Chimera – An Unorthodox Halloween

Chimera Eulogy.

Dog.

Cat.

That thing from Star Wars.

That thing from Dark Crystal.

Ogre.

Scarecrow.

The Chimera was called many things by many people, and all wanted to know WHAT in the end it really was.

From 2011 buildup

What is was. That has as many answers as there are people looking and wondering.

The Chimera was born out of a storm. Having lost our props to a storm in 2010, a new direction was settled on, originally meant to be a one-off fun pumpkin centric theme. It soon developed into what I wanted to do from then on.

The Chimera began life as the first time I wasn’t just trying to replicate something I’d seen. I didn’t want just ANY scarecrow to go with this new pumpkin centric theme. It was a cry to find my own voice. My own style. Something entirely, ME. As such, the lessons learned and mistakes made on it were monumental.

Very early on, it suffered a break on a leg, and I had to do a patch.

At the final stages, the Chimera become a rallying point for me. A defining moment. THIS is not just who I WAS, but where I wanted to go, who I wanted to BE.

From Halloween 2012

I would move on to other pieces. But the Chimera heart would be there.

From 2013 buildup

To the point where I began to ask in my own mind: Is that a Chimera?

Pieces to the outside that might not seem it are the descendants of the original Chimera.

From 2015

Over the years, the Chimera sat stalwart through the winters and winds that would see it standing stalwart in the front yard. But time gets to everyone. Things broke. I would fix. Other things broke, I’d patch.

This spring saw one last storm. The chimera tipped over, and curled up. We went to stand him up and the wood at the heart of the frame just started to disintegrate. I had long been amused by the mushrooms growing off him adding to it. But, time wins.

From 2016 Buildup

What was, no, what IS the Chimera?

A testament to creativity. Talking point for some. Inspiration to others.

From Buildup 2015

Mother.

Plans for this year, as usual, began last year.

Late October, I happened to drive by the city offices, and what do I see but a scarecrow contest…

First of all, only 10? What the heck? Second…that is all far too cute. I knew then I wanted to add a scarecrow to this contest.

Now, as many who follow Halloween know, it’s impossible to think of a scarecrow without thinking of Pumpkinrot. In fact, I consider the Sentinels to be the current standard for pumpkin headed scarecrows, and I knew I wanted a pumpkin headed scarecrow…

This was a good start, and I could see myself working it into something of my own creation, bifurcating the heads as have come to really define me.

But, last time I went looking for scarecrows, I ended up looking at Magic the Gathering, and it led me to making the Chimera, something that has also been rather iconic and defining of my style. That open chest, the exposed ribs, and the LIGHT!

So, what did Magic offer in the way of a pumpkin headed scarecrow?

THIS, I could see with a giant bifurcated head, and I begun work. Maybe not the traditional scarecrow shape, so this one would probably not enter the contest, but I began wanting to build SEVERAL new such creatures…and then it dawned on me, a family of them. The idea of a mother of monsters festered in my brain, that hulking shape…what if we added a nice big, pregnant belly, with pumpkins inside, recalling images of the alien queen from Aliens…

Mother.

Final thoughts on 2014.

Every year, I like to sit down and analyze what worked, and what didn’t.

This particular year, it was just a minor miracle we were able to do it at all. However, analyzing the new additions:

“The Orchard”, so coined in 2010 was a night and day improvement over the 2010 concept, but still not quite where I’d like it.

One teenager stopped to ask me at the entrance. “What is this, Mr Jones?”

It’s a rare treat to be compared to the nigh perfection that is Pumpkinrot’s works. Alas, I hadn’t watched Mr Jones until this past Saturday. I can kinda see where the teen was coming from in a very broad sense, both works meaning to imply something mystical being set up with the bones and sticks.

The Orchard was one of the few successes, and I’m determined to make it return in 2015, with more proper attention than we were able to give it this year.

Jim.

Jim was another project I started years ago and never finished. Representing my first foray into animation, I’m left unsure whether I will return to animation or not. When he was working it was a marvelous, almost magical thing. A neighbor girl on the 29th went down that corn tunnel (her brother stopping at the gate), encountered Jim, and come running right back out. It remains one of the funnier things of the year.

However, I believe in an attempt to figure out how it was working, someone went fiddling at some point during the party on the 30th, and Jim took a dive. By the time I found him, it was in such a state I knew repair would be impossible with the time and resources I had available. So, a half-working Jim was on for Halloween night. Don’t know whether I’m just not going to put out future animatronics till after the party, or just stick to static.

Jim did look ominous just sitting there waiting for someone to trigger his motion sensor.

The coffins.

They really weren’t my thing to begin with. They got me through a rough time, though, and kept me busy.

Missed opportunity to do up a whole old west graveyard with wooden crosses. Didn’t even cross my mind till it was too late. (I keep seeing the scene with Ned on display outside the bar from Unforgiven when I look at this. Poor Ned.”) Not a bad idea for a whole theme, really. Just, not my thing. They sold about 10 minutes after posting them…which was kind of the point of building them in the first place.

So, where does that leave us?

Well, I’m strongly considering a fresh start for 2015. Return to the most basic elements from 2010. Full on Harvest theme.

I also discovered my city has started a scarecrow contest. I think I might just have to follow a bit of Pumpkinrot’s example, and enter such a contest. I don’t know what won, but I only saw a bunch of smiling stuffed happiness on display. Can’t allow that to stand unchecked. Last time I went looking to make a scarecrow, I stumbled on the Chimera.

Now, how do I take my style there and translate it to a more traditional ‘scarecrow’ form?

Turkey day roundup

For the first time in quite a few years, we did not head out for the annual full contact shopping festival known as black friday.

You know. I loved the old 4 am openings. Waiting in the cold, hot chocolate at the door, doughnuts, etc of yesteryear. You can take your 6 PM Thursday crap and shove it. Give folks a chance to get their dinner down, for crying out loud.

Instead, my wife and I went to see that new Hunger Games on Friday. Theater wasn’t that crowded since everyone’s getting their sales on.

We did manage to spruce up the yard for the season though.