This is one of the first props I ever did that garnered any attention. It's creation grew out of a discussion on the old Cthulhu Live mailing list of H.R. Giger's construction techniques for the original xenomorph in "Alien". Two tidbits of behind-the-scenes information spurred it on. The first, Giger's use of shredded condoms to create the jaw membranes of the creature. The second, a pre-production concept that the alien was translucent or partially transparent (Giger would later recycle the idea for the design of Sil in "Species").
That conversation, and the liberal application of Sambuca, lead to the idea of a transparent creature made using condoms.
To make a long story short, I banged out a pretty decent little parasitic worm* with translucent flesh and visible internal organs. Both my writeup of it's creation, and pictures of the worm itself, later appeared in the 2001 edition of "Cthulhu Live: Delta Green". Sadly, I didn't. There's no credit given in the book and to this day I'm still waiting for my contributors copy. Heh.
Here's a scan of the prop and it's accompanying text provided by a friend.
*I'm pretty sure my parasitic worm fixation goes back to being infected with the little bastards during a vacation trip, but not discovering that fact until several weeks later. It was a horrible experience, but the doctor's reaction was pretty funny- "The good news is you don't have cancer. The bad news is your intestinal tract is a combination buffet and nursery."
3 comments:
I thought you were going to tell a story about getting the flesh-burrowing worms. Those aren't pleasant.
It really should have been "good news" and "more good news" - intestinal parasites are good for your immune system!
Wow...interesting. I HAVE that little guy's "cousin" around here somewhere....
I'll see your stomach worms and raise you a "mid trimester" botfly larvae in my left calf acquired whilst hiking in the primary forests of Costa Rica. I developed a strange Stockholm-like bond with it and actually begain to take ownership of it until I came to my senses and slathered some petroleum jelly and cigar tobacco over his snorkel.
And who says these prop blogs are educational? Such fun!
At some point I hope the "Cthulhu Live" people come to their senses and make amends; otherwise their association with parasitic worms might be twofold.
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