as 'unmarkered' as possible).

Well, sometime last Fall, I was proud and excited to be the recipient of a pristine 1974 edition of Monster Gallery (above). Now, I was never going to color it, to keep it pristine -- this and its twin sister Science Fiction Anthology command high prices nowadays. However... what I didn't know was that all the coloring illustrations in that book (by the marvelous Mark Savee) were reproduced, in fact the entire Monster Gallery book was reprinted/reissued in the early '90s as simply Monsters. And a pristine copy of that book came along with the original book! Surprise!

So I found myself  with a clean original to keep clean... and a real, heavy-card stock over-sized page Monster Gallery -- just under a different title! -- that I could color!!!

I made an excited trip to the craft store for a good set of 'real markers of a zillion hues', just like those we used 35 years ago.

And I began to color, for the first time as a grown up kid, all the pictures I'd never finished or colored all that nicely the first time around.

 I was so happy to finally color the Phantom 

a bit like the cover art -- I was never able to

as a kid, I didn't have the skill yet, and 

certainly didn't have the patience!

And of course, I finally got to really do my best

on one of my all-time favorite movie monsters, the Fly! 

I so enjoyed doing the eyes like I'd wanted so long ago 

but never could accomplish!

About halfway through the process of coloring all of the book -- I relaxed at night, and each picture took about three nights as I took my time to do it as best as I could, as a kind of loyalty to my younger self's wishes from long ago -- I had occasion to visit relatives in Los Angeles, and I took my Monsters book and markers with me, of course.

And my godson, my nephew Young Will, introduced me to a little bit of artistical paradise called brush markers. 

And my life changed.

These little art store treasures act like good watercolor brushes, with either water or alcohol based inks and an ability to blend and... oh! the desire to just work with them became an addiction, so smooth and satisfying did they perform their task!

I began hunting the internet for good monstery, Hallowe'eny coloring pages to print up on card stock and keep using those damned addicting brush markers!

I also discovered that Science Fiction Anthology is nearly impossible to find in clean shape for under $100, but lots of wonderful Monsterkids have posted good resolution coloring pages (again from Mark Savee) from the entire book online, and I've finally been able to color all of that book as well, something I was never able to do as a kid, but so desperately wished I could.

Frank Herbert's Dune, a real treat to color

with good brush markers to blend. Vivid and bold!

H.G. Wells' First Men In The Moon. 

Again, brush markers allow one to really

play with tone and shade.

And my favorite, Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles.

For some reason, this one haunted me as a child, as the book

did then and now. I enjoyed coloring this so much I stretched

it out over a whole week of nights.

Of course, I have certainly found plenty of

other wondrously wicked b/w illustrations to use

as coloring pages, from all over the 'net.

A sampling...

 I do not know the artist of this coloring page, but

I so enjoyed coloring it, I've done it in different 

colors twice since this one was done!

 This Phantom as the Red Death is from a

wonderfully weird coloring book from the UK

in the 1970s, just called Horror.

 This and the next were taken from an awesome, very

collectable coloring album called 

Berni Wrightson's Monsters (Seuling, 1974). 

I never had it as a child, but wanted it then, and

it has been so wonderful to be able to just print them

up and use those amazing brush markers to make

them come to life! Look at the blending and

shading one can accomplish!

So listen, Monsterkids.

Get yourselves a set of brush markers, some card stock, and a good printer, and go online to search 'til your heart's content! 

It has been a true return to something I so dearly loved as a kid and hadn't done in decades.

And when you're finished, you will have some works of spooky, monstery art of which you can be quite proud.

In fact, I think I need to print something up for tonight...

It's nice to be back, dear S&Pbrains. Thank you for hanging in there with me, and for coming back to the ol' pub.

I promise to bring it back to life.

DDSPrismacolor!

Punxazombie Phil.

Whether he saw his shadow or not...

I think we're in for some trouble.

DDearlySPring!

The Hallowe'en Tree, pt. 2

Welcome S&P-brains!

Hope you are all enjoying your late summer days and nights -- school is back in session for most every student in our twisted neck of the woods, and most vacations are now but a memory -- as Autumn breezes its way ever closer to our favorite time of year.

