Me and My Monsters

As a seven year old English girl, innocently drawing vampire bite-holes on my neck using my mum's eyeliner, I never imagined living where the screen monsters I adored came from. I loved 'American Werewolf in London' (and anything Rick Baker was involved in) so much that I wore out the VHS tapes. I grew up with Hammer Horrors and adored Bela Lugosi.

This Halloween almost passed me by. Of course I celebrate it all month with as many Halloween themed events I can get around to, but this year was different. Work and deadlines overtook everything and I sat gloomily in front of my computer working on Halloween night. It was at 9 pm that I glanced at a news story which floated my way. "Visit the 'Best Halloween House in LA'" was all I needed to read. Threw on a Snow White costume and was heading there 5 minutes later. That's another thing I love about LA - I'm right smack in the middle of everything worth knowing about, come Halloween.

The house in question belongs to director Rich Correll. For the entertainment of trick-or-treaters he decks his house and garden with his seriously impressive horror film prop collection, complete with lighting and skeletons dancing on the roof. Actors as zombies and terrifying clowns emerge from behind tombstones in the thick fog that passes across his front lawn. An animatronic witch stirs a cauldron at the front door. A towering Bigfoot looms over visitors in the hallway and Jack Torrance (AKA Jack Nicholson as murderer from 'The Shining') grins at you as you leave with sweets. Another sinister costumed character hands out more candy to the massive crowds which gather outside.

Yes - it really is the best Halloween house in LA.

It was too fantastic to share with photos alone, so I took a quick video (which I've uploaded to my personal YouTube account here) as well.

Note that the Tall Tales Productions YouTube Channel is here.

I was probably away from my work only an hour - but what a cool way to do Halloween in a flash.

Here's a greeting from the Texan witch of Tall Tales ('Good Witches Bad Witches'). Enjoy the photos below and check back soon for more updates on 'Good Witches Bad Witches'. I have a new witch I just finished sculpting which I will share very soon...

Rick Baker, Halloween is Los Angeles, horror collection, Rich Correll, best house for trick or treating, best house in los angeles, house of horrors

Dance, Magic Dance...

We may have lost the irreplaceable David Bowie, but it's a small consolation that thousands can gather annually at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles and dance to songs he wrote for The Labyrinth movie.

I love the Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball and went on Saturday night in a massive sparkly red ballgown. The shows were spectacular and the incredible finale with the smoke-breathing dragon looming over the main ballroom whilst fairies and Voldermort danced in sequence to 'Jump in the Line' reminded me why I live in LA.

Read previous posts about this event I attended before here, and here.

Scroll past these few photos of the magical costumed characters there, and see how I 'made' my dress!

And don't worry - will have more 'work' related posts soon! Hang tight and don't forget to find me on Facebook here - Tall Tales Productions Facebook Page.

And a little clip of part of the event!

My sketch of how I wanted the dress to look...

And a little more info...

Woman - Woa Man!

Character design artwork for 'Good Witches Bad Witches'

It's a woman's world today. Did you know it's International Women's Day?

I'll be an optimist and assume that the men who read this blog have not checked out, and I'll continue... Yes - it's International Women's Day apparently (yeah, I'd never heard of it either) and it's the 41st year of this being a thing.

'Zootopia' Image courtesy of Disney

Naturally as the person who created 'Good Witches Bad Witches' - a subculture of female characters of every sort, I care about gender representation in film. Today I want to give a shout out to Disney's new animated feature - 'Zootopia'. Thrilled to see several rounded and relevant female characters in one film. Not only that, but the film's message to the children in the audience is that you can be anything and do anything (a message more often given to little boys alone). It was wonderful to watch female characters who are not portrayed as annoying, weepy, frightened victims, accident-prone idiots, on a quest for a boyfriend, dependent on men, unambitious, attractive rewards for male heros or just plain irrelevant. The last time I felt Disney hit this nail on the head was 'Mulan' and to an extent 'Tangled'.

Rolling Stone praised 'Zootopia' for its "potent feminist streak" The Guardian talks of 'Zootopia's "feminist credentials" and Variety references the gender topic.*

Go and see 'Zootopia'. It's incredibly well-written, visually flawless and hysterical. Have children? - Take 'em. Don't have children? - Have some and show them this film.

If you're a woman in the industry who read to the end of this post I have a final suggestion. Join Women in Animation. Fantastic group.

If you're a man who read to the end of this post - thank you! Gold star.

Finally, the women of Tall Tales Productions have grouped together to say "Happy Women's Day!" and posed for this iPhone shot.

The image at the beginning of this post is some new character artwork I just did for 'Good Witches Bad Witches'. Sketched using ink and white pencil. Don't forget to check in here or at the Facebook page or Instagram or the website to follow the project as it unfolds.... thank you!



* However Variety film critic Peter Debruge doesn't give 'Zootopia' their due credit, with the line "the movie is less about race than gender, dredging up equality issues that might have been fresher in the days of “9 to 5” and “Working Girl”: Hmmm.

