Here are just a few of the rare ghost illustrations I’ve collected over the years.
We’ll start with a favorite specter!
I love seeing the way different illustrators represent the dearly (and not-so-dearly) departed.
Hat tip to Frank Zumbach for posting a number of these!
I won’t be typing much in the near future, due to a bad nerve pain flare in my hands, but will still try to post if possible.
Harrison Greeting Cards has released re-prints of vintage Halloween cards, most of which range from the 1920’s-1960’s (at reasonable prices)!
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.
Many a scary movie or story has featured the infamous talking board. What would Halloween be without a little seance here and there?
Mysterious Planchette is a lovely online “museum” of planchettes (the small wooden pieces that rest under fingers and glide across the board) through the ages, from the rise of the talking board in the 19th Century, to some that are fairly recent.
You’ll find a a nice history page with plenty of information (I’m purposely making this post as an “appetizer” for a much more extensive online collection).
Side note: did you know “Ouija” is just a Hasbro trademark and not the name of the item itself? Still, the term has become synonymous with any kind of board used to spell out messages from the departed.
Did you have one of the iconic Hasbro boards growing up? Or perhaps a fancier artifact? Did you use it?
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?
Be warned:
Sometimes I write fictional surrealist resumes in my head just for fun. I’m definitely adding “Can appear as a disembodied head and hypnotize crocodiles” to my skill set.
The daintiest amphibious juggler.
There is something very wrong with this cat’s hind quarters (or maybe very right as far as he’s concerned).
An unlikely friendship, indeed.
There are not nearly enough meat puns in the sentimental postcard industry.
So delightfully subtle…until you step in the wrong spot, that is.
Thank you, Rachel, for these next two. I’ll quote her here: “No means NO, Jesus!”
…but this is a sweater that many can afford. (I’m sure this man’s parrot has become clinically depressed from living with him).
Genuinely creepy. Not sure where this comes from. Hell, presumably.
I was going to write an individual comment for each of these, but they kind of work as a dyad.
I spent a while trying to figure out this “twelfth finger” thing. Does anyone get it?
Now, a giant chicken absconding with a child, anyone can understand.
Is there such a thing as “whimsically apocalyptic?” After seeing Albane Simon’s collages, I’m inclined to believe there is.
She does a great deal of work for musicians, using vintage source material to create a delightful surreal, retrofuturistic vibe.
From the artist bio:
Imagine a world where linear time has lost all relevance. A place where past memories and future visions dance in a familiar present gone awry, this is where nightmares collide with lucid clarity.
I’ve been on a little alchemy craft kick lately, so I’m especially fond of this alchemical art inspired whiskey ad.
I think this pairs nicely with the book above.
Gotta have standards.
I love how engaged Death is with his book.
Strangest strike banner ever. Unless you’ve seen a stranger one, in which case I really hope you share it with me.
Thank you Rachel, for showing me that Saran wrap and Bubble wrap are the fashion of the (retro) future. (Seriously ladies, would you be into a guy who confidently sauntered over to you in bubble wrap thigh highs?)
70’s fashion
I sense a seemingly incorrigible child and a maudlin, happy ending.
I can forgive the obvious impracticality of having a giant tube directly in the driver’s field of vision, because it’s clearly inspired by atomic structure.
A wonder what qualifies as a “good” or “mediocre” decapitation.
“Did anyone notice Grandma looked a little unwell today?
This could be a poster to promote neutering (PSA: countless healthy animals are put down in shelters due to overpopulation. Have your pet spayed/neutered!)
I’ve always wanted to post a bunch of great pulp art here, but it’s an overwhelming thought since my pulp archives contain thousands of images. How does one even choose?
Well, another blog I follow recently posted a bunch of images (some of which I had, some not), so here are a few choice cuts!
In the 1950’s, a number of curious record albums were released that allowed the listener to “act alongside” his or her favorite stars. The actors performed scenes from plays, novels and films in which the listener presumably filled in the blanks with the other role.
Hell, I’ve eagerly listened to Vincent Price do everything from talk about demonology to cooking roast pork with prunes. Why not add this bizarre experience?
Here is the CO*STAR collection:
Here’s a small sample of the Vincent Price album:
You can listen to the audio samples here.
SheWalksSoftly 