Posted today in a LiveJournal Halloween group:
The Big Halloween Craft Book Announcement Blurb!
Hey Crafty Person! Wanna contribute to my Halloween craft book?
I'm on the final push toward completion and this means the final push toward gathering a great collection of guest artists, authors, photographers, and costume & makeup models. Time is tight, but it's not too late to lend a hand and get a contributor credit and a little free publicity in the process. Read on!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Picture Yourself Crafting a Spooktacular Halloween will be released by Cengage for the 2008 Halloween season as part of their "Picture Yourself" series of how-to books on a wide variety of subjects.
This book is geared toward the enthusiastic crafting novice – the Halloween devotee who's not afraid to experiment and get down and dirty with stage blood, distressed fabrics, and liquid latex to create something unique and monstrous. It’s all about using the tricks and techniques of crafters and theatrical designers and taking Halloween back from the ubiquitous (and over-priced) Generic Spooky Emporium.
This book is not about cutesy cut-outs and Disneyfied ghosties. It's about the monster under the bed, the thing that goes bump in the night.
It's creeping terror with just a dash of gross-out horror (think Psycho not Saw).
It's costumes that are all about character, not cleavage. (Zombie nurse? Yes. Sexy nurse? No.)
It's about invention, not imitation. (We may all love Jack Sparrow, but make up your own damn pirate!)
It's about getting messy, improvising, showing off, and scaring the crap out of your friends and neighbors on Halloween night.
WHAT'S INSIDE
The book will include sections on the following subjects:
- Basic prop building techniques, including sculpting, casting, and constructing/re-purposing from found forms.
- Costume construction and alteration.
- Mask making techniques, including papier mache, wet-formed leather, felt, reconstruction of store bought masks.
- Theatrical makeup, including liquid latex prosthetics and wigs/crepe hair.
- Costume accessories & hand props.
- Decorations for indoors and out.
- Lights, sounds, fog and special effects.
- Halloween themed recipes and food displays.
- Theme parties, with décor, invitations, and party games.
- Pumpkin carving.
The theme party section will feature five or six different themes. Each theme will include a sample invitation, suggested decorations, food, and party activities. The chapters on costumes, makeup, masks, and props will also include appropriate examples and projects to fit these party themes.
Here’s the current list of possible themes:
- Alien Invasion/Mad Scientist's Lab
- Mummy's Tomb
- Pirate's Lair
- Zombie Jamboree
- Victorian Séance
- Dark Fantasy (witches, fae, ogres, mythological beasties)
GUEST AUTHOR PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Each section of the book will include an appropriate quote – something spooky or grisly, or just right for the subject at hand. The costume chapter, for example, might begin with Edgar Allen Poe’s description of Prince Prospero's spectral visitor in The Masque of the Red Death:
The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood — and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.
Not all of these quotes need be from classics of horror literature. In fact, I would love to include present day authors as well. This would be a great opportunity to encourage readers of craft books to seek out new fiction authors and hey, free publicity for the featured authors!
What I'm looking for: Snippets of approximately 100 – 200 words from a published or soon-to-be-published piece of fiction. The work the snippet comes from doesn’t have to be either Halloween-themed or horror, but the snippet itself should be the sort of thing that evokes a shudder from the reader and (of course) leaves them wanting more.
Here's a list of subject matter in need of accompanying snippets:
- Costumes/disguises
- Masks
- Makeup (frightening features)
- Props/sculpture
- Decorations/environment
- Lights/Sound
- Fog/startling effects
- Ghosts
- Zombies
- Aliens
- Mad scientists
- Mummies
- Zombies
- Dark fantasy creatures
All guest authors will get an additional credit in the appendix with appropriate book-buying information included. I'll be duplicating this on the book's website as well, and can include live links to author sites.
Guest Authors who are also crafters (or chefs) and have prop or costume photos (or recipes) they can contribute are more than welcome to do so as well. Read the Guest Artist/Guest Photographer section for more details.
GUEST ARTISTS
Contributions from guest artists can include any of the following:
A photo of a finished costume, disguise (mask/wig/makeup), prop, decoration, special effect, or food item that you have designed and created.
A step-by-step instructional for any of the above. With photos is preferred, but without is fine as well.
A short (100-200 word) tip or trick of the trade for creating Halloween/horror themed props, costumes, décor, food, etc.
Original artwork that can be adapted for use as either a pumpkin carving template or a party invitation.
An original pattern or template for a costume piece, mask, or accessory.
A description of a unique or inventive solution to a Halloween crafting dilemma.
Specific areas of interest for guest artists:
Pumpkin carving:
Template designs for original carvings. Note: These cannot be based on trademarked images such as celebrity portraits or movie characters.
Costume pieces & accessories:
Headdresses, wings, 3-D fabric sculpting, costuming with unconventional materials.
Make up and hair:
Wig construction, hair sculpting, unusual 3-D makeup techniques.
Masks:
Paper craft mask construction, fabric sculpting, alternative papier mache techniques
Props:
Costume accessories, including "alien" gadgets that blink, whir, etc, construction from unusual materials, blood n' guts effects.
Décor:
Re-purposed found objects, Styrofoam construction techniques for larger set pieces, painting and distressing techniques.
Lights & Sound:
Low budget effects that emulate higher budget theatrical effects, re-purposing household gadgets for spooky effects.
Effects:
Moving props, puppets, animatronics, use of video, motion sensors, dry ice, etc.
Food:
Presentation ideas & recipes for drinks, desserts, appetizers, mains.
Parties:
Party invitations, decorations, party activities/games, and food in themes: pirates, mummies, aliens, zombies, ghosts, mad scientists, witches, faeries.
GUEST PHOTOS
Have a great photo of your decked out porch or your kids in the Best Homemade Halloween Costumes Ever? I’d love to see what you’ve got and see if it’s something I can include.
Important details: Photos of people should come with a signed model release from any featured subjects (or legal guardians of subjects). Photos should not include any images (costumes, pumpkin template carvings, etc) of trademarked characters (eg Jack Sparrow, Spiderman, etc.)
GUEST VICTIMS... ER... MODELS
Portland area: I’m looking for volunteers for photo shoots involving costumes, makeup, masks, and wigs. The photo shoots will be of two types:
Models in full costume & makeup in appropriate settings.
Models for step-by-step makeup application photos.
Costume and makeup specifics include: zombies, pirates, ghosts/spirits/ghouls, aliens, various fantasy creatures.
I'm looking for a wide range of models – all ages and ethnicities are welcome.
Outside the Portland area: If you have (or can get) a great photo of yourself in makeup and/or costume you’ve designed yourself, I'd love to see it!
Technical note: Photos should be a minimum of 600 pixels wide. Preferred width is 1200px. Preferred formats: TIF or PNG. Jpegs are okay if they are not "lossy."
GUEST MUSICIANS
Yes, there's multimedia! I don't have the details worked out just yet, but the book will either come with a CD, or I'll have downloadable files on the website. In addition to the patterns, templates, and fonts, the multimedia section will have sound files that can be used to create a Halloween soundscape for a party, haunted house, or to frighten unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.
What I'm looking for:
Captured sounds: creaking doors, rattling chains, chanting, howling beasties, whistling winds, etc.
Ambient, ominous music to suit various settings – from graveyard church bells to alien death rays.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR DETAILS
All work will have proper credit, and guest artists/writers will be listed in an appendix with appropriate links and contact info where relevant. Copyright for all materials stays with the creator of the materials. In instances where I am doing the photography (e.g. for makeup/mask/costume models) I will provide you with a CD of the photos and you are welcome to use them as you wish, provided they are properly credited, and they do not appear in a competing Halloween related book. All models will need to sign a model release before participating.
Guest contributors with businesses or freelance work related to their contribution are welcome to discuss possible product placement ideas with me. (Bottom line: it's doable if it's not "excessive.")
All contributors will receive a free copy of the book when it's released.
Please note: As much as I would love to be able to offer payment for contributions, this project does not come with a guest contributor budget.
A CRAFTY WISH LIST -- For Portland Area crafters
Here are just a few of the items I'm still looking for to complete this project. I am close to maxing out my allowed expenses so all further purchases will be coming out of my own pocket. I am therefore seeking donations of:
TOOLING LEATHER: As thin and soft as possible. Color doesn't matter. I need enough to make a couple three masks and some small costume accessories.
DERMAGEL: Alginate for facial casting.
AQUARIUM OR SURGICAL TUBING: The thinner the better. For various cyber/alien items.
WIRE MESH: for making armatures. Need scraps of various sizes.
CHEESE CLOTH: Need A LOT for many projects.
BLACK or DARK GREY PAINT: latex or acrylic, water-based. House paint or craft paint.
PLASTER BANDAGES aka RIGID WRAP: plaster soaked gauze used for casting.
FELT: preferably the heavy duty kind, in black, gray, orange, etc.
BLACKLIGHT PAINT: various colors.
LOOKING TO BORROW:
BLACKLIGHT: this needs to be the fluorescent tube-shaped kind, not a “blacklight” party bulb as those aren’t strong enough to generate the effects I need.
WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME?
You would have to ask that part. In a nutshell? ASAP. I have quite a bit of the book in progress already. Guest contributors, models, photographers, etc are what I'm looking for to help round out the final push toward completion.
If you're interested in participating, I am asking that you let me know by Monday, May 19th at the latest and that you can guarantee delivery of your contribution by Friday, May 23rd. I will let you know if I can use your contribution by May 25th.
Photo shoots for models will be scheduled from May 12th through May 25th.
CONTACT ME!
Email me at robincatesby - at - gmail.com if you have questions or are interested in contributing.
And if you know of anyone you think might be perfect for this project, please send them my way!
