At some point artist Christopher Rozzi asked himself what cats, dogs, killer robots, and storm troopers might want to get off their chests and then set about answering that question.

His Tiny Confessions series of paintings feature wistful monsters and household pets, each with a secret shame. If mythical beings used PostSecret, this is probably exactly what it would look like.

He also has prints available on Etsy.

(via io9)

I drooled all over Alpha Stamps’ merchandise a while back, and they recently dropped me a line about a Halloween art contest they’re hosting.

They’re looking for Halloween-themed art which uses at least one Alpha Stamps collage sheet or rubber stamp (you send just a photo, not the actual art). Two winners will receive a rather nice prize package of Halloween goodies.

The full contest details are here. I don’t see anything in the rules about the contest being exclusive to a particular country, so I assume it’s open to all comers.

I’m told that almost no one has entered, so this might be a great opportunity to pick up a nice collection of art supplies. And if you’ve had your eye on any particular Halloween-themed stamp or collage sheet, now you’ve got the perfect excuse to buy it.

Here’s a head-smackingly brilliant idea: Plant markers shaped like tombstones.

Instructables user PenfoldPlant had access to a laser cutter, so his instructions focus on cutting the little headstones out of acrylic. If you don’t have a laser cutter handy there are numerous other ways to do this, depending on your skillset and budget. Possibilities include 3-D fabrication using a service like Shapeways, sculpting in ceramic, carving from wood or stone, or using plain ol’ polymer clay.

Some of the pretty detail work and fine lines might be rather time-consuming to do by hand, but even much simpler designs would still be striking in the garden. In particular I like the clever little mottoes, with the parsley’s Latin inscription including its taxonomic name and the cilantro being declared a friend to salsa.

(via Cat Winterfox)

Disalmanac – Twitter feed and accompanying blog with amusing “on this date” information, such as, “Today in 1788, New Hampshire became a state. You don’t want to know what happened to the Old Hampshire. Trust us. It’s pretty gruesome.” (Hat tip to Empress Pam)

12 Creepiest Abandoned Prisons on Earth – Lots of haunting photos. Urban explorers are made of sterner stuff than I will ever be.

Adorable Naked Mole Rat Snacking on Fruit – It is too adorable. Shut up.

Sad Etsy Boyfriends – Tumblr site documenting the plight of boyfriends being made to model Etsy merchandise.

Inside Haitian Vodou – Interesting photogallery at Life. (Some graphic animal-sacrifice photos.)

My Life as a White Trash Zombie – Novel (the first in a series) about a zombie who works in a morgue. The author discusses her “big idea” at Whatever.

Spider Silk Textile – Article about an insanely time-consuming fabric made of spider silk. (Hat tip to pdq)

Jason Voorhees Body Count – Infographic of everyone Jason has killed in the Friday the 13th series.

Creepy-Ass Dolls – As this book’s description puts it, “There’s a reason they were kept in the toybox.”

Ringbearer of the Day – A Four Weddings contestant had “Gollum” as their ringbearer. This is equal parts hilarious and disturbing.

Here’s a fashion accessory I’d never really considered: Intricately-cut paper eyelashes.

Paperself is London-based company which offers a variety of designs inspired by traditional Chinese paper-cutting. The (presumably laser-cut) lashes come in both a small corner-of-the-eye size and a dramatic full-lash version.

I can’t seem to find any information about how they’re attached or whether they’re reusable–although for the price I’d certainly hope they are–but they really are quite striking. They rather put me in mind of the velvet “beauty marks” that were popular in the 18th Century.

The lashes are available in the UK from the site and a number of other retailers. There’s also a list of places to purchase them in other countries.

…Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was a John Hughes-esque teen comedy?

It would be awesome, is what.

(No prizes, but if you can answer them all without googling you get bragging rights.)

1. Which famous horror film shared casting sessions with Star Wars?
   A) Halloween
   B) The Omen
   C) Jaws
   D) Carrie
   E) The Exorcist
2. The following short stories all feature what person as a protagonist? “When It Was Moonlight” (Manly Wade Wellman), “The Gentleman From Paris” (John Dickson Carr), “Richmond, Late September, 1849” (Fritz Leiber), “In the Sunken Museum” (Gregory Frost), “No Spot of Ground” (Walter John Williams)
3. What Bauhaus song was used in the beginning of the 80s David Bowie movie The Hunger?
4. In Clive Barker’s Weaveworld, what mundane object does the land of the Fugue hide in?
5. When Jenny Clack of the University of Cambridge discovered a fossil amphibian in what was once a fetid swamp, she named it Eucritta melanolimnetes, which is Greek for the title of this classic movie about a prehistoric human-fish hybrid.
6. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, what is the name of Caligari’s somnambulistic servant?
7. Which actor has portrayed “Count Dracula” on the big screen more times than any other?
8. The Japanese film Ju-On has had numerous sequels in its home country. In 2004, the movie was remade for American audiences. What is its English title?
9. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, what was the full name of the carnival that came to Green Town?
10. Who is the lead singer for The Sisters of Mercy?

(Answers below the fold)

Read the rest of this entry »

This. Is. Brilliant.

Run for Your Lives is a charity event benefiting the American Red Cross. It’s a 5K run/obstacle course wherein participants are chased by volunteer zombies.

Runners wear “life” flags and their zombies pursuers attempt to rip off the flags. Runners who reach the end of the course with flags left are eligible for various prizes.

The event is in Baltimore, MD this year, but the site promises that there will be additional locations in 2012. In addition to the site there are Facebook and Twitter presences which will provide more details about what sorts of obstacles to expect.

Here’s their promotional video:

Their FAQ is also fairly entertaining:

What will I walk away with?
Warwear performance tee
Racing bib (we know you always wanted one)
Medals to signify your survival (or zombie transformation)
Admittance to the Apocalypse Party
Advanced training for the actual Zombie Apocalypse
One less appendage

If you’re in the Baltimore area and have always yearned to be chased by zombies (or to be a zombie and chase the living), now’s your chance.

(via Neatorama)

Minimalist Childrens’ Stories – Hyper-minimal representations of classic stories. Available as prints.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains – Short story by Neil Gaiman, available free online.

Why You Should Always Sleep with a Teddy Bear – I love this illustration. (via Witch Arachne)

Kick-ass Stuff – An awesome Pinterest board curated by The Bloggess.

Radical X-Ray Art – Very cool photo roundup.

13 Real Animals Lifted Directly Out of Your Nightmares – The pictures are creepy, but the commentary is priceless.

Holy Smoke – This company loads cremated ash into the live ammunition of your choice. Their motto does not appear to be, “Go out with a bang,” which makes me very sad. (Hat tip to pdq)

Two books of crafts:
Steampunk Softies – How to make little soft steampunky dolls.
Closet Monsters – Suggestions for turning unwanted clothing into whimsical monsters.

Natural Born Tattoos – A roundup of interesting, “fierce” nature tattoos, featuring all sorts of creepy-crawlies.

Pulp Parlour – These are some truly weird pinatas. The “bat attack” is just hilarious.

Sculptor Michael Locascio trained as a classical artist, with anatomy work featuring skeletons and cadaver dissections. He’s recently opened an Etsy shop featuring “the macabre, the mythic, and the unusual,” and drawing inspiration from catacombs and tombs. There’s some lovely stuff, heavy on the skulls and tentacles.

The selection is limited to candleholders, wall plaques, and wine stoppers at the moment, but there appear to be plans to expand. There’s also a companion URL, http://www.dellamorteco.com/, which currently redirects to the Etsy shop but might offer an expanded variety in the future. Pretty!

(Hat tip to Brenda)