Little Gothic Horrors

Delightfully Dark Art

2012-03-04T13:37:00.002+11:00

Maleficent and Captain Hook

Thanks to my recent infatuation with the Once Upon a Time television series, I've had dark fairy tales on the brain of late. This has led to much googling of evil queens and wicked witches, which in turn caused me to stumble upon an absolutely magnificent interpretation of Maleficent, the villain from Disney's 1959 adaption of Sleeping Beauty, by Arnaud de Vallois.

Happy Halloween and Glad Rags

After a little more searching, I tracked down the San Diego based artist and asked him if I could share some of his work here, to which he graciously agreed. I've just picked some of my favourites, but there are a whole lot more delightfully dark goodies to behold at Arnaud de Vallois Art Blog.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2012-03-02T21:08:00.000+11:00

Burke and Hare Co.

Burke and Hare Co. is a new favourite shop, which I've recently discovered on Etsy, that sells Victorian inspired candles and home decor items. The store is named after the infamous William Burke and William Hare who committed a series of murders in Edinburgh, Scotland, from November 1827 to October 1828 in order to sell the corpses for anatomical dissection. This is how owner, Erica, describes her business:

"I have taken my inspiration from that unique partnership and created my store around the legend and interesting aesthetics of that strange time in history. I find beauty in medical sciences, technological advances, innovation, superstitions of the past, spiritualism, gentlemen and lady's parlors, seances, nature and romanticism."

Featured above, from left to right, are Burke and Hare Co. Poison and Antidote Cups, Gravestone Candle Votives, Skull Candle, and Edgar Allan Poe Postcards.

Delightfully Dark Style

2012-02-28T17:02:00.000+11:00

Happy Birthday, Edward Gorey!

2012-02-22T18:11:00.000+11:00

February 22 is the 87th anniversary of the birth of the fabulous Edward Gorey. A writer and artist, he was particularly well known for his macabre illustrated books, but sadly died at just 75, on April 15, 2000.

If I didn't already greatly admire Edward Gorey's art, I'd certainly be won over by his love of cats, and his fondness for dark genre series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batman: The Animated Series, and The X-Files.

Edward Gorey, in common with my other favourite, Charles Addams, was charmingly eccentric. He never married and believed himself to be essentially asexual. Upon his death, he left the bulk of his estate to a charitable trust for cats, dogs, bats and insects. His home in Cape Cod, called the Elephant House, is now the Edward Gorey House Museum, and continues to support his work for animal welfare.

Incidentally, February 22 is also my son's birthday (I swear it's coincidental) so I want to wish a very happy birthday to my James as well!

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2012-02-20T20:58:00.000+11:00

Vampire's Day Soiree

2012-02-14T22:11:00.003+11:00

Lust for a Vampire

Thank you for joining me for my contribution to the first annual Vampire's Day Soiree, and thank you to the delightfully dark Holly, of Holly's Horrorland blog, for hosting this bloody affair! As it is both Valentine's Day and Vampire's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to feature a vintage vampire movie with a lustful theme.

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I persuaded my father to let me watch To Love a Vampire. At the time, neither he nor I was aware that this movie was a renamed, and censored for television version of the Hammer Horror Production, Lust for a Vampire. In fact, it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that the uncut version was quite the risque romp in its day, abounding with boobs and saucy lesbian hijinks.

Part of the "Karnstein Trilogy" of Hammer Horror films, and loosely based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella, Carmilla, the story is set in 1830 at an exclusive finishing school in Styria, overlooked by the ruins of the ominous Karnstein Castle. When a beautiful young girl named Mircalla joins the school, students and local villagers begin to die. A visiting horror author, Richard Lestrange, also takes up a teaching position at the school, and promptly falls in love with the mysterious Mircalla.

Lust for a Vampire has been called silly and camp, and truthfully there are some spectacularly ludicrous scenes in this film. The most memorable one is a when the girls perform a scantily clad Greco-Roman calisthenics routine on the school lawns. Made in 1971, it also includes a song called "Strange Love" that is featured in a couple of musical sequences, one of which is a somewhat psychedelic dream montage. That said however, this movie is fine example of Hammer's ability to create wonderful Gothic atmosphere with their locations and sets.

Despite the many ridiculous elements in the film, it holds great sentimental value for me. Even as a young child, I found its visual style aesthetically appealing, and Yutte Stensgaard's "Mircalla" was like a vampire Barbie doll come to life in my youthful eyes. In fact, so taken was I with it at the time, that when asked by a teacher what I wanted to be when I grew up, I responded: "A vampire!"

Now, in this post-Twilight era, vampirism may be seen as a perfectly valid career choice, but back in my day, such a response was apparently shocking enough to warrant my parents being summoned to speak with the school principal. My mortified mother briefly banned me from anything vaguely horror-related, but fortunately, as I think my father rather appreciated having a companion for spooky films, besides the family dog, the ban was lifted.

For more blood-soaked shenanigans, you can mingle with the other guests at Holly's blog, here.

A Ghastlie Gallery

2012-02-11T20:58:00.003+11:00

I think it has been well and truly established by now that I'm shamelessly addicted to The Ghastlies, so without further ado, here's "Ghastlie Gallery", the latest Ghastlie design from Alexander Henry Fabrics.

A Whole Bunch of Spooky Tags

2012-02-07T23:31:00.022+11:00

Boo Gift Tags by Fresh Lemon Blossoms

I've been tagged... and tagged, and tagged, and tagged, and tagged, and tagged... and received an award, and yep, I've broken all the rules and thoroughly deserve a visit to the woodshed. Unfortunately, lack of time has necessitated my wicked disregard for tagging and award protocol. I apologize in advance, and thank you all for thinking of me.

I received 6 tags and I've chosen one question from each of the taggers to answer:

Pensive Pumpkin Pensive Pumpkin Blog

"Who is your favorite superhero?"

