My Etsy shop now has plenty of goodies that would be perfect accessories for Halloween season attire. They range from silly and spooky to sophisticated yet haunting.
Silent horror, spookshows, vintage illustration!
Skull cameos, Beistle classics, kitsch!
Lover’s Eyes (of man and beast)!
…and much more.
There is also a giveaway running this week, so be sure to check that out.
This series of Universal Monsters keychain flashlights released in 1995 (on which you press a button on the back to illuminate the heads) are kind of cool. BUT…
I’m posting them here because they were made in “portraits” by John Purlia, the master of elevating and imbuing all forms of kitsch with a life force via meticulous staging and photography.
Most of Purlia’s scenes are quite elaborate and rich with symbolism (you should really check out his website), but I love the color choices and singular focus in these shots.
Look at those cold, dead eyes!
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think the Wolfman, with his shifty sideways glance, might be my mine. Which one is yours?
Weird Kid Club has a small collection of laser cut, hand finished lapel pins that are pretty great.
A Kewpie doll! I love the Kewpie doll.
The other ones are cool too.
I’d definitely wear this little feminine skull.
IDEA!
Everyone should know this.
Ah, refreshing summer treats.
Gorgeous!
This looks like an awesome model kit.
I love this painting. Such a sense of longing.
I left the trademark that says “for personal purposes only,” because I imagine all of us have ultra-cute kitten purposes.
On the other hand, I see no earthly purpose for this:
So…extra crotch room for Chuck Norris style kicks was a selling point?
A turtle skeleton, just because.
Incredible makeup job.
I hope I’m able to get to Los Angeles and visit the The Bob Baker Marionette Theater before it closes down. This landmark theater, created in 1962 out of a run down old shop, may not be anything special on the outside…but has been described as a “giant velvet 1960’s Christmas present” on the inside.
There is no stage, leaving little separation between the audience and the show (many guests sit on the floor). All of the marionettes have so much character, and the theater’s inventory now exceeds 3,000 of them according to a recent article.
Has anyone visited this theater? What did you you think?
Ilona Sampovaara paints fabulously kitschy, anthropormorphic cats and dogs (as well as some still life and human girls).
Some of them evoke what I can only call a rather brilliant discomfort for the viewer (why isn’t there a term for the opposite of uncanny valley, meaning the sense of unease that can arise when something is incredibly far from natural looking?).
And some are just sweet n’ silly.
She has some great postcard sets (I’m partial to this one).
Thank you for sharing this with me, Rachel! ❤
Most of the pics in this post require no comment…but don’t skip this androgynous, anthropomorphic pothead (see what I did there?). I find its lean, wiry body very disconcerting.
Thank you Shivers of Delight for pointing me to this stop motion animation Kickstarter by Screen Novelties.
I love the concept:
Welcome to a magical realm of dense jungles, fiery volcanoes, and iridescent lagoons. Meet the WITCHDOCTOR, the overzealous protector of this mysterious archipelago. He’s ready for action with his shiny cauldron, potent elixirs, and shrunken heads. There’s only one problem… The Witchdoctor STINKS at magic. When he mixes a potion or casts a spell, watch out!
The film will use hand built props, sets, puppets, special effects and black-light to bring their classic Tiki influences (they also site George Pal, Karel Zeman, Rankin/Bass, Jim Henson, Lotte Reiniger, and Ray Harryhausen as influences…YES PLEASE!) to life in a creative, modern fashion. I can’t wait to see this!
I just transformed a room in my house into a craft studio, but it’s conspicuously missing a 1940’s Celluloid Caterpillar Thimble Holder.
This specimen was actually won on Ebay by an avid self proclaimed Thimble Psycho in 2007. I love that his/her whole blog is dedicated to thimbles. Ah, the tiny treasures one can collect.
Apologies for skipping a couple days this week, but between huge health setbacks and mold remediation in the SWS house, things are a bit hectic.
What happened on this beach to necessitate a sign like this (well, I guess that’s self-explanatory).
What question did someone ask him to warrant this answer? Ideas?
I’m assuming this is a gag product (the source where I found it said it’s unironic, which was perhaps more entertaining than the ad itself).
Facing the shadow…
I had to look up where this fellow came from. Now I must see Ultraman Tarou. Has anyone seen it?
Well, that’s supportive.
Careful, parents, it could happen to you.
Answer: don’t.
Now THIS cat is a work of art.
“Hey, you’ll never believe where I’m calling from.”
SheWalksSoftly 