Author: Head Candy Corn

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Gothtober Day 11 Cash 4 Organs!!!

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 11 to find out more about Cash4Organs!

Today’s gothtober day was proudly sponsored by Cash4Organs.com, the premier organ sales site.

Surely you have an extra kidney, lung, or eye laying about. So do Millions of Americans! Maybe you are already an organ recipient and don’t need it anymore. Maybe it has sentimental value but you won’t ever need that kidney. Wouldn’t you like to get cash for that organ?

Cash4Organs.com is the original online organ buyer.

We’ll give you CASH for your organs. Our process is Secure. Fast.

 

Find out more about Day 11  here! 

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Gothtober Quinceañera Day 10 with Moonhouse Productions!

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 10 to see quite the party from Moonhouse Productions!

Day 10 is brought to you by Moon House Productions, also known as Paprika Clark and Emily Hansen. Emily and Paprika are multi-talented creative types. They met after college and have known each other for over 20 years – but they never played with dolls together until they brainstormed the idea for their Quinceañera-themed Gothtober project.

The characters starring in Dia de La Quinceañera started out as previously loved Bratz and Monster High dolls tracked down on Ebay and garage sales. Each was carefully auditioned and screen tested, then hand painted and costumed in (mostly) custom made clothing. The Moon House crew managed to spend weeks designing the characters and crafting the look and style of the film without dancing the dolls around and talking for them…. Much.

In the end our favorite character ideas were the ones that filled out the film as background artists – the Ghost of Frida Kahlo and our Dia de los Muertos figure, who are both at the party repping the ancestors. Long live our honored forebearers!

After many layers of artist’s acrylic paint and Mr. Super Clear sealant and some strategic use of polymer clay, the dolls were ready for their closeups. Emily’s son, Trenton, improvised and performed the musical score, and Emily put her magical effects and editing skills together to make the gem you see before you.

We enjoyed these creations immensely, and look forward to making many more variations on these themes in the future. If you would like to see more on the doll-creation process (and possibly buy one of the “actors” for your own collection), please visit http://castlesintheairfoundation.org/moonhousedolls/

Find out more about Moonhouse Productions and other Gothtober contributor bios are here! 
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Gothtober Day 9 Story Time with Pauly G

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 9 to see an animated story by Pauly G and family!

Paul and his siblings used to listen to Nanny BeeBee’s Gruesome Tales that she would tell them before bedtime. “Buddy and the Fishhook” is a TRUE story that took place in Philadelphia in 1921.

Told with animated paper cut-outs with limbs sewn together with needle and thread, this little story is short, sweet, and well… kinda GROSS! Paul said that this story his Grandmother told always held a vivid scene in his imagination, and he said that it was lots of fun to bring to life.

This wasn’t the only one she told either, she had many, some of them quite macabre!

Future Gruesome Tales might include:

Aunt Rose and The Million Dollar Pier, Elsie and The Box of Chocolates, The Cat o’ Nine Tails and Poor Adeline.

Paul’s Mother, Marcy, does the narration on this, and his son, Francis, plays the piano at the end! Thank you to Lecie, Trixy and everyone who came together to make a really great mini-gristly project!

Paul’s bio and other Gothtober contributor’s bios are here! 
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Gothtober Day 8 Drawings from Nora Rachel

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 8 to see drawings of the Frankensteins by Nora Rachel!
I bet you didn’t know that “Frankenstein” means “Stone of the Franks” in German, eh? It was a castle that sat near the Rhine River, and a fellow named Konrad Dippel lived in there, trying to make a potion that would help people live past age 100. He was a pretty weird guy, the stuff he was working on was going to be called “Dippel’s Oil.” There was a rumor that Dippel would go out at night, dig up and then experiment on bodies, you know… for research.
There are some who believe that Mary and Percy Shelley visited nearby this location and that it was the inspiration for Mary’s character, Dr. Frankenstein.
The story of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, was written when Mary was merely 18, and published two years later in 1818 to critics who gave it reviews that were beyond harsh. However, stories of a gothic nature were all the rage, so people kept buying and reading the book, and it’s now considered to be the very first science fiction novel.

Even though body modification and transformation has existed since humans have been around, something about science gave people the heebie jeebies and they just couldn’t view it as “natural.” The Bride of Frankenstein film gave consciousness and voice to society’s misgivings about technology.

