McFarlane manufactures a wide variety of models and action figures; you may have seen their movie or music figures at places like Spencer Gifts and Hot Topic. Somewhat less widely available, but completely awesome, are their monsters.

I originally encountered the monsters through the Twisted Land of Oz set, featuring a mutated Toto and a Dorothy in bondage gear (the latter is borderline NSFW). Every figure in their collection is astonishingly detailed and hideously imaginative.

Their “Six Faces of Madness” series, for instance, features Attilla the Hun posing on a mound of decapitated heads, a blood-drenched Jack the Ripper, Elizabeth Bathory relaxing in the tub, and other historical “monsters.” This series even includes an optional accessory pack, including “a custom base for Elizabeth Bathory, several weapons for Billy the Kid, a lamp post for Jack the Ripper, several potion bottles and tubes for Rasputin and torso on stake for Vlad the Impaler.”

How can you not love a toy that includes an accessory torso?

Given their quality, the figures are surprisingly affordable–around $13 for smaller figures and $35 for large ones–and would certainly make an arresting decoration for office or home. The site offers loads of detailed pictures (again, some are NSFW) if you just want to admire their artistry.

I can’t wait until Shadowboy’s old enough not to be traumatized by my decorating scheme; I want Little Miss Muffet for the home office.

Link

According to the fashion mavens over at the New York Times, whom I cannot guarantee weren’t huffing spray paint when they wrote this, all things “superhero” will be the hot trend in springtime fashion. Webbing, latex, primary colors, and space-age sleekness will feature prominently this season.

I’m not so much down with the primary colors, but the webbing and latex sound intriguing. Mentioned in the Times article are Rodarte’s cat-claw gloves, the Mara Hoffman crocheted cover-up shown here, and Givenchy gladiator boots, all of which would be at home in a gothy closet. I’d expect to see cheap knockoffs of these items in the near future, so this season might be a good time to add some pretty pieces to your wardrobe.

Link (via SciFi Scanner)

Here’s a cute diversion for long car rides: The Monster Magnet Tin by Mudpuppy has more than forty monster illustrated parts to mix and match into your own hideous creations. It includes four reversible backgrounds with scenes like haunted houses and alien planets, and the tin is just the right size for stacking backgrounds and monsters.

It goes without saying that these would also be cute stuck to the refrigerator.

Mudpuppy doesn’t seem to have its own Website but there are several places you can buy the magnet set, including here and here. The tin runs about $14.

Update: Susan was kind enough to point out in the comments that Mudpuppy does have its own Website; I’m not sure why Google failed me on that one.

(via BoingBoing)

I’m sort of reticent to mention any business that calls itself “Hipster Home,” but I have to admit that these rings are awfully cute.

It’s quite a nice ring: The eyes are cut diamonds rather than chips, and the metal is sterling silver and/or 14k gold. The one shown here is gold-plated, but they have several other options, and they also do custom work. This would make a nice engagement ring for the goth-minded girl. It’s got the “Til Death Do Us Part” thing built right in.

(via Awesome)

Opal is releasing a line of “Harry Potter” sock yarn. According to their importer the yarns will be released in September to coincide with the release of the Half-Blood Prince movie.

Rather than any “house color” yarns, the yarn palettes all appear to be based on characters from the movie. The one with the Hedwig label is sort of, um, owl-colored, for example.

The Opal site includes a list of yarn shops which carry their products. And here’s a photo gallery of promotional images for the product.

The palettes are pretty, but I don’t think you could expect the casual observer to immediately discern the yarn’s significance. I suppose you could use the yarn for one of the Charmed Knits projects and completely embrace your inner HP geek. If you do, don’t tell me about it; I’d prefer to maintain a few illusions.

We’ve upgraded our catalog and will be adding loads of new items in the coming months. We’re clearing out our old inventory to make room, so come by for some fantastic deals!

Clearance Items

Shadow Manor Home

Quantum Mechanix, a company which primarily specializes in replica science fiction props, is now offering an exact replica of the ring that Bela Lugosi wore in the original Dracula.

The original Dracula Crest prop was in the collection of gonzo SF/F fan Forrest Ackerman, and he was kind enough to let the QM guys photograph and mold the ring for a replica. The recreation is in .925 sterling silver with a carnelian stone inlay. The company takes pains to emphasize that the replicas are identical in material and design to the original Lugosi prop.

The QM page just has a short blurb and a note that availability will be announced, but a search on “Dracula crest ring” turns up a couple of dozen resellers who are already stocking it (there are a couple here and here).

It appears that the price across sites is $199 (with the exception of one site–which shall remain nameless–selling it for nearly twice that in the apparent belief that its customers don’t know what Google is). As nearly as I can tell it only comes in size 9, but you could have a jeweler adjust the fit. It might be a bit bulky for a woman’s finger, but you could always wear it as a thumb ring and claim you were going steady with Vlad.

Pretty!

Eric Ruhling, the author of a history of torture implements entitled Infernal Device, has branched out with a coloring book. Each of the 20 line drawings is accompanied by a rhyme.

I’m not necessarily recommending that you introduce your four-year-old to the concept of a scold’s bridle (wait until he’s at least five), but if you like to color you might frame a few as conversation pieces.

Link (via BoingBoing)

Gloom is an entertaining (so to speak) card game whose object is to kill off the family in your care by heaping misfortunes upon them.

You’ll play horrible mishaps like Pursued by Poodles or Mocked by Midgets on your own characters to lower their Self-Worth scores, while trying to cheer your opponents’ characters with marriages and other happy occasions that pile on positive points. The player with the lowest total Family Value wins.

There are “Unhappy Homes” and “Unwelcome Guests” expansion packs available, too. I suppose you could view the game as an exercise in altruism: After all, you’re not hindering your opponents’ families, you’re helping them. By, um, destroying your own family first. Um.

Extra points for the Goreyesque artwork.

Link (Hat tip to Haunted Wolf)

Artist AlexCF describes himself as a “retrofuture cryptozoological assemblage artist and illustrator.”

i like to create items and objects from a past that wasnt quite; to fashion the things you wish existed in forgotten attics or secret rooms, dust covered relics of a time when the world was the same – but not quite, an age of wonder and intrigue. What you see here is the tip of a rather large iceberg, and over time i will reveal a plethora of oddities for you to enjoy, or buy.

His work is incredibly detailed and awesomely Victorian, including items like the Werewolf Anatomical Research Box, the Mountains of Madness Expedition Case, and this Vampire Research Reliquary, collected by an “unnamed cleric” who had sworn to protect humanity from the vampiric scourge. Each item includes a short “in character” backstory about its creation and use.

He also does creepy opium-dream illustrations of scenes from Alice in Wonderland and a lost retrofuture society.

Gorgeous stuff. Go look!

Link (via Science Fiction Brewed Fresh Daily)