Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Ghastly Ones

The Ghastly Ones

Official Site
Target: Draculon, Ghastly Plastics 2006
Unearthed, Ghastly Plastics 2007

Well, Freaky Tiki Surf-ari has come to a close and I've saved what's often regarded as (and rightfully so) the best for last. Not only do the Ghastly Ones play amazing horror surf jam-packed with horror movie references, but they also sell spooky Tiki mugs! Besides, how can you not love a band named after an Andy Milligan movie?

The band itself was founded in Van Nuys, California in 1996 and played their first show on Halloween. 1997 marked the release of their first album, A-Haunting we will Go-Go and they've been putting out new material ever since. In addition to the mysterious "Go-Go Ghoul" Necrobella, the band consisted of:

Garrett "Dr. Lehos" Immel: Guitar
Kevin "Sir Go Go Ghastly" Hair: Bass
Dave "Captain Clegg" Klein: Keyboards
Norman "Baron Shivers" Cabrera: Drums & vocals

I say "consisted of" since Sir Go Go Ghastly has since left to pursue other projects.

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Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Satan's Pilgrims

Satan's Pilgrims

Official Site
Plymouth Rock, Musick Recordings 2004
Psychsploitation, Sp Records 2009

According to their official Facebook page, Satan's Pilgrims formed in 1992 over a (quote) "series of house parties hosted by the members of the band" in Portland, Oregon. Basing their name on the exploitation film Satan's Sadists, the Pilgrims soon became an official group and rocked wherever they performed.


The Pilgrims themselves say that the best album of theirs for horror fans to check out is Creature Feature. However, as said album is now long out of print, they recommend Plymouth Rock (which includes selections from Creature Feature)).) Said "best of" album is a two disc compilation of their greatest songs, along with plenty of rare and previously unreleased goodies. There's even some video content (due to the use of enhanced CDs), but technical issues kept me from viewing it at this time. Apparently, it generated so much interest in the group that they reanimated from their hiatus in 2000 and have been performing ever since!

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Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Don Tiki

Don Tiki

Official Site
South of the Boudoir, Taboo Records 2009

I first became hooked on Don Tiki after hearing the spooky Tiki track "The Natives Are Restless." Further research on the band led me to discover that they had done other songs with kinda creepy titles, such as "Axolotl" and "The Hypnotizing Man." Their debut album, The Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki also depicts creepy idols, green fire and a human skull (carrying over aspects from the cover of The Exotic Moods of Les Baxter). Not that it effects my enjoyment of the band, mind you. Don Tiki could have never done any of those things and I'd still love 'em.

The booking agent for Don Tiki had an interesting observation about Ritual of the Savage, the same album whose cover art inspired the creation of the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari. He said that the spooky idol images were "...meant to stir passions within the safety of suburbia," or as the band likes to say, "where sensual fantasies exist...especially after that third mai tai."

Sex is an aspect of Tiki culture (that link is NSFW, by the way), although said aspect is often toned down in general pop culture. Don Tiki has embraced this aspect of Tiki, as evidenced by this album's title and Skinny Dip With Don Tiki. Speaking of the album, they've really gone all out and have assembled quite a selection of talent. In addition to the core members:

Jim Howard: Flute
Sharene Lum: Harp
Hai Jung: Lead & backing vocals
Sherry Shaoling: Lead & backing vocals
Delmar deWilde: Lead & backing vocals
Carlinhos de Oliveira: Brazilian percussion
Perry Coma: Keyboards percussion & backing vocals
Noel Okimoto: Vibes, marimba, drums & percussion

They also brought in:

Ryoko Oka: T'rung
Dean Taba: Basses
Jason Segler: Drums
James Ganeko: Congas
Starr Kalahiki: Backing vocals
Rockford Holmes: Saxes & flutes
Yo Ma-Ma (Jimmy Borges): Lead vocal
Lopaka Colon: Jungle percussion (of The Waitiki 7 fame)

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Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Surf Zombies

The Surf Zombies

Official Myspace
Something Weird, Oasis Manufacturing 2009

The Surf Zombies first came to my attention by the way of a "Rock and Roots" CD sampler. The split second I saw the song title "El Funebre (The Hearse)" and the band's name on the track listing, I knew I was in for a treat. Listening to it confirmed my expectations and immediately got me hooked on the band's work. So when the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari started, I knew I just had to include them.

