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!

Happy 4th of July!

Ah yes, S&Pers!

It is the hot, sunny day and warm, firework-poppingy night when we celebrate how diverse, bizarre, messed up, wonderful and unique this little Noble Experiment called America has always been.

We here at the Skull & Pumpkin salute America, the American Dream, and the small but vocal group of American Citizens who hold dear their freedom to celebrate the darker side of life, who have a leg up on everyone else when it comes to dealing with fear, darkness and death... simply because they explore it all the year 'round.

God Bless America!

Shuffle ever onward, American Troops of Hallowe'en Love!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

P.S. Watch this space for a special announcement coming very, very soon. You will soon be able to have some homemade, handbuilt Skull & Pumpkin goodies direct from the October Country... details will come in a few days.

Onward!

 

DDSPatriotic!

Monsterpaloozin' my mind: The Ghoul Goes Western Electric, pt. 2

Oh, my dear, beleaguered, patient S&Pbrains, I have finally found a moment to pop in and give a few nods to the people and the moments which made this past weekend's Monsterpalooza so fun.

First, let me introduce you to the Raybot, the Body Electric, ol' Botbury himself, my animatronic Ray Bradbury...

In his element, his workdesk loaded with toys, books, robots, dinosaurs, more books, skulls and pumpkins.

He would have loved this ol' pub, I think.

He worked, and worked well, all weekend long. People took pictures, stood awed, a lot actually shed tears for the remembrance of their love of this giant of fantasy and inspiration. I will post video of him when I get home (we're still traveling back from the convention). Quite the display.

Now, ol' Edward Van Bone, a returning champion from last year, didn't fare as well.

Oh, he looked sensationally sick and decrepit, thanks to the hard work of Henchman Henner, my niece Mad Miranda and my wife, the Lovely V. 

And for all of Friday night, he worked beautifully.

But Saturday morning, as he was warming up, he stopped talking. I found the minor problem right away, and fixed it... but not before somehow stepping on the notebook computer controlling him and his audio, and causing the hard drive to stop working entirely. No replacement was at hand, and even had one been, a complete installation and reprogramming would have been too prohibitively long a process. So, we just lit and posed him to beckon folks inside. Worked like a charm, actually.

He'll be back. 

Onward...

This is the fun, fanatical, sexy shaper of stoneware and prestidigitator of pumpkiny pottery, the delightful Shelley from one of the S&P's greatest friend-blogs, Shellhawk's Nest. Here she is with Raybot and the famous -- so famous I am breathless at having the honor of posting it here at this humble little pub -- Chris Aype!

Great to see you again, Shell and Ape!

My friend and make-up artist extraordinaire Casey Wong built a stunning full scale Phantom of the Opera piece, with Erik, Christine, and a beautiful old organ built from scratch (more pics later). It's always so good to see him and his ever-impressive monster creations. And "hi" to Mama Rhonda! Mahalo!

Of course, no Monsterpalooza is complete without a visit with one of my best bloggin' buddies and uniquely visionary artist Bob Lizarraga. His work just stuns me. I am happy and proud to say I own some of his works, a few gifts from a very cool Bob himself. Never get enough time, sir. 

Here's my nephew, my Godson, Young Will (you remember him, don't you?) with my friend, artist, puppeteer and producer Bill Diamond, discussing the finer points of inking in shades. Two peas, these guys, though three-thousand miles and a generation apart. Love it.

More motley monstergeekery in the form of some pretty outstanding and wonderful folks. From L to R, the actor, teacher and event moderator Perry Shields; mask maker, artist/designer Kim Reynolds; sketch artist and movie producer/director Frank Deitz; and long-time genre writer and opiner David Schow.

And finally, for the moment, my brother-in-Monsterdom, actor Daniel Roebuck, with my wife, the Lovely V.

There is much more to show you, and I will have it after our return to the Skull & Pumpkin this weekend.

For now, sleep is calling. So are the truckers outside -- cheap motels, I gotta tell you.

Until again, 

DDSP!

Ghost of the Ghoul Goes West, pt. 15

Hello again, loyal S&Pbrains!

Still recuperating from a long two weeks' traveling and gearing up for performing two shows a night, five nights a week, for the next month.

I'll take the work, trust me. But it might be a little daunting.

At least at my age.

I am still organizing souvenirs and photos from my trip, and as I mentioned in my last post, my friend Adam Dougherty's table in the Monsterpalooza showroom was (probably) the coolest in the whole place, with its vintage Hallowe'en decor, and his incredible limited edition Hallowe'en Nightmare! series of model kits.

See for yourself...

He made that TV, too. 

Those kits just kill me. If the original Topstone Mummy, Ghoul, Melting Man and Shock Monster masks had actually been living, breathing monsters in the heyday of Monster Kid Hallowe'en nights, well -- it would've looked exactly like these scenes (as always, click to enlarge)...

Add to this brilliance the fact that the sidewalk and white picket fence look so exactly like the fence and walk around my Grandmother's house -- the scene of my Hallowe'en birth and growth -- and you have a perfect storm of old school All Hallow's LOVE churning through my soul.

Oh, and this li'l kit (called The Ghost!) is pure genius...

Brilliant work, Adam.

Happy Hallowe'en!

DDSP!

To the Phantom, a phavor.

Welcome, S&P-brains!

I'm taking a tiny break from all my torturing tinkering in the dungeon laboratory to come up to the pub and share a round with everyone. Making monsters is thirsty work!

I see the ol' place has acquired a few more cobwebs and a blanket of dust since I've been away... and it feels just right.

Hey listen, while we're up here relaxing, maybe you can help me out with a little biznizz for a buddy of mine. I sure hope so.

My friend Cortlandt Hull is a legend in the Monster Making world, and probably needs no introduction to most of you loyal S&Pers. You've probably seen him here once or twice -- he doesn't drink much, but he's got some of the best pub-time tales about our favorite monsters (and movie monster makers!) you've ever heard.

The amazing Joe Moe (L), your pubkeep and Cortlandt Hull (R) goofing for the 

camera in front of the always gorgeous Witch's Dungeon display at

Monsterpalooza '11.

Cortlandt is a real ar-teest -- a fantastic painter, makeup artist, graphic designer, illustrator, and most famously to Monster and Hallowe'en Kid fandom, a writer, producer, director and the wonderful horror figure maker and creator of the historic Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum, a Bristol CT monster museum that just this past Fall celebrated its 45TH year delighting and thrilling Monster Kids (and their kids!) every Hallowe'en season.

Well, Cortlandt's latest horror-iffic homage is in the works, and needs the help of all us Kooky Monster Kids.

Just watch this, please. He'll explain everything...



If you would please shamble over to Cortlandt's Kickstarter page for The Phantom of the Opera: Unmasking The Masterpiece and consider any donation you can handle. There are many levels of funding and each comes with its own perks and Phantom-ish swag.

It is more than a worthy project to fund -- it's a chance to help preserve one of the most iconic films in cinema history, and of our Hallowe'en and Monster Kid heritage.

There are only 27 days left to raise the needed funds, and the planned DVD set is going to be such an awesome addition to every avid Horror Lover's movie library that you will be very, very glad you had a part in making it happen.

Please tell your friends, and refer them to the Kickstarter link above.

A toast -- to Cortlandt, the Witch's Dungeon, and getting full funding for Unmasking The Masterpiece...

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

Farewell, First Zombie.

Welcome loyal S&Pers, welcome.

Please take a moment to fill your glasses. We have another toast of remembrance to raise.

I have just been informed of the passing of Bill Hinzman at the age of 75.

Yes, Bill Hinzman... the screen's first full-fledged, flesh-eating Romero ghoul -- in short, The First Zombie.

Scott William Hinzman

(1936 ---- 2012)

Hinzman was the Cemetery Ghoul, the Graveyard Zombie, from the very first modern zombie film in the first and best zombie film property in history, 1968's Night of the Living Dead.

He may not have been Zombie Zero -- we don't know who, or what, was the first shuffling, biting, infecting ghoul along the East Coast after that Venus probe came back from space carrying that mysterious, high-level radiation -- but he was the very first ghoul we saw, as Johnny teased his sister, "They're coming to get you, Barbara."

He started it all.

He also happened to be a fine cameraman for Romero for that film, and was involved in other Romero projects like There's Always Vanilla (1971), Season of the Witch (1972) and The Crazies (1973). He worked on other films as well, notably directing his own reboot of his Cemetery Zombie character in Flesh Eater (1986).

For many years, Bill had been a staple at horror and fantasy film conventions, dressing up in his iconic makeup and suit, delighting convention goers, autographing pictures and spending time with Dead fans, all of whom will tell you what a kind, funny and approachable fellow he always was.

He doesn't look all that approachable here, but seriously, he was!

Sorry to see you go, Bill.

I hope you can get some rest now.

But...

... somehow, I can't imagine him staying down for long...

So, a toast, as we must --

They came and got you, Bill. 

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

Diggin' up goodies...

... and settin' up for spooky fun!

Oh wait, I found this old picture in the attic and knew I had to put it up for the weekend for loyal S&Per DeeDee:

And fellow S&Pers, let's give a warm Skull & Pumpkin welcome to our newest loyal pubgoer, Katie! She runs the sweet Little Barn Owl blog, and is definitely one of us crazy Autumn People. Free rounds for Katie all weekend long.

So...

Two days away.


DDSusPense!

At last.

October has arrived, at last.

And I am posting about it... at last.

A lot of work, planned and unplanned, has taken me away from the S&P and other Autumn delights lately. But I'm not complaining about any of it, no sir. It's incredibly good to have gainful employment, especially these days.

I'm just glad I finally have a few moments to share a toast with all of you patient and loyal S&P'ers, to the greatest month of the year!

With each new month, of course, comes new music to our little jukebox over there to the right.

Now, we do our best to keep it stocked with Autumn goodness all year long, perpetually featuring our official incidental score, the beautiful Pumpkintime from the Anger-Higbie Quintet, and as ever the official theme song of the Skull & Pumpkin, Vince Guaraldi's The Great Pumpkin Waltz.

For the Hallowe'en Month, I thought a continuance of the 'theme' theme was in order.

First comes my solo piano version of Grim Grinning Ghosts, the theme to the greatest dark ride in the world: Disneyland's Haunted Mansion!

It's not as rockin' and swingin' as the ride's original soundtrack, but it's mine and I like it and I'm in charge so there.

Then we have to get back to basics with another Vince Guaraldi treasure...

Just think of your youngest trick-or-treat memories, the cloudy sky, the leaves, the pumpkins, always the pumpkins... and realize that the Opening Theme from our favorite Peanuts Hallowe'en special was playing the whole time.

Next up, a theme that is near and dear to my heart this year, in fact near and dear to the heart of any fan of Ed's... the Theme from Plan 9 From Outer Space!

 

Now, Ed Wood never had a professional composer or arranger for his films, and stock music from various libraries are a hallmark of his works. This piece was originally titled "Grip of the Law", and was composed by Trevor Duncan for his Impress Music company.

Then, we had to add a tune that's been on the player before, but never the worse for wear. A nod to the classic horror monsters of our Hallowe'en-lovin' childhoods, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, better known among Monster Kids as the Theme from Dracula, is always welcome in October.

Finally, another selection once on the player but too perfect for October not to repeat: Louis Armstrong's incredible number from the 1936 film Pennies From Heaven -- The Skeleton in the Closet! Satch just kills it in this bit of swingin' spookiness.

Man, now that's a Hallowe'en band!

That's it for now, but perhaps if time allows I'll add more before the Big Night.

Until then, enjoy your October. I'm not building much that is new this year -- I'm mostly dolling up my existing figures -- but I'll post what I can, when I can.

In the meantime, I'm hearing some crackling and humming from the ol' Hallowe'enith radio... 

A toast -- to all of us, a Happy Hallowe'en season.

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

A quick request...

UPDATE: As of last night, the funds came through, the Bob & Kathy Burns documentary is going to be produced! I appreciate everyone who visited the site and donated. 


I look forward to this film so much... I hope you do too!


Thanks again!

--------------------------------------------------------
Hello, loyal patrons.

Don't get up, please stay in your chairs, on your stools, wherever you are currently lounging here at the ol' S&P.

I just want to ask you all to think about visiting a Kickstarter page for this amazing new project/film:


The one and only Bob Burns has been a hero to all of us Monster and Hallowe'en Kids for decades. His work in early genre films as an actor, effects man and make-up artist (and most notably as Kogar the Gorilla in numerous films, shows and ads) deserves high praise, and his collection of movie memorabilia amassed over a lifetime is second to none.

This movie MUST get made.

Here's a few snippets of bio straight from Bob Burns' website:

BOB BURNS has a long and varied career in the horror and science fiction field. He began as an apprentice to legendary makeup man Paul Blaisdell in the mid 1950s. Burns helped build the monsters in Invasion Of The Saucermen, The She Creature and It Conquered the World...

... Considered the godfather of Halloween by his many fans, Burns spent over 20 years creating Halloween extravaganzas in his hometown of Burbank, California. The elaborate shows became the proving ground for some of today's biggest names in special effects including Academy Award winners Rick Baker and Dennis Muren.

I could go on, but the point is, Bob Burns, his wife Kathy and their incredible story is being turned into a documentary helmed by the also-incredible artist Frank Deitz, and only our help can bring it to life, and they only have eight more days to get the remaining 30 or so percent raised. Otherwise no one gets anything, and the world will be short one wondrous documentary it desperately needs.


This is a very worthy project. We need this film!


I hope you'll consider it.


As you were. Back to the mellow madness of the S&P...


DDSP!

A hard working human.

He was indeed a hard working human.

Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó

 20 October 1882 – 16 August 1956

I know everyone else in the world remembers August 16th as the day Elvis died, but Lugosi has always meant so much more to me than any amount of hair grease, swinging hips and deep fried peanut butter-banana-valium sandwiches.

Not that Lugosi didn't have his own demons, but The King of the Vampires is, even today, no less a worldwide cultural icon, no less recognizably himself, than that other King, even if his funeral wasn't quite as large...

You can barely see, just to the upper right, that one of Bela's pallbearers was the one and only Ed Wood, another hard working human (and original writer of the phrase "hard working human").

I love segues...

Lately I have been a hard working human, it's true.

And unfortunately, none of that work has been here at the ol' S&P.

Oh, I'm not complaining. I'll take every cent I can get these days. But it leaves precious little time for relaxing with all of you fine Hallowe'en lovin' friends.

And Hallowe'en is indeed sneaking up on all of us, tapping at our nighttime windows, insinuating itself into our dreams...

It has been a little disturbing to me that I usually have my theme well in hand and half built by this time each year but for some reason, this year has been racing by so quickly, it nearly passed me by.

Not to worry, though.

You see, I did recently hit on what I think is a very fun and silly and wonderful Hallowe'en display theme, and it has everything to do with Bela... and Eddie.

Yes, for the dozen or so folks who will actually get every joke and reference, this year's display will be a loving tribute to that maven of movie mediocrity, the inept, inane, incomparable Edward D. Wood Jr.!

C'mon. More Bela and Ed is a good thing.

And can't you just see it? All the usual spookiness of my haunt endowed with Wood's mighty creations, speaking his jumbled wisdom, garbed in pink angora, reveling in the awful wonderfulness?

I mean, the Raven must be able to do a pretty fair Criswell...

And can't you just see Capt. Lantern loving this get up?

And how could Ficketts not get a kick out of being the screen's least amusing comic relief, Kelton the cop (to the right)?

And there are some other characters to play with...

And not a few amazing prop ideas...

I mean, it's not like it has to look good. And I already have the rotten cemetery anyway!

As I say, only about a dozen people will truly get every reference, every gag.

But they'll be the right people, so I don't find myself terribly concerned. I find myself happy.

Besides, I'm still going to have my Pumpkin, and the Lean Bros. & Ghoul, and all the other spooky delights I have every year.

You can't really argue with the idea. 

I mean, future events such as these will affect you, in the future.

Onward. 

Upward. 

Edwood.

DDSuPernaturalthriller!