I'm tempted to say Catwoman, but I suppose technically she's a villain... although she's not really bad. I love that she's a complicated character. Batman is probably my favourite superhero. I'm actually quite a fan of the whole superhero genre. I guess it's just an extension of my interest in the supernatural. Superheroes are also a manifestation of the extraordinary amongst the ordinary. I prefer my superheroes a little dark and angsty so Superman, for example, is a little too straightforward for me. I watched the Smallville series, but I preferred Green Arrow and Chloe/Watchtower to Superman and Lois. I also like Question and Huntress from the Justice League Unlimited animated series, both of whom are misfits and rule breakers. My husband and son are both mad superhero fans. We're currently all re-watching Batman The Animated Series from the '90s.

aw My Life as I Know It... Blog

"Do you have pets? What are they and their names?"

Yes, absolutely! I currently have just one cat called Phoebe. She's on the right, pictured with her "sister", Sabrina, who sadly died a couple of years ago and left me heartbroken. Sabrina was a Burmese, and Phoebe is a Tonkinese, which is a hybrid cross between a Burmese and a Siamese. Like all Siamese cats, Phoebe talks... incessantly. She is hilariously funny and never bites or scratches (apparently she didn't receive that memo on cat behaviour). At the risk of sounding stomach-churningly schmaltzy, when my husband, son, Phoebe and I are altogether on the couch watching a movie, I feel like all is right with the world.

I had many beloved dogs during my childhood, but cats hold a special fascination for me. The Ancient Egyptians understood just what special animals they are. There's nothing like the instant gratification of picking up my cat and having her break into a rumbling purr!

Mark Shingle Creek Manor Blog

"Of all the movie monsters, demons etc. what's the one created that caused you to lose the most sleep?"

When I was a small child it was the witch from Disney's Snow White. I hadn't even seen the film at that point, but I had a picture book, and as much as I loved it, I always skipped the page with a certain particularly nasty picture of the Evil Queen transformed.

As an adult, it is without doubt the shark from Jaws. I have a pathological fear of sharks. They never fail to pop into my mind when I see any large body of water on screen, even the most benign one. I still remember playing at the beach, while on a family vacation as a child, when a small plane flew overhead with a huge banner saying, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water: Jaws 2." You should have seen how fast people scrambled out of the surf!

Kweeny Todd Kweeny Todd Blog

"What is you favorite food and/or drink?"

I'd have to say chocolate and coffee, simply because I couldn't imagine going a day without either one. I also love wine, champagne, Coronas with a twist of lime, and strawberry daiquiris. (She says, sounding like a total boozehound!) I'm kind of a fussy eater, but my favourite cuisines are Chinese and Italian.

Astrea Musings of a Magical Mom Blog

"What made you choose your screen name?"

My screen name and my blog were both spawned by the dolls I designed after being inspired by Neil Gaiman's, The Graveyard Book. The story is set in a cemetery, and I was captivated by the imagery of the ghosts of long deceased children playing eternally amongst the tombstones. I was trying to think of a name for the dolls, and as I love Gothic Horror, and as the term "little horrors" is often used for children, "Little Gothic Horrors" was born.

VainGlorySinner VainGlorySinner Blog

"If you could hold a dinner with only 2 other guests (dead or alive, celebrity or historical) who would they be?"

I'd love to pick more than two, but if I'm restricted to just a couple of fantasy invitees then I'd choose Charles Addams and Edward Gorey. Both these men inspire me with their artwork, and charm me with their wicked humour and eccentricities. I endlessly perused my father's books of Charles Addams' cartoons when I was a child, and I've always had a profound affection for The Addams Family television series. Edward Gorey is a more recent discovery, but if I didn't already admire his art, I'd certainly be won over by his love of cats, and that he was a fan of dark genre series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batman: The Animated Series, and The X-Files.

Nora The Demon Stole My Pencil Blog

Thank you to Nora, of The Demon Stole My Pencil blog, for passing along the 'Versatile Blogger Award' to me! Nora describes herself as a: "Writer, pizza fanatic, insomniac, and a voracious reader." Go check out her blog!

Vampire's Day Soiree

2012-02-05T18:16:00.000+11:00

The delightfully dark Holly, of Holly's Horrorland blog, is hosting the first annual Vampire's Day Soiree on February 14, 2012. If such a sanguinary affair sounds like just your cup of plasma... er... tea, come along and join in on all the blood-soaked merrymaking!

For more details just click on the link, or on the button in the sidebar.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2012-01-29T12:38:00.002+11:00

For a tot with a taste for the delightfully dark, or anyone who just loves creepy-cute, Bump Smitten on Etsy has created a rather Burtonesque range of Itsy Bitsy Spider themed downloadable party graphics.

The Edwardian Ball

2012-01-21T16:59:00.004+11:00

Sometimes (actually, all the time), I wish I could wiggle my nose like Samantha, or blink my eyes like Jeannie, or even get hold of a Star Trek transporter beam because it would all come in very handy for occasions like this when I discover that the most extraordinarily wonderful event... is taking place on the other side of the globe. This is how the organizers describe The Edwardian Ball held in San Francisco:

"THE EDWARDIAN BALL is an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author Edward Gorey. Set in our own version of “Edwardian” times, this multi-media extravaganza has grown over the past decade from a small underground club night into an internationally recognized event, now operating with the blessing of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust."

This year's festivities are being held on January 20 and 21, at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. The Edwardian World's Faire is held on the Friday night, and is described as "a Gorey-inspired night of music, theatrics, circus, fashion, gaming, and Edwardian-tinged rock n’ roll", and The Annual Edwardian Ball, on the Saturday night, is "a whimsical, elegant festival of art, music, dance, theatre, fashion, circus, and the art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey".

Dress suggestions by the organizers:

"Some popular themes include the Edwardian Era (early 1900s – think corsets & petticoats for the girls, top hats & vests for the boys), Edward Gorey characters (eccentric & spanning many decades, as you can see in his artwork), Tim Burton-esque (dark, humorous, eccentric), Goth, Steampunk, or just simply dressed up for an elegant night on the town!”

You can catch a glimpse of the spectacle in a preview video here, and for more details on the event click here.

