“Hi, my name is Bill, and I’m a (hard swallow) Propaholic/Halloween Enthusiast. It’s been several weeks since my last build.” The gallery nods in acknowledgement.
“It all started innocently enough. When I was 14 (now 49) I put my creative abilities to work by crafting and hanging an 8’x8’ black Visqueen “room” (floor, ceiling and walls) in the foyer of my parents home. It was a dark, foreboding room with thin black ribbons of plastic dangling in the doorway. I artfully, as much as a 14-year-old could be, hand-painted spooky (read as “cheesy”) skeletons, eyeballs, ghosts, and other assorted Halloween figures with fluorescent paint throughout my scary little domain. I then grabbed my new 18” blacklight out of my bedroom (oh, you should have seen the great fluorescent posters I had back then – hey, it was 1974, what did you expect?!!) and hung it ever so cleverly just above the doorway. Then, I stuffed newspapers into clothing to make a “terrifying” scarecrow to reside on the wooden bench outside our front door. Disney’s Haunted Mansion had nothing on me! I was THE propmaster (well, at least in my mind, anyway). On Halloween night, I sat within the confines of my “room of terror” eagerly awaiting my first evening of innocent victims. Now, if I would have just thought first about our barking miniature Poodle and the blaring TV in the background ruining the scary atmosphere, things might have not been so amateur. Well, throughout that night I experienced the thrill of having an emotional affect on TOTs. I found that the groups had their brave individual who always cautiously peeked in with trepidation, and I then would jump out from my secret vantage point and get my reward – that spontaneous and reflexive “agh!”, “whoa!” or “eeek!”. Ah, the sweet sound of success. Following my ritual of fright, I would product my treasured selection of delicate, sweet morsels to reward the brave souls whom had survived their face-to-face encounter with sheer and utter terror. Those lucky few who made it out alive ran to tell their quivering friends of their encounter with all that is evil. Yup, it was fun even coaxing in the littlest kids that would approach no closer than ten feet away from what surely the gates of Hell itself. Surely, I had found my calling! It’s to instill terror into other kids each Halloween. It seems it wasn’t too hard to do since they each had infused themselves with anticipation of the evening; all I had to do was push their mental button. Later that night, I found I enjoyed showing the older kids how I had made my own world of horror. Some were duly impressed.”
Since that time, I have celebrated the season to varying degrees. I enjoy it now more than ever. Come on, admit it…we enthusiasts enjoy eliciting unrestrained emotion from our prey, be it shock, fear (including, of course, the elusive sudden-loss-of-bladder-control), curiosity, terror, awe, or even just plain-old happiness. I believe we all share the same zeal and grin-evoking thoughts each Halloween season as we relive our fondest Halloween memories.
-Bill
__________________ "The dissecting room and the slaughterhouse furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion." - Dr. Victor Frankenstein
Location: The beautiful State of Washington. Soon to be L.A.!!!
Posts: 924
I can certainly agree with this to a point. Over the years I have been striving to find a level of surprise that leaves a lasting memory but hopefully no scarring. After having literally made a girl pee her pants I started to go another route(even though what I did was never gruesome or that scary). Now I try to do little things to surprise and startle. Like a monster in a box or a moving prop or well timed sound effect. With each prop I build I try to make it a little whimsical and not too realistic. Propaholic might be a phrase that could explain my relationship with Halloween. I think there is great satisfaction in seeing your creation come to life. Especially when it is just a pile of materials that come together to make lasting impressions on neighbors and friends.
Propaholic......now I don't know about that.....just because I make several trips to the transfer station each week just to rummage through the equipment dumpster to see what I can find for electric motors, sensors, drive chains and trains, gears ect. just to use to make props for Halloween, so I don't think I'm a propaholic (he says in utter denial).
Im more of a propaholic wanna be I mean I have made a few things, well my husband really makes the hard stuff I just come in with the detail work, but I digress...anyhoo, I would love to have a shop like Terra's and be able to stay home and work on props all day. Unfortunately a littel thing called mortgage and kids and food keep me working most of the time. So I totally get that feeling you had as a kid and how it got you started, I think we can all relate to that. Propaholic....ummmm...probably not, Propaholic wannabe....yes, Terra stalker and admirer...umm guilty, Would I steal Dr. Terroreyes pumpkin guy if I lived near by...ummmm guilty again, oh and Terra if I lived near you I would be stealing most of your props too. I mean dont get upset...think of it as a form of flattery
__________________
Linus: You've heard about fury and a woman scorned?
