In 2008 Teller (the non-speaking, less-assholish member of Penn & Teller) released a video short about life after the zombie apocalypse. He released a second episode in 2010, then three more in October 2014. Here’s the first episode:
The rest are here. In the comments on #5, Ghost Works LLC (who filmed the videos) is ambiguous about additional episodes, replying to “I hope this can continue in another 8 (sic) years” with “Thanks. It won’t be that long.” but then following up “Is this the final episode of ‘& Teller’?” with “For now.” So I guess that some time before 2022 there might be another episode.
Anyway, these are more “I Am Legend” than “Dawn of the Dead,” so that’s nice.
Mapsburgh – This artist sells hand-cut maps of real places drawn in the style of Tolkien. He’ll also do custom maps of any place in the world.
Why My Cat is Sad – Marvelous Twitter account detailing the various causes of cat sadness. I think this one is my favorite.
Dracula’s Bride – Gorgeous knitted shawl pattern from Ravelry.
Major to Minor – Chase Holfelder takes songs in a major (“happy-sounding”) key and transposes them to a minor (“sad-sounding”) key; the results are wonderful. As a bonus, here’s a fan-made “cover” of Type O Negative doing Britney Spears. (Hat tip to Bruno)
Calendar of Boring Men – This is one of those not-even-goth-adjacent links that just amuse me personally. The Dull Men’s Club has released a calendar featuring such worthies as the president (and founder) of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society and a man who has spent 30 years collecting more than 20,000 milk bottles.
Rock On! – Instructions from Martha Stewart on “How to Throw a Punk Rock-Inspired Party” for kids “that won’t turn into a riot.” When I got to the “nosh pit” I facepalmed so hard that I combined phrenology with palmistry.
Janet Stephens – YouTube channel full of historical hairdressing tutorials based on archaeological research and primary sources. (via Jan)
Local Grandmother Quilts Giant Penises – After a successful Kickstarter, a sweet little old lady who used to work at a sex toy factory has created an art show entirely devoted to crafted penises. Penii. Whatever. You can’t make this stuff up. Anyway, sort of NSFW, but not as much as you might expect. (via Poopisan)
Question Bedtime – MC Frontalot’s spooky-ish nerdcore songs for kids based on fairy tales. You can see the video for the song “Shudders,” based on “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn What Fear Was,” here.
Of all of the superpowers I could have chosen, “Be a magnet for random crap on the internet” wasn’t really on the list. But here I am with an overflowing links folder. So you guys get another full week of link dumps.
Death Becomes Her – The NY Met’s Costume Institute has a new exhibit featuring “A Century of Mourning Attire.” The article includes a slideshow of some of the clothing.
Stag Beetle Bread – These surprisingly realistic beetle-shaped loaves wouldn’t be terribly hard to replicate.
Sourpuss – Lots of goth-friendly throw pillows, cookie jars, shower curtains, and other housewares.
Deathsplanation – An archaeologist working on her PhD has a site devoted to “death (and science).” If nothing else, check out her fantastic Plague Poster. (via WitchArachne)
Sugar Skull Bakers – A group of bakers and cake decorators did an amazing collection of Day of the Dead-themed edibles.
Dark Galadriel – This method for creating “scale mail” armor with round sticker labels is brilliant.
Alessandro Gallo – Sculptor of marvelous human/animal hybrids, depicted in everyday situations. I like this insectoid creature, casually walking its crab.
Skull Toothpick Holder – Amusing “mohawk” toothpick holder. I concur with submitter xJane that it’d look even better if you used the picks with little colored tassels.
Caitlin Doughty AMA – The awesome mortician responsible for The Order of the Good Death did a Reddit AMA.
Night Terrors – This ‘toon isn’t funny so much as chillingly accurate.
Lovecraft – Kickstarter for a modern retelling of the Cthulhu Mythos which features Lovecraft “not as a writer but as a kick-ass action hero and alchemist.”
Got a room you want to discourage people from hanging around in? Problem solved.
Kuwaiti designer Al Hamed has a whole line of “Embarakiya” floor lamps fashioned from life-size mannequins sporting lampshades where their heads should be. The dummies all wear traditional Kuwaiti dress, and the shades are made of matching material.
Here’s the best part: Each mannequin has a sensor in its hand, so you switch on the lamp by shaking hands with this abomination.
I cannot love this hard enough. The seated “woman” has such a lurking-ghost vibe about her that I believe I’d be more startled if she didn’t go for my throat.
It looks like retail mannequins run around $100, but if there’s a clothing store in your area which is remodeling or closing you might be able to pick up a used one cheaper (they’re also sometimes available on eBay). Wiring a lamp into the neck wouldn’t be terribly difficult, and if you didn’t want to go to the trouble of installing a switch in the hand you could just stick with the standard one near the bulb.
Dress it in the costume of your choice. Change its outfit periodically. And some night you may wake up to find it standing beside your bed…just before its light goes out.
Throw a baby badger so high that when it lands on your enemy it’s fully grown and very upset. You left town years ago. The perfect crime.
— ceejoyner
How much do my dead bfs ashes weigh? Enough to break the ice. I’m Stephanie.
— smickable
If you think about it, a skeleton is chewing all your food.
— HidetakaMiyazak
Grown ups ask kids, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” because we’re looking for ideas.
— wesjohnson8
SO TIRED of clapping happily when a kid takes more than 1 try to blow out birthday candles. His wish is screwed, why are we ignoring this
— KenJennings
To me manslaughter sounds way worse than murder. They should change it to something like murder-whoopsie.
— WHEREISWALTJNR
yes we still need feminism
the lack of female serial killers is no accident, women are discouraged from serial killing at a young age
— mallelis
Having a pet in the house is good. You can blame all suspicious sounds on it when your in bed. *BANG* What was that!?…it was just the fish
— FillWerrell
I wish TV shows were like sports: held a draft & traded actors mid-season. “AMC picks up Peter Dinklage to finish season six as Don Draper.”
— screencuisine
For a quiet ride, buckle the empty seatbelt beside a child and tell them not to wake up the ghost.
— ceejoyner
H.P. Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham has a prestigious university named after this river, which runs alongside it.
This mathematician and astronomer had strong occult leanings, devoting much of his life to the study of magic, divination, and alchemy. He was a trusted advisor to Elizabeth I and used astrology to choose her coronation date.
A) Nicolas Flamel
B) Gerardus Mercator
C) Albertus Magnus
D) Edward Kelley
E) John Dee
Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay “A Modest Proposal” suggests that the poor people in this country should ease their economic woes by raising their children as food for the rich.
In the novel Dracula, the Count comes to England aboard this ship.
A) Demeter
B) Lucia
C) Czarina Catherine
D) Daedalus
E) Persephone
In 1835 Edgar Allan Poe married a 13-year-old relative. What was her name? (For an extra point, what was their relationship?)
The “Heaven’s Gate” cult committed mass suicide in anticipation of being uplifted to a UFO they believed to be hiding behind this comet.
A) Halley
B) Shoemaker–Levy 9
C) Hyakutake
D) Kohoutek
E) Hale-Bopp
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what is the name of the vampire who sired Angel?
Which of these is NOT a suit in a modern Tarot deck?
A) Wands
B) Skulls
C) Swords
D) Cups
E) Coins
The “Ghostly Trio” are uncles to what cartoon ghost?
Many cryptid researchers claim that this legendary water-dwelling monster from Congo River basin folklore is really a relict dinosaur.
A) Menehune
B) Bunyip
C) Mokele-mbembe
D) Ogopogo
E) Wolpertinger
Got a room you want to discourage people from hanging around in? Problem solved.