Ignorance is bliss.

I've been designing Halloween since I was 8 years old.

Along the way has been a long and storied history of researching different styles and means of going about that.

It started long ago, I don't remember just how young I was, but mom found some documentaries on how commercials were made. And, she promptly made us watch them. Attempting to drill into us not to believe what you see, or ask for every toy out there...

I watched them SEVERAL times. I WISH I still HAD that documentary somewhere. It opened the door in my mind. The heck with the intended message, it opened the doors of HOW one goes about creating those illusions!

And, as I sit here tonight watching the Pitchmen marathon (RIP Billy), I realize I'm going to miss this show. It was as close to those old documentaries as there is on TV. All the behind the scenes stuff, all the magic...And what's more, for the eventual creation of the snake oil salesman, you HAVE to have Billy Mays in mind for the character.

From those first documentaries, it was Raiders of the Lost Ark, reading and watching everything I could on how they went about actually making the effects. Making those bugs do what they did. At one time, I actually wanted to be a bug wrangler...(not that there's much market for that these days when they just CGI everything) And again with Arachniphobia.

As I've grown older, and more sophisticated in my ability to actually make these things I've only been researching, my understanding of all of this has only expanded to where now, I no longer see as others see.

I was watching America's Got Talent the other night, and this magician was on. I recognised the contraption from the very get go, having built a model of a similar one before determining it would be too costly to make a full size one for Halloween. The judges were amazed, I could only chuckle.

Haunted houses, and the like are no different. I'm more interested in seeing how they do everything that sometimes the experience is lost.

A curious thing this year, though. Going into the year with our season passes at Lagoon, I enjoyed Dracula's Castle more. However, now having been on both it and the Terroride about 50 times this year (they are among Talia's favorites), I've come to REALLY appreciate the Terroride.

While Dracula's Castle is filled with BIG props and animatronics, the Terroride is filled with TONS of SMALL things. All things us home haunt folks can build. A simple head turn, and people jump. A head turn...back to my roots...

Michael Jackson...

I'll leave all the heavy comments to others.

One might expect on such a blog to go for the obvious claim of how Thriller is inspirational...

But, long time readers know about my fascination with a snake oil salesman theme. And, one has to love the set, lighting, and homage to guys and dolls that occurs here, in a theme that a bunko man would certainly fit right in...



Oh, alright, we'll take the easy out as well. (hey, all the 'real' ones don't allow embedding)

Is that for Halloween???

So just about every child in the neighborhood asked the other night when we pulled Bob out for a paint job.

From bob

Nah, it's for Easter...

From bob

This is the view from the audience side. (He'll get legs later, they're not priority at the moment)

From bob

Turns out Bob is a cross-dresser as well! Getting decked out in my mom's panty hose. (thanks ma!)

From bob

Unfortunately, we had to stop there, as I'm out of latex. We'll be getting some soon.

Of course, it takes a lot of electricity to bring Bob back from the grave. One would expect SOME kind of generator...

(A wine barrel, a cat sand bucket, and a dismantled cieling fan)

We'll build a stand to lay it flat and get another cover for the other side of it, but you get the idea.

From Lab

Closeup of my cover.

From Lab

Video of it "on". Effect provided by 2 flicker sockets. They were just thrown in. We'll get it all glossed up on the inside of that cat bucket to reflect, and the lights centered, but again, the idea...

FSP Limited! (and some new projects.)

Like I was mentioning, I've had this plan to bring some high voltage into the Lab setup.

First and foremost among those plans was a Jacob's Ladder.

I have been researching on how and where to buy or acquire the parts, and plans, and having little in the way of luck. Now, sure, there were "free plans" out there. They all left something to be desired...

And, other places wanted upwards of $20 just for the plans.

As mom will attest, I've had a long and glorious history of really screwing up with electricity. Including knocking out the power to our house at 4 years old, and being close enough to lightning on several occasions to see the plasma linger in the air as the bolt dissipated, feeling the heat, and once being knocked back (a metal door I was next to, I was inside, was hit)

So, I was not about to go about my typical muddle through it exercise with this one.

Finally, I stumbled upon FSP Limited.

