May Monster Madness 2015

'Tis that marvellously macabre time of year again - May Monster Madness time! Thank you to Annie Wells, Little Gothic Horrors and Something Wicked This Way Comes... for hosting this fab blog party for the fourth time, and thank you to Maynard from the Horror Movie Diary for suggesting this year's insect theme. 

As it so often does, my mind went straight to art, so I have gathered together my favourite creepy crawly pieces by some of my favourite artists, as well as a classic horror movie poster or two. Enjoy!

'Queen Bee' by Mark Ryden 

This piece was created for Mark Ryden's 'The Gay 90's: West' show held at Kohn Gallery last year, a continuation of his 2010 'The Gay 90s: Olde Tyme Art Show' at Paul Kasmin Gallery. The frames used were all either vintage or designed by Ryden, as this one was.

'Beehive Skull' by Jack of the Dust

Australian 'Skull Lord' Andy is the creative director behind Jack of the Dust, using plastic human anatomy skulls (moulded off real human skulls) to form the basis of his sculptures. 

'Cabinet of Curiosities Specimen No. 61 -
The Black Widow Spider' by Mab Graves

Each one of Mab Graves' Cabinet of Curiosities insect specimens has a tiny lover's eye cameo set into its back, painted with a one-haired brush. 

Beetle in resin necklace - oxidised silver
by William Llewellyn Griffiths 

Master jeweller William Llewellyn Griffiths recently received an order for another one of these, but said it took him months to find another beetle that was as amazing as this one.

'Herman And Morris' by Travis Louie

This piece was created for Travis Louie's 2011 show at Merry Karnowsky Gallery featuring characters with unusual pets. According to the artist, "Herman found his prized huntsman spider in the basement of his parents’ house. It followed him wherever he went for most of his adult life. He named it Morris because it reminded him of his Uncle Morris, who had long spindly legs and a strange gait that often confused people as to which direction he was about to step in. Although it was common to have large insects as pets in this town, it was frowned upon to have an arachnid as a pet. When they would go for a stroll or take in a show at the theatre, Morris would hide in Herman's stovepipe hat and watch through tiny holes near the top of the hat band. Herman could even hear him clapping at the close of the each performance. It made him laugh out loud every time."

'Spider' by Camille Rose Garcia

Camille Rose Garcia made this piece available as a digital download in her store for Halloween 2013.

A work in progress for Ryan Heshka's
'Mean Girls Club' comic extension

Last year, Ryan Heshka published a comic to accompany his 'Mean Girls Club' show at Wieden + Kennedy Gallery. He has recently completed work on an extension of the original comic for a UK publisher, sharing the above teaser with his Instagram followers in April.

'Halloween Girl Red' by Stephanie Buscema

Stephanie Buscema released this print for Halloween last year. 

'Shared Umbrella' by Mizna Wada

Mizna Wada shared this piece with her Instagram followers last year. Her drawings are available for purchase from Gallery Nucleus.   

'The Society' by Kurono

This piece was part of Japanese artist Kurono's self-produced poster series in 2013. It was quickly noticed by Auguste Clown Gallery, and is now stocked there alongside several other Kurono works.

'The Silence of the Lambs' movie poster

And last but not least, here is the poster for one of my all-time favourite films, 'The Silence of the Lambs.' The skull on the moth used in this shot is a copy from a photograph entitled 'In Voluptas Mors' by Philippe Halsman. The original photo features Salvador Dalí with seven women posing to make a skull, itself inspired by a Dalí drawing - 'Human Skull Consisting of Seven Naked Women's Bodies'.

Thank you for joining me for May Monster Madness! The links below will take you to visit the other partygoers :)

Winter Moon All Hallows Read Book Giveaway

Greetings my dear darklings, I hope you are all having a wonderful lead-up to Halloween.

This year, I was introduced to the joy of Neil Gaiman's All Hallows Read, as lovely Yvonne over at Winter Moon held a giveaway in honour of Neil's 4-year-old tradition. 

