September "Parcel of Terror"

The latest "Parcel of Terror" from Cryptocurium is now available.  The September package includes an anti-werewolf charm and wolfsbane vial, a classic "Phantom of the Opera" sticker, the latest slasher-series magnet featuring "Sam", and a wonderful print of Count Orlock from "Nosferatu".

The highlight is the latest in the Lovecraftian wall plaque series.  This time it's Yog-Sothoth in the spotlight.

You can subscribe to the "Parcel of Terror" for just $35 a month at Cryptocurium's website.

Fallout Water Conservation Poster

This is a work-in-progress shot of a water conservation poster from a "Fallout" vault.  It's based on a WW II original, keeping with the retro approach of the game.  Water, and the lack thereof, is one of the ongoing themes of the franchise.

I've digitized all the design elements of the original, including the wonderful hand lettering.  With the initial layout complete I'll now take a pass at adding tone and weathering effects.

Animatronic Tentacle

Lightman500 volunteered to help a friend with an ornate Halloween yard display. As part of the project he's developed an impressive animated tentacle powered by a 2-axis servomotor system. As you can see in the video, the tentacle has a pretty amazing range of motion. You'll find a full discussion of the tentacle's development at the DIYChristmas forum, including dozens of photographs and multiple videos.

If you're not particularly confident in your electronics skill, keep in mind that a cable system like this can be manually driven. Two levers with a wide arc of motion are a viable low-tech alternative to using electric motors.

Hail to the King

Once in a while I get a really strange burst of traffic.  Today I've had over a hundred unique users from Mexico, all looking for information on "the king in yellow" or "the yellow sign".   Something odd is going on in Mexico to get that many searches, but I haven't seen anything in the news to give me a clue what it is.

Update: Based on all the comments, it looks like a "King in Yellow" -centric episode of "True Detective" is responsible for the sudden flurry of interest. My thanks to everyone who helped out. That explanation is far better than the one I envisioned involving a fringe cult.

Wooden Wabbajack

This hand made recreation of the Wabbajack from "Skyrim" comes to us from professional woodcarver Ales Janosik. The basswood head is mounted on a hardwood shaft and finished with lacquer.

Prop Dynamite Label

 Very, very bad things can happen if you misuse this resource.  It's intended for theatrical and entertainment use by adults over the age of 18.  If you're not an adult, or lack an iota of common sense, best that you turn back now.

Dynamite is universal.  Thanks to decades of exposure in films, cartoons, television, and books everyone has an immediate appreciation for what it does.  The average person could stumble upon a stash of det-cord or a shaped charge and just shrug their shoulders, but they instantly understand that a stick of dynamite goes "Boom".  That makes it perfect for airsoft and LARP games set across a wide variety of time periods.

The standard stick of dynamite is 8" long and 1.25" in diameter.  That just happens to be a standard dowel size as well, so a quick trip to the hardware store will give you enough material for an entire bundle of dynamite.  If you don't have access to power tools the store will usually be happy to cut your dowel into 8" lengths for a small fee.

Once you have the dowels, print out a label for each stick of dynamite.  Heavy brown or red construction paper is ideal, as is the paper used in grocery bags.  Trim the labels along the marked cutting lines and then wrap it around the dowel, gluing it into place.  A glue stick is perfect for this.  There should be an overhang of about 3/4" on either side that you can then fold down and glue in place to cover the ends.

If you want to add a conventional fuse try using jute or cotton cord wiped down with black acrylic paint.   Just drill out a hole in one end of the dynamite stick and glue the fuse in place. 

The label is reasonably accurate for modern-era dynamite, but you should edit out the "CLASS -A- HIGH EXPLOSIVES  LOT 725-06" lines if you're using it in the 1920s-1950s time span.   Right click and "Open Link in New Tab" to get the full sized PNG.  You can download a PDF of the label over here.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Centipede Edition.

Copper Centipede continues his prolific run of variant figurines with his newest- the eight eyed Cthulhu idol.  Based on his output over the last few years I think he's produced more Cthulhu sculpts than any other artist.

The copper finish on this piece has a great sheen thanks to the use of metal powder.