A-Z Blogging Challenge: F is for Frankenstein Pop-Ups

Frankenstein Pop-Ups

During last year's A-Z, I wrote about one of the Dracula pop-up books that I have; this year, I thought it only fair that I should include my Frankenstein pop-up book! As with the Dracula pop-up book, this adaptation of the famed Mary Shelley novel features the talents of Clare Bampton (story adaptation), Anthony Williams (illustrations) and David Hawcock (pop-ups), with the addition of Rob Taylor (colour), and is published by Walker Books as well.

Frankenstein is equally as visually appealing, and the panels featuring the creature are particularly emotive and well-executed. The story is shortened, surmised and details left out in order to fit the constraints of an illustrated pop-up book, which does make it feel slightly rushed in places. However, where an author might spend ten to twenty pages or more on each description of scenery, emotions, reactions etc. the illustrations and pop-ups create the scene in a page or less and the impact is much more immediate. 

Some of the paper craft creations, such as the one above, are close to half a metre high, which can't help but leave a lasting impression!

Whilst I won't pretend that this pop-up is a substitute for reading the original Frankenstein text, for horror fans who want something different after working through the novel several times, and for younger readers who aren't quite ready to tackle The Modern Prometheus yet, this is a fun and novel spin on a beautiful book.

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge, 2013.

A-Z Challenge: S is for...Stuck on You Salt & Pepper Shakers

S is for...Stuck on You Salt & Pepper Shakers!

Whilst I'll be the first one to admit that salt and pepper shakers are not the most overtly horror-related items and not something I should be writing about on this blog, after receiving this wonderful pair of pots on my birthday last year I think I'm going to make an exception here! They are from the Nemesis Now, Willow Hall Collection, as part of the 'Stuck on You' range. 

View of the pair when unstuck

The set I own is 'The Monster and His Bride', which are actually labelled as "zombies" on the box. The two of them are independent salt / pepper pots, but by way of a magnet they each have embedded in their mouth they join together, giving the impression of a kiss (awwww... ....?). The details on them - from stitching to nail polish to hair - give the "lovers" great character and a healthy dose of charm, which makes them rather endearing.

The happy couple

As well as being decorative, they are also functional salt and pepper shakers, with holes at the back of their heads. However, I haven't used them for their intended purpose yet and probably never will, so I can't say how well they actually work.

The back of their heads

Nemisis Now also have other horror-themed pairs in the Willow Hall Collection, including vampires, skeletons, witches and coffins. Sadly, they only sell to the trade on their website, so unless you can find these little dears in a shop (physical or virtual), it's not possible to buy them. However, I've seen them dotted around the internet, so I'm sure they'd be simple enough to track down for those who want them!

The images below are from the Stuck on You section at Nemesis Now's website:

'Love at First Bite'

'Love Never Dies'

'Love is Spooky'

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge

Art & How-to Guides: Jim McGee's Monster Drawings

Y is for Ygor

Originally hailing from the UK and now residing in Tokyo, Jim McGee draws familiar (and some not so familiar) faces from popular culture, in his own distinctive style. In 2010 he created a pictorial A-Z of monsters, featuring a plethora of characters from horror and science fiction, such as Vampira, Godzilla, Sadako, Ygor and  many more.

N is for Neko Musume and Nurikabe

V is for Vampira

Though the drawings don't always look like exact copies of the characters/actors, they aren't necessarily supposed to and it's obvious who they are. Every monster personality is represented wonderfully well, often with a dash of humor, which will make the drawings very endearing to fans of the genre. Another nice touch is the cameos and background extras that often crop up in McGee's work. For example, The Monster, The Wolfman and Una O'Connor are all in the background of the Ygor portrait.

G is for Godzilla

In addition to the monster art, there are also a multitude of tutorial and speed drawing videos on McGee's YouTube channel. It's not all spooky, with subjects ranging from Zombina (of Zombina and the Skeletones) to Tinkerbell, Frankenstein's Monster to Totoro, but it is certainly worth a look as he updates often, and is willing to take requests as well!

A still from 'How to Draw Zombina. Horror High School. Prof Fearstone'

Each video drawing is completed in 10 minutes, with extra characters/details being added if there's spare time and space. The above still features Zombina, with Professor Fearstone (a character McGee plays in 'Horror High School') coming to life in the background. Video tutorials on how to draw Zombina, Beetlejuice and Frankenstein's Monster are included after the cut below.

To see more of Jim McGee's work, you can visit the following sites:

Jim's very own A-Z of "Movie Monsters" on Facebook

Jim's Cartoon Tube on YouTube

Horror High School

Thank you to Jim for permission to use the images!