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The Witches Skull has been a long journey in coming.

Beginning years ago with a trial on the traditional concept of what is meant by the skulls lighting Yaga Baba’s hut, and coming through to my own interpretation.

It’s seen me skulpt my own skull, fire it, make a mold, and cast it.

Over a month’s worth of work to get to this last step of lighting it…

Simple idea, really. Let’s make my existing tiki torches LOOK like a candle on the skulls…

A little plaster skulpting, a little hot glue, and a little paint. (for the REAL ones, I’ll buy BLACK hot glue and skip the painting, thus avoiding many mistakes)

Yes, it lacks color, yes it’s rough, and yes, that’s my thumb hole in the side of this skull. Doesn’t matter for this prototype.

From Halloween buildup 09

Simple enough idea. I was worried the ‘candle’ would hide too much light from the wicks. I actually had ideas for secondary lighting…

From Halloween buildup 09

Little did I know….I had unintentionally created an INTERESTING side effect with this design…Reaching to light it, little did I know…

HOLY CRAP! FOOT TALL FLAMES!!!!

From Halloween buildup 09

Uh, This is kinda cool…

From Halloween buildup 09

I would say I had never seen anything like that before…but that would be incorrect. Makes sense, the general shape I created is a smaller version of what creates the Island King.

The QUESTION is, ARE THEY SAFE???

We’ll be doing a couple burns to see. And, we might spray some of that fire retarding foam to attach the skulls better just to be sure, even.

In the mean time…I do believe we have found a suitable means of lighting Spider Woman’s domain.

From Halloween buildup 09

From Halloween buildup 09

All this media attention. I hear the kids even halted classes to watch the festivities yesterday. Half of work was watching as well. (I was busy)

Goes to show the power of Halloween. He who sales the most masks always wins. Must be something about seeing all those kids in a particular person’s mask then voting a few days later.

Anyhow…

One thing key to being able to create a good haunt is the ability to put yourselves in others shoes. To view things as they would.

You’ll often seem me specifically taking photos at a 5 year old’s height, for instance. And, often exploring things that scare others, but not myself.

As Obi Wan said. “You will find a great many of the truth’s we cling to rely greatly on our own point of view.”

A good friend of mine happens to be a political cartoonist in Brazil. I have often found his perspective to be intruiging.

If you care to see more, his archive is here. (and it’s in Portugese. Google translate does a good job…)

Slideshow updated below. Will add it to the sidebar later.

Video 1: several groups going through, including some kids too scared and needing to see I was just in a mask.

Video 2: More ‘clean’ run through.

Or so my wife likes to put it.

We’re sitting at 90% completion.

Got some more skulls to put up, ones that needed more foam…

Speaking of which, along with the other events conspiring against me, the brand of foam I typically use was sold out. So, I had to go with this other brand, which is proving to have advantages and disadvantages to the ‘normal’ stuff.

Then, we get to web everything tomorrow. Didn’t want to do it too early because the stuff yellows.

Big night tomorrow with lighting tests, and adjustments in prep for the real thing on Friday.

So, I may be too busy to post tomorrow night, but here’s the 2008 slideshow, that WILL be getting updated.Update 10/31.

The slideshow has been updated with last night’s pics, and I’m pleased to add a live soundtrack from my little brother. The camera doesn’t really capture the full tone of the djembe, unfortunately.

As you can imagine, we’re a little busy this month.

So, if things aren’t being posted quite so quick as you’re used to, it’s because we’re working on things.

So, to bring you up to speed on everything that’s going on:

First, there is Project Nightfall.

Where: Our front yard.
What: Drive/Walk by display
When: 10/17 through…whenever the weather gets bad or I need to mow again.

Then, we have The Laboratory.

Where: H.Guy Child Elementary
What: An Unorthodox Frankenstein-inspired skit for the school carnival.
When: 10/22 beginning at 4:30PM

Finally, we have the big day. “The Unorthodox Halloween Experience” as my wife puts it. Preview Here.

Where: Our House.
What: Walkthrough and trick or treating
When: 10/31, beginning at 6:00PM