It's finally here! The 2017 Midwest Haunters Convention is upon us again, and it's time to point the wheels south toward Columbus.
It's a quick 2-hour drive for me, but I still need some good tunes for the ride, so I'll be jamming some of Akron's finest:
Be sure to check back early next week, as I'll have a full recap of what is sure to be another insane weekend full of haunter madness. And if you also happen to be in Columbus this weekend, come find me! You know I'm always up for getting down! See everyone on the other side...
With barely a day to spare, the latest MHC Masquerade Ball accessory piece has been completed! Just a quick teaser photo of The Necromancer's Staff, a nearly 7-foot-tall walking staff complete with a lit lantern, rusted chime bells, antler fragments and a rotted skull...
This piece was created as a prop accessory for this year's Midwest Haunters Convention Masquerade Ball. I was planning on reusing an old costume, but had wanted to add something with a bit of flash, as the Ball tends to bring out some truly amazing work. The idea of an illuminated staff came to mind, so I ran with it.
The staff itself is a branch that had fallen out of a tree in my neighborhood right after a storm. I found it laying in the street as I was on a bike ride with my son. I liked the shape and size, so I ended up dragging it back home! I sanded it down a bit and then added the arm section which was a piece of old, dried out wood that I had in a kindling pile. I used 2 screws and then glued and wrapped the entire joint, detailing it with burlap strips, jute rope, Spanish moss and strands of Creepy Cloth.
The lantern was an old IKEA Rotera outdoor lantern that I had used in a previous costume accessory. I simply tied it to the arm piece, again detailing it with Spanish moss and Creepy Cloth. I lit the lantern with a battery-operated pair of LED lights that I had won on an episode of Haunters Hangout earlier in the year, and then covered it with a patch of Spanish moss inside the lantern.
I also got two pieces of deer antler from my aunt and uncle, who are both avid outdoorsmen. They were the perfect size, so I just tied them to either side, letting both pieces dangle freely.
The skull was one of my cast foam skulls that was sitting around unused. I simply drilled down through the top of it and slid the skull down the top of the staff.
And then finally, I knew that I wanted to have some sort of sound when the staff moved, so I ended up getting two packages of "jingle bells" from Michael's. I spray painted each to look rusted, then attached 13 of them throughout the top of the staff. It sounds a bit like Santa, but I'm still happy with the way it sounds and I'm really happy with the way this thing looks!
Come take a look at The Necromancer's Staff (as well as the rest of my costume!) in person this Saturday night at the Midwest Haunters Convention Masquerade Ball in Columbus, Ohio. I'll be jingling all about, so come dance, buy me a drink or simply say hello!
I am by no means a "candle guy," so it was only by chance that I found myself in the candle aisle at my local Target. On rare occasions, I'll take a stroll just to see if there is anything remotely "Halloweenish."
I have picked up a couple of the Bonfire Nights candles in the past and have actually enjoyed their scents, filling my home office with the subtle smell of a nice fall bonfire as I worked on various Halloween projects. I have also picked up a few of the Yankee Candle "Witches' Brew" candles just before Halloween to really set the mood. But as I perused the aisle last week, I spotted a particularly interesting candle...
The "Wood" candle from Archaeology had an unfinished wood lid and a minimal, stenciled and die-cut label with the words "Patchouli & Smoked Ashwood" on it. I picked it up and popped the lid.
Wow. I'm not often surprised by candle scents, but this one was really interesting. A hint of the patchouli spice and a nice, warm, earthy wood scent. It really reminded me of being in a dry forest on a late fall day. And somehow, it really made me think of Halloween! This one will be burning in my office from now until the big night. And honestly, this scent would be a great for use in a haunt. You can pick yours up at your local Target candle aisle!
I'm working on a lot of little things lately and hope to show them all off shortly. I've also been working like mad on a new accessory piece for this year's MHC Masquerade Ball costume and hope to show that off as well.
In the meantime, take a listen to this brand new "Egyptian dark ambient" track from Ager Sonus. Another killer track, perfect for an evening of chilling out or just getting creepy...
From the Ager Sonus Bandcamp page: The old leather bound book smells of crusted honey. Flecks of dust and dried parchment rain from it's interior as you open it. Ancient hieroglyphs and diagrams point the way to the obsidian gate.
A year later you walk through long forgotten caverns with lantern lit. You've finally found the underground lake. A tired face stares back at you from it's reflection. The air taste sweet down here and in the distance flutes echo of a buried civilization. The feeling of dread washes over you. This is your last chance to get her back from the underworld.
Dark bass drone rumbles in the caverns under long forgotten cities. Ager Sonus has succeeded in creating an Egyptian backdrop that is accentuated with flutes and atmospheric layering. Occult and ethereal, this album is for lovers of Necromancy and the unexplored ruins beneath
the sands of Egypt.
Tonight, we revel around bonfires and fly to the Brocken mountaintop by broomstick. Engage in unholy pagan ritual as we celebrate the spring equinox...
Closer to home, we revel in this day as the midpoint to the high holiday of All Hallow's Eve. In honor of this special day, I have created another collage design for the Highbury Cemetery Graphic Series. A quick, free form piece to celebrate the countdown to the big night. Halloween. It inches ever so closer...
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