Formed in 2005 by lead guitarist Brook Hoover, the Surf Zombies originally consisted of Hoover, Jim Viner on drums and Doug Roberson on guitar. But as the notes for their second album Something Weird (the subject of this review) explain, tour issues led to their replacement by Erik Marshall on drums and Kyle D. Oyloe on guitar. Fender jazz bassist Joel McDowell has also been a constant in the group's changing line-up and wrote many songs for the album(along with Hoover and Oyloe). The album's complete lineup includes:

Brook Hoover: Fender jazz guitar
Joel McDowell: Fender jazz bass
Kyle Oyloe: Fender jazzmaster & danelectro baritone guitar
Jon Wilson Drums: Drums on track 19
Charles Hasson: Drums on tracks 16 and 20
Erik Marshall: Drums on tracks 2, 3, 7, 11, 12
Ryan Hoagland: Drums on tracks 1 4 5 6 8 9 10 13 14 15 17 18

But enough about the band, let's get to their music...

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Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Robert Drasnin

Robert Drasnin

Official Site
Voodoo II, Dionysus Records 2007


Martin Denny. Les Baxter. Arthur Lyman. They are the greats of the classic exotica world. However, I think there's a name missing from that list: Robert Drasnin.

Granted, he's only released two exotica albums, Voodoo and Voodoo II, but I think their quality and importance more than makes up for the lack of quantity.

The Voodoo series actually has an interesting history. Back in 1959, Drasnin composed Voodoo for Tops/Mayfair Records. Tops re-released it a year later with new cover art and under a new title: "Percussion Exotique." It wasn't until 1996 that it was reissued onto CD by Dionysus Records. That same year, Pickwick Records (then owned by the now-defunct video company Simitar) released a CD called Exotic Excursion which was made up of 10 of the original album's 12 tracks. However, while the Dionysus release was mastered from a previously unplayed record, the Pickwick release used the original master tapes from the 50's. Why two different companies released CDs of the same material using different masters (and why the one using the master tapes didn't use two tracks) is a mystery to me.

After the original release of Voodoo, Drasnin performed as a musician in numerous other albums, did work on television shows like Lost in Space and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He even became CBS' Director of Music in 1977! According to the liner notes, the idea to create a sequel to his hit exotica album came in 2005, after the tremendous response to his liver performance of selections from Voodoo at the Hukilau Tiki festival. Two years later, Voodoo II was released.

Not only did Mr. Drasnin compose, conduct and arrange the entire album, but he also played the clarinet, flute and saxophone! One top of that, he recruited:

Mike Lang: Piano
Jim Hughart: Bass
Billy Hulting: Vibes
Amy Shulman: Harp
Peggy Baldwin: Cello
Howard Greene: Drums
John Sawoski: Keyboard
DJ Bonebrake: Marimba
Stephanie Bennett: Vocals
Bobby Shulgold: Alto flute, flute
Brad Dutz and Scott Breadman: Latin percussion

As you can see, this was a true labor of love and not a quickly slapped together cash in. In fact, the resulting sound is so rich (thanks to the use of so many instruments) that my write-up can't cover them all!

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Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Man Or Astro-Man?

Man Or Astro-Man?

Official Site
Live Transmissions From Uranus , Touch and Go Records 1997 (Original release date: 1995)

Founded in Auburn, Alabama during the early 90's, Man Or Astro-Man? soon rose to fame for both their excellent surf music and various gimmicks. Not only did they base songs on horror and sci-fi movies (even including samples from some), but all the members of the band use pseudonyms and claim to actually be aliens from outer space!

As a fan of surf music, Godzilla movies and Mystery Science Theater 3000, it was inevitable that I would repeatedly hear about the greatness of Man Or Astro-Man? Not only were they extremely talented musicians, but they did a cover of the theme song for Mystery Science Theater 3000, and included references to Godzilla movies in much of their work, from songs like
"King of the Monsters" to albums like "Experiment Zero" (Monster Zero) and "Destroy All Astro-Men!" (Destroy All Monsters). In fact, my love of Japanese monster movies led to my figuring out where the band got their name. While reading a book on Toho films, I noticed that the tag line on the US poster for The Human Vapor read "Is He Man? Or ASTRO-MAN?" Sadly, the band's releases were all but impossible to obtain in my year and it was only due to my doing the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari that finally lead to me hearing their work.

"Live Transmissions From Uranus" is a recording of a 1994 concert in Gainesville, Florida that mostly consisted of material from the albums "Destroy All Astro-Men!" and "Project Infinity." The performers consist of the founding members "Birdstuff," "Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard" and "Star Crunch" (their membership has changed many times over the years). As this is a live show, the majority of the tracks have spoken introductions by the group and constant interaction with the screaming audience. However, my review will only make note of the particularly interesting or funny bits.

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Tuesday uEtsy: Niswander Ceramics

[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]

Niswander Ceramics (niswanderceramics.etsy.com)

Gulko was visiting today. He wanted to drop off some invitations to his annual Octoberganza, which runs around his birthday sometime near the 13th.  It's not really Oktoberfest but there is similar amounts of drinking and plenty of grilling going on. Gulko busts out a cask of some specialty brew for the adults with birch and root beer for the kids.

"You both should come along," he said to Weird Jon and Strange Jason, both hanging about as they prepare for the upcoming season. They seem to get along with Gulko, since everyone seems to get along with Gulko. Can't say it's that hard, since Anthony Gulko's a jolly type, one who is very content with just a few things in life. We're grateful for him and we look forward to when he visits. Give the man a good amount of sandwiches and a full mug and he'll be pleased for days. If he knew of Niswander Ceramics, he would probably special order some steins for the Octoberganza. 

Nevermore Ravens on Wrought Iron Fence Stein

Laurie J. Niswander produces some rather fantastic pieces of ceramic steins and mugs. Like the crow on the Raven on the Iron fence above, Niswander has some crisp and clean designs that express a haunting, spooky sense with effective use of imagery.

Jolly Roger Stein

Similar to that, you can find this Jolly Roger stein, expressing how much of a corporate pirate you are or how your grog will kick the butt of PBR on any day of the week.  Bust out this Niswander Ceramics badboy around the coffeemaker at work and people will probably speak to you with a more audible tone of respect. Or they'll say 'arrrrr' a lot, which in our eyes, is a win/win scenario.

Franken' Stein

In addition, you can find mugs with as much character as Gulko. Sure, Frankie's Stein here won't be belting out some classic big band singing when you fill it up with some Belgian ale like you would with Gulko, but this mug would be easier to take home after you've had a few. No electricity needed.

Bitty Batty Mug

You'll find a lot of characters at Niswander's store, like this bitty monster mug. His face holds a surprise, a mystery - does he contemplate mischief or the great puzzling enigmas of the universe? Or is it the face of a monster who just farted in your hot cider? Perhaps all three or none at all.

Jolly Roger Stein

On top of fantastic mugs and incredible steins, Niswander Ceramnics offer some ceramic jack o'lanterns for those who don't want to waste a pumpkin (or perhaps are too far from a pumpkin patch.) This jaunty jack makes for a great decoration that can be saved much longer than any rotting gourd. Consider that if you're allergic to vegetation or hate the feel of pumpkin guts on your hands.

Check out Niswander Ceramics Etsy site here and their website here. See what you can see and make sure you have your stein ready for Octoberganza. And be sure you're back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy. 

2010 Contest Page Update

We're almost three weeks away from the deadline (October 16th, 2010) for our Gravediggers Local 16 2010 Halloween Contest. We've already received some incredible entries so far! And we're accepting entries until One minute until Midnight (11:59pm EST) on October 16th. Remember, you can send three (3) limericks and one (1) artistic expression.  Remember, every entrant who includes a mailing address gets something neat and spooky. It won't be much but it'll be our way of saying 'You entered our contest. You rock. Seriously, you do."

Last week, we announced an entry to the PAIN IN THE NECK grand prize pack. So this week, OUT OF YOUR GOURD gets an addition with....

ZOMBIE PUMPKINS MEMBERSHIP

Zombie Pumpkins (www.zombiepumpkins.com) is site in it's 8th year of operation, providing up to 220+ carving pattens for the pumpkin enthusiast. You will have the pleasuring of picking 25 out of  over-two-hundred designs when you win a Break Ground membership.

If you're someone who is going to have their pumpkin carved well ahead of the October 23th announcement date, don't fret. Zombie Pumpkins memberships are good for 9 months and the site provides ideas on how to apply the designs for other occasions!

Note - Zombie Pumpkins is not affiliated, sponsoring, endorses or is responsible for this contest in any way. Winners will have an account purchased by Gravediggers Local 16. Any gripes about the contest can be sent to frontoffice [at] gravediggerslocal.com. If winning contestant is currently a ZombiePumpkins member, the 'break ground' account will be purchased at the end of the current, existing ZP membership. This is a disclaimer. This has been a disclaimer.

Update: Patchmaster General Ryan at ZombiePumpkins.com has graciously offered to donate a 'Break Ground' membership to the winner! We want to thank Ryan and www.ZombiePumpkins.com for such a generous offer! Let's all give a big Halloween Thank You to Zombie Pumpkins (here on Twitter, Facebook and even on their YouTube channel!)

Remember how we're going to announce who wins what this week? We still are. Come back in a few  hours days for the news. Or follow us on Twitter (@GdL16) or Facebook for early scoops.


Enter today in our contest! Deadline is 10/16.  

Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited

Official Site (Label)
The Spooky Sound Sessions, Dionysus Records 2009


After Kava Kon, we have one more stop in our Freaky Tiki Surf-ari side trip through the world of neo-exotica, which also takes us further into the world of space age pop.

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited is something of a mystery to me. They don't have any official website or social networking pages that I can find and what few tidbits of information about them I managed to find online are very brief. Their Wikipedia entry refers to them as a "Swiss instrumental band" that's been releasing albums since the late 90's, along with references to some projects that have used the band's music on their soundtracks. This calls them a "Swiss instrumental/exotica/space age duo," which makes the mention of a third musician on the CD's back cover a bit confusing. Are they a new member or a special guest? I honestly can't say that I know. All I do know is that these people are credited are:

Karen Simpson: Guitar and percussion.
Markus Maggiori: Bongos, congas, and percussion.
Natz Maeschi: Guitar, bass, organ and keyboards (He also wrote the music).

Reading the CD also resulted in my realizing that the album's title was due to the music being recorded at the "Spooky Sound Studio." This initially did have me worried that this wouldn't be a good fit for Freaky Tiki Surf-ari but as soon as I played the first track, I knew everything was going to be all right...

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Tuesday uEtsy: Raise Your Fist

[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]

Raise Your Fist Inc (RaiseYourFist.etsy.com)

The adage 'Youth is wasted on the young' was a way to express how the energy, invincibility and overall attractiveness of those prime years are often saddled with minds lacking a good chunk of common sense and stable emotions. If you had the ability to function at the levels of 16-21 while maintaining the humility and patience of a 30+ year old, you'd be invincible. This is why Doc Killian gets contracted out every November by Mr. Fallingard.

It's also why we're glad to spotlight Raise Your Fist Inc. this week on Tuesday uEtsy. Because we don't endorse any kind of ingestible substance to somehow facilitate an idea of youthful exurberence. But we do think you can supplement your mature life with some little patches of youth sewn on to rejuvinate you.

Unlike the medical experiements in age-regression that Mr. Fallingard has Doc Killian conduct, Raise Your Fist Inc. specializes in accessories to make any outfit spooky, radical or downright punk. Which is good, because sometimes you need a little excitement but your work  won't allow anything over 1". But if you've got a messenger bag, an old jacket or a pair of jeans you want to turn spooky, you can't go wrong with a cloth patch from Raise Your Fist Inc.. Take a look at the famous monster of filmland above. Slap that on an old Dickies jacket and show someone some undead pride.

Or perhaps you want to demonstrate some feminism - being created by men for a man, rejecting your place and chosing your own fate - of the spooky kind. Or perhaps you dig the hairstyle of Elsa Lanchester?

What we like a lot about the patches offered by Raise Your Fist Inc. are some of their original designs. This zombie patch has a quiet sense of horror to it, with how the exposed jawbone just blends in to the profile shot. It's a nice way to demonstrate how death will catch up with all of us, which is something that Mr. Fallingard has been denying ever since he retired from the freight shipping business. Poor Doc Killian runs in circles trying to come up with some kind of way to either prolong Fallingard's life or turn him back into the 20-something of old.