In preparing for The Greatest Night Of All The Year, I have been trying to gather and build, color and shine and polish and very little is finished. But I am enjoying the start of that time of year once again.

It's good to be back in the dungeon, in the lab, shaping and plotting.

And since this year's display will have a decidedly Bradburyan twist, I felt that our who-knows-what-will-actually-happen Hallowe'en Tree needed its real Caretaker...

... a certain Mr. Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud.

 Even without colored lighting, he looks pretty Moundshroudy...

He's not as spot-on cool as the mask of the cartoon version made long ago by Robert of Brandywine Cemetery (do yourselves a huge favor and read all about that awesomeness here via Shellhawk), but because he already did the cartoon version so perfectly, I thought I should whip up my own mix of that version and Joseph Mugnaini's original vision:

He's going to be a static (non-animatronic) fella, made of my usual things -- foam head, mache', Model Magic compound, hot glue, whatever else I have/find -- and come painting and finishing time he'll be a pale, sickly color, with some wispy hairs here and there, and an all black suit and cape that will look rather smart leaning against our Hallowe'en Tree.

I...

LOVE...

Hallowe'en.


Look out.


DDSPreparation...

Memorable things.

Hello again, S&P-brains.

August is dwindling away; Fall is tapping Summer on the shoulder with a knowing, pumpkin grin.

And at the S&P, we are preparing.

Ideas are forming, and inspiration is coming from all sides.

One inspiration in particular has been surefire, surely fired... and Shellie fired!

Folks, meet the newest member of our menagerie miniature:

Yes, this little goblin gourd was made by the amazing Shellhawk -- I've mentioned her before, her 'Shellhawk's Nest' has been in the links to the right almost from day one -- and I couldn't be more pleased with the piece nor proud of the procurement.

He looks pretty with green -- hey!

What's that inside there...?

 Could it be...?

 It is!

I guess my little Mini-Boo found this Shellhawk sibling and had to get in

on the photo shoot.

This is truly a fine piece, and Shellhawk has a limited amount of her handmade, Raku-process-fired jacks and other goodies at her Etsy store, Shellhawk's Creations.

I highly recommend a visit. I also recommend a purchase because not only will you own a one-of-a-kind piece of artful wonderment, but whenever she sends something, there are always a few extra goodies:

Spooky booty!

Thanks again Shell, your craft is truly impressive.

Another memorable thing. I couldn't let a post go by without mentioning today's passing of an entertainment legend, comedy genius and feminist hero (whether she ever knew it or not)...

Phyllis Diller

1917  -- 2012

I enjoyed every single film, TV appearance, game show, panel, talk show, anything I saw or heard her do -- especially her turn as the iconic Rankin/Bass character The Monster's Mate in their madcap Mad Monster Party (1967).

 "The LAST time you had a ROVING eye, I KEPT it in a JAR

for a WEEK, a-HAH-HA-ha-ha-hahaha!"

In her honor, I've added to our jukebox Diller's song from that film, the bubbly waltz You're Different.

You certainly were, Phyllis. 

I'm afraid we may never see her likes again.

Then again I'm afraid we might... a-HAH-HA-ha-ha-hahaha!

 (Come on, she would've said it herself).

A toast to Shellhawk, to Phyllis, and to the honest-to-goodness beginning of our Hallowe'en season coming so very soon.

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

Yet another goodbye.

Welcome, dear S&P-brains.

I keep finding myself without time to devote to my more ghoulish, spooky pastimes, and getting in to the ol' S&P on any kind of timely basis remains one of the casualties of my schedule and grown-up life.

Still, when one of the great heroes of fantasy, sci-fi and horror has passed on, I must find a moment to honor that legend's memory and life's work.

Rest now after your long illness, amici...

Carlo Rambaldi

1925 -- 2012

Signore Rambaldi was a pioneering, accomplished and much-studied special/mechanical effects artist, probably best known for creating the world's most beloved alien castaway, E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.

But before E.T. came along, Rambaldi had already been responsible for two other iconic aliens featured in our pop culture cinematic nightmares and dreamscapes since the '70s, one for an earlier Spielberg outing...