Charlie Brown: Yes, I guess I have.
Linus: Well that is nothing compared to the fury of a woman who has been cheated out of tricks or treats!
Well...... let me say I really tried to hold off last year till the last minute on doing any new builds....... and well..... so the neighbor's kids became concerned that I was ill.... and had made their parent come over to see what was up... [Alikely story] And then... Then... Other neighbors started walking by my house for exercise.. yeah right.... and looking in my garage every day or so… and then they started stopping by to talk to my Jayne, and also asking if I was OK "They hadn't seen me working on anything new yet and it was already September"
So I was push in to it... PUSHED I tell you Pushed!!! LOLOLololOOLollololOLol (gasP!!) LOlolOloLo!!
OK I am too.... I am Propaholic too. };-')]
I even have a data base of "HOW TO" files I have saved in case a web page is gone one day when I need it.
My name is slightlymad and I too am a propaholic. I surf the web daily looking for new ideas and inspiration. Recyclable items are brought to me threw out the year. I attend monthly meetings with fellow haunters to support my habit and further my prop knowledge. When shopping any and all items are considered fair game when it comes to hacking them into new props. When the season rolls around children come to me for costumes and ideas. I take vacation not to spend time with my family but to set up the display or to travel and be with others haunters. When in the garage people stop to look to see what is being built and try to figure out this years suprize or new addition.
My name is slightlymad and I to am a propaholic and I seek no cure for my illness merely to feed and the sickness that drives me onward.
Well...... let me say I really tried to hold off last year till the last minute on doing any new builds....... and well..... so the neighbor's kids became concerned that I was ill.... and had made their parent come over to see what was up... [Alikely story] And then... Then... Other neighbors started walking by my house for exercise.. yeah right.... and looking in my garage every day or so… and then they started stopping by to talk to my Jayne, and also asking if I was OK "They hadn't seen me working on anything new yet and it was already September"
So I was push in to it... PUSHED I tell you Pushed!!! LOLOLololOOLollololOLol (gasP!!) LOlolOloLo!!
OK I am too.... I am Propaholic too. };-')]
I even have a data base of "HOW TO" files I have saved in case a web page is gone one day when I need it.
You know, God invented Adobe PDF maker for a reason. I, too, have SOOOOOoooo many bookmarks in my Web browser and and Gigs of PDF how-tos, too. It's not addiction, I tell you, it's a....WAIT A SEC...did I just see a left over clearance item at Target...I could hack it and then...
__________________ "The dissecting room and the slaughterhouse furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion." - Dr. Victor Frankenstein
My name is slightlymad and I too am a propaholic. I surf the web daily looking for new ideas and inspiration. Recyclable items are brought to me threw out the year. I attend monthly meetings with fellow haunters to support my habit and further my prop knowledge. When shopping any and all items are considered fair game when it comes to hacking them into new props. When the season rolls around children come to me for costumes and ideas. I take vacation not to spend time with my family but to set up the display or to travel and be with others haunters. When in the garage people stop to look to see what is being built and try to figure out this years suprize or new addition.
My name is slightlymad and I to am a propaholic and I seek no cure for my illness merely to feed and the sickness that drives me onward.
I had to laugh out loud! Truly!! I do the "vacations" too (a.k.a.: a scouting/scoping outing). I just "happen" upon so many things I could use for a prop. A sickness. LOL
__________________ "The dissecting room and the slaughterhouse furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion." - Dr. Victor Frankenstein
Definitely a Propaholic!
We were planting some tomatoes last week and hubby was grousing about how there were still Halloween things around. Well, yeah! In the garage and in the shed! While he was looking for the tiller attachment.
So I didn't put everything in the storage unit, so what!?!
LOL
Hubby says I'm obsessed, like its a bad thing!
Confessions of a Propaholic
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I mean I have made a few things, well my husband really makes the hard stuff I just come in with the detail work, but I digress...anyhoo, I would love to have a shop like Terra's and be able to stay home and work on props all day. Unfortunately a littel thing called mortgage and kids and food keep me working most of the time. So I totally get that feeling you had as a kid and how it got you started, I think we can all relate to that. Propaholic....ummmm...probably not, Propaholic wannabe....yes, Terra stalker and admirer...umm guilty, Would I steal Dr. Terroreyes pumpkin guy if I lived near by...ummmm guilty again, oh and Terra if I lived near you I would be stealing most of your props too. I mean dont get upset...think of it as a form of flattery
propaholic
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