Our Ghoul Jenn thinks these chrome skull earrings are "perfect for a first date, when a ghoul needs to show who is boss."

She knows. Our Ghoul Jenn knows. She's left more broken hearts than Van Hellsing on a good day so when you need to know what to wear on that first date, job interview or just going to the store to get the freshest produce, she's got the low-down. And these are of many earrings available at Raise Your Fist Inc.. So when you want to hang something impressive from your ears, you know where to go. Raise Your Fist Inc. is your hook-up for what to wear to hook-up, snack down or rock out.

But as we mentioned before, sometimes you're only allowed one inch of personal space to rebel. We don't want you to lose your job, especially in this economy. That's why Doc Killian goes to work for Mr. Fallingard every November, to secure enough money to help pay for his family's needs for the entire year. Sometimes, we have to lie in wait before we can conquer the world.  If you've got an inch to spare, Raise Your Fist Inc. has a button set for you. Seven buttons for three bucks a pop - you cannot get a better deal anywhere else. Here you see their 'Night of the Living Dead' set but everything you could want - from anarchy to hand grenades to owls - is there. Sometimes, all you need in an button or an earring or a patch on a jacket to help remind you of who you really are, no matter how old or what job you're doing to make sure the lights are on when you come home.

You'll find Raise Your Fist Inc.'s Etsy store here, and you can check out their main site at Raise Your Fist Inc dot com. From there you'll find their Ebay store, with items you may not see on their Etsy shop. Plus, a blog that they're going to get back up and running soon. Check 'em out and see what you can see. We'll keep an light on you for you when you come back next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.

Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Mission Creeps

The Mission Creeps

Official Site
Dark Cells, Refractory Records 2010


The Mission Creeps aren't your typical horror surf band. Brandon Specktor of the Arizona Daily Wildcat described their unique style as "gothic/garage rock," ReverbNation called it "reverb-drenched guitar, psychotic theremin and velvelty..." and one Frankie Estelle calls them a "Cramps-style surfabilly band." The Creeps themselves have used the term "CreepDamageRock" while I personally define it as "dark surf crossbred with various other genres and styles."

I suspect their ever-evolving style has some times to the group's history. Back when the band was founded in Tucson, Arizona by singer/guitarist James Arrr, it had around 5-6 members and a constantly changing parade of drummers. This continued into their 2007 debut album In Sickness and In Health and their 2008 Ghouls Among Us EP. But Dark Cells marks a new direction for the Mission Creeps, as the band has been pared down to three members: The previously-mentioned James Arrr with Miss Frankie Stein on bass and newcomer Jeff DiDay on drums.

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2010 Contest Page

CLICK HERE for the Gravediggers Local 16 2010 Halloween Contest.

We are officially within the countdown to the October 16th deadline for the 2010 Halloween Contest here at the Local. That's a long sentence, but it sums everything up: submit your three (3) limericks and/or one (1) artful expression demonstrating the theme of this year's contest - 'something spooky is happening at the Local's Halloween Party' - by October 16th.

We've already announced that the grand prize winners will receive some spooky soap and either a DVD of 'Perfect Creature,' a neat New Zealand vampire movie or a CD of 'Halloween Hootenanny,' featuring original music by The Ghastly Ones, Deadbolt, Southern Culture on the Skids and more. 


We've already received entries and we're still thirty days away! Remember that you are not required to include a mailing address with your entry (if you win, we'll contact you) but if you do, you're guaranteed to get something spooky and neat from us at the Local. 


Since we have thirty days to go, we're going to leave you with a little tease for this Week's Prize announcement. Next week, we'll tell you what's going into the OUT OF YOUR GOURD package but for this week, an addition to A PAIN IN THE NECK....

FAKE BLOOD 


Blood Gel, realistic and close to the genuine product without having to puncture a vein. The winner will be up to seventh heaven someplace else when they win this fine specimen of holiday horror Hollywood magic.


Fantastic! Keep your entries coming in!

OH - one more thing!

Since we believe in democracy, and perchance to encourage you to enter knowing that you had a hand in picking your prizes (and not your nose), we're taking an informal poll. Follow us on twitter - @GdL16 - and by Sunday at Midnight EST, tweet at us with either "Neck for Art" or "Gourd for Limerick" or vice-ah-versa. Next Friday, we'll announce the grand prize designations for each contest and another addition to the prize pile.

Keep it spooky!  

A Challenge!

Our Ghoul Jenn has thrown down a challenge!

Using our new wireless crystal ball - which has great reception - we were able to channel forth a spirit and get a call from beyond the grave! (about two miles beyond, because Our Ghoul Jenn was down at the coffee shop. She's not dead. Just deadly.)

Being that tomorrow is officially 31 DAYS LEFT on the Gravediggers Local 2010 Halloween Contest, she has challenged each of you out there to out-limerick her:

Once, a hot ghoul named Jenn

got sick of all these monster men.

A sparkly vampire did appear

and said "Come here, my dear."

Instead, she gouged his eyes out with a pen.

A good one! And a great update to the dating scene for today's modern ghoul. THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THROWN DOWN. Are you man (or woman) enough to pick up? GO HERE

Tuesday uEtsy: agorables

[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]

Agorables (agorables.etsy.com)

Romantic Watercolor Spanish Rose Skull Tattoo Style Vinyl Wallet

We'd say something like "a good wallet is hard to find" but clearly, such a statement would be false because we've never found a wallet that hasn't been good. Suitable, yes. Functional and able to last a year or three, sure. Spend ten bucks and you've got a perfunctory wallet for a good three years. But if a good wallet isn't hard to find, why not put forth the extra effort and find a great one? Agorables is here to help you with your search.

TATTOO Gun Vinyl Wallet by Agorables A Statement on Skin Art

It's clear that Agorables' work is not for everyone, which means that it's for a certain type of person--one with  taste for the nitty and the gritty. Take a look above at both the Spanish Rose skulls and the tattoo gun wallet. These are perfect for those men and women who show more ink than skin when taking off their shirts, who can name five brands of whiskey known for taking rust off of a chrome fender and can most likely beat your dad in an Arm-wrestling contest. Or, they might be those who like the look of Agorables's art and want to show it off to the world.

Vinyl wallets are different than your most leather variants. We've spotlighted some vegan products in the past so perhaps the idea of not carrying around a folded chunk of some animal's processed skin appeals to you. We can understand that.

Retro Black Panther Tattoo Vinyl Wallet Sailor Jerry Inspired Agorables.com

You can have the animal on the outside of your wallet, as seen here on this Black Panther design inspired by Sailor Jerry's tattoos. We've seen a couple former navy workers, giving up their sealegs for a shovelhead, sporting some designs similar to the one up there. There's no policy against ink within the Union. In fact, the Local holds a yearly tattoo and hot rod convention down in Tuscaloosa. This year, it was fellow Vinnie Edmonds out from Portland who won the best in show for his original design of a human circulatory system composed strictly out of the parts used to build the engine for a '67 Dodge Charger. Beautiful.

Funny ChupaCabra WaLLet NO MORE GOATS

It's not just classic ink that you'll find on Agorables wallets. No, they also have work for the sick and twisted sense of humor. Here, we have the Chupacabra food pyramid, for when you're out on the road and have to ask "have I eaten a well balanced diet fit for a mythological Mexican beast?" These are the issues plaguing today's youth and Argorables will be there to ferret them towards success and dementia.

Owl and Bat Buddies Wallet Sleepy Time Agorables.com

But, they also can do cute.

Multicolor Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Vinyl Wallet by Agorables Clothing

Cute and gritty, but also colorful. This Day of the Dead themed wallet will either impress or horrify (possibly both) your friends and loved ones when you pull it out to pay for dinner. Perhaps this is what you want, so that people, so impressed by the sheer fear-inducing might of your wallet, will offer to pay for you. This is the power that could be yours. Buy today!

You can find Agorables main site here, which will direct you back to their Etsy shop. Be sure to contact them and say, "Yes. I want to bring about fear through monetary displays of might to all who gaze upon me." Or say hi. We're sure they'll like the message either way. And come back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.

2010 Contest Update

As you might have seen, we here at Gravediggers Local 16 recently announced our '2010 Gravediggers Local 16 Halloween Contest.' You have until October 16th, 2010 to enter so there's plenty of time! We've received our first entry already and we haven't even announced all the prizes yet!

Each week, we're going to announce a new addition to the prize packages. Since there are two contests, one for visual expression (i.e. 'art') and one for written expression (i.e. 'limerick') there will be two grand prize packages plus two runner up prizes as well.

