If you visit Threadless then you know that getting a reprint of a shirt can be a long awaited event. Some designs are just really popular and sell out quickly, but even so it can take a while to reprint. That’s why when we saw the In Case of Zombies shirt reprinted as of yesterday, we snagged a couple for ourselves. Look at all the zombie bashin’ action!
PS-This shirt may help you get ready for the Zompocalypse, but you can also increase your chances of survival by creating a Zombie Preparedness Kit.
August Update: Check out this awesome reconstructed top made from the ICOZ shirt (scroll down a bit)
If you’re from an English, German, Polish or Portuguese-speaking culture then you’re probably familiar with the Friday the 13th superstition. It usually rolls around a couple times a year and causes all sorts of “bad luck”. But how did thus “unlucky” day get such a bad reputation, and is there any truth to it?
There are many theories regarding the origin of Friday the 13th– from Norse legend to Biblical explanations- but none of them are substantiated. Based on historical events, Greece and Spain have chiefly observed Tuesday the 13th as their day of unavoidable misfortune. Even though science has attempted to prove that “luck cannot be predicted and is largely beyond our capacity to influence or control”, it is estimated that “$800 or $900 million is lost in business on [Friday the 13th] because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.” There’s even a name for those who are phobic of this dastardly day: paraskavedekatriaphobia. Yah, try saying that 3 times fast.
The mind is a powerful thing, so instead of worrying about ill-fate on Friday the 13th, just believing that you’re lucky can result in creating your own good fortune. For instance, my birthday is on the 13th so I’ve always felt it was a special number for me. Most Friday the 13ths have been “lucky” for me, quite possibly due to positive mental association that I have. What are your Friday the 13ths like? Have you had a string of good luck or bad luck?
Plenty of boils and ghouls will be out tonight attending spooky-themed events so get out there, have fun, and make some of your own good luck. (If you’re in San Diego, come by the Creature Feature show and say hi!)
Apparently, I’m the last one to know about modifying LEGO “mini figures” (the little dudes and dudettes): there are a lot of sites out there on the topic! If Legos aren’t your thing then you may have missed this phenomena too, but like many subjects, if you add at least a vaguely creepy aspect to it then it’s a lot more interesting. Case in point: A Lego Revivening and some Lego Halloween Monsters at Flickr. Look at those details!
Like the unrelenting undead, many Lego fans just keep barreling forward with their ideas and take the next logical step into making movies. My favorite of the ones I found is All of the Dead, a very short black and white film containing some great zombie chaos and cliches. Another funny Lego zombie shorty is Toxic Waste. Watch for the full sized items in the door barricading scene towards the end. There’s also a very abbreviated Lego Chainsaw Massacre, and a painstakingly shot-for-shot accurate Thriller with Legos. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve watched a Lego guy’s skull get bashed in with a hammer or try to do the Thriller dance.
What other creepy stuff can you do with your little Lego dudes? The evil mad scientists at Evil Mad Scientist Labs show you how LED lights + LEGO Minifigures = tiny creepy Halloween decorations. It’s a dang easy project and makes for very unique Halloween decor.
Have you made or found any creepy Lego projects online? Drop us a comment!
When making costumes, there are usually many versions you can create, varying from easy and cheap to labor-intensive and bank-breaking. For costume armor, the most authentic replicas are made with plastic, fiberglass, sheet metal: all requiring a bit of skill and special supplies as well as being a little dangerous. Kudos to anyone who takes on that challenge, but for the rest of us there’s Armor For the Fiberglass-Phobic. The unlikely material of Craft Foam (available at Joann or any craft store) gets transformed into good looking, movable armor and accessories, and just about anyone can do it. For an even more detailed explanation of the process, check out Using EVA Foam for Costume Accessories, Hats & Headpieces. Want an even easier foam costume? A 2D costume looks awesome and can be made in less than an a couple hours.
When was the last time you saw a creative use for a mini pumpkin? During Fall they’re usually displayed next to a bunch of other mini pumpkins, just sitting there and looking all tiny and cute. Or being painted on Kountry Kitchen-style or being made into kid crafts… Learn how to transform the little buggers into something cooler using these tutorials. Starting with a “ghost” white mini pumpkin you can make big creepy bloodshot eyeballs. I have a feeling we’ll make a bunch of these this Halloween to go along window sills, float in punch, and add interest to props.
For the more technically inclined, you might enjoy taking apart a bicycle tire light and making a blinking LED pumpkin. As the tutorial mentions, this project is great for us who want to decorate our work space in October but don’t have the time or desk real estate for a standard sized pumpkin. Plus, it’s always fun to gut electronics.
Have you seen any interesting projects involving mini pumpkins, or have you come up with a unique way to use them in your Halloween decorating? Drop us a comment and let us know.
With Halloween so many months away, we’re always on the lookout for more landmarks to help us make it through the year. Back in September we wrote about the impending debut album from the fantastically creepy Creature Feature. Five months of nail biting later, Curtis and Erik have finally unleashed The Greatest Show Unearthed upon the world. Like Halloween, it was well worth the wait.
The album immediately sets the mood with the pop and hiss of an old recording, a ghostly circus calliope, and a monologue from Curtis’ dastardly ringmaster character. Suddenly, you are entering their Dark Carnival, wide eyed for the wonders that might be in store. The musical depth of the album is established a few moments later, as the duo manages to create a rich combination of music, character voices, and assorted sounds that seem to come from an entire circus full of ghouls. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Curtis and Erik write, perform, record, produce, mix, and master all of their own music “without any help from outside sources”. While they have both been in bands before, such a well-crafted debut album, especially one that was independently released, is a rarity. Every aspect is top-notch, from Curtis’ vocal range and fiery guitar solos to Erik’s deft use of the keyboard and various electronic background sounds. Their extreme dedication to following their vision, unhindered by a record label or other “handlers”, is undoubtedly responsible for the solidity of the album.
Creature Feature definitely has a focus in the macabre song topics that it explores, but unlike most bands with a theme or novelty aspect, their music has a versatile range. Borrowing from rock and electro they have created a sound that is beyond a simple “gothic rock electro” hybrid. They’re very visual artists and each of their songs invokes a mental image and feeling that draws the listener into their storyline. When you listen to Aim For The Head, you’re tempted to check your windows for the scraping fingernails of the undead. In Such Horrible Things, each of the wicked transgressions comes to life, and yet invokes a little conspiratorial smile from the listener. Their love of B-movies and vintage Sci-Fi à la Ray Bradbury flavors the entire landscape of songs, and in the near future it should spill into the music videos and movies that they are dying to create.
Around Halloween, the search for creepy tunes often leads even the most musically discerning of us to trite standbys (Monster Mash anyone?) or bands that are well-themed but unappealing musically. With Creature Feature you get the whole package: an album perfect for a Halloween party, but catchy and meaty enough to earn a place in your daily CD rotation. Grab a copy of The Greatest Show Unearthed for $15.99 post-paid through their website.