Not only did they have NEW transformers for a reasonable price, but plans specifically for THAT transformer, and a kit to build a science kit for Kyle that included a couple experiments other than the Jacob's ladder.

For us, it was a no-brainer.

Parts arrived promptly, and the instructions were clear and concise.

So, Kyle demonstrated his project to his scout troop last night, wowing everyone there, including the adults. (They're working on the engineering badge) We've even agreed to take the entire lab setup over in a couple weeks to show them all the engineering they've been working on. Pulleys, switches, circuits, and catapults. Bob and the Lab bring it all together, so I get a test run, and the kids will get to have some fun.

Now, the thing is mine to adjust just a tad for a more Halloween-centric purpose.

If you've EVER wanted a Jacob's ladder, or just want a project for your kid's science fair, or similar, you really can't go wrong with FSP Limited's Kit.

From Lab

NOW, I'm thinking I might actually have use for their jet kit as well...but more on that later.

Anyhow, obviously, the Jacob's ladder will be added to the lab. I want some slightly taller poles for it, and I'm going to enclose the ladder to keep any wandering fingers in that setting.

If it weren't raining now, I'ld also be working on the 'generator' I intend to build.

The fan case just screams 'generator' to me. We'll get some video of the intended effect as soon as my wife wakes up and can tell me where she's hiding the video cam...

From Lab

Oh how I loathe ceiling fans...

We've been doing some minor work around the house this week.

Among them was installing new ceiling fans. A job I find particularly annoying for some reason. Something about holding this while you wire that and contort this over here...

Anyhow, in part due to this loathing, I set my eyes on the second fan I had taken down. I have my mind set on several pieces of lab equipment to go along with Bob this year. Figuring that if I'm to make these folks REALLY believe there's tons of electricity flowing through him, it's going to take more than a couple flashing lights and a bad sound effect, ala last year.

So, I figured on ripping out this here ceiling fan motor, and using it to EITHER turn the crank on a Wimshurst machine, or to run a Van De Graaff generator.

At the time, this was part of a 2 stage plan to bring high voltage to the lab.

But, getting TO that motor, I started staring at the case. Nice brass...evenly spaced vent holes...and inspiration struck.

It's now a 3 stage plan. That fan case, and a barrel that's been kicking around in the back yard are swiftly going to become a "generator". Photos, and perhaps a how-to will soon follow.

In other news, one of Talia's new favorite activities is to color Bob. He's now covered in crayon doodles. Oh, sure, it's all going to be covered by paint and corpsing later, but, like the grin, it makes me smile.

Joining in the fun, I couldn't resist paying homage to the ORIGINAL reanimation stories, and wrote "Truth" on his forehead.

Yes, for those not catching the reference, Frankenstein is not the original. Check into the legends of the Golem. Most famously, the Golem of Prague.

Wipe that smile off your face!

The big grin on Bob is gone...

From bob

In it's place, we have begun sculpting a more suiting visage. Yes, one can critique my stylizations of sculpting skulls. Eyes, nose, jaw is too large, giving a very caveman appearance. Personally, I like it that way. Allows for more expression.

From bob

Talia also seems awful confused with the whole Bob situation. Bringing him in to sculpt the face, she wanted to hug and kiss Bob, as if he'd been a long-lost friend. And, she insists he's sleeping in this lying down position.

She also gets quite upset with Indy when he's snooping around Bob.

It'll be interesting to see how she handles the corpsing.

Hands, lower jaw left to go. I HAD a source to go buy teeth earlier, but I can't seem to find it anymore...

We'll have to think of something. (there's always the goats teeth again...)

We have arms.

Bob now has arms, complete with hinged elbows.

I was mentioning how the shoulders could have been easily hinged. And, the elbows prove it marvelously.

The secret? A couple clothes hangers, chopped up.

From bob

And, once again, relying on the tack of Power Grab to hold it in place while it dries.

From bob

We now need more paper clay. I got to tweak the recipe of that a tad, still. Started laying the ground work for the skull as well, but I'm not happy with it, so it will probably be removed.

From bob

So, skull, hands, some paint, and we're ready to corpsify.