This week, we figure we'd announce both prizes for the Grand Prize packages as well as for the Runner Up. Each contest will have one (1) grand prize winner and (1) runner up.

For GRAND PRIZE #1 - A PAIN IN THE NECK, we add....

PERFECT CREATURE on DVD.

Recently, New Zealand suffered a 7.1(give or take) earthquake. Kind of crazy, how the world seems to be going through hell. We given our support to Hati, Pakistan and China - now is time to root for New Zealand. While we donate to disaster relief, let's give some spiritual and spooky encouragement by giving away PERFECT CREATURE, listed as New Zealand's First Vampire Movie. Sure, that claim comes from Wikipedia, reason enough to be dubious, but we're willing to look past and say - go kiwis! 

One might say that the Lords of the Rings might have been better if we secretly imagined the hobbits as vampires, but we'll leave that for the fan-fiction writers.

In addition to the grand prize, a copy of PERFECT CREATURE on DVD will be given to a runner up.

Next...

GRAND PRIZE #2 - OUT OF YOUR GOURD...

Honestly, outside of Pumpkinhead, the Pumpkin Karver and that Christina Ricci movie called 'Pumpkin', there's not a lot of gourd themed horror out there. Sure, we could give you 'Jack-O' or 'Jack o'Lantern' on DVD, but we want to REWARD you, not punish (we kid. we kid.)

So, we've decided that the next prize should be....

HALLOWEEN HOOTENANNY on CD

One of the more favorite compilations of rockin' tracks (that Strange Jason talked about here) features songs from Southern Culture on the Skids, Rocket from the Crypt, Deadbolt, The Amazing Royal Crowns, The Ghastly Ones and Rob Zombie. Perfect for any party where you want to rock out with your pumpkin out.

In addition, one runner up will get a copy of HALLOWEEN HOOTENANNY as well.

Check the Contest Page. We've changed the rules regarding mailing addresses. Follow us on twitter and ask questions. We had a good one about mixed media, and how that applies. Collages are more than welcome. So long as you can take a good picture and send it to us, we'll take it. Our only request is 'no video,' so if you want to collage, sculpt, make a diorama, etc. - knock yourself out!

Stay tuned to the site for more info, more great articles from the writers here and more prize announcements!

Best Birthday Ever!

On this day in 2008, Strange Jason posted the first ever Gravedigger's Local 16 entry. To celebrate the site's birthday, let's watch a video of a birthday party featuring an amazing (and huge) King Kong costume:



Awesome stuff, right? It gets better: I noticed that video's description said the father of the boy the party was held for works for a special effects company called "Area51" (some sections are NSFW). The costume was a custom job, originally made for use at a Scissor Sisters concert and has since been recycled for use in this unique jungle adventure party package! This revelation also led me to the company's Youtube account, which had a video of the attraction that was used for the party:



The camera is much closer to Kong in this video, which gives you a much better look at the costume. If that isn't enough for you, the close-up pictures shown here should be of interest. I wish I lived in England, because I'd love to have a party like this. And, no, not only because of the cute jungle gals...

Happy Birthday Gravedigger's Local 16!

Tuesday uEtsy: The Tamerlane

[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]

The Tamerlane (theTamerlane.etsy.com) 

Perhaps it's different around your corner of the world but it felt like Summer showed up late, did a rush job while it was here before sneaking out early to let Autumn cover the rest of its shift. Hopefully it was more enjoyable for you but with the shoddy warm season that hit up here, we're kind of grateful for the early change over to fall. Colder weather, longer nights. It's a bit of a trade off but what can we do? It's out of our hands.

till death do you part best friends pirate skull necklaces

The Tamerlane's work, in our opinion, captures this transitional feeling well. Depending on how the coin lands, the work can be interpreted as spooky, somber or unusually beautiful, an attitude we could apply to any day in September. The above necklace is a good example of how The Tamerlane's work occupies different values of beauty and creepy at the same time.

black and white mayan calendar necklace

The Tamerlane takes its name from an Edgar Allen Poe poem which you can read here. Normally, we don't cater much to the romantics since there's not much romance in our line of work, but why disqualify any variable. We like to remain open to everything, which is why we like the Mayan calendar necklace offered here by the Tamerlane. It's a great example of an all encompassing attitude, which you can wear near your heart (if you possess one, either in your chest or in the chest where you keep your jewelery.) 

brain surgery necklace

If hearts aren't your scene, go for the brain with this brain surgery necklace. Display a knack for close-contact  phrenology or a fondness for wild facial hair with this piece. Who knows when you might end up with a need to open up a person's head with a rusty can-opener and a prayer.

palmistry palm reading hand necklace

If you're in the neighborhood to catch the Crimson Ghosts show in Salem, Massachusetts this year, you'll notice that the town is full of psychics, palm readers and all types of the crystal ball set. If you're more of a DIY type, this palmistry necklace will help you figure out where your life is going. We're lucky to have Madame Lady Ulster appear around town this time of year to peddle her fortune telling and future predicting. She used to stay with Larry down on Willow street for a while but he moved off to Tacoma a while back to get off the drink. Suppose she saw that coming. You can also be prepared for unexpected turns in your life with this handy guide.

skeleton in coffin charm necklace

We finish up with how we've started - with skulls. This one happens to be attached to a body and comes in a coffin. Show how charming this charm can be to all those who still have open-heart lockets by demonstrating that coffins are where it's at (we thing we've used a lot of antiquated terms in that last sentence. Do they still make heart-necklaces? Just the other day, we saw someone had carved their initials into a tree trunk. It seems like all that is old is new again. Nostalgia. It'll kill you. Be prepared with this necklace.) 

In addition to the pieces we've shown here. the Tamerlane also has earrings for sale and a few contemporary designs for sale as well. You can get custom earrings in the shape of your home state. Other lovely designs are available for your perusal and purchase, which we hope you do. And we hope you return next week for Tuesday uEtsy.

2010 Contest Update

As you might have seen, we here at Gravediggers Local 16 recently announced our '2010 Gravediggers Local 16 Halloween Contest.' You have until October 16th, 2010 to enter so there's plenty of time with about six weeks left.

Each week, we're going to announce a new addition to the prize packages. Since there are two contests, one for visual expression (i.e. 'art') and one for written expression (i.e. 'limerick') there will be two grand prize packages plus two runner up prizes as well.

09/03/10 - This week, we start things off by with some products from Dugshop, as spotlighted in this Tuesday uEtsy. The kind folks over at Dugshop (and Bubble Genuis) provided some free samples that we could not just share with ourselves.

For GRAND PRIZE #1 - A PAIN IN THE NECK, we add....

HEART ON - Anatomical heart soap (pomegranate scent.) 


This hand made, totally vegan soap is in the shape of a human heart. Pretend it's the heart of a scorning lover, a political rival or a food service worker who screwed up your order. The choice is yours if your winning entry wins the grand prize.


As you might guess, the next prize for...

GRAND PRIZE #2 - OUT OF YOUR GOURD...

BATH O' LANTERN  - Pumpkin and Shea Butter Soap 


You will be clean and delicious smelling for Halloween after winning this dugshop/bubblegenuis product. Smell like pumpkin pie and give the people around you reason to nibble on you.

More prizes to be added every week. Keep reading the site and get those rhymes flowing and art sketchin'. Check the Contest Page for details!

The Crimson Ghosts: 10 Years and Countless Bodies later.

The Crimson Ghosts, the world's only Instrumental Surf-Misfits tribute band, is a decade old this year. The band will only play a few shows in 2010 as John Kozik is living the glory with Kilslug and The Disconnect, Gein is killing it with his bass in Black Pyramid and Max Reverb is rockin' out like an escaped mental ward patient with the Quasi-Men.

But October is going to be great for they're going to put on a few shows. Promising as a grand retrospective playlist is promised for the dates already announced. If you can, make it to these shows. The CinemaSalem show is especially fun because it will likely get you in to see 'Die You Zombie Bastards!' which, as noted before, is a great film. 

Ten years. Way to go, guys. To the current members, and respect for those who come and gone - there aren't enough words to say how much I thoroughly enjoy your music. I hope you stick around for ten more. 

Oct 16 2010 9:00P Geno's (Portland, MA)

Oct 29 2010 8:00P CinemaSalem (Salem, MA)

Oct 30 2010 9:00P Howler's (Pittsburgh, PA)