I was one of the lucky winners, which made today a very happy mail day - as if receiving 'The Amityville Horror' wasn't enough, Yvonne also included some beautiful Halloweenie extras! Thank you so much, Yvonne!

I absolutely adore all of the thoughtful little goodies Yvonne popped in, and am looking forward to framing those movie postcards! 

I'm off to bed now to start reading my All Hallows Read prize. Yvonne, thank you so much for hosting this wonderful giveaway and for my lovely surprises - you are such a sweetheart! ♥

A very Happy Halloween to you all, dear darklings! ^V^

Halloween love for Belle Dee's Doo Wacka Doodles

Greetings my dear darklings. I hope you are all having a ghoulishly gleeful October.

To celebrate this marvellously macabre month and the countdown to All Hallows Eve, I have been posting some works by my favourite Halloween / monster artists. 

This evening's post features the art of the gorgeous and talented Belle Dee (aka Shana Bilbrey).

Selfie from Belle's blog

Describing herself as "just a girl who likes Halloween & Old Horror films and drawing pictures of them," Belle's Doo Wacka Doodles lend a vibrantly fun retro style to many of my favourite classic monsters and villains. A graphic designer and illustrator, Belle's work has been published in Little Shoppe of Horrors, HorrorHound and Rue Morgue magazines, has been exhibited at Gallery1988 and ZaPow, and won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Fan Artist of the Year in 2010.

These are my personal favourites from Belle's extensive body of work. To see more, do yourself a favour and pop by her fab blog, http://doowackadoodles.blogspot.com   

Enjoy! ^V^

'Halloween A-Go-Go' by Belle Dee

'Regan from The Exorcist' by Belle Dee

'Lorre, Price & "Rhubarb" in The Comedy
of Terrors' by Belle Dee

'The Phantom' by Belle Dee

'Elvira' by Belle Dee

Belle Dee's piece for the 'Vincent Price Presents'
art show at Star Clipper Comics Gallery

Belle Dee's 'No More Mr. Nice Guy'
for the 'Rock & Roll' art show at ZaPow

'Bates Motel spot illustration, featuring
Freddie Highmore' by Belle Dee

Belle Dee's 'The Klopeks from The 'Burbs' for
the 'Crazy 4 Cult' art show at Gallery1988

Belle Dee's piece for the 'Creepy Cute' art show at ZaPow 

Gothabilly Glam - Debstar Designs

Greetings, dear fellow darklings. I hope you are all well.

This evening, allow me to introduce you to a fabulous Australian alternative jewellery designer, who is not only wickedly talented, but a lovely lady to boot. Meet Deb, the Gothabilly gal behind Debstar Designs. 

Deb of Debstar Designs, pictured here
with one of my cousins

Based in Sydney, Deb has been creating costume jewellery for the alternative market for some time now. She draws her inspiration from "the unusual, the strange, the kooky and kreepy and the downright weird, featuring icons classically associated with cultures including Rockabilly, Gothabilly, Psychobilly, Goth and Horror." 

A collection of Debstar Designs pieces

Debstar Designs often has a stall at the Sydney Rock & Roll Alternative Market, and will be setting up for the next one on September 14. 

Debstar Designs Market Stall

If you're heading to the market, keep an eye out for her gorgeous green coffin display case, and these recently-created matching display frames: 

Debstar Designs Market Display Frame, 
with Triple Skull and Crossbones Chain Necklace

Following Debstar Designs on Facebook and Instagram is a great idea if, like me, you don't live in Sydney and therefore can't get to the market stall, as she often posts one-off items for purchase that are not available through her website. Below is one such example - Deb posted this fellow gothic flamingo on Instagram last week, now here he is on my coffee table. :)

Debstar Designs Flamingo Brooch

Some old Debstar favourites:

Debstar Designs Spider Brooch with Black Crystal Diamantes

Debstar Designs Starburst Crystal Hair Clips with Skulls

Debstar Designs 'The Munsters' Necklace

And some new favourites, currently available on the Debstar Designs website:

Debstar Designs Spiders and Webs Necklace

Debstar Designs Poison Letter Necklace

Debstar Designs Coffin Cardigan Clips

Debstar Designs Hearse Bracelet

I might just have to book a trip up to Sydney around September 14. :) Love your work, Deb! 

May Monster Madness 2014

Greetings darklings, and welcome to my creepy contribution to May Monster Madness 2014.

This is the first year I have been involved with this wickedly wonderful celebration of monsters - a big thank you to Annie Wells, Emma, of Little Gothic Horrors, and Ked, of Something WicKED This Way Comes, for organising and hosting this fabulous event! 

While there are many monsters I find absolutely fascinating, probably the most important of all would have to be the real-life one who inspired so many of my favourite fictional villains - the timid little farmer from Wisconsin, Ed Gein.

Ed was a Mama's boy, a shy underachiever, a disturbed loner whose strict, religious mother distorted his view of women and the world. When she died, his entire way of being was shaken. As Harold Schechter in his book Deviant explained, Ed had "lost his

only friend and one true love. And he was absolutely alone in the world." Shortly after, Ed began body snatching, digging up bodies and wearing their faces while dancing in the moonlight so as not to feel alone. He started tanning the skins of recently buried women in order to create a 'woman suit' so he could pretend to be a female. He moved from grave-robbing to murder and killed two local women before being caught and imprisoned in a mental institution for the rest of his life. Upon raiding his farm house, the police found things they could not have even imagined - among other things, there were dining room chairs covered in human skin, bowls made of skulls, and this: "On the kitchen table was a cup. The cup held four noses. Human. With horror, the sheriff opened Gein's icebox and found various human organs-livers, hearts, lungs-wrapped in butcher's paper. He was, by definition, a ghoul." --Milwaukee Journal

Sound like anyone we know and love in the world of horror fiction and films?

Ed's mother obsession? My beloved Norman Bates, pictured here when he was freshly inked on my calf last year as part of my Psycho leg sleeve.

Woman-skinning murderer? Jame Gumb aka Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. If, like me, you were a big fan of the film, this video is priceless - watch it if you feel like a good laugh.

Buffalo Bill stitching his 'woman suit' together

Killer who uses his victims bones and skin for furniture? Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre's bone sofa
created by art director Bob Burns

Finally, here is Ed alongside some of the world's other most notorious killers, as drawn by my tattoo artist last year - can you name them all? 

Happy May Monster Madness everyone!

An InLinkz Link-up

The phantasmagoria of Stephen Gammell

There must be something magical in the water in Des Moines, Iowa.

Not only has that town produced one of teen Gothic Flamingo's favourite bands in Slipknot, it has also gifted us with one of my favourite illustrators - the artistic genius that is Stephen Gammell.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Gammell has illustrated over 50 titles, including Leo Possessed by Dilys Owen, Halloween Poems selected by Myra Cohn Livingston and The Ghost of Tillie Jean Cassaway by Ellen Harvey. While I love all of his works, my favourites are the gloriously macabre images he created for the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark series.

Gammell's illustrations were the stuff of nightmares for many children in the 1980s and 90s. For a set of spooky tales aimed at ages 9 and up, it is surprising that the publishers would select such terrifyingly ghoulish illustrations. Evidently, the 30 years of backlash and bans from schools and parents had an effect - in 2010, the books were re-released sans Gammell's images, replaced with sanitised versions by Brett Helquist. 

Yet Gammell's artwork is the reason the original 1981 edition became an instant and enduring classic. Replacing his pieces has been considered blasphemy to the series, and it is sad to think that the only way to see these wonderful works now is to strike it very lucky in a second-hand bookstore. The three original books are therefore highly prized collector's items nowadays, and I am grateful to list myself amongst the collectors. 

Surreal, haunting, mesmerising, masterpieces of horror imagery - I could go on, but I will let the illustrations speak for themselves. 

"Oh, Susannah!"

Rings On Her Fingers

The Church

Bess

Maybe You Will Remember

The Black Dog

The Dead Hand

The Ghost With The Bloody Fingers

"What Do You Come For?"

The Haunted House

Thank you Des Moines - I think I need to visit one day and try out your creativity-charged water for myself.