A Few Words About "Wizard's Crag"

Unlike my past paper model kits, this one has attracted the attention of Universal and Warner Brothers. This attention could mean one of two things. It could be purchased and merchandised by these companies or, due to its discovery by these companies, end up becoming a liability to me and thrown on the scrap heap. Either way it looks like this one will not become a Haunted Dimensions free download. Very discouraging and frustrating for me (and the thousands of fans who want one)!!
I will keep you updated if the situation changes.

Why Halloween Matters

"The joy of Halloween is not that it's dark and we revel in that; it's that Halloween can bring a bit of light and laughter into this darkness." 
Lesley Bannatyne, author of "Halloween Nation. Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night",
wrote a beautiful little article about why so many of us love Halloween. Give it a read and repost it.


Lesley Bannatyne - "Why Halloween Matters"

For more info on Lesley's book click image below.

Happy Halloween!

I hope Haunted-dimensioneers everywhere have a spooktacular and safe Halloween!
As a treat, here are a few shots of the new Haunted Mansion queue at Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom.

Paul Frees, the actor who voiced the Ghost Host finally has his own memorial! 

The organ crypt. 

And for those wondering where to find the Bride's wedding ring, it is to the far right of
Captain Culpepper's crypt, next to (or under) the trash can. 

The It's Alive Project!

70 local Orlando artists and 10 special guest artists bring life to man's most macabre creation…the Frankenstein Monster! Each artist will be challenged to create their own interpretation of Boris Karloff, as seen in his most famous role using their own individual creative hand and style.
My Frank is shown below. His famous forehead scar is a torn copy of Mary Shelley's book, and incarnations of the "Frankenstein" legacy cover the bust (Karloff's Monster, to Herman Munster). 
Sales benefit St Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Phantom Manor Cookie House - 2011

This is only the second time I ever built my own Phantom Manor cookie house. The first one being the one I built for Gingerbread Dimensions! Due to time this one is much more basic than the first but I'm very happy with it!

I also created cool little cemetery cupcakes to accompany the Manor. Everything is store bought. "Cameo" Creme Sandwich Cookies by Nabisco, make awesome New England tombstones! I scribbled black icing on cookies and stuck them in store bought cupcakes along with some autumn leaf sprinkles (from Michael's Crafts), and a candy pumpkin on each grave.

More "Not-so-scary"

Here is a clip of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" portion of the "Boo-to-you" parade.

Disney Mini Figures Collector Packs

While at the Disney Studios in Orlando, I came across a bin of Disney Mini Figure Collector Packs. The packs contain mini characters and iconic park attractions, each no bigger than your thumb and there are several different collections you can choose from and each bag contains 3 figures. However, you can't see what's in each pack. It is a grab bag and you just hope you get the figures you want. One of the collections offered the possibility of finding a mini New Orleans haunted mansion and a Tower of Terror.
Fortunately, these figures have very distinct, boxy shapes. After a minute or so of package squeezing (while a 4 year old boy watched with fascination, while repeating to me earnestly, "You onwee get fwee toys in a pack!"), I made my choices. I bought 2 packs. Here was my reward.

Mickey's Not-so-scary Halloween Party

Last weekend I attended "Mickey's Not-s-scary Halloween Party" at the Magic Kingdom.
I had a wonderful time!
The "Boo To You" parade at the Magic Kingdom (part of "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party") was wonderful! Of course, my favorite portion of the parade (besides the Headless Horseman's appearance) is when the Haunted Mansion characters come through! I love the sparking shovels of the grave diggers and the flopping heads of the ballroom dancers! A brilliant production!

It has been a busy summer!

Sorry for the lack of posts! I am in the middle of my yeary Halloween Horror Nights season here in Orlando. Besides HHN, I have several other cool Halloween and theme park projects keeping me busy. 

"So what's up with Wizard's Crag?! We've been waiting (somewhat) patiently for months!"
Here's the deal.
Let's just say that certain individuals have seen the model and they might be interested in granting it a more "official" status. It may be a long shot, but certainly worth pursuing since this is the first time one of my models has received such attention! Unfortunately, it also means that a release may not be taking place in the near future. 
Sorry for keeping you guys hanging on for so long (your support is what keeps me going) but this is a very exciting possibility!
I won't be free to discuss the details of what might be taking place, but I will fill you in when I can.

Thanks to your continued support over the years and the positive comments to my projects (on my blog), you have shown that my work is valued and desired!
Keep your fingers crossed!

For years now, the employees of the Clayton County Library, in Forest Park Georgia, have created Halloween dioramas featuring my paper models. Stephen, who is the lead builder, realized that he never sent a photo of last year's display. Here it is! This scene makes me smile! What a wonderful job from what I'm sure is a wonderful library! 

That's what I get for playing with fire!

I had a great time at Spooky Empire's - MAYHEM event in Orlando a couple weeks ago! I met great fans and awesome celebrities (and THIS guy)!

Godzilla's Stomp of Approval!

Exclusive video of Haruo (GODZILLA) Nakajima stomping on my Bates House model at Monsterpalooza last month!
My paper model kit, "That Old House on the Hill" is featured in the first Edition of Mad Monster magazine.

It's a model...no..it's a cake!

It's a model AND a cake!
Chris from Greensboro, NC, tells me that their 7 year old wanted a "spooky birthday" in April. Cool! This might be the first time I've received a photo of a combination paper model/cake! The model is actually on brown styrofoam to protect it, but it looks great!