Library: Manga Occult and Horror

How To Draw Manga-Occult & Horror is another “how to” book showing the steps involved in drawing occult and horror characters.

Manga is a term which broadly refers to Japanese comic strips and cartoons and while I’m not a huge Manga or Anime (Japanese animation) fan some of the ideas presented in this book are interesting.

The book is written by Hikaru Hayashi and distributed in North America by Digital Manga Distribution.

The book features black and white illustrations with clear instructions and will serve you well if you are looking for something outside the box when it comes to designing your Halloween props.

Worth a look.

C.R.A.P. Files 003

Opened another box of C.R.A.P. or “Collectibles Retained and Packed” tucked away in the garage and this one contained some real goodies.

First out of the box was Series One and Series Two of Todd McFarlane’s Monster Playsets.

These sets were produced in the mid 90’s and featured highly detailed action figures and set pieces creating a unique scene with a huge twist of originality.

These toys would be great references pieces when building a room for a haunted house or a display because they are way cool.

Set one included the Hunchback, Werewolf, Frankenstein and Dracula.

Series two consisted of The Sea Creature, The Mummy, The Phantom of the Opera and Dr. Frankenstein.

What’s really cool is that you can combine the Frankenstein sets from both series into one totally kick ass Mad Lab Monster set.

The only set I have opened was Dr. Frankenstein Series Two because toys deserve to be played with and not sealed inside a plastic box.

If you haven’t checked out McFarlane toys be sure to do so because they are a cut above the rest and did I mention that they are way cool?

Library: SCARED!

SCARED! How To Draw Fantastic Horror Comic Characters by Steve Miller and Bryan Baugh is a beautiful full color book detailing some amazing artwork and offering some fascinating history of horror.

This is one of my favorite books sitting on the shelf and serves not only as instruction but also inspiration.

First published in 2004 by Watson-Guptil Publications this is one of the best “how-to-draw” books on the market.

Two thumbs up and prepare to be SCARED!

The Coming Darkness

I was just browsing some photos on my Flickr account when this one really struck a chord...it brought back a lot of memories.

Funny how I took this photo but the fact is I never really looked at this photo.

The days are getting shorter and for some reason this photo made me sort of sad.

Back to work.

New Etsy Pumpkins WIP

Granted they don’t look like much now…..

Currently working on a new collection of special“themed” pumpkins to put in my Etsy store next week.

Using a new technique to make these guys and will post the detailed construction information once they are complete.

Project Runway

My television viewing habits are pretty non-existent except for The Weather Channel and CNN in the morning while I check email and have my coffee.

There is one exception and I will probably take some shit for posting this.

I love Project Runway.

First off I don’t much about fashion, I’m a jeans and t-shirt sort of guy…give me a pair of Reeboks and a baseball cap and that’s about as far as it goes for my fashion statement.

Secondly I don’t much about sewing or fabrics other than burlap works well to make scarecrows and tulle makes great ghosts.

Back in the 70’s I took a home economics class and made a lovely apron so I guess I’m not a complete virgin.

Project Runway rocks because it is about the only place where you can catch a glimpse of the creative process at work. (and watch the creative process fail)

Watching Project Runway forces me to think, I participate in my mind along with the contestants finding a solution to the challenge presented.

I love watching how people handle criticism and find it interesting to see who has the good sense to edit their ideas.

The show features some of typical drama found on reality television but in the end it showcases creativity and the human thought process.

Project Runway is my weekly dose of comfort, even though I don’t have a clue when it comes to fashion I can still relate to the process, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

You now know where to find me on Thursday nights!

Mmmm!

One of the great things about this time of year, bring it on!