Delightfully Dark Style

2012-01-18T21:32:00.000+11:00

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2012-01-17T22:42:00.000+11:00

A Ghastlie Family Reunion

2012-01-11T18:18:00.000+11:00

Anyone who regularly visits with me here may have noticed that I'm just a tad obsessed with The Ghastlies, so I was very excited to see that Alexander Henry Fabrics has added this new design to the range, and couldn't wait to share my discovery.

Charles Addams' 100th Birthday Commemoration

2012-01-07T21:14:00.001+11:00

Charles Addams with John Astin, Ken Weatherwax, and Lisa Loring from the cast of The Addams Family television series.

January 7, 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of cartoonist, and creator of The Addams Family, Charles Addams, and even Google has come to the party with a "Doodle" to commemorate the event. The Google Doodle was created courtesy of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, which was established in 1999 by the late Tee Addams, widow of Charles Addams.

100th Birthday Commemorative Google Doodle

The Addams Family by Charles Addams

Delightfully Dark Finds

2012-01-05T22:03:00.001+11:00

Living outside the US, I'm not able to purchase any of the baked goods and confectioneries to be found on Etsy, but that doesn't stop me craving some of the tasty treats or admiring the artistry of the talented cooks who create them. The spooky food items, of course, are my favourites.

Bat Cookies by Yankee Girl Yummies

Frankenstein Love Mini Sugar Cookies by The Talented Cookie

Edible Tombstone Cupcake Toppers by incrEDIBLEtoppers

Ghost Sugar Cookies by Guilty Confections

Christmas Australian Style and a Blog in Review

2012-01-01T16:50:00.002+11:00

As I did the rounds of Blogland over the Yuletide season it was fascinating to see all the little cultural differences in the way Christmas is celebrated. I live in Australia so Christmas means summertime and hot weather. Australia is a multicultural country, but our primary Christmas traditions are British in origin so most of us still swelter through a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, albeit with air conditioners running on maximum. Christmas imagery also predominantly features northern hemisphere seasonal motifs.

My husband and I lived in London for a few years so, believe me, I know what I'm missing when it comes to a northern hemisphere Christmas. There's a certain magic about crisp winter evenings, streets strewn with twinkling lights, and chestnuts roasting on every city corner that we simply can't replicate in December, Down Under, hence the ever increasing popularity of the Christmas in July festivities here.

Australia does have its own customs though, which was something I started to think about as I read many posts about the making of Christmas fudge and sugar cookies, a ritual that doesn't happen here, although shortbread and gingerbread are often served at Christmas social gatherings. The summer heat means that seafood, in some form or another, is on most menus with some people barbecuing outdoors rather than having a formal indoor meal. We also don't do eggnog. Champagne is the primary beverage I would associate with any Aussie Christmas get-together. Also, Christmas happens to coincide with the relatively short cherry season here, so cherries are absolutely synonymous with Christmas in Australia.

Many Australians stick resolutely to the British tradition of Christmas cake (fruitcake) and plum pudding (I personally don't like either of them), but fresh, summery desserts, especially Pavlova, are served at Christmas as well. Pavlova is a dish which originated in Australia and New Zealand, and there is actually enormous controversy and rivalry over which country came up with it first. The dessert was named in honour of the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Basically, it consists of a meringue base that has a crisp, fine outer shell, and a marshmallowy centre. The base is then topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. I usually top a "pav" with strawberries and/or raspberries, and then sprinkle some chocolate shavings over the top.

I started blogging on May 24, 2011, although in all honesty, blogging was not one of my goals when the year began. The idea just grew organically out of other goals I had, so I suppose that just goes to prove there's something to be said for not being too rigid about resolutions. Sometimes wonderful things just happen serendipitously!

I really love my blog. Anyone who blogs regularly, knows that blogging actually requires a good deal of work, yet despite how busy I usually am, it doesn't feel like a chore. My blog allows me to indulge, or dare I even say wallow, in all the little things I'm enthusiastic about. It's like having my own magazine with total editorial control. Most of all, however, I love the fact that my blog has brought me into contact with some amazing people from across the globe. Yes, I'm talking about YOU! I have made some lovely friendships over the last seven months, and by visiting your fabulous blogs, I have not only been entertained, but also often learned many new and interesting things.

Happy New Year!

Holidays

2011-12-25T11:26:00.001+11:00

Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Blessed Yule, and Felicitous Festivus!

To all my friends in the Land of Blogs, however you celebrate this season, stay safe and be happy!
Emma xx

Dark Shadows

2011-12-22T17:13:00.003+11:00

2012 is shaping up to be a great year for gothic horror! Not only do we have the release of The Woman in Black and The Raven to look forward to, but also Tim Burton's, Dark Shadows. Entertainment Weekly has unveiled this first look at the movie which stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Dark Shadows is based on a gothic horror television series, from the 1960s, about a 200 year old vampire, Barnabas, and the creepy goings on at his ancestral estate, Collinwood Manor. Perfect subject matter for Tim Burton, I'd say!

Dark Shadows is due out May 2012.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-12-19T21:53:00.000+11:00

Gothicrow

One of my favourite people on Etsy is photographer, Donna, of Gothicrow. I already own a number of her Gothic photographs, and it requires a certain amount of restraint on my part not to feature her work on my blog every week. So, with the Yuletide season upon us, I've decided to indulge myself and highlight some of Donna's wintery images.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-12-16T18:39:00.000+11:00

On the Thirteenth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-14T12:46:00.000+11:00

A Little Ghost of Christmas Past

For my final Creepmas post, I present Merry, a little Ghost of Christmas Past. Merry is my attempt to capture a little Creepmas spirit in the form of a Little Gothic Horrors doll.

Thank you to the organizers of The 13 Days of Creepmas for hosting the festivities, and to all the Creepers who have entertained me with their posts over the last 13 days. Thank you also to anyone who was kind enough to visit my blog during Creepmas.

On the Twelfth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-12T21:28:00.000+11:00

A Gothic Christmas Stocking

I absolutely adore this Gothic Christmas stocking! It's available from Etsy shop, Working Class Punx, along with a selection of other Punk and sub-culture inspired accessories.

On the Eleventh Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-11T21:47:00.000+11:00

Meh

Experiencing a little Yuletide fatigue? Has retail over-saturation left you feeling decidedly lacking in the holiday good tidings department? Then let your tree ornaments convey your true shortage of enthusiasm. Get your own "meh" Christmas decoration from Etsy shop, Yellow Bug Boutique.

On the Tenth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-10T22:16:00.001+11:00

Bell, Book and Candle

Queenie : I sit in the subway sometimes, on buses, or the movies, and I look at the people next to me and I think..."What would you say if I told you I was a witch?"

For my contribution to both Creepmas and The Witches' Yuletide Ball, I thought I'd tell you about my Christmas Eve tradition of watching the movie Bell, Book and Candle, which is not only my favourite Christmas movie, but pretty much my favourite movie of all time. Based on a Broadway play by John Van Druten, Bell, Book and Candle was made in 1958, and starred Kim Novak and James Stewart. It is also widely regarded as the inspiration for the television show Bewitched.

Gillian Holroyd : How did you like the Zodiac?
Shepherd Henderson : I'm not quite sure. Somehow it seemed more like Halloween than Christmas.

The film is set in New York's Greenwich Village during the Christmas holiday season. Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak) is a lonely witch who succumbs to the temptation of casting a love spell on her neighbour, publisher Shepherd Henderson, with the help of her pet cat and familiar, Pyewacket. Bell, Book and Candle also has the most delightfully eccentric cast of supporting characters, including Gillian's witchy relatives, Aunt Queenie (Elsa Lancherster) and brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon), who contribute to the chaos that follows in the aftermath of the spell. I'm not going to give away the plot because if you haven't seen this film, and you love anything to do with witches, then you must watch it... as soon as possible!

Shepherd Henderson : That girl you know, Gillian Holroyd, she's one.
Merle Kittridge : A witch?
Shepherd Henderson : Yes!
Merle Kittridge : Shep, you just never learned to spell.

This movie is the perfect fusion of supernatural witchy-ness with the martini-chic, lounge era of the late 1950s. Although not a huge box office success, the movie won two thoroughly deserved Academy Awards for Art Direction and Costume Design. The sets are stylishly Mid Century Modern, and the clothes are gorgeous, especially Gillian's witchy black and red wardrobe. There is one tiny flaw in Bell, Book and Candle, and that is when the witchy-ness gets watered down at the end to appeal to more run-of-the-mill sensibilities. I choose to just overlook that small imperfection, however, in an otherwise thoroughly charming film.

I'd like to thank On the Broomstick and Witch of Howling Creek blogs for hosting The Witches' Yuletide Ball. Just click on the link here to see a list of all the other blogs participating in the festivities.

On the Ninth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-09T21:12:00.001+11:00

A Little Yuletide Witchery

As we're on the eve of the Witches' Yuletide Ball, I thought it was a good time to introduce a little vintage witchery into the Creepmas festivities.

These digital images of Yuletide witches are suitable for craft, altered art, and collage, and are available from Etsy shop, Penniwigs.

On the Eighth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-08T21:47:00.001+11:00

Ghost Stories for Christmas Eve

Embrace the British tradition, believed to have begun with the Victorians, of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. Gather the clan around the hearth and read aloud some true-life spooky tales like those from Haunted Chattanooga, by writer Jessica Penot, of Ghost Stories and Haunted Places blog, and her co-author, Amy Petulla.

Haunted Chattanooga is available here.

On the Seventh Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-07T21:18:00.001+11:00

Charles Addams' Christmas Cartoons

Charles "Chas" Addams (January 7, 1912 - September 29, 1988) was a cartoonist renowned for his macabre humour, and the creation of a group of recurring characters that would become known collectively as The Addams Family.

The cartoons of Charles Addams regularly appeared in the iconic magazine, The New Yorker. He also collaborated with television producer, David Levy, on the 1964 television series, The Addams Family, by providing character names and personality profiles. In the cartoons, prior to the television series, the members of The Addams Family had no formal names.

Described as a "sociable and debonair" man, he was also delightfully eccentric. Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes were buried in the pet cemetery at his New York estate, called "The Swamp", which he had shared with third wife, "Tee".

On the Sixth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-06T21:10:00.003+11:00

Christmas With The Addams Family

You just had to know that my beloved Addams Family television series would rear its creepy and kooky head at some point during Creepmas.

The Addams Family Christmas episode involved Morticia and Gomez dealing with the dilemma of a troublesome neighbour who had told Wednesday and Pugsley that supernatural beings like witches and Santa Claus didn't exist. In order to restore the children's faith, Uncle Fester agreed to pose as Santa, but when he got stuck in the chimney all the other adults in the household, unbeknownst to each other, donned the red suit and beard in order to save Christmas. The children, naturally, saw through the ruse, but in the meantime the real St. Nick had visited and left gifts for the whole clan.

Despite the sweet Yuletide theme to this episode, it retained its Addams Family essence. When it came to gifts, Wednesday was hoping for a new doll to decapitate, and Pugsley wanted a bow with arrows. The children also assiduously tended to the fireplace with a pair of bellows in order to insure Santa's trip down the chimney was nice and toasty.

On the Fifth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-05T20:10:00.000+11:00

A Christmas Quote from The Simpsons

Marge : Okay, kids, give me your letters and I'll mail them to Santa at the North Pole.
Bart : Oh please, there's only one fat guy who brings us presents and his name ain't Santa.

On the Fourth Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-04T20:22:00.001+11:00

A Very Supernatural Christmas

Dean : So what the hell do you think we're dealing with?
Sam : Actually, I have an idea.
Dean : Yeah?
Sam : Yeah. It's gonna sound crazy...
Dean : What could you possibly say that sounds crazy to me?
Sam : Um... Evil Santa.
Dean : ...Yeah, that's crazy.

'A Very Supernatural Christmas' was an episode from the third season of the television series Supernatural. Series creator, Eric Kripke, is quoted as saying he wanted to make "the most violent Christmas special in the history of television". Designed to resemble a traditional Christmas special, the episode even began with a genuine vintage CBS "A Special Presentation" sequence, followed by a sentimental Christmas scene, set in Seattle, featuring a young boy and his grandfather. Of course, the tone quickly degenerated when Grandpa was dragged savagely up the chimney by some unseen force.

The action then moved forward one year, and we discovered that the Winchester boys were investigating a string of similar Christmas murders in Michigan. At first, Sam incorrectly speculated that the perpetrator was some sort of "Anti-Claus", like the "Krampus", believed by some cultures to be a devilish companion to Saint Nikolaus. However, while Saint Nikolaus hands out gifts and sweets, the Krampus hands out punishment to naughty children.

The real culprits turned out to be a pair of pagan winter solstice gods masquerading as the picture-perfect, Christmas-loving suburban couple, Madge and Edward Carrigan. When the Carrigans captured the boys, Sam and Dean found themselves being prepared as a sacrifice. The sacrificial ritual included, what I believe, was the most wince-inducing scene of the entire series, when we got a close-up shot of Sam's fingernail being torn off.

In order to maintain the feel of a "cheery, traditional Christmas special" this episode dispensed with the series trademark classic-rock soundtrack, opting instead for traditional Christmas songs. One of the funniest scenes in the episode was when Sam and Dean burst in on a sleazy amusement park Santa, whom they wrongly suspected of being an Anti-Claus, only to find him indulging in booze and porn. In an attempt to cover their mistake, the boys broke into an impromptu rendition of 'Silent Night' with Bad Santa swaying along.

The story arc for Season 3 of Supernatural involved Dean having to face the consequences of selling his soul to a crossroads demon in order to save Sam's life. Hoping to celebrate his last Christmas with his brother, before going to Hell, Dean was disappointed when Sam was unwilling to participate. The episode was interspersed with flashbacks to a bleak Christmas from the brothers' childhood, which explained Sam's distaste for the Yuletide season.

The episode ended on a poignant note with Sam having a change of heart and the two brothers sharing a simple Christmas, exchanging gifts bought at a local gas station, and watching the football game with eggnog.

On the Third Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-03T21:23:00.000+11:00

A Christmas Cookie

The Enchanted Holiday House is the work of wonderful collage artist, Ramona, of Winona Cookie.

The image is accompanied by a charming tale of an old Victorian house left to run to ruin by its Christmas-hating curmudgeon of an owner, Mr Karbuncle Pickle, and the Christmas ghosts who possess the house, transmuting it into a scene of perpetual Yuletide festivities.

On the Second Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-02T19:27:00.000+11:00

A Spooky Stocking Stuffer

Instill a love for Creepmas in the hearts and minds of the next generation by popping a spooky game or two in their stockings.

This deck of eerie Old Maid cards is available from the Etsy shop of blog buddy, Justine, of Justine's Halloween.

On the First Day of Creepmas, Great Pumpkin gave to me...

2011-12-01T22:51:00.000+11:00

Futurama's Robot Santa Claus

Robot Santa : Ho, ho, ho! It's time to get jolly on your naughty asses!

Created by The Friendly Robot Company, in the year 2801, Futurama's Robot Santa was designed to judge whether people were naughty or nice, in an attempt to efficiently sort worthy recipients of gifts. A programming error, however, resulted in Robot Santa setting out in his sleigh, on an annual reign of terror, to punish all those on his naughty list.

Buffy Revisited

2011-11-29T18:14:00.122+11:00

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 2

Xander : (digging) Y'know, this might go a lot faster if you femmes actually picked up a shovel, too.
Giles : Hear, hear.
Buffy : Sorry, but I'm an old fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies.

Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer began with Buffy returning to Sunnydale after having spent the summer in LA with her father. Secretly traumatized by her near-death experience at the hands of the Master, Buffy began to behave badly rather than confiding in her friends and confronting her fears. This was epitomized by an emotionally uncomfortable scene (a Joss Whedon trademark), in which Buffy performed a little seduction dance for Xander, and essentially killed three birds with one stone by spurning Angel, betraying Willow, and leading Xander on, only to reject him. Meanwhile, after gaping at the whole performance, Cordelia briefly set aside her crown as Sunnydale's queen of mean, and gave the Slayer a little advice about the road she was headed down if she didn't deal with her issues.

Big Bads

Spike : I want to save the world.
Buffy : You do remember that you're a vampire, right?
Spike : We like to talk big. Vampires do. "I'm going to destroy the world." That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people, billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision, with a real... passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester bloody Square. You know what I'm saying?

For me, one of the best aspects of the second season was the arrival of the reckless and impetuous vampire, Spike. From the moment he drove into town, unceremoniously knocking down the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign in the process, I knew he was going to be a spectacular character.

Initially it seemed that Collin, the Anointed One, and charismatic leader of the vampire "Order of Aurelius", was destined to be the season's Big Bad, but in a surprise move, Spike tossed the child into a cage and killed him by hoisting him into the sunlight. With Collin gone, Spike assumed leadership with his ailing vampire girlfriend, Drusilla, at his side. Apparently, Joss Whedon has said that although the Annointed One was intended to be the villain of the season, the child who portrayed him, Andrew J. Ferchland, was growing too quickly to remain believable as a perpetual child.

In spite of the damage Spike and Drusilla wreaked upon Sunnydale during the course of the season, it eventually became apparent that the true Big Bad was actually Angel, or his gypsy-curse-free alter ego, Angelus. Angel's betrayal of Buffy, followed by a string of cruel and sadistic acts, provided the show with some of its all-time most poignant and dramatic moments. When Angelus came between Spike and his love, Drusilla, Spike formed an uneasy alliance with Buffy, which was to foreshadow future story lines in the series.

Romantic Dramas

Willow : Love makes you do the wacky.

The course of true love never runs smoothy in the Buffyverse and Season 2 was no exception to that rule. Cordelia solidified her position as a bona fide "Scooby-gang" member and embarked upon a hilarious love/hate relationship with Xander. This was, of course, much to the dismay of the lovelorn Willow, although Season 2 did see her eventually become involved with werewolf, Oz.

Angel's switch to the dark side was a tragic loss for Buffy, but it also had repercussions for her Watcher, Rupert Giles. Seeking to taunt Buffy, Angelus murdered Jenny Calendar, Giles' love interest.

Even the vampires suffered a few romantic hurdles as Angelus sought to drive a wedge between Spike and Drusilla.

Classic Movie Monsters

Cordelia : You, you, you! What about me?! It's one thing to be dating the lame unpopular guy, but it's another to be dating the Creature from the Blue Lagoon.
Xander : Black Lagoon! The Creature from the Blue Lagoon was Brooke Shields. And thank you so much for your support!

While Season One featured fear archetypes like killer clowns, ventriloquist dummies, and demon children, Season 2 paid homage to a number of classic horror movie monsters. Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon were all given the Buffy treatment.

Vampire Decor

Angelus : And this... this is the garden.
Drusilla : Wow! Look. Jasmine.
Angelus : Night blooming.
Drusilla : Like us. Oh, Angel, it's fairyland. (Turns in excitement.) Oh!
Spike : It's paradise. Big windows, lovely gardens. It'll be perfect when we want the sunlight to kill us.

With the arrival of Spike and Drusilla in Sunnydale, and Angel's defection to the dark side, there was the opportunity in Season 2 to focus on the living arrangements of the vampires. Their dysfunctional family life began in an abandoned factory, which was given an appropriately dark, theatrical makeover with dramatic dining furniture, candles, and Drusilla's collection of creepy dolls.

Much to Spike's vexation however, the vampires were forced to flee the factory, and move into an empty mansion, after Angelus killed Miss Calendar, and provoked Giles into exacting a little fiery vengeance. Their new lair had a vine covered walled garden appropriately filled with night blooming jasmine.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-11-23T14:31:00.000+11:00

Winona Cookie's Magnificently Macabre 2012 Calendar

How could I possibly resist a calendar that promises a little "Halloween all year long". The "Magnificently Macabre" 2012 Calendar is the creation of Ramona, from Winona Cookie. Some of you may remember my previous post on Ramona's 'Moribund Manor' collage (here). Moribund Manor is included amongst the many charmingly eccentric images in this calendar. There are also a number of delightfully dark tales about the imaginary characters who inhabit Winona Cookie's gothic world.

The Magnificently Macabre 2012 Calendar is available from Zazzle and you can see more of Ramona's work in the Winona Cookie Etsy Shop.

The Witches Yuletide Ball

2011-11-21T12:26:00.006+11:00

On December 10, The Witch of Howling Creek and On the Broomstick blogs will be co-hosting a magical Yule themed blog party called "The Witches Yuletide Ball". One of the organizers, Dana, suggests the Yuletide post could be: "A memory, recipe, tradition, well wish, giveaway, photo essay...whatever. As long as it is about Yule and having a magical holiday." If you're interested in joining the party, or would like more information on the event, you can click the link here, or on the button in the sidebar.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-11-19T18:36:00.000+11:00

Was that a Ghost?

2011-11-15T10:50:00.000+11:00

Many of you who visit my blog will already be familiar with Sharon Day, or her alter ego, Autumnforest, a writer, paranormal investigator, and author of Ghost Hunting Theories blog. As a regular reader of her blog, I know that she possesses both an open mind, and a faculty for critical thinking, so I decided to buy the Kindle edition of her book, Was that a Ghost?, to see if she could shed a little light on two strange instances that I have experienced in my life. I have only just started to read the book, so I haven't tested my examples against Sharon's criteria yet, but in the meantime, I thought I might share my anecdotes. If anyone else is willing to share a similar experience, I'd love to hear it.

Was that a Ghost?
When I was about nineteen, I awoke in the early hours one morning to find a shape standing in the doorway of my bedroom. The best description I can give, is that it appeared as a column of static light particles. I watched mesmerized as the light slowly crossed the room and came to the side of my bed. It then bent over me, leaning in close, as though it was trying to examine my face. The light had no features whatsoever, and yet for some reason I was completely convinced that it was a woman. It was almost touching me when I panicked and called out, "No!". The light dissipated instantly. There was no chance of me getting any more sleep that night, and I lay there completely freaked out until dawn. Later that day, I was told that my great-aunt had died during the night. The light never appeared again.

Sabrina the Ghostbuster?
For a short time in the nineties, my husband and I lived in an apartment in a very old terrace house in Paddington, Sydney, with our young cat, Sabrina. On many occasions, without warning, and for no obvious reason, Sabrina's hackles would go up, she'd start hissing, spitting, and doing that weird little sideways-jumpy thing that cats do in a confrontation, all the while focusing on some empty space in front of her. We became so concerned about this that we consulted a vet. The vet concluded that we simply had a neurotic cat. When we moved out of that apartment the odd behaviour abruptly stopped. Sabrina lived to the age of 15, and shared 5 more homes with us, yet not once did she exhibit that strange behaviour again.

There's Something About 200!

2011-11-13T13:06:00.001+11:00

Apparently 200 is my lucky number because just recently I have been fortunate enough to win two blog giveaways, each celebrating 200 Follower milestones. Actually, that's not the only coincidence, as both blogs are authored by "Julies".

Obsidian Arrowhead Pendant by Adsila

I won this fabulous obsidian arrowhead pendant from Adsila's Blog, Above the Norm. Adsila is an artist, photographer, paranormal enthusiast, writer, and urban explorer. She creates all manner of jewelry and art pieces made from artifacts that she finds on her adventures, and sells them in her Etsy shop (here). Winning a little memento of America's Wild West was very cool, particularly for me, as an Australian. Thank you so much, Adsila!

Morticia-Me Drawing by TriGirl

I won this cute prize on TriGirl's, Tri-ing to be Athletic blog. She surprised me with one of her trademark stick figure illustrations of Morticia-Me sewing up one of my Little Gothic Horrors dolls. TriGirl actually found my blog via The Little Blog of Blogs, but admitted she's not so keen on scary stuff. As it turned out, this statement could not be further from the truth because when I visited her blog, I discovered it was an illustrated journal of something way more terrifying than any zombie apocalypse... it was about triathlons! TriGirl sells merchandise adorned with her quirky drawings on Zazzle (here). Thank you so much as well, TriGirl!

As well as giveaway goodies, I also have to thank The Spooky Vegan for bestowing a blog award upon me. Spooky Vegan describes herself as: "Horror nerd. Happy Vegan. Halloween obsessed. Spooky kid. Sinister yet sweet." Sounds delightful to me!

Liebster ("Dearest" in German) Blog Award

The Rules
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.

Thank you so much my Liebster Spooky Vegan, and here are my picks for the next round of Liebster Blog awards:

The Wild Fairy: The lovely Siobhan writes about "Life in Ireland and Whimsical Moments".
Vagabond Cafe: Will is an amazing doll artist and horror enthusiast.
The Little Blog of Blogs: Cherry Neko runs this blog dedicated to promoting other blogs.
Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse: Meet Liz and Stella, a couple of zombie housewives inhabiting a post apocalyptic world.
Gabriel Sword: A sci-fi, paranormal, and horror writer.

Please go check out all these great blogs and give them a little blog love!

The 13 Days of Creepmas!

2011-11-09T21:07:00.000+11:00

"The 13 Days of Creepmas" is a lighthearted blog initiative dedicated to adding a big sack of Halloween spookiness to Santa's sleigh during the first 13 days of December. (Don't worry, the big guy can handle it!) In the words of the organizers, it's about "giving Christmas the Jack Skellington treatment".

For more information, or to join the ever-burgeoning ranks of "Creepers", click here, or on the Creepmas button in the sidebar.

The Post-Halloween Post

2011-11-04T16:19:00.005+11:00

There's no tradition of Halloween in Australia. It is still very much regarded as an American holiday, and only superficially celebrated. There are occasional costume parties, a bit of random trick or treating, and increasingly, Halloween candy and other paraphernalia are available on the supermarket shelves, but in general, Australia has not really embraced the night when the veil between the worlds is at its thinest. Me? Well, that's a whole other story. I love Halloween.

The Skeleton Dance

For me, Halloween is like The Addams Family television show, or The Skeleton Dance. It's all about the lighter side of the dark side. A time to put the cute into creepy, and the kooky into spooky.

The Addams Family

Of course, without any true frame of reference, anything I know about Halloween, I've learned from watching American movies and television. Since starting this blog however, and becoming acquainted with many hardcore Halloween enthusiasts, I now realize that my knowledge of Halloween customs barely scratches the surface. Until recently, I had never heard the expression "yard haunt". Nor was I aware that the entire month of October was filled with seasonal festivities like corn mazes, bonfires, hayrides, and caramel apples, not to mention a plethora of pumpkin flavoured products. You see, I live on the other side of the globe, where it is currently Spring, not Autumn, so I have to content myself with my own cobbled together version of Halloween.

My Jack-o'-Lantern

I carved my first pumpkin several years ago. It was a Queensland Blue variety. For those not familiar with the Queensland Blue pumpkin, the experience of carving it was akin to sawing through hard wood. It took me five hours to carve a basic Jack-o'-Lantern face. Fortunately, the lovely orange, and much more pliable, American pumpkins are now available here, although they are outrageously expensive. This year's pumpkin cost a whopping $18.50! And that was after waiting until the last minute, and purchasing one that was reduced to half-price.

Although I admire the artistry of the intricate designs that many people carve into their pumpkins, as you can see, when it comes to carving my own pumpkin, I favour the simple Jack-o'-Lantern face.

Hocus Pocus

Beyond a Jack-o'-Lantern, and a few decorations, my Halloween ritual basically consists of a nice dinner, followed by some kind of spooky, but lighthearted or kooky movie. Terror is fine on every other day of the year, but Halloween is about fun. Tim Burton's movies often fit the bill. Other Halloween favourites include, The Frighteners, Monster House, Coraline, and Ghostbusters. This year we opted for Hocus Pocus.

My Skull Cake

Each year I always make some sort of treat to enjoy while we watch our movie. After reading a Day of the Dead post, on Justine's Halloween blog, I was inspired at the last minute to try and make a skull cake. It was a pretty freestyle creation and nothing fancy, but I think it turned out kind of cute. I just carved a skull shape out of a round cake, and then made a stencil out of baking paper for the face. The cake was just a vanilla butter cake, with a vanilla butter cream icing, and the eyes, nose and mouth were made from cocoa and sugar.

So, that was my Halloween. I'd love to hear how you celebrated your Halloween?

Halloween

2011-10-31T18:54:00.000+11:00

Delightfully Dark Art

2011-10-26T21:19:00.000+11:00

The Vampire by Philip Burne-Jones

The Vampire was the most celebrated work of British painter, Sir Philip Burne-Jones (1861-1926). He was the son of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who was connected to the Pre-Raphaelite art movement.

A poem called The Vampire, written by Rudyard Kipling, was inspired by this painting.

Philip Burne-Jones produced more than 60 paintings during his life, and his work was exhibited in prestigious galleries in both London and Paris. He was, however, never fully able to step out of the shadow of his more famous father.

I was already completely captivated by The Vampire before stumbling upon the delightful portrait of the artist with his cat, but now I'm even more impressed by Philip Burne-Jones.

Blog Awards

2011-10-25T18:54:00.000+11:00

I need to thank Holly from Holly's Horrorland blog, and Marilyn from art bliss blog, for kindly bestowing awards on Little Gothic Horrors.

Liebster ("Dearest" in German) Blog Award

The Rules
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.

Thank you my Liebster Holly, of Holly's Horrorland, and here are my picks for the next round of Liebster Blog awards:

1. Annie Walls
2. Pixie's Horror Galore
3. art bliss
4. Horror Shock Lolipop
5. ...It's On Random

iDig Your Blog Award

iDig Your Blog Award Protocol:
1 ) Gratefully accept this award.
2 ) Link to the person you received it from.
3 ) Post 3 interesting facts about yourself.
4 ) Pass this award around to at least 5 blogs you dig.
5 ) Notify them.

I gratefully accept this award from the lovely Marilyn of art bliss blog. Thank you and I dig your blog as well.

I have received this award a couple of times before, so I'll try to keep my facts short and sweet because I'm all out of "interesting" by this stage.

1. I adore cats!

2. I love coffee, wine, Italian food, Chinese food, and a day without chocolate is... well, let's not go there!

3. My aesthetic tastes are a peculiar mix of Victorian Gothic and Mid 20th Century design. I put this down to a childhood spent watching Hammer Horrors, and reruns of Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Addams Family.

Here are my picks for the next round of iDig Your Blog Awards:

1. Anathema Arcana
2. Ghost Stories and Haunted Places
3. Lovely Miss Megs
4. Memoirs Of A Scream Queen
5. Kreepy Girl

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-10-24T12:36:00.001+11:00

Vagabond Cafe

There are many talented doll artists on Etsy, and one whose work I have admired for some time is Will, from Vagabond Cafe, which is both the name of his shop, and a fictional establishment that serves the "strange and unusual". A horror enthusiast, Will patches together wonderful little monsters, with colourful back stories, who inhabit a dark, imaginary world that he has created.

"I grew up with a healthy obsession with all things horror - films, books, magazines, art. It's still an obsession to this day and that is where a lot of my inspiration comes from. I'm also inspired by childrens books, fairy tales, squirrels, rabbits and any animals with personality.  

For most of my life I've had dreams of being a filmmaker, photographer or writer. I think of the dolls I make as characters in a story I've written or a film I've made in my head."

See more of Will's work here and his Vagabond Cafe blog here.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2011-10-21T12:54:00.002+11:00

One of the biggest inspirations for the little dolls that I make, came from reading The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. If you haven't read it, I don't want to give too much away, but essentially the story is about a living baby boy who is given sanctuary within the walls of a graveyard after the tragic death of his family. He is adopted and raised by a ghost couple, and provided protection by the cemetery's deceased (and undead) inhabitants because his life is in danger from an outside threat.

I absolutely loved the premise of this novel, and the originality of the graveyard being a little island of security amidst a larger world filled with peril and horror, really appealed to me. The imagery of the child (named "Nobody" by the spirits) playing amongst the tombstones with the ghosts of long-dead children, resonated with me as well. It was literally the moment after finishing the book that the idea for a doll popped into my head.

Like Coraline, The Graveyard Book is one of Neil Gaiman's children's novels, but it can definitely be enjoyed by adults, and in fact, the opening scene might even be regarded as too frightening for some children.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-10-19T17:53:00.000+11:00

More Ghastlie Goings On!

2011-10-16T16:01:00.000+11:00

The Ghastlies

"In Ghastlie Manor on Ghastlie Street, there's a Ghastlie family there to meet. Mathilda Ghastlie with husband too, extend a Ghastlie hand to you. It's a Ghastlie day for a Ghastlie walk, under Ghastlie trees on a Ghastlie block. A Ghastlie time for Ghastlie things, like Ghastlie pets with Ghastlie wings!"

Alexander Henry Fabrics

The Ghastlies

2011-10-12T22:23:00.005+11:00

I thought I might let you in on one of my little obsessions, The Ghastlies. In case you don't recognize them, they are part of a Halloween line from Alexander Henry Fabrics. Of course, The Addams Family will always be my first love when it comes to spooky clans, but I've become quite besotted with The Ghastlies as well.

The images on these fabrics are aesthetically just my cup of tea, but more than that, they also manage to create an engagingly eerie little world of Victorian Gothic manors, graveyards, bats, witches and vampires as the backdrop for this creepy family, and their cat, Sebastian.

And The Winner Is...

2011-10-09T19:49:00.000+11:00

HollyHorrorshow!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for my Zola the Zombie doll during the Blogger Zombie Walk. There were 37 entries in the draw. I assigned a number to each comment, in the order that they were left, and then put the numbers into the Random.org "True Random Number Generator". The result was Number 2, HollyHorrorshow. Congratulations, Holly! Zola will soon be on her way to nibble at your brain!

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-10-07T18:44:00.020+11:00

Goth Clothes

One of the best parts of blogging is the camaraderie and sense of community that develops between bloggers. Recently, I was contacted by D, who introduced herself and let me know she was following my blog, but because she had her own website, I couldn't "see" her through Google Friend Connect.

D runs an online business called Goth Clothes, which besides clothing, sells lots of accessories that would work really well with a Halloween party outfit. There are shoes, bags, tiny top hats, and even black lace fans and parasols.

See more at Goth Clothes.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-10-05T21:17:00.000+11:00

Booh Halloween Card Set by Genevieve Marquis

I discovered this lovely set of Halloween greeting cards in the Etsy shop, Mademoiselle G. They are the work of illustrator and doll artist, Genevieve Marquis, and they could either be sent to a Halloween-loving friend, or framed.

You can see more of Genevieve's work here.

Little Gothic Horrors Dolls Featured on Horror Shock Lolipop

2011-10-05T21:06:00.000+11:00

I just wanted to thank the lovely Lilia Tombs, of Horror Shock Lolipop, for featuring my little dolls on her blog. Horror Shock Lolipop is run by a team of bloggers dedicated to all things creepy, cute, horror, Halloween, strange and unusual. You can check it out here.

The Winchester Boys Are Back!

2011-10-04T21:17:00.006+11:00

Lucifer: "You know, I really think Prince William has found the right girl. What do you think?"

The seventh season of Supernatural picked up immediately where the sixth season ended, and having now watched the first two episodes, I have to say, it was an utterly spectacular start! (Warning: The following may contain spoilers.) If Castiel turning dark-side and declaring himself the new God wasn't enough, another Big Bad emerged in the form of the biblical demons, Leviathans. Even better, two of my favourite supporting characters, Death and Crowley, are back, as is Lucifer.

Season Seven has just dived headlong into the drama. By the end of the second episode, Bobby, Dean, and Sam are already in a seemingly hopeless position, and with Bobby's house destroyed, they've lost the series home base. Plus, today I discovered a delightful surprise. The upcