Halloween Hijinks

Happy Halloween!!!! Here are a few pictures from tonight and things that Angie and I made throughout the month of October.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #31

And finishing off the October Monster Madness is monster #31, the Wolf Man. Aawoooooooooo!

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #30

Monster #30, shows us what happened after Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall....he went on the warpath! Only one monster left.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #29

Coming into the final stretch is a madly demented jack in a box, monster #29. In August, I got to visit a restaurant, which when growing up was a childhood favorite later closed. The restaurant was "Jack in the Box". I'm not sure if it would have been one of my favorites if the mascot looked like this one.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #28

And bringing some class into the final week is monster #28, a tip toeing Frankenstein, tipping his hat to Young Frankenstein and Peter Boyle's version of the monster.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #27

Myself, I am not afraid of clowns, but I know several people who are....this goes out to you., monster #27.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #26

Hiding behind the closet door is monster #26. Those eyes.....

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #25

Here is ghost number #25, which is my version of a classic cartoon ghost.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #24

Aaargh, ahoy is monster #25, a ghost pirate. Working on this one, I had one of those happy accidents. I made a shadow of the ghost figure then colored a ghostly blue. My plan was to place it behind the ghost, but then in moving it I accidentally put it in front, which subdued the ghost and made the glow that much more effective. I liked it so much that I used it for another upcoming monster afterwards.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4. I used a shadow colored ghostly blue made from an outlined ghost pirate, then I moved it in front, giving it the glowing effect.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #23

This is monster #23 a living mummified dog wrapped in toiltet paper.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #22

Here is something you don't want to come across in a corn field...monster #22, a living scarecrow!

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #21

Here is monster #21, which is my rendition of the Boogeyman.


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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #20

Coming in at #20 is today's monster, it's the Invisible Man.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #19

Not every monster is a classic one. Monster #19 is actually a big ol' bullfrog. And to an ant, that bullfrog is one of the most terrifying sights it could come across. Monsters depend on perspective.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #18

Did anyone ever hear this little bedtime diddy....

Good night,
Sleep tight,
Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Well, here is monster #18, Bed Bugs. Did you know bed bugs are real??? I don't want them in my bed, that's for sure.


Here is a weird little clip of a snail saying the quote from above about bed bugs...
http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/snailshalloween-25.m3u

From the CD at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/snailshalloween

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #17

Here is a halloween classic. A witch riding her broomstick with a full moon.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #16

Here is monster #16, which is the Horned Flying Monkey. I had the flying creatures from the Wizard of Oz in the back of my head when I was drawing this monster.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #15

This is one monster I have been excited to work on. It is inspired part by any good haunted house, but also in part by one of my favorite spooky halloween themed movies of all time, that is The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Here is monster #15, the Mad Organist.

Follow this link to see a little of my inspiration from The Ghost and Mr Chicken:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XdqRbIfNgE&feature=related

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - midway

Okay, so we are about halfway through this project of mine. It has actually surprised me how many people are actually visiting the site and checking these out. Apparently, over 150 people have been coming on here in the last month to check out the site! Sometimes, I imagine that no one is reading them....and it is like a little game of play pretend like I may have done as a child. That is...pretending I am writing to someone, when no one is really there. That actually reminds me of a short poem I read recently....

Yesterday upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

This verse, titled "Antigonish" was written by William Hughes Mearns in 1899. William Hughes Mearns, better known as Hughes Mearns (1875-1965) was an American Educator and Poet. He wrote two books which are credited for fueling the educational trend of creative writing.

Apparently, it was inspired by reports of a haunted house in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. That puts it in a different light!

So, halfway through this project, I wanted to list some of the upcoming "monsters". I won't list them all, since I want some to be a surprise, but here are a few of the upcoming monsters.

- Mad Organist
- Horned Flying Monkeys
- Witch riding a broom
- The Boogeyman

I hope you enjoy them and it puts you in a spooky mood!

October Monster Madness 2008 - #14

Okay so of course this monster #14 is inspired from the famous old story called the "Three Billy Goats Gruff." I remember this being a scary story when teachers read it to us in elementary school. I guess I didn't know just what the Troll was capable of doing. After the pictures I will post the actual story...





The Three Billy Goats Gruff - from Norway

Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff."
On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll , with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.
So first of all came the youngest Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"Trip, trap, trip, trap! " went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll .
"Oh, it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy goat. "Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Well, be off with you," said the troll.
A little while after came the second Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"Oh, it's the second Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, who hadn't such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! Don't take me. Wait a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Very well! Be off with you," said the troll.
But just then up came the big Billy Goat Gruff .
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap! went the bridge, for the billy goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"It's I! The big Billy Goat Gruff ," said the billy goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own.
"Now I 'm coming to gobble you up," roared the troll.
Well, come along! I've got two spears,And I'll poke your eyeballs out at your ears;I've got besides two curling-stones,And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones.
That was what the big billy goat said. And then he flew at the troll, and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the cascade, and after that he went up to the hillside. There the billy goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again. And if the fat hasn't fallen off them, why, they're still fat; and so,
Snip, snap, snout.
This tale's told out.

Read about it at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Billy_Goats_Gruff
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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #13

Monster #13 has a kind of Wild Thingish look to it. Count that as inspiration, even though I haven't really looked at one of those drawings in years. Here's where you can find out about the Wild Things movie that is coming out in Fall 2009 - http://www.wtwta.net/.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #12

The blob is monster #12.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #11

This is one of those forests that you wouldn't want to have to go through..... monster #11.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #10

And is there something creeping under this boy's bed? Oh it's just monster #10. And here is a great scary song to go with it - http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/11289595/17522392.m3u - then go buy it at emusic.com, it's by the Tagbacks, and it's called "Under My Bed". I actually drew this first and then found the song after I was completely done with it.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #9

Here is monster #9, which is self explanatory...it's ALIVE!

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.