Today we’ve got people walking around with artificial heart parts, robot knees, botoxed foreheads, liver transplants, all kinds of Franken-stuff… we’re getting closer to throwing out all that “Icarus” baggage and living longer/happier lives through the applied sciences.
Here then, are portraits of two icons, the”forbidden” creatures of the undead: One of Dr. Frankenstein’s creation (the monster itself) and another likeness, that of the monster’s bride.
 See more of Nora Rachel’s art for view and for sale right HERE! 
 Read Nora’s bio and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 
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Gothtober Day 6 Comic Pages with Jenn Paige Gordon!

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 6 to see two gorgeous comic panels by artist, Jenn Paige Gordon!
It’s Gothtober’s 15th year of counting down the days to Halloween, this means it’s our Quinceañera Celebration!

Quinceañeras tend to incorporate a lot of symbolism into various aspects of the day, from the quince court to the reception.

One tradition calls for the quinceañera to wear flats during the ceremony.  She will continue to wear them to the reception and during the time leading up to the traditional quince waltz. Just before the waltz, a changing of the shoes ceremony will take place.

So what you’re witnessing in these wonderful illustrations from Jenn Paige Gordon is the BEFORE and AFTER of the little witch’s shoes!

A pumpkin-ghost-ghoulish hat’s off to Jenn Paige Gordon for joining our 15th year Calendar!
 Read Jenn Paige Gordon’s bio and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 
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Gothtober Day 5 Papier Maché project with Ananda and Kierston!

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 5 to see a mystery project revealed from Ananda and Kierston VanDeStefano!
From a humble beginnings starts this three dimensional sculptural project, and what, dear Gothtober viewer, will it be? Observe with each frame what transpires next, culminating in quite the lovely centerpiece! I’m not going into detail because I don’t want to give away the surprise! We really enjoyed watching this piece come together, it’s some balm for the turbulence of our times, a cheerful respite that bolsters your psyche for going back out and dealing with the world. Making art is an essential component of what makes up the human spirit.

We’re the only species that makes stuff like this, we’re weird like that. This piece made us itch to go clear a spot at Gothtober headquarters, go get some paints and supplies, and perhaps make our own version of a “specialty fall item.” I hope it does that for you too, because we honestly need more of it right now. We always need more art.

Making art is an act of defiance in this world of commercial enterprise, which is why Gothtober is so stubborn and persistent. Growing up, people are like “be a lawyer, a doctor, a salsa salesperson, ANYTHING BUT AN ARTIST!!!” Because… despite the fact that we’re surrounded by words, imagery, shapes and colors everyday that make our lives amazing, people believe that art is a frivolous pursuit. Artists fight a losing battle, starve, and die, and are famous when they are dead. Nobody wants that for you.
In order to make arty stuff, you kind of have to shut out the naysaying voices (both real and imagined) and believe in yourself and what you want. You just have to stop thinking so hard about expectations, results, how any of this is practical, and just roll up your sleeves and make a thing. That’s why this piece is so awesome, it clears the way for autumn crafting in a really fun, no nonsense way, which is refreshing! Thanks for sharing your papier maché skills with us, Ananda and Kierston!
Read Ananda and Kierston’,  and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 
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Gothtober Day 4 Comic Art with Siri Fisher

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 4 to see the comic art of Siri Fisher!
We here at Gothtober are shrieking into our bile soup and wailing and gnashing our teeth in pride! Siri grew up with Gothtober, and now she’s a middle schooler, and she likes to draw, and made us a Gothober piece, and we just couldn’t be more proud! We remember when she was just a tiny baby zombie, sucking on brain juice from her bottle, clawing up the sides of the house, chasing rats and levitating them with her mind, oh, such sweet days. We’d like to thank Siri’s parents who helped her in this endeavor and raised a fine upstanding creative citizen!
The young Siri has completed SIXTY drawings and made them into a sequenced animatic for our bloodshot eyeballs! Not only is this piece from the future (it was drawn digitally) but it’s a complex story that is both somber and sweet, mercurial and solemn, with classic notes of anime, and the finish kicks in with Edward Gorey-esque overtones. We think Siri’s piece is a fine creation to add to Gothtober’s macabre museum of fall season offerings, and we couldn’t be more verklempt at her success on this auspicious occasion. You can see more of her art on Twitter @roastedudon.
Siri is the youngest Gothtober artist to submit a piece at age 13. Our other youngest artist to submit a piece some years ago was Nyssa Oru, who was 15 when she sent in her work, and who recently graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. This, of course, makes Gothtober feel even MORE old than ever, but since we’re undead anyway, and age doesn’t really apply to us, we’ll just process the fame and glory of this moment from beneath the earth’s silty loam.
Gothtober fulfills its mission in part by forming and fostering opportunities for art makers and art doers. It provides stressful deadlines and requirements for existing and aspiring artists. Thus, Gothtober is some kind of weird rite of passage at any age for anyone who is learning the terrifying commitments of rules, phases, and target dates in the artistic world. We’d like to think we’re responsible for ghoulish, churlish, lycanthropic, vampiric, behavior, as well as causing tension, tension headaches, sleeplessness, worry, and other deliciously unsavory emotions.
Read Siri’s and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 
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Gothtober Day 3 with Odious Ari

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 3 for a graveyard ditty from Odious Ari!
Well what have we here but international SUPERSTAR, Odious Ari with a hand hewn music video from the good ol’ days! I wanted to know more, so I wrote Odious a telegram, and wouldn’t you know, I got a telegram BACK with some “behind the scenes” information! Here’s what Western Union delivered:
It was shot at Hollywood Forever STOP Joey Jenkins was the cinematographer and David Gutierrez directed and PA-ed STOP We were really concerned about being offensive and/or upsetting people who may have been there to actually honor to their relatives, but it’s hard when you are three weirdos with a mannequin leg, creepy baby doll, accordion and banjolele STOP When people approached where we were shooting, we tried to look “normal” (hard to do as Odious) and hide the goods, hence the photo of the leg sticking out behind the tombstone STOP 
Odious also said “The baby doll and I had a delightful little nap together. It was past both our nap times and we were getting cranky. A little shut-eye and we were back to waltzing. We also both ended up wetting our pants, and that was the cue for the shoot (and Joey and David’s willingness to be around me) to end. The song is called Fifteen More Years and it’s a duet between a terrible father (played by Odious) and a goth, butch quinceanera (also played by Ari) who hates every minute of her “celebration.”
We are delighted as peach pie and pumpkin buckle to show this rousing tune and visual accompaniment to Gothtober’s queasy, creaky, creepy collection of Halloween entertainment! Thanks, Odious!
Read Odious’s and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 
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Gothtober Day 2 – The Terror Tunnel, by Rick Orner!

Visit www.gothtober.com and click on DAY 2

Are you up for a haunted attraction involving paranormal activity and partying with the undead? Rick Orner brings to us a P.O.V. simulation of what such a thing might entail. Your car glides on its rails, lurching right, pitching left, each new direction revealing a new spooky tableau!

Do you remember going to the county fair and staring at the terrifying facade of the Haunted House ride? Do you remember it looming over your small frame, it’s metallic edges painted over to resemble decrepit castle stones or rotting wood?

There was always some kind of extra creepy skeleton or Lon Chaney-esque phantom of the opera both beckoning and repelling you to enter the “Bordello of Blood” or “The Ghost Train” or “AmityVille Scareground.”

At age 7 or 8, this was enough to make you want to flail wildly, scream bloody murder, and run in any direction BUT one of these places. But at some point, you’d brave your better sense, get in one of these things and survive, but perhaps not without throwing all your popcorn in the air from being scared so badly. Get that feeling back again as you enter the terror tunnel, maybe have a little cotton candy, or some roasted peanuts.

Dark rides were invented in the late 19th century, often called “pleasure” or “scenic” railways. This is the first one ever designed with Gothtober in mind, we’re thrilled that Rick Orner kept us in the dark, so to speak! please keep all hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times. We don’t want you losing a limb… or do we?

Read Rick Orner’s and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here! 

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First Day of Gothtober: Pumpkin Heads, by Fonzie!!!

Go to www.gothtober.com and visit DAY 1 to see “Pumpkin Heads” the movie by FONZIE!

It’s officially pumpkin season! What better way to feel the magic of the squash than with REAL LIVE PUMPKIN HEADS running down your street?!? This sweet friendship film comes to us all the way from Vermont, where the leaves were just starting to change a few weeks ago when this piece was made. Fonzie is the altar ego of Alison McHaffie Bergman, who made this film with her husband (go ukulele!) and some very well-disguised individuals wearing hollowed-out vegetables over their craniums.

FUN FILM MAKER FACT: “As we were shooting our movie, a guy in his car rolled down his window and yelled out “Pumpkin Head!!!” but this piece actually has TWO pumpkin heads, hence the title. 

I asked Alison to share some “Vermontian Fall Finery” with us, and she sent these pictures of some pumpkin innards (omg the innards of one of her film star’s heads!!! So gory!!!), beautiful red leaves, and the Cabot Plains Cemetery, which was established in 1822.

A very Happy Gothtober to Alison and family, thank you for wearing ACTUAL pumpkins on your heads, you really went the distance!

Read Fonzie’s and other Gothtober contributor’s bios here!