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Rockin’ to 10 in German with Harrison and Howe’s Gothtober Day 18

In the spirit of Oskar Fischinger and Len Lye and Sesame Street arrives the electro-power-pack indefatigable ROCK YOUR FACE OFF countdown from Howe and Harrison’s Pumpkin 18 on the Gothtober Calendar. 

The theme for Gothtober this year was to either go back to our roots, so to speak, and observe Halloween, OR do something having to do with the power of 10, since it is our 10th Anniversary! Weirdly enough, the countdown pieces we have so far are in observance of the German language (see Gothtober Pumpkin 12) but these two german countdown pieces could not be more different! I’m digging the fact that if you were never able to count to 10 in German previously, Gothtober help you. We can help you in a really pastoral trippy hand-made illustrations way, or we can help you in an electronic crazy pop colored abstract geometric way, you choose, and I hope you choose both!

The original music by Howe and Harrison is the kind I could imagine you putting in your headphones and running 10 miles at 5am. OR you could hear this in a club and sweat out all those well drinks you so unwisely imbibed earlier in the evening. You could just play this in your head to psyche yourself up before the big test, the huge meeting, the extreme housecleaning task you’re ready to tackle. However you use it, the motivational power of the drums and badass sneer of the electric guitar will force  you to conquer anything on your agenda, no matter how inconsequential.

Monica Howe is known as LaMuff, fine purveyor of musical things you should probably go see.

Robbie Harrison can be found at ToyMasulina where music, film and art are getting ever more weird and fantasic.

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A Shameless Plug on Behalf of Lesbian Werewolves

Lunatic Fringe Book Cover Illustrated by Julianna (JP) Parr

Want to make an investment in lesbian werewolves this Halloween?

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of designing and illustrating the cover for Allison Moon’s lesbian werewolf book “Lunatic Fringe.” This was Allison’s first novel, she didn’t have a big budget (or any budget to speak of, actually) so I helped her out. Now she’s written a sequel, and she’s raising money to pay me and her editor, because we are awesome, and she can’t stand asking us to work for prunes again.

There are 23 more days to go to reach a $4,500 goal, help us out if you can!

WHERE THE MONEY GOES:

Funds from Allison’s Kickstarter will help her pay JP (that’s me!) illustrator/graphic designer ($1000) for a new, gorgeous cover, and Allison’s editor ($1000) for her shrewd eye and thoughtful analysis.

Additional funds will support the creation and shipping of merch, the setup and distribution of the paperback books, and help Allison finish the novel for its Spring release date. Self publishing is INSANE, it is beyond blood sweat and tears, and the amount Allison is asking for is pretty modest, compared to a normal book launch. I know her well and am confident that she’ll use funds wisely and stretch the dough to boost herself and the book with four times the amount of outreach and production that she was able to do on practically nothing! That’s why making her Kickstarter goal would be really really wonderful!

Find out more about Allison Moon at her Tales of the Pack website. This is what a feminist werewolf looks like!

Julianna (JP) Parr
Head Candy Corn of Gothtober.com

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Gothtober MOM is Rocking the Rocks & Pumpkin Patch!

Rocks painted by Chris Feldsparr, Mother of the Head Candy Corn of Gothtober.com

Time for a mid-month Gothtober “Fall Interlude”

Been feeling horribly homesick for the last three weeks. I grew up in a beautiful place, running through orchards to pick apples for pies that Mom would bake. I’d hide in Grapevines, and watch as over the months, they’d turn from rich deep green into a sea of fire colored wonder flanked by dark coniferous trees during Autumn. I miss the scent of the rich loam of northern dirt, mustard flowers, redwood trees and even the cow pies. Especially prevailing at this time of year is “first crush” or the smell of fermented grapes processed and placed into wooden barrels by wineries in their haste to take advantage of the season’s best. I may be an Angeleno, but river water runs in my blood, and I’m a Forestville girl at heart.

I also miss my family, who are all really awesome, and what makes homesickness even more excruciating? Photos from HOME! Mom sent me pictures of she and Papa Rick’s pumpkin patch, and she also sent me a photo of her fabulous halloween rocks! Mom’s a rock painter, as you can see, she’s quite good, and these petrified jack’o’lanterns are so dang adorable I want them ALL, but I’ll settle for just one, if she’s even giving them away! I think CraftNight’s going to have a rock painting night soon, thanks for the inspiration, Mom!

Mom and Papa Rick’s 2012 Pumpkin Patch Surprise! Look at ’em GROW!

And the PUMPKIN PATCH, well… in my mind I’m always thinking I’ll have a patch like this at some point, but our soil has so much clay, and it gets kind of hot for pumpkins down here, so it would take some kind of insane amount of diligence on our part to actually have a successful patch. For instance, itps 90 degrees outside right now! Scandalous!

But up north, it’s quite a bit cooler, there is fog, just the kind of cold damp environment for a squash to thrive. The Feldsparr Patch is AMAZING, just look at those pumpkins! Papa Rick is a consumate gardener, he’s always growing things in his garden, their potatoes are so buttery, their garlic is so  much better than supermarket garlic, or even farmer’s market garlic! It’s always a pleasure coming home and eating from their homegrown patch of veggies! I wonder if pie is going to happen, or soup, or pumpkin pizza, or if they’re going to turn into Jack’o’Lanterns… I hope we’ll get an update!

This concludes the Gothtober mid-month “Fall Interlude”, thanks for reading!

– Julianna Parr, Head Candy Corn

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The Most Dangerous Show on Earth: Gothtober Day 13

The Vampire Ringmaster of The Halloween Circus!

It’s death-defying, it’s stupefying, it’s THE MOST INCREDIBLE SHOW YOU’LL EVER SEE! And it’s all visible by clicking Gothtober Pumpkin #13!!! The Gump Family has done it again with a spectacle you’ll not want to miss this Spooky season!

Michael Gump of BananaBee Lab has wrangled the Gump household and friends into making a marvelous pageant of colorful Halloween Circus display.  You’ll see trained spiders! (I think they’re saying “yummy yummy” is that correct?) You’ll see the Strongest Monster,  you’ll see the funny clowns and SO MUCH MORE!

The master of ceremonies is voiced by the young and amazing Arrow Gump, and you can hear his (also quite amazing) younger sister Pixie in the background providing dynamic fanfare! Daddy Gump can be heard as various characters, and Mama Gump was doing a bit of puppetry here and there.

Joel and JJ Day Departments helped with the camera magic, and Grapejuice helped edit the thing into the fast-paced, action-packed showstopper that it is today.

Apparently, Arrow walked up to his Dad and said “Dad, we’re doing The Halloween Circus this year” and so the project began with all the making and doing that goes along with building a circus! Gotta put up the tents, water the um… crocodiles and get those skeletons and spiders in line! This family really knows how to put on a show.

I hear that Halloween circuses are especially challenging since half of the staff is nocturnal, which is also something that Gothtober has here at the headquarters, a succinct inability to regulate decent circadian rhythms, and such is the life of vampires.  Anyway, go see The Halloween Circus, it’s a rousing success, you can watch it over and over again and it just keeps getting more exciting!

The Gump Family during Halloween of 2011
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These are the Undead People in Your Neighborhood! Gothtober DAY 11


Look over there… wandering… slowly walking… bloodthirsty… ZOMBIES!!! Click on Gothtober Pumpkin #11 and experience the thrilling dismay and scintillating misgivings of Pinkee Lee Estrange and Lenore Colina’s “Trick or Treat” an old timey movie starring some very hungry corpses in need of BRAINS!!! What would normally be a pretty standard errand for a pair of zombies, however, turns out to be more arduous than expected, as you will see from watching the film.
A Gothtober merit award goes out to the actors (Aubrie Davis and Brian Grover) who played the zombies because they consented to ACTUALLY BEING BURIED IN THE GROUND for the opening scene. This puts them in league with many fine method actors, but especially Sissy Spacek who insisted on being stuck in a box and buried in the ground in order to film the super creepy end scene for “Carrie.” Brian DePalma refused to bury her himself, and got her husband to do it.

I had her husband bury her because I certainly didn’t want to bury her. I used to walk around and set up the shot and every once in a while we’d hear Sissy: ‘Are we ready yet?’ ‘Yeah, Sissy, we’re going to be ready real soon.”

Pinkee said that she dug the first grave in the front yard where the zombies live and she accidentally ran into some REMAINS! The previously existing plot held the skeleton of a family pet long buried quite awhile ago from the look of it. Pinkee apologized profusely, put the remains back and dug in a different spot! Gothtober would like to thank the ghosty dog for being an inordinate part of the artistic endeavors of our Gothtober contributors. The film involved two days of shooting, and every scene was shot in Silverlake or Echo Park in beautiful Los Angeles, CA.
I asked Pinkee if there any hazards associated with directing the undead and the response was surprising:

Mostly I was just really worried about fingers getting slammed in the door!

I’m sure the zombies would just think it was finger-eatin’ good.

Brainsssss!!!!

 

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Brains are Not Enough: A Delicious Recipe from DAY 4

Pumpkin Illustration from “Jack & Jill” magazine 1953

Visit Gothtober Pumpkin #4 on the Gothtober Countdown Calendar and download a Zombie Recipe Classic from Artist and Designer, Yuki Okada!

It’s true that after awhile, even something as exciting as an entire plate of fresh brain curds can get tiresome. Yuki steps in today to steer you gently away from the same old boring gourmet brains to try something a little different, even, dare I say, refined. You see, Halloween doesn’t have to be all foil-wrapped mini candy bars, nor does it have to be triangular-shaped tri-c0lored candies masquerading as maize.

Halloween can get highbrow, it can be nimble like pointy spider legs or the claw of a rat’s foot. No matter how thin you slice it, it’s still mystery meat and it might as well be delicious. Zombies might at first be a little confused by this sumptuous dish, but give it about 30 seconds, and their senses will be overcome with this delectable alternative to the customary brain dish they usually demand.

This recipe is actually vegetarian, but very far from vegan, it involves seasonally appropriate ingredients suitable for placating your Jekylls or your Hydes when hosting gatherings. If you enjoy decadence, this is your jam.

The recipe also calls for a “sugar pumpkin” which is different from your everyday pumpkin that you see in the bins sitting at the entrance of your local supermarket. The main difference is that “carving” pumpkins are grown specifically for that purpose, and are more hollow inside. Sugar pumpkins, on the other hand, are grown for their taste, thus they are smaller, sweeter, a bit darker in orange color and packed with pulp to be used for things like soups, muffins, pies and breads.

You can find GREAT sugar pumpkins out at Lombardi Ranch, which is a trek, but worth it for the petting zoo, bands, scarecrow alley and all of their other seasonal produce. Take a look at their calendar, and get there early if you decide to go on a weekend, it gets pretty crowded. You should also make sure you have a “corn on a stick” there, as they serve possibly the best I’ve ever eaten at their farm stand. I discovered Lombardi Ranch in 1990, and it’s my go-to pumpkin patch for family fun.

Another favorite, from what I’ve heard but not seen, is the Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch out in Santa Paula, which has hay rides, pony rides, face painting… and something called a “Pumpkin Chucker” which sounds very intriguing.

Here’s a list of ALL of Los Angeles Pumpkin Fun, from Hay Rides to Corn Mazes! 

Other possible locations to find sugar pumpkins could be Trader Joe’s, Bristol Farms and Whole Foods. There you have it, now go get your sugar pumpkin and get cookin!

 

 

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A Gloriously Bleak Needlepoint for Gothtober Day 3

Decorate your lair or crypt with this dainty and ornate cross stitch design!

From world famous internationally known and celebrated graphic designer for film and television comes Dianne Chadwick’s excellent downtrodden and hopelessly gloomy needlepoint project! Is your mausoleum feeling too cheery? Are lighthearted and gleeful sentiments seeping into your sarcophagus? Well banish the warmth and joy once and for all with this absolutely capricious and morosely lovely craft project! This wonderful design contains a “down home sophistication” with its swirls that harken back to a more ornate time period, while also staying focused on the important things like skulls, crows and bats.
We made sure to launch it on the Calendar on the 3rd, to give you plenty of time to download the pattern by clicking on Pumpkin #3 on The Gothtober Countdown Calendar, then geting your supplies and sewing your heart out before Halloween!

We’ve even given you enough time to make this if you’ve never done needlepoint before. Now is a swell time to try a new hobby, start today! AND if you want to see more of Ms. Chadwick’s awesome Halloween-oriented art, take yourself to October Shadows on October 13th Mountain View Mausoleum, 2300 N. Marengo Avenue in Altadena, CA 91001 It’s a big fat showcase of artists from the worlds of fine art, comics, film, TV and animation! The show will run each Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 3pm through November 3rd.

And, speaking of Halloween, it’s time to start thinking about your Halloween costume! Have you been brainstorming? While you sit and work on your needlepoint, have a conversation with yourself about what you’re going to wear at all those costume parades you’re sure to march in this autumn.

The hot ticket predictions (According to the National Costume Prognostication Society) you’ll be seeing this October 2012  will be (of course) Obama and Romney lookalikes, followed by PSY, the Korean Rapper who hit the big time with “Gangam Style” and you’ll probably see a lot of Lady Gagas, Nicki Manajs or Kim Kardashians. If you’re looking for big cash at the costume ball, avoid these, they’ll already be everywhere. Of course, if you’re going to rock Gangam Style, show up with the entire cast of characters (or even just the dude in yellow with the bowl cut) from the video and blow everyone away with your awesome dance moves. Bring 12 blowing fans to make it authentic!

It is also a fact that pet owners nationwide spend about $370 million on costumes for their furry friends. If you have somehow gotten yourself embroiled in a high stakes pet costume contest: steer away from the hot dog, devil or pumpkin, as those are the most popular. Go for robot, taco or “Alpine Girl” and you’ll have more luck.

Anyway, get back to your “Gloom Sweet Gloom” needlepoint, and we’ll discuss this more later…

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How Nightmares Can Transform Your Life (DAY 2)

A Cross-Dissolve frame from “Sir’s Bad Dream”

Gothtober’s DAY 2 features Sir who is trying to sleep.
Who is sir?
Seems kind of like a hairy dude, intent on getting a good night’s rest until… oh dear, guess that’s not going to happen. Sir’s worldwide sleeping tour of recorded vinyl treasures is sure to inspire a myriad of personal emotions for you. From the very first frame of the movie, you get a sense of the main character’s somnambulistic nature, a sure clue that a sleep-induced adventure is about to take place, and it won’t be disappointing. You can hear the voice guiding him to “take the right boat” and “beware of zombies” my recommendation is to watch it a few times so that you can really grasp just how totally weird Sir’s dream is!

In the waking life of comic book and old-fashioned vinyl record sales, Mr. Canyon Fisher is a king, and the fact of this Gothtober movie is: he has sold every one of these titles featured in his store at PixelBiscuit Records and Comics. While Mr. Fisher didn’t play the main character in his movie, you can be rest assured that he empathizes with him greatly.

In other news, did you know that they have recorded the weight of the biggest pumpkin EVER?
It weighs more than a “Smart Car.”

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Bob Baker Marionettes Kicks Off The Gothtober Countdown Calendar!

Bob Baker himself with some of the stars of “Halloween Hoop de Doo” opening October 6th, 2012 at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Everyone, start your pumpkins, and beginning with pumpkin #1 on the calendar is short film by Alex Evans (film maker and marionetteer at Bob Baker Theater) featuring a very dashing and debonaire vampire calling you to see the unearthly, eerie, fun and wild “Halloween Hoop de Doo” at Bob Baker Theater starting October 6th! I can’t endorse this enough, as a puppeteer myself, you should know that this theater is an incredible Los Angeles treasure not to be missed. GET TICKETS! (Currently, their show Fiesta is being dismantled and stored, so it might say that no upcoming events are on the roster, but rest assured, the new show IS opening in less than 5 days!)
You will see the expertly nimble talents of puppeteers Eric De LaCruz, Victor Munoz, Alex Evans and Adrian Rose (as well as more marionette performers) bring Bob’s hand made puppets to life in a madcap series of captivating vignettes ALL having to do with Halloween!

  • You will see the Purple People Eater!
  • You will see the Invisible Man!
  • You will see skeletons wearing lipstick!
  • LIPSTICK?!? You heard me! It’s possible!
A macabre group of “party people” from the roaring 20s, courtesy of Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Bob Baker’s legacy is absolutely incredible, he is a master showman, artist, craftsman and expert puppeteer. He turned 88 this year, and he’s been working puppet strings since age 8. His theater holds over 3,000 hand made puppets, and I’d be doubtful about that claim except that I saw them all myself and my eyeballs almost fell out of my head in disbelief. This place is hands down one of the most wonderful places in our gigantic city of angels, and it has helped shape the inspiration and imagination of countless kids and adults for the last 52 years. Bob has also worked with Walt Disney, Stephen Spielberg, Elvis, The Three Stooges, Angela Lansbury, the list goes on and on, it’s nuts.
Here are some clips of Bob’s fascinating and remarkable contributions to stage and screen.
But here’s a little Halloween tidbit that people don’t know: Two of his hand crafted marionettes live in special cases at Disneyland in Paris! If you know anyone who is a little scared of the queen and her evil antics, you can show them this link and tell them that she’s very far away and posing no threat to anyone, thanks to Bob. That’s right, the Evil Queen in her “before” and “after” stages are on display, and you can see close-ups of these beautiful works and find out more about Bob at this 2011 exposé on Filmic Light’s Snow White archive.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater
1345 W. 1st St. (under the bridge where 2nd. St. turns into Glendale)
Los Angeles, CA. 90026
(213)250-9995
TICKETS! BIRTHDAY PARTIES! FUN!

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Pumpkin Pumpkin Who’s got the Pumpkin?

Seen Here: Organic Canned Pumpkin, Pumpkin Butter, Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix, Pumpkin Bread and (NEW!) Pumpkin Soup! Photo taken by Lori Meeker

The pumpkins are coming the pumpkins are coming!

No wait… the pumpkins are HERE! On Saturday, September 22, at 10:49am it will officially be Autumn! Our hours of daylight shall ever so sneakily begin to recede, and you will start to sense the cinnamon and clove scents in the air from the crazy “fall mania” that hits stores this weekend.
Leading the pack with a delicious assortment of fall pumpkin items is Trader Joe’s! No, they didn’t pay me to write this, it’s just great that you can go somewhere that won’t cost an arm and a leg to get yourself some easy-to-make pumpkin treats for all your equinox needs. It is absolutely NO JOKE that I went to a fancy culinary website to see how much their lil’ bag of pumpkin bread mix costs and almost lost my mind that it is a whopping $21.00. Who is fool enough to buy pumpkin bread that costs TWENTY ONE CLAMS?!?

I don’t care how many “roasted Texan pecans” are in the bag, that’s a hell of a return when you consider that Trader Joe’s pumpkin bread is only $2.99 and even if you purchase pecans separately at TJ’s you’re not going to get anywhere near $21.00!!!

Takes my breath away, land o’ goshen the times we live in, they’d sell you your eyeballs to you right out of your own head if you let them! Shop smart, dear consumer!
Anyway, stock your pantry this fall, get into your cords and dust off your light jacket, time to go a hunting for classic fall flavors like nutmeg, allspice and hot apple cider.