... and the other for Ridley Scott and H.R. Giger.

He created many remarkable beings, and bits of beings (arms, hands, heads, tails etc.) for many films in the '70s, '80s and into the '90s before sickness began plaguing him.

Rambaldi's artistry resided in his uncanny ability to make organic the complexities of mechanical motion, his genius for making magical life from the most mundane bits of spring, wire, wood, foam, metal... any wonder that he was one my first and greatest artistic inspirations?

He even made some very big arms and hands -- that moved well! -- for the wonderfully rotten, badly brilliant De Laurentis 1976 remake of the classic King Kong.

Carlo Rambaldi's work has been studied, admired and much beloved by special effects artists old and new, and thanks to his iconic contributions to cinema's A-list non-humans, we can be sure of it staying that way for a long, long time.

One of my earliest heroes. 

Thank you for being here a while, and brightening our lives with your light.

Ristorare in pace, Mr. Rambaldi.

DUMDUMSHREKPAPA!

Inspiration.

Not sure how I missed this last year.

But wow...

Best zombie pumpkin ever.

Full story here.

Oh, Hallowe'en... I know you are on your way.

DDSPumpkincarvinggenius!

Drawn to it, part two.

Welcome S&Pers!

It sure seems like I have less time than ever to visit this old place, and I sure miss it.

There is much ado, and much to do, and I am going to be absent for a while more, but I did want to stop in for a brief 'boo!' and add more sketches to the gallery here at the S&P.

Now, if you don't recall this post from February 2010, go and peruse it.

Go on, we'll wait.




whistle-hum-hum-hum-whistle-toot-whistle-plunk-boom!




Done? Okay, good.

I very recently discovered a few more works I'd actually considered lost, but which to my great joy turned up all by themselves while moving around the clutter of my little home.

Again, these are not the works of a trained artistic genius, but the decades-old doodles of a teenaged weirdo.

These have not been added to or altered except to remove smudges, scratches, and formless doodles that would distract you from the main work (things around and outside of the subject). Remember, these are drawn in sketch books where I have made numerous other works and scribblings on the same page.

Okay...

Ripley, done from memory about an hour after I first saw Aliens

on July 18, 1986 -- the day it opened nationwide.

My hero.

 Nameless skull guy. Cool eyepatch. 1984.

 A very odd little spaceman, also 1984. I think he looks like 

Sir Ian MacKellan.

 Nameless (and incomplete!) '80s chick, 1982.

 My scribble of the little girl in a really creepy episode of 

Tales From The Darkside called Inside The Closet. 

I drew it while watching said episode as it aired for the first time in 1984.

 I cannot at all recall why I drew this one, but I remember doing it.

Bic pen on newsprint, 1980.

This and the next are from 1983, and I was playing with the 

unique style of illustration found in the amazing works of

artists like Joseph Schindelman, whose scratchings graced

Dahl's Chocolate Factory books when I was a child.

 A reject from The Name of the Rose?

 Trying to cop an even more famous style, this time the great Edward Gorey. 

1986.

 You mean you never imagined what Ted Kennedy would've

looked like if he'd been in a Rankin-Bass cartoon? Ballpoint pen, 1984.

 This and the next are both on the same page, both quill and ink, both from 1983.

I was trying for Sting if Berni Wrightson had drawn him in his 

amazing Frankenstein book from that time.

 What my bedroom looked like if you were my ceiling fan, Summer 1987.

 If Pinhead was suddenly your helpful Time-Life operator.

1986.

A happy page from October of 1983 -- jack o'lantern ideas (including

one very Charlie Brown-ish model).

 Yet another style cop, this time from the incomparable work of Brian Froud

and his concept art for The Dark Crystal. 

Pen/watercolor, 1984.

As for the little doodle just below the bird, fans of the book and musical Wicked take note:

apparently I invented Dr. Dillamond a decade before MacGuire.

So many scribbles.

So rewarding to revisit and remember.

I hope you enjoy their exhibition in our gallery.

And I hope you enjoy the rest of your July.

I will be back soon...



DDSPatience!