Guac, frying and Videotapes

Been working on something top secret and super exciting, so haven't been able to post about my work much for most of Feb... but will do soon. However, I can tell you what I've been up to otherwise!

I've heard it said that I "should be on the tourist board for LA" because I love living here, take advantage of every opportunity to do LA things and I have a loud voice about it. Let's stay on that topic for a minute. Since I last blogged we've had Shrove Tuesday (aka 'Pancake Day') which I gather isn't that well known or celebrated in the US, but back in Europe it is. We make pancakes and then give something up (like alcohol, sweets, cigarettes etc) for 40 days until Easter Day, and then we go back to gorging ourselves on our vices. In New Orleans they celebrate this day and use the French term 'Mardis Gras' which means 'Fat Tuesday'.

The Alcove, Los Feliz

I celebrated 'Mardis Gras' by making American style pancakes and going out in Los Feliz for the Mardis Gras celebrations. Also... and this is where it gets relevant....

* * ... I created a Tall Tales Productions YouTube channel! * * 

I fried up some real pancakes, used them as reference, and then made miniature pancakes for an editorial commission. Having discovered the 'timelapse setting' on my camera I decided to film the process and this is the video result! See it here or over at the channel.

In other fun LA lifestyle news, I was invited to a Guacamole party known as 'Guac Bowl' in which people bring the craziest and most imaginative guacamole offerings such as Oysters Guacafella, Wok-a-Guac, Devilled Gueggs, Guacamole cheesecake, Ice guax pies, Miso guacy sushi... you get the idea. I reiterate - "How much fun is living in LA?!" Not that quick off this mark I entered a fairly rudimentary little dollop of guacamole in a plain dish.

...However! I made the hosts a miniature guacamole gift and timelapsed that too! Watch it here or at the channel.

Photos from the Guac Bowl experience!

Aside from that, it's been fun and work, Angelyne sightings in my neighbourhood, work, meeting peacocks in a Wild West themed restaurant, work and work. Also, heads up - the next witch for 'Good Witches Bad Witches' is a Russian witch...

Will update more witch progress soon. Don't forget you may find more frequent work updates at my Instagram here.

Angelyne

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

British comedian Michael McIntyre said something funny (which I've forgotten and Google wont help me) about when it becomes too late to say "Happy New Year". It probably is, but since I only just got back from my travels I'll say it anyway! Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and are starting 2016 off on the right foot.

I spent three weeks in England which is the longest I've spent in the UK in some time and it made me remember how wonderful the UK really is. I also realised, for perhaps the first time, how fantastic London is.

This is what I realised about London... wherever you turn it's like you stumbled onto the set of Harry Potter or some Charles Dickens adaptation. The London Underground looks like a series of tiled Hobbit holes and they'll take you anywhere you want to go with a 2 minute waiting time. The food is outstanding and hugely varied, the people are wonderful and the museums.... free entry and probably the best in the world. To sum up - London = fantastic. Who knew?!

Recommendation - if you're in London, go and see the Celts exhibition they have there until the end of Jan 2016. It's the most exciting, exhilarating thing since Neil Oliver. Details here.

iPhone snaps

The British Museum

The Natural History Museum

The year's round up - the highlights of my 2015. The year started in the US after I'd just returned from exhibiting some of my miniature sets in Shanghai, China. I started sculpting witch characters for  'Good Witches Bad Witches' and made a total of 10 whilst advancing the development of the project including concept sketches and a large illustration. More magazine features and an appearance in a book ('Curiouser & Curiouser' - published by CTN), Alice in Wonderland piece in exhibition at Center Stage Gallery, Burbank. I redesigned my Tall Tales Productions website (which you can see here) and joined Instagram to show my works in progress etc (here). I opened a print shop (here) and have sold many prints of my work including prints on T-shirts, tote bags and even iPhone cases. The year ended with a commission for a miniature model ark for a commercial, and this was something I worked on right up until I caught my plane home for Christmas! Shot to look like a 50 foot ark, I can't wait to share this project with you soon. In my personal life; a trip to the north of England for Easter, camping trips to Yosemite, breaks in Vegas and San Diego, Comic-Con, drawing cartoons about anything silly which comes to mind, and as you'd expect... more than one ball...!

Starting to sculpt characters for Good Witches Bad Witches

...and sculpting more characters for Good Witches Bad Witches

...and more...

...and more witches...

final witch of the year and set pieces to go with her

Illustration for Good Witches Bad Witches

Some general miniature work and one of the year's features

...more general miniature work / commissions

Exhibition, book signing, Burbank

Products, prints from Tall Tales Productions

Cartoons I started creating this year

Re-designed website - www.tall-tales.com

Some fabulous LA events, in costume

Vacations and events (Lincoln, UK / Renaissance Faire / Comic Con / Vegas)