Thread: Settle down, settle down, I know we ALL want Talking Boris

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Does anyone know if someone (store, manufacturer, etc) is selling the Talking Boris skull or an alternative?

I think it's one of the greatest props to ever hit the mass market, and I've never owned one. I'd really like to change that, but they're like coveted collector's items these days and impossible to find.

So, if anyone sees a new version come out, please post! I've been checking new product lines and haven't seen anything yet, but I know I can't check every website and every store. A few more eyes and/or knowledgeable shoppers would really help.

The nice thing about the Boris is that they're so easy to hack. There are a number of talking skulls out there that say canned phrases:

http://www.halloweenasylum.com/talking_skull_cage.html

http://www.costumeshopper.com/Mercha...t_code=fm20010

http://www.costumeshopper.com/Mercha...t_code=fm20045

http://www.nightviewproductions.com/...ng-skull-p-422

You get the idea. The problem is that they don't say what you want them to say. To get around this, I designed a small op-amp circuit that you connect to a MP3 player and it drives the skull motor in sync with the voice track. It works best when using a beep track to drive the jaw with the voice channel split off to a pair of computer speakers. Jeff at www.simplecircuitboards.com has the boards available for a few bucks, but you need to order the parts to build it out. I tested the board with a couple of skulls that I had laying around, and Halstaff reports that it works for driving Dougie fir trees as well. I don't have any of the skulls in the above links, but I can't see why it wouldn't work for them.

The last season Big Lots sold them I had 30 of them after Halloween. I still have 2. One is on my Garden Ridge skellie and the other is sitting in the box. I've debated selling it, but I just can't part with it......

I've seen them pop up on Ebay and the like, but never seen one in the flesh (bone?) myself... I'd kill to come across one at a yard sale or something. But I did get a Dougie fir tree in my last Craigslist score, so a talking tombstone or the like is in the future.

I'm very interested in this circuit/mp3 player hack Otaku! Not that I'm really understanding how it works, but I'm wondering if it could work for those new Michaels animated busts (it's the guy half of the man/woman talking busts, but on his own) and he only says two phrases... I imagine it would be similar, right?

I still don't know why they don't still make the Boris talking skulls any more... honestly, they could charge more than when they first came out, and they would still sell.

Yeah, the person who discovers that warehouse full of Boris skulls will make a fortune! FG, I looked at the talking busts at Spirit and I can't say if the circuit would work on them. The busts come with an "AC electric plug", so I can't tell you what voltage the motors use. If they had a battery option, that would tell the tale.

I found this:
http://www.shindigz.com/party/Animat..._source=SZILLA
Still not a Boris, but should work with the op-amp circuit I mentioned earlier.

I'm glad I grabbed the 14 they had left at Big lots back then ! & a few off EBay when they were still cheap. Even found a couple at Salvation army & a Thrifty store

Otaku - that one looks like the closest anyone will see of a Boris type skull, nice find !!
Funny that Spirit hasn't made they're own version of Boris, as I know they check out Halloween forums & make note of what might be a good selling item for the next year.........( hint-hint Spirit store/Spencers Co...... )

Spirit added this guy today:

http://www.spirithalloween.com/produ...ic-mummy-head/

No video, though. Again, not a talk-thru but likely hackable and the price is good. I'll grab one when the stores open and test it with the op-amp board. BTW, I emailed Spirit's CS and suggested they get off the dime and design a Boris clone.

I hacked a Gemmy skull a few years back. They look good. This was a thrown together test.

That looks good, Industen. What did you use to drive the jaw motor?