We All Now Have Cavities in the [HALLOWEEN] thread

Lost Salient

Cases in point!

At the Duomo in Milan they have a statue by Marco d'Agrate:


This painting by Matteo di Giovanni is in Budapest:


He's also on the Sistine Chapel:

ChicoBlue

It'll probably be snowing here on Halloween, so I'd go as King Wenceslaus, all stabbed up and with a lance in my chest.

And when people walk in my footprints to stay warm they will see that the footprints are red with my blessed blood, like in the proper telling of that old Christmas story.

Lost Salient

@Straightzi

Mom suggests Saint Torpes, for which St. Tropez is named. From wikipedia:

Elaborations of his legend state that he was a gladiator or knight who was an attendant to the Emperor Nero, or head of the emperor's personal bodyguard. His full name was Caïus Silvius Torpetius and he was a native of Pisa.

Torpes became a Christian after being converted by Saint Paul. He professed his faith during a ceremony in which Nero declared Diana to be the creator of the universe. After Torpes declared himself a Christian, Nero did not want to kill him immediately and instead asked him to renounce his faith. When Torpes refused to do so, Nero had him decapitated. Another variation of the legend states that Torpes left Rome and went to Pisa, but was recognized as a Christian by the local prefect, Satellicus, who had him executed.

Torpes’ head was tossed into the Arno (and was later claimed by Pisa). His body was placed in a rotten boat with a cock and a dog, which had been placed there in order to nourish themselves on the saint's body. The boat floated towards Liguria.

A holy woman named Celerina (Célèrine) had a premonition in a dream of the arrival of the saint's body, and indeed the boat reached the present-day location of Saint-Tropez, where Celerina lived. The boat landed not far from the present-day sailors' cemetery. The body was untouched by both the cock and the dog. The cock flew away towards the village later named Cogolin after it; the dog headed towards the village later named in its honor Grimaud.

E: WTF I thought she liked me, but she never took me to the Golden Chamber at the Church of St. Ursula when we were in Köln. You think you know a mom, and then this...

#pipe

Neil Cicieriga's done it again

and by done it I mean discovered an alternate version of a popular song from a hell dimension
https://youtu.be/945yHmmjugM

OmnipotentBagel

I done a punkin'

https://twitter.com/TabletopGamera/status/1051640921127866369

This thing is huge, btw

https://twitter.com/TabletopGamera/status/1049028038254649344

Curly_Brace

I

love

candy corn!

I am gonna go as Terezi for Halloween, 'cause I am just a Homestuck now apparently.

Also: the Twilight Zone is my show to watch for the month. It varies between cheesy and REALLY good. Very spooky all around too.

Lost Salient

Sorry guys! Had company this weekend and much less free time than I'd thought.

If you missed the news, Ars Technica posted an article about a fifth century child's skeleton treated to a "vampire burial":

A team of archaeologists from the University of Arizona and Stanford University made the discovery over the summer while excavating a site known as La Necropoli dei Bambini ("Cemetery of the Babies"), since it was believed to be exclusively for the burial of infants and toddlers who died from an outbreak of malaria. (The archaeologists are now rethinking that assumption.) Based on the open position of the child's jaw, they concluded that the rock had been placed there intentionally, since this would not have happened naturally as the body decomposed. There were also teeth marks on the stone's surface.

The most-likely explanation is that the locals did this to ensure the dead child stayed that way. Prior excavations amidst the human remains in the Cemetery of the Babies unearthed various items commonly associated with magic at the time: raven talons, toad bones, and bronze cauldrons filled with ash. The oldest remains found previously were those of a three-year-old girl whose hands and feet were weighed down with stones.

Quetzi

The rock between the teeth is a thing we see elsewhere in history as well.

The scientific explanation is that when a body decomposes, gasses and bacteria are released which will eat away at a burial shroud. They'll take the fastest available route to get there, which in these cases is exiting through the mouth, resulting in a burial shroud that looks like it has been actively chewed on. If you were to exhume one of these bodies, that's what you'd find, which led people to believe that the corpses were attempting to eat their way out of their graves. Thus, a stone between their teeth, to prevent them from doing so.

Grey Ghost

I will straight up eat my way out of my grave, I don't even care

OmnipotentBagel

Straightzi wrote: »

The rock between the teeth is a thing we see elsewhere in history as well.

The scientific explanation is that when a body decomposes, gasses and bacteria are released which will eat away at a burial shroud. They'll take the fastest available route to get there, which in these cases is exiting through the mouth, resulting in a burial shroud that looks like it has been actively chewed on. If you were to exhume one of these bodies, that's what you'd find, which led people to believe that the corpses were attempting to eat their way out of their graves. Thus, a stone between their teeth, to prevent them from doing so.

Science: providing cover for the undead for centuries.

Quetzi

Hey I said what the explanation is, not that I believe it

valhalla130

Time to start my annual watching of some of my favorite Halloween movies...






I also have have the Legacy DVD editions of The Wolfman, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Dracula.

BlankZoe

Finally figured out my Halloween costume with some help from @Cello

I wanted to go as Doctor Strange but any halfway decent Doctor Strange costume is very expensive

So I am going as Laundry Day Doctor Strange

Red bathrobe with the big Doctor Strange collar sewed on

Blue garish novelty Doctor Tee like AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY/BUT IF THE DOCTOR IS CUTE, SKIP THE FRUIT

Blue sweat pants or PJ pants with a red draw string or sash

Comfy house shoes

And Eye of Agamotto and Sling Ring accessories

Auralynx

Blankzilla wrote: »

Finally figured out my Halloween costume with some help from Cello

I wanted to go as Doctor Strange but any halfway decent Doctor Strange costume is very expensive

So I am going as Laundry Day Doctor Strange

Red bathrobe with the big Doctor Strange collar sewed on

Blue garish novelty Doctor Tee like AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY/BUT IF THE DOCTOR IS CUTE, SKIP THE FRUIT

Blue sweat pants or PJ pants with a red draw string or sash

Comfy house shoes

And Eye of Agamotto and Sling Ring accessories

I think you want, like, parachute or flared-legging blue PJ pants if you can get them for maximum laundry day vibes, but this is a very good costume.

Uriel

sometimes you find a good way to re purpose decorations from your friend's wedding...

:biggrin:

Now all I need is decent fake blood what won't attract ants/bugs.

Quetzi

Halloween marks the one time of year that I activate my Spotify account, because typically my Halloween party playlists will involve a fair amount of music I don't own and wouldn't really bother with the rest of the year. Which tends to lead to a very bizarre picture of my musical tastes there, and some frequently bizarre recommendations. All of that has culminated in this, a cover of a song that I frequently use for Halloween by a band that I only listen to during the Halloween season:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thc2qezD9-E

Ceno

Having to wear glasses always makes costume choice a real bummer

Depressperado

I went to the Ren Faire this weekend and saw three ladies all done up as the Sanderson sisters

I told them to go to hell and the red-headed one did the whole "I've been there, thank you! I found it quite lovely!" thing

so I gave them high fives

MichaelLC

Daughter is Max from Secret Life of Pets - just a store-bought costume - so I'm going as a gender-swapped Katie.

Got red pants and a puffy coat from Old Navy, will see if I can find a stripped shirt. Hair is a little short, but can certainly get a red hair clip to stay in. Wife found a colorful scarf.

Anything else I should do, since it's not super obvious it's a costume? Here's my "reference picture":

Etchwarts

I finally figured out what to do for a Halloween party

I've got friends coming over Halloween night and we're going to try Betrayal at the House on the Hill, a board game I got last Christmas but haven't had the chance to play

I'm going to run through it beforehand to make sure I get the rules, but is there anything else I should know about it?

Grey Ghost

Make sure you do not read any of the specific conditions ("haunts") that will be triggered by the game
Those will be in separate books anyway so it shouldn't be hard to avoid

Otherwise, know that some elements might contribute to a session that just isn't much fun and doesn't go well for anyone; if this happens, don't take it as representative of the whole game, you just got some bad draws. Try again!

Uhhhh that's all I got. Have fun!

E.Coyote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6UKGhiE_Nk
This show is the kind of strange alchemy of bad and ridiculous that kind of works. I hope netflix orders more episodes for next halloween.

Grey Ghost

Straightzi wrote: »

And hey, speaking of cosmic horror, you can currently download a free ebook of The Ballad of Black Tom from the Tor website.

I haven't actually read this one yet - it's sitting on my to-read pile for the month - but for a bit of background, it was written as a companion/counterpoint to HP Lovecraft's most racist story, The Horror at Red Hook, which you can also read if you want, although it is not very good. It approaches some of the same events of that story from the perspective of a black man, as well as expanding out and elaborating on characters and background information (it's like ten times longer than the original story, in terms of page count). I've heard nothing but excellent things, and Victor LaValle is a very good writer (I'm personally quite fond of The Changeling, a novel about losing a child but also you know the implications of that title, come on), so go get it now because it's only free for a couple of days.

Hey! I read this! I liked it!

Lovecraft Country is another one I see come up in conjunction with this one - anyone read that?

#pipe

SirEtchwarts wrote: »

I finally figured out what to do for a Halloween party

I've got friends coming over Halloween night and we're going to try Betrayal at the House on the Hill, a board game I got last Christmas but haven't had the chance to play

I'm going to run through it beforehand to make sure I get the rules, but is there anything else I should know about it?

The little black stat counters that go on your character card suck ass.
Paper and pencil tracking is better.

Quetzi

Grey Ghost wrote: »

Straightzi wrote: »

And hey, speaking of cosmic horror, you can currently download a free ebook of The Ballad of Black Tom from the Tor website.

I haven't actually read this one yet - it's sitting on my to-read pile for the month - but for a bit of background, it was written as a companion/counterpoint to HP Lovecraft's most racist story, The Horror at Red Hook, which you can also read if you want, although it is not very good. It approaches some of the same events of that story from the perspective of a black man, as well as expanding out and elaborating on characters and background information (it's like ten times longer than the original story, in terms of page count). I've heard nothing but excellent things, and Victor LaValle is a very good writer (I'm personally quite fond of The Changeling, a novel about losing a child but also you know the implications of that title, come on), so go get it now because it's only free for a couple of days.

Hey! I read this! I liked it!

Lovecraft Country is another one I see come up in conjunction with this one - anyone read that?

Lovecraft Country is good but not great.

I think it's a little bit too tongue-in-cheek clever for its own good. The idea of juxtaposing cosmic horror with actual marginalized groups in America is good, for sure, and there are places where Lovecraft Country pulls it off pretty well. But it also does this roundabout not-actually-Lovecraft-but-just-a-lot-of-real-similar-names-isn't-that-funny sort of thing that I don't really think works for it, and as the book goes on the stories (it's halfway between a novel and a short story collection) tilt more pulp sci-fi than horror, which feels like less of a good fit.

I think I'd still overall recommend checking it out, because it does have some decent stuff going on there, but it's a qualified recommendation for sure.

Cello

I have all the components for my Halloween costume now and I am very excited

I spent a lot of time over the summer on a Brigitte costume from Overwatch, but then realized too late that it wouldn't pack well for PAX, and then when I decided to use it for Halloween, found out my usual party is on the same weekend I'm in Halifax (so now I'll wear it at a con sometime?)

So I'm using leftover materials to make a Bowsette costume and just received a very nice, work-safe skirt in the mail to go with my corset, and I'm gonna build all the accessories this weekend, and it should be real fun!

furlion

Terrible news has befallen me. The only real fabric store in the area has closed, and I did not realize this in time to make my costume some other way. I was going to go as Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender since my son wants to go as Ang. Unfortunately I cannot get ahold of the fabric I need, cheap enough or fast enough, to make the costume. Sigh. Oh well at least my son will have fun.

MichaelLC

Could you go as air or something?

Maybe dress in black and get a vortex fan to blow on people when he air bends? (I don't know how that works).

Do they still sell Airzookas?

Cello

No dice on getting scrap fabric/similar clothed from a thrift store? Or bedsheets? Won't be great mind you but the colours are pretty simple so you may be able to get close enough to be recognized beside Aang

Zonugal

For Halloween I'm going as Jughead Jones off of Riverdale.

Just I have to buy the hat and a bunch of hamburgers.

Ketar

Zonugal wrote: »

For Halloween I'm going as Jughead Jones off of Riverdale.

Just I have to buy the hat and a bunch of hamburgers.

And a South Side Serpents jacket from Hot Topic?

Zonugal

Ketar wrote: »

Zonugal wrote: »

For Halloween I'm going as Jughead Jones off of Riverdale.

Just I have to buy the hat and a bunch of hamburgers.

And a South Side Serpents jacket from Hot Topic?

The jacket is a little pricey for me at the moment, but I'll likely pick it up in time for PAX-South.

Quetzi

Cello wrote: »

No dice on getting scrap fabric/similar clothed from a thrift store? Or bedsheets? Won't be great mind you but the colours are pretty simple so you may be able to get close enough to be recognized beside Aang

Yeah, I've definitely done a lot of this for Halloween fabrics. Usually more for decorative stuff than actual costumes, but it's a good way to get cheap fabric.

Although I also strongly support the puppeteer clothes and an airzooka plan.

Etchwarts

Update on my Halloween party idea

My wife and I went through the rules of Betrayal at the House on the Hill last night! Game seems neat!

I noticed there was a Dracula monster token, so I'm going to, The Secret style, try and will that to be the haunt when we play for real

Indie Winter

https://twitter.com/41Strange/status/1052989480032858113?s=19

furlion

Straightzi wrote: »

Cello wrote: »

No dice on getting scrap fabric/similar clothed from a thrift store? Or bedsheets? Won't be great mind you but the colours are pretty simple so you may be able to get close enough to be recognized beside Aang

Yeah, I've definitely done a lot of this for Halloween fabrics. Usually more for decorative stuff than actual costumes, but it's a good way to get cheap fabric.

Although I also strongly support the puppeteer clothes and an airzooka plan.

Not that I can tell no. I need specific colors and can't find any stores nearby that sell what I need. Next year I will have to start planning a free months earlier.

DouglasDanger

Wow, that one mannequin is bleeding blood after shitting out a pile of heads

grrmusha

I wanted to finally be female Pennywise for Halloween, but I'm too depressed to go out and have no one to go with.

Enlong

So, I'm working on putting together a wizard costume for Halloween this year. I've been gathering a few props (some chains and pendants that I can loop around one wrist, some sufficiently nice-looking ring bands, a leather-bound journal that can look like a spellbook, a staff-shaped walking stick I made back in middle school...), and I'm currently in the market for a nice wizard robe. Something with a hood and preferably made out of a material that feels okay to wear and will last more than a day of use. Do any of you have suggestions for where I should look (either retail or online) for that kind of thing?

never die

My wife kind of had a pretty bad week, so to get her out of the funk I decided to invite some friends over and we made jack o'lanterns together:



My Wife's is the Spidey one on the left, our friend is the Beholder in the middle, and mine is the goofy happy one on the right.

Edit:

Some better images of Spidey:



Beholder:




goof ball: