Toys & Art: Plaseebo / Bob Conge

Creating pieces in various forms, including illustrations, figures and 3D art, American customiser and artist, Bob Conge, began exhibiting his work both in the US and internationally in 1985. Since that time, he has had his work shown at events and museums/galleries such as the Lahti VIII Poster Biennale (Lahti, Finland), Musee de la Publicite (Paris, France),  9th Colorado International Poster Invitational (Colorado, USA), Imiri Invitational / Kaiju Blue Gallery (Tokyo, Japan) and many more. As an illustrator, he has also worked for many well-known clients such as EMI Records, IBM, the Wall Street Journal and Sony Records, to name but a few.




Portrait illustration of Franz Kafka



A shrine art piece



 



In 2004, he started Plaseebo, which is a "shop ded­i­cated to cre­at­ing unique one of a kind col­lec­table fig­ures and design­ing orig­i­nal fig­ures for Ultra Lim­ited edi­tions". The focus of these figures is often kaiju, a Japanese word meaning 'strange beast' or 'monster', frequently used to describe characters such as Godzilla, King Kong, Gamera and even Frankenstein's Monster in movies.

A group of Plaseebo figures



Each figure is extremely detailed and many have backstories, giving them all their own unique character and adding to their charm. Some also have LED lights installed inside, giving them a glowing effect when in the dark, which looks quite stunning. The combination of the grinning features and unusual looks of figures such as 'War' and 'Skulloctopus' also make them extremely endearing characters, even if the subject matter might be a serious one. 

'Skulloctopus Rex' with LED switched on, in a dark room

If you like Conge's work, you can see his newly finished pieces 'Think Tank', which will be limited to 5 or 10 and, unique item 'War Monger', at the 'Contemporary Figure Modification' show. The event will be held in April 2011 at the TAG in Hollywood, California.



'War Monger'



'Think Tank'



You can also find out more information and keep up to date with news and future activities by visiting the following websites:

Plaseebo

Bob Conge's Official Site

Bob Conge Illustration Page

Thank you to Bob Conge for permission to use the pictures and information.
More images after the cut below↓

Art: Mark Ryden

Hey there little monsters!

Today I dedicate my entry to one of my favourite artists of all time: Mark Ryden. I'm sure some of you already know about this American painter, since his work is pretty famous all over the world, even if the portraits he creates are full of spooky and macabre scenes. At first you may notice innocence and cuteness on his art, but just take a closer look at it and you will see macabre and disturbing things all over the painting.

I found about him for the first time by chance and it caused a big impression on me. On the painting, there was this little girl next to her bunny... but the bunny was cut in half and bleeding all over the floor. The expression on the little girl's face was so... apathetic and that made it even more impressive.

Since then, I started researching more and more about this painter and his art and I've became a fervent fan! The vast amount of details on each painting, all the feelings you get just by looking at them, the enormous imagination put into all of these portraits. I could literally spend the day enumerating the reasons why Mark Ryden is such a great artist for me.

 

Even if this art may seem like niche art, Ryden is quite famous, admired and respected, and lots of celebrities have openly declared their admiration for his art. Some of them have even worked with him, like, for example, Michael Jackson, who hired Ryden to design one of his CD jackets.

Michael Jackson was not the only one; people as Ringo Starr, Oingo Boingo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Butthole Surfers or Jack Off Jill have worked with Ryden too. There's many other people who fervently admire and buy Ryden's paintings; just to name a few... Robert De Niro, Björk, Bridget Fonda, Christina Ricci and Leonardo DiCaprio.

 

I think I've already said enough, but if you're still interested in knowing more about this man's work, just visit: http://www.markryden.com/

Fashion: Boom! Boom! Baby!

I recently purchased a corset made from horror-themed fabric from UK based bespoke corsetry and costume brand, Boom! Boom! Baby!. The brand have made beautiful creations for numerous clients, including burlesque performers Anna Fur Laxis and Frankii Wilde, and comissions from the BBC. Their work has also been featured in magazines such as Devolution and Creepy Queen.

The ones that particularly caught my eye were their bandage/mummy-themed corsets and outfits (pictured below) and I really was amazed by how low the prices are, considering the quality and uniqueness of what they offer.

I'll probably write more about this brand when my own is finished, but until then, you can view more of their work, contact them or even buy something yourself at the following websites:

Boom! Boom! Baby! Boutique
Etsy Store
BBB Blog

For more images of the gorgeous mummy-themed creations...

Halloween: The Candy Spooky Theater x SaTaN

Two of my favourite Tokyo horror bands, The Candy Spooky Theater and SaTaN are playing a show together on Halloween! 'Tokyo Horror Fes. Vol. 2' is the follow up to Vol. 1, which was last year in February. The first event, featuring the same two artists, was amazingly fun and both bands were wonderful live, had spooky stageshows and the crowd were very energetic too. Sadly, I won't be in Japan on October 31st, but I definitely recommend going to see this event if you can!

HALLOWEEN 2MAN SHOW !!!!!!

The CANDY SPOOKY THEATER × SaTaN

PRESENTS

TOKYO HORROR FES. VOL. 2

『 HAUNTED HALLOWEEN 』

Venue: 目黒鹿鳴館 (Meguro Rock May Kan)
Price: 2,800yen (in advance) or 3,300yen (on the day)
         +500yen drink charge (seperately)

You can reserve tickets with the bands or contact the venue for more information.
All the websites linked in this entry are in Japanese, so if you need any help, leave a comment and I'll try to answer your question.

Documentary: A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss in front of a statue of Boris Karloff as The Monster

Best known for his roles in the dark comedy series 'The League of Gentlemen', English actor, producer and writer Mark Gatiss is host to the 3 part documentary series 'A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss', which is currently being shown on BBC Four (UK).

The series consists of:

1. Mon 11th Oct - Frankenstein Goes to Hollywood - 1920 - 1950 Hollywood horror, including sections on Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff
2. Mon 18th Oct - Home Counties Horror - 1950's & 1960's, the influence of British horror and the resurge of interest in the genre, including sections on Hammer, Roger Corman and Mario Bava's 'Black Sunday'
3. Mon 25th Oct - More information soon

The cast of 'Freaks' (1932)

With clips in abundance, numerous interviews and a look at some wonderful sets and memorabilia, episode one was great for me, because I adore classic horror! The programme chronologically, but entertainingly, covered the world of horror in Hollywood in the first half of the 20th century. Gatiss largely focuses on Universal and RKO and their actors/directors/producers, but as those were the two main horror movie producing studios of the time, there's more than enough material covered. Unfortunately, films such as 'The Wolfman' are only mentioned briefly, and the influence of German Expressionism seems to be altogether ignored, but within the constraints of an hour time slot, I suppose something had to be omitted.



Lon Chaney as The Phantom

Also, although Gatiss' personal take on the films and events surrounding them, as well as his own memories, are strongly evident throughout, this gives the program a unique quality and it is still well-researched and informative in nature. Besides, even when his personal opinions enter into his dialogue, it's quite nice to hear someone being so enthusiastic about and in awe of horror! However, 'A History of Horror' is not simply an hour of fan babble, as Gatiss and those he interviews also critique and acknowledge the flaws of the material covered.

Overall, part one was interesting, insightful, and enjoyable and I cannot wait to see the next two episodes! To watch the first part on BBC iPlayer and read an interview with Gatiss about the show, visit the BBC Four website.

For those of you in the UK, BBC Four are also showing a horror film after each episode, in addition to showing various scary movies recently. 'The Bride of Frankenstein', 'Cat People', 'I Walked with a Zombie' and 'Brides of Dracula' have been/will be shown, as well as 'Gods and Monsters', the fictional biopic of director James Whale. 

Food and Drink: Halloween Gingerbread House

A few days ago I told you about Dylan's Candy Bar's gingerbread playhouse and Dr. Oetker's Bat Cookie Kit. Well, much to my surprise yesterday, Dr. Oetker yet again provided a fun, sweet treat! The Christmas Halloween Gingerbread House Kit! Admittedly, it is supposed to be Christmas themed, but with a few adjustments it can easily have a Halloween or horror theme and it's nowhere near the price (or size) of the Dylan's Candy Bar version. 

The kit includes:

• Gingerbread shapes (for main house)
• Jelly diamonds
• Mini marshmallows
• Chocolate beans
• Designer icing (white)

You'll need a knife to cut out the door too, and I chose to customise mine with Halloween candy, toys and black icing as well.



↑The Halloween gingerbread house that I made↑



Extras (not included in kit):

• Black icing (from Bat Cookie Kit)
• Finger pupper monsters
• Ghost & witch chocolates
• Skulls & Bones candy
• Rainbow drops

Everything but the black icing was from Handy Candy.

More pictures and instructions on how to make the Halloween house after the jump below! (Just like the bat cookies, it's really simple!)

Museums and Galleries: Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle

Last week, Luciel and I had the opportunity to travel to Boscastle in Cornwall and to visit the Museum of Witchcraft, which is home to the largest collection of witchcraft-related items in the world! The museum was originally founded on the Isle of Man in 1951 by renound occult expert Cecil Williamson and, after a few relocations, eventually moved to Boscastle in 1961.

The building itself is on two floors and is packed with all kinds of fascinating witchcraft and ritual magic paraphernalia. In addition to items that were used in real witchcraft, there's also advertising featuring witches from various decades, toys, decorations, artwork, photographs, models, a small section on Satanism (nothing to do with witchcraft, but included because of the general misconceptions linking the two) and more. Each piece on display is accompanied by a description and the staff are also very friendly and willing to answer any questions (within reason) that you may have.

As well as the items on display to the public, the museum also has a vast collection of books on the occult, which scholars and those with appropriate qualifications or reasons may be allowed access to if arranged with the museum owners in advance. However, even without being able to view these books, the museum collection is still massive.

The entry fee is only £3 for adults, and the village of Boscastle also has many interesting shops/galleries and beautiful scenery. The ruins at Tintagel, which is said to be the birthplace of King Arthur, are also only 2-3 miles away and so the museum and the surrounding area are well worth visiting!



Contact and Visitor Information

The Museum of Witchcraft is located by The Harbour in Boscastle, Cornwall. Boscastle is on the North coast of Cornwall between Tintagel and Bude (Multimap link).

Open:

•Easter Halloween (April - end October)

•Monday to Saturday 10.30am till 6pm (last admission 5.30)

•Sunday 11.30am till 6pm (last admission 5.30)

The full address is:
The Museum of Witchcraft
The Harbour
Boscastle
Cornwall
PL35 0HD


To contact the Museum:
•Telephone: 01840 250111 (within UK)
•Telephone: +44 1840 250111 (international)
•Email: museumwitchcraft@AOL.com

Website: http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/


Photographs by: Lilia Tombs

↓More images after the jump↓

Food and Drink: Bat Cookies

I decided to try using a cookie mix instead of baking from scratch as I usually do and came across this! Dr. Oetker's 'Halloween Bat Cookie Kit' will make a spooky addition to any seasonal party food this year, or just a creepy and cute treat for any occasion! They're really simple to make, since all you have to do is combine the ready-prepared dry ingredients with some butter/spread, cut out the bat shapes (cutter included) and cook for 10 minutes! Simple!

They came out really well and I don't think anyone, no matter how young, would have any difficulties making these. So they're definitely a good choice for those of you with little monsters or just those of you with less time/baking experience.

If you want to add anything like chocolate chips, nuts or fruit, you will need to add a little more butter/spread and flour to ensure that you have enough dough to go over the extras. It may be better just to add those on top of each cookie instead though.

 

The kit includes:

• Cookie mix
• Bat cookie cutter
• Black writing icing

Makes 6 cookies

(I managed to make 7 and probably could have done 8)

 

In addition to these kookie cookies, Dr. Oetker also make a Halloween Cupcake Kit and Halloween Apple Decorating Kit as well! I want to try them out some time.

More pictures and a cookie recipe (for anyone who can't find the kit but still wants to make Halloween cookies) after the jump↓

Music: The Candy Spooky Theater - SPOOKYWONDERLAND

I know I promised horror soundtracks for the next music entry, but, since one of my favourite bands just released their new album, obviously I need to write about that instead. :P Tokyo horror rock band, The Candy Spooky Theater, have just released 'SPOOKYWONDERLAND'! 

"Summary: After years of waiting, The Candy Spooky Theater have finally released their first official full length album! Containing a mixture of new songs and Candy Spooky classics, the album is a must have for fans of the band, and people wanting to liven-up and fully grasp the Halloween season!"

[SPOOKYWONDERLAND] on sale Oct. 1st, 2010
Distribution: Tainted Reality
Disk number: TRCS-004
Limited: 20copies
Price: 30.00USD

Tracklist:
01. SPOOKYWONDERLAND PARADE -Introduction-
02. PRINCE OF DARKNESS
03. The LIVING DEAD
04. SPOOKYWONDERLAND PARADE -CABARETTA-
05. La Dance Macabre
06. SPOOKYWONDERLAND PARADE -SPOOKY HALLOWEEN-
07. THIS IS HALLOWEEEN(Danny Elfman cover)
08. SPOOKYWONDERLAND PARADE -Kill You!-
09. Alice
10. SPOOK HOUSE
11. SPOOKYWONDERLAND PARADE -Finale-
12. TRICK or TREAT -End Credits-
13. Let's Meet With Chocolate And Candy


If you're outside of Japan you can buy the album from Tainted Reality's web store but copies are limited to 20 (13 left) or, if you live in Japan you can purchase it from one of the following stores: GURUGURU (also ships overseas), little HEARTS, RISKY DRUG STORE, Like An Edison, 自主盤倶楽部 (Meguro Rock May Kan) and ZEAL LINK.

This is technically the band's second album, but since the first was a collection of previously released singles, I suppose it doesn't count. Anyway, I had high expectations for this album, and honestly, I was not disappointed. The new songs are wonderful and all in English and the reworkings of the 3 previously released tracks are great too. Full review after the jump ↓

 

Toys: Living Dead Dolls - Series 20 Red & Black Variants

"In the spirit of Halloween, Mezco's latest set of Living Dead Dolls pays tribute to the skeleton filled holiday known as The Day of the Dead or El Día de los Muertos. The variant series features intricate skull designs and exclusive crimson and black elaborate costumes, depicting traditional imagery with a Living Dead Dolls twist. Each doll comes in a signature coffin package with death certificate. This set is extremely limited and will ship in mid-October."

Sources: Mezco & LDD Network

Games: New Left 4 Dead Missions and Comic!

The game Left for Dead has been around for a while, and has been a firm favourite of mine, as it involves three things that always seem to equal fun: Chainsaws. Zombies. Blood. The stylings of this game helps to set a fun b-movie atmosphere as you team up with 3 other players against an unending horde of zombies!

In this photo "The Sacrifice" appears to be a zombie!!! (of course)

"Welcome to the first chapter in our four-part Left 4 Dead comic, the Sacrifice! Find out what happens after the military rescued Francis, Louis, Zoey, and Bill at the end of the original Left 4 Dead in four weekly installments, each a whopping 40-plus pages of story and art. Then, download the new DLC “The Sacrifice”, where we put the story’s conclusion into your hands."

For those who don't know it (you would have to have been hiding in your zompocalypse fallout shelter not to) there is a new mission pack coming on the 5th October, well in time for halloween. But first there has been a online comic book released to help set the mood!

More details about this and "the Sacrifice" campaign after the jump!

Movies: Kill, Baby... Kill!

Dr. Eswai is called by Inspector Kruger to a small village to perform an autopsy on a woman who has died under suspicious circumstances. Despite help from Ruth, the village witch, Kruger is killed and it is revealed that the dead woman, as well as other villagers, have been killed by the ghost of Melissa, a young girl who, fed by the hatred of her grieving mother, Baroness Graps, exacts her revenge on them. Dr. Eswai, along with Monica, a local nurse, are lured into a fateful confrontation at the Villa Graps.

-Doug Sederberg

Set in Transylvania, you might expect legendary Italian director, Mario Bava's, stylish classic gothic horror, 'Kill, Baby... Kill!' (1966, aka 'Operazione paura'), to be about vampires. However, quite a different supernatural, undead being is the subject of this movie. This is one of Bava's best, in my opinion. Wonderful aesthetics and a skillful plot progression make it a must see, along with 1960's 'Black Sunday'/'La maschera del demonio'. If possible, watch it in Italian with English subtitles though, because, as is so often the case, the English dubs are pretty terrible!

Animation: Pet of Dracula

Even Dracula can't resist the hypnotic stare of a cat!

Toys: Living Dead Dolls - Retro Halloween Set 2010

Mezco unveils it's best Halloween treat ever: Three retro Halloween-themed boxsets that include an old school-styled plastic mask, exclusive 10" doll and a coordinating T-shirt (XL only). The trio consists of three of the most popular Halloween Living Dead Dolls ever created: Calavera The Skull, Pumpkin- The Jack Oˆ Lantern and Gabriella- The Ghoul.

Each set harkens back to your favorite childhood Halloween memories with an adult-sized plastic mask with elastic straps, cut-out eyes and mouth hole; a limited edition exclusive Living Dead Doll with glow-in-the dark mask that coordinates with the set; one exclusively designed extra large tee shirt by Dave Cook and packaged in a fantastic retro-style Halloween costume window box.

Set includes:

Calavera -The Skull,

Pumpkin - The Jack Oˆ Lantern

Gabriella The Ghoul.

Limited to 500 pieces of each set, worldwide.

They're available for pre-order now, but sadly, Mezco don't ship internationally, only to the US and Canada. However, they do have a rather handy list of links to stores that stock their items who might! The list

Source: http://www.mezcotoyz.com/

Retro Halloween Set 2010 Page: http://www.mezcotoyz.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=885

Shopping: TheHorrorDome.com

Ah, the end of August is looming, casting a gloriously gloomy shadow over September and welcoming Autumn. That can mean only one thing: the best day of the year is coming up. That's right! My birthday! HALLOWEEN!

Whilst I'm sure you're all already prepared, just in case you need anything extra for this years grotesque gatherings and spooky seances, look no further than TheHorrorDome.com, the "Halloween superstore"! They have everything you could want from horrific halloween masks and zombie risers to creepy dolls and haunted clocks! And more!!

Not only do they sell great items, but they even provide free how-to guides in their prop directions section. Guides featured include such ghastly delights as 'Horror Ribs', 'Vampire Blood' and 'The Army of Darkness'.

Animation: Ernest, le Vampire

I owe many thanks to my friend Nasu-hime for finding out that the cartoon I loved when I was a child so much that I forgot the title of it was in fact the French show, 'Ernest, le Vampire' (Ernest, the vampire)!

"Each morning as dawn breaks, after nights of lunatic activity, Ernest the Vampire settles himself comfortably into his coffin and falls asleep. Ernest is somewhat clumsly and does not exactly strike fear in the heart of others. He is never short of ideas but they invariably end in catastrophes."

So of course, I thought I'd share it with you!





Except that I watched it on a German TV station, so it was called 'Ernest, der Vampir', not that it really mattered anyway though, because there isn't any dialogue. If you want to buy the series on DVD you can do so from the ICTV website.

Ah, spooky childhood memories!

Speaking of which, if you happen to read this entry, tell me - what's your first horror/Halloween-related childhood experience? Anything from trick or treating to being completely freaked out by a movie to hearing an urban legend.

Music: SaTaN

Tokyo horror rock band, SaTaN released their new album, '13 I Scream' at the end of June. I did actually receieve my copy of it from the Starwave Records store the day before the release, which was great, but I haven't gotten around to reviewing it until now.

Anyway! I was already a fan of this band because of their previous releases (a mini-album and 2 singles) and the live performance of theirs that I had the pleasure of attending last year, but I have to say, thanks to this album, I now like them even more. I absolutely LOVE it! The tongue-in-cheek horror lyrics (which are, by the way, entirely in English), driving guitars, crazy vocals and occasional use of spooky synths make this album fantastic! The genre sways between black metal, horror rock and even a little punk, quite frequently and it works very well and creates a style that is both influenced by other artists (for example, older Murderdolls) but remains unique to SaTaN at the same time. Admittedly, with regards to the lyrics, sometimes their English is not perfect, but the meaning of the songs is clear (plus, they've included a Japanese translation of the lyrics, which makes it even clearer what the lyrics are supposed to mean).

I was going to finish by recommending my favourite songs from '13 I Scream', but honestly, I can't choose because every track is great!

Buy online

Fashion: T.U.K. Shoes

TUK have been terribly helpful and combined two of my loves - horror and shoes! Whilst I'm the first to admit that shoes are not usually very creepy nor horror-related, I think these are absolutely worthy of a mention.

As TUK themselves described these purple and black wonders "Cotton candy colours, cupcakes and skulls, Oh My!" Indeed.

Cute and spooky not your style? Not to worry! There's something for you classic horror lovers too, with TUK's Anti Pop Heels, featuring green stitches, purple lightning bolts and their version of The Bride of Frankenstein:

And if you're still not satisfied, they even have flip flops, complete with skulls and bone-shaped grips. Perfect for those long Summer days spent hiding from the sun, watching old Dracula movies at the beach.

To get your claws on these and other TUK horrors, visit their online store:

TUK Shoes

Art: Mia Mäkilä

Swedish, self-professed 'low-brow horror artist', Mia Mäkilä, uses a variety of techniques, styles and mediums to create her strangely wonderful art. Whilst some of her work does seem to draw heavily from Hieronymous Bosch, Mäkilä also has a distinctively dark and sometimes comical style of her own as well.

Creepy, bizarre and unnerving. What more could you ask for!

Official Website:

http://www.miamakila.com/

Toys: Living Dead Dolls - Series 20

Living Dead Dolls - some people love them, some people hate them. Personally, I love them, and Series 20 are just as horrifically adorable as their predecessors, and Day of the Dead themed too.

Dolls:
El Luchador Muerto
Camilla
Catrina
Savannah
Santeria

They're available for pre-order now, but won't be shipped until September 2010. I can't wait!