 |
 |
 |
 |
| 2002 was an interesting year prop building. In July I saw a great Reaper figure online on one of the retail Halloween sites. The price was outrageous so I decided to build one myself. It took two months to complete the task. Above left is a Bucky attached to the frame and platform. The platform has wheels on the bottom to make him easier to move around. The picture on the right is with arms attached in place and with his electric candle completed. The candle was made from pvc pipe. I attached a standard socket and used hot glue to build up wax around the top and down the sides for that great dripped wax look. I used a standard flicker bulb. I aged the Bucky with Min Wax Gel Stain, Aged Oak color. The chicken wire frame for his robe is also finished. I then used Monster Mud and completed his robe in two layers. The first to cover the chicken wire snugly then a second to create the folds and draping look. . I built the tombstone base using 2 x 4's for framing then plywood for the outside. Decorative molding completed the trim. The skull is from Terror Syndicate. The base was designed to allow the plywood base of the statue to be flush with the top of the tombstone base. I used steamer trunk handles on the bottom of the Reaper's platform to make it easy for two people to lift him onto the base. They then lay flat and can't be seen. Up on the base he is almost 7 feet tall. |
| Reaper completed. I love this guy! |
| Here is the chair I built to sit my bones in on Halloween night and hand out the candy to the Trick or Treaters. The skulls came from Terror Syndicate. There are red LED's in the large center skull that have about a six second dim cycle. They came from Haunt Masters. Cryptie seems to be enjoying it. This was actually the first project I did for 2002. |
| Having been a Movie Theatre Manager in the Palm Springs California area for 34 years finally paid off in a big way for me in 2002. I am Sr. Operations Manager for the Camelot Theatre. An Art, Foreign and Independent movie theatre. The key word here is Independent. In 2002 we were pleased to have the Palm Springs premier Of Elvira's Haunted Hills. It had screened in the area the year before at Outfest. But it was then just a rough cut of the film without color correction and the new music score. Cassandra Peterson had agreed to make a personal appearance. Let me say I am a HUGE Elvira fan and have been since the Movie Macabre days. So this called for something special. I decided to build castle walls as a backdrop for the rotunda area where she would be signing autographs for her adoring fans. I built these in two days. These are the walls I now use for Halloween. They were made from 2 inch sheets of foam insulation from Home Depot. I used my Dremel to cut out the grout lines and detail. The skulls are from Terror Syndicate. The windows were made from plastic sheets for kitchen light fixtures. Let me say Cassandra Peterson is the kindest most gracious celebrity I've ever met. She signed autographs for her loving fans for hours, and took time with each one, posing for photos and making each one feel special. And she did all this for free! Unlike some who charge for their autograph. Sam Irvin the director of the film was there also and is a great guy. He answered questions from everyone. Believe me this was the best time I've ever spent at work. |
| Thanks Cassandra. |