Ghost of Uncle Forry.

Forry's getting a little devilish, to be sure, but I think he'd appreciate the look.
Besides... who doesn't like Grampa Munster hair?
The glasses were a last-minute prop made with foam, a Dremel, and acrylic paint. Hopefully a real frame will surface before the big night but if not, I am no longer freaking out about it. This is looking good, moving better than it was, and if I can get everything else done by then I'll be happy with flaws!

Tho' I hesitate to show it yet, here is new video of a different routine, this time the oft-told story about his first experience with science fiction. I hesitate because I am still unhappy with the tilting inconsistency/jerkiness, and the reworked jaw still moves unpredictably and it's frustrating.
But you know what? Without an R&D budget and a studio of Imagineers, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Of course, I'm sure you'll avoid all these problems when you're making your Forry Ackerman animatronic.


DUMDUMNECKPROP!

A night to be remembered...

No one likes admitting that they found something really cool at a place as redundant, wasteful, domineering and generally just plain evil as WalMart.

But what was I doing there anyway? Exactly... their evil is all our fault.

Because seriously, how can one not pick this up for NINE DOLLARS?

A brand new (released on Sept. 22nd) CD containing the entire original 1969 souvenir album, along with a 'bonus track' that is a 5 minute mix of sounds from the Disneyland Haunted Mansion AND a very cool PC gallery of the original booklet paintings by Imagineer/artist Collin Campbell.

This logo just makes me happy.

The entire book from the original LP is reproduced for the jewel case:

My favorite image from this booklet when we had the LP long ago; the Hatbox Ghost, whose design has, for me, always epitomized the feel and spirit of the Haunted Mansion.

The PC gallery displays each of the original paintings (therefore no text) for the booklet, and conveniently offers a 'print' function. So now you can have excellent high-res prints of all of the imagery from this classic album.

A very worthy pick-up, even if you already have earlier recordings of it. No pops or clicks or hisses (which makes the kid in me weep a bit, but thoroughly pleases the archivist in me!), and that gallery alone is worth the price.


Protection? If only they had known...

The 1,000th Happy Haunt?

Gone since '69...

Back for '09...

...The Hatbox Ghost.

I always wondered how many Happy Haunts resided in the Haunted Mansion. If there are in fact 999, then this 'initially-in-but-immediately-removed' figure, the so-called 'Hatbox Ghost', was the 1,000th? Or have there merely been 998 since they removed him, and they've been lying to us since 1969? -**

At any rate here he is alongside a should-work-fine-hopefully Uncle Forry. MAN do I need to find those glasses frames.

Smiles, everyone! SMILES!

Of course, one of those 990-something spooks rests uneasily in a coffin, and has been trying to escape for 40 years. Here, through the magic of wire, foil, paper mache and Model Magic, are his hands (well, my vision of them). I will have him trying to escape something, likely a coffin but it's a cool tribute no matter where I put them. (They still need the sleeves/shirt cuffs, which are on their way):

Lemmeouttahere! C'mon! Lemmeouttahere!

I like how they double as the hands that shadow across the old clock in the hallway.
Sort of.
I think they look better as shadows. Like most people I know.
And I know there's only one hand that moves across the clock face. Don't test me...

Paint-glue-foil-paper-tape-fur-lights-latex-batteries-wires. Is. (Are). My. Life.


** - which would be shocking because Disney never never ever lies.


Dumdumshrekpooped-

The Blog bone's connected to the... YouTube bone.

Out-of-synch audio courtesy of YouTube.



Hear the word of the Lord -

Fall.

Smart Shopper?

Oh boy... lots to get to!

I have been working on Hallowe'en... sculpting, painting, etc. Sadly, my Uncle Forry animatron is needing higher torque (read $$$) servos, otherwise I'll need to scrap him for this year (time's far too short now for the complete rebuild which is probably the only solution). REALLY bothers me. I thought I'd figured up the weights and angles correctly.

*sigh...*

BUT, on a lighter note, I have made more Haunted Mansion-ey things, and they'll get their own posts soon.

This post concerns a long day of running errands which turned into a

Hallowe'en Display Comparison Shopping Day!

It began at

Walgreens:

Not a DUMDUMSHREKPOP in sight, but I kind of expected that; such magic is a fleeting thing.

Ah, PEZ... tradition and simplicity.

The guy was putting things out and laughing at me taking pictures for my blog. Good-natured laughter, but still... you're Walgreens! Where's your uppity coming from? Attain the size of CVS (let alone K-Mart) and then you can be uppity.

Family: do these remind you of our nightlight?

Looks like Klaus Kinski (yet, ironically, nothing like Nosferatu).

This is one of the strangest, coolest, most "I'd never never ever ever eat this ever in my life ever!" Hallowe'en candy ideas I've ever seen. Still, it looks so inviting...

*Hellooo Helllooo Helllooooo Helllloooooo...*
or
*Isn't it cozy? Isn't it cozy? Isn't it cozy heeeerrrre?*
or
*Bats in the Belfry -hiccup!- *

This is a very cool upside down bat-thing.

I think Walgreens is trying hard, and they're doing very well (laughter/uppity-ness notwithstanding).

On the other hand...

WalMart:

Other than the candy aisle, this one aisle is it. Nothing but make-up, kids costumes and baking accessories.

Yes, I know they're not done putting things out, but the unopened stock all read 'make-up'. So this year, at this WalMart anyway, the whole prop/decoration thing is dead.

And they've got this slogan:

What? I don't get it. Sure, this year Hallowe'en's on a Saturday. But the idea is vague. Is this a command (On Saturday night, please come alive)? Is it the name of some concept event, 'WalMart's big Saturday Night Come-Alive!'? Was I dead before? Without punctuation or em-pha-sis, I'm lost. Either way, why wouldn't they have written 'Hallowe'en Night' or even 'October 31st' instead of the nebulous 'Saturday Night'? Very lame.

Between the discovery of Uncle Forry's servo problems and this WalMart trip, I was feeling a little despondent... so it's a good thing I had business on the other end of town.

K-Mart:

Are those Skulls and Pumpkins I see? Much better...

The second and third Dead films on DVD for $5 each? Yeah, K-Mart's ready for Hallowe'en. Feel much shame, WalMart.

And not far from K-Mart, is our fairly-new friend...

Target:

From this end cap to the women in the background, ALL Hallowe'en aisles. THAT'S the ticket! (Okay, that one side is cleaning supplies but they were in the middle of moving those to another aisle to make room for more Hallowe'en goodies... so this is the store not done yet!)

Finally picked up the new Mad Monster Party DVD for $9.99. WalMart, K-Mart, Walgreens, even Best Buy all failed miserably on this DVD. So thank you Target.

Can they do that? Where's the Disney lawsuit?

Beautiful tombstones; love the Celtic cross... though the one that reads 'Spells' is a little baffling. What does it mean? Spells died? The death of spells? Here lie spells? Weird.

(I had some video of the K-Mart and Target displays, just to give an idea of scale, but Blogger is acting up and isn't processing videos very well today).

You know, I don't buy an awful lot of Hallowe'en stuff each year. I have amassed so much over these long years, that I only buy little things, or big things only if they scream 'take me home!'... it doesn't happen often.

But I love walking among all the crazy, fun, sometimes stupid but always wonderful Hallowe'en aisles. It's tradition, it's required, and it's always a nice reminder of what's important, and more significantly what isn't important, about the greatest night of the year.


Decisions and prop posts soon-


DumdumshrekPROPS!

Don't know how I missed this.

I read about this quite some time ago, and intended to give it a mention when the release date got closer, but I plumb forgot! Too much time behind my own bar, I suppose...

At any rate, as of September 8th there is a new 'Special Edition' release of Mad Monster Party on DVD, this time with Making Of -, Music Of - and Animagic Of - featurettes.

Amazon has it for $9.99, but your nearest Target, Wal- or K-Mart should be carrying them for a similar price (if not in the DVD section, then on a Hallowe'en end-cap somewhere nearby!).

I haven't picked up mine yet (again, I just sorta forgot this was coming!)... must remedy that tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to the music featurette with composer/arranger Maury Laws... love that score!!!


This is indeed our time to shine-