Entries Tagged as 'pumpkin monster'

Grumble 2.0

Grumble 2.0This newly completed, next generation Grumble critter sports several design improvements over his predecessor which include an inspection hatch for the electrics, and zero chicken wire. In addition to being much lighter than the original Grumble, a removable noggin and built-in stand round out what has been a great revisit to this project.

But, now that it’s time to box him up and send him to the nice lady who paid in advance, I’m getting that sad “walking the foster dog to his new home” feeling. Grumble (there can really only be one) isn’t as sentimental about it. Every so often you’ll hear him out in the garage. “Hey, Tater! . . . Happy trails, Tater!”

No idea why he calls him Tater.

Long fingersDetachable NogginInspection HatchInside a Grumble Head

Don't call me TaterJagged GrinGlowGrumble V2.0

Here there be monsters

And they be yucky.


Stick-around

From the dead letter office…

Minion ‘Kathy’ sent us this letter, which ended up making your old pal Spook later for dinner. She writes…

Do you have any ideas on how we could make a bruno for a scare actor? We do a “Spooky Woods Tour” in Tallahassee (south of there called Woodville) every year and we are doing some new stuff this year. I love the creativity you have. We’d like to add “Bruno” as an actor this year. I can hear the screams now…..thanks.

Thanks for the note! Ideas? I have lots.

Idea 1: A stick-around

Bruno’s terror-on-a-stick construction lends itself to the stalk-around model. Now, a real stalk-around includes a monster head that is attached to some type of helmet worn by the actor, and as much fun as that sounds to build, it would be quite a technical challenge.

The next best thing could be a terrible paper mache pumpkin on a stick with a type of shoulder pad arrangement beneath, and over which, you could drape his cloak/robes/coat to give the impression of a solid form underneath. The actor could then carry the stick around, hidden under the cloak.

A slightly more ambitious version of the stick-around may be to attach the stick to an apparatus not unlike a backpack that is strapped to the actor. He could peep through slits in the cloak. This would free his hands, which could then operate arm extensions (more sticks) fitted through the sleeves of the cloak. Attach horrible hands to the arm extensions and you’d have a very scary pumpkin monster with a loooong reach.

Idea 2: A wearable pumpkin head

Attach a hard-hat or batter’s helmet to the inside of your paper mache pumpkin head. Depending on the size of your pumpkin and the diameter of the hole in its bottom, you’ll have to use spacers (pvc pipe, scrap 1x2s) to place the helmet somewhere near the center of the gourd, or near mouth-level. Your actor would end up looking out of the mouth to see. The reason for this is so that the pumpkin itself doesn’t sit on the actor’s shoulders, but is able to turn and pivot freely. From that point, it’s a matter of padding out the creature’s cloak, which would also be worn by the actor.

A word of caution: It would be tempting to strap the helmet firmly to the actor’s head, but this could cause serious neck injury. A loose-fitting chin strap should keep the gourd from shifting around. Anything tighter that doesn’t break away easily is dangerous. You’ve seen what happens to a football player when someone grabs his face mask. Imagine the torque if someone grabbed the pumpkin’s stalk or if it got caught on something. Yeouch!

A flashlight taped to the inside of the gourd and pointing upward should provide plenty of light. Especially if the interior is painted bright orange.

Grim of Grim Hollow

Wouldn’t you love to see the kids’ faces as they try to edge past this guy on their way up the driveway on Halloween night?

“I won’t look, I won’t look, I won’t look. If I don’t look at him he won’t look at me.”

Grim is the most terrible creation of the very terrible artist at Grim Hollow Haunt.

There’s something really attractive about the flow of motion here that suggests he’d happily swipe your head clean off your shoulders if you got too close. In fact, I bet that’s what we’re seeing here. He sweeps through the night collecting heads and turns them into Jack-o-lanterns to take back to his lair.

Brr…can you imagine what his place must look like? Shelves and book cases filled with burning Jack-o-lanterns stacked to the ceiling. Halls and caverns filled with them, whispering, smoldering, sputtering.

If that isn’t a great idea for a new story to add to the Halloween book I need to write someday, then I’m a pumpkin.

Visit Grim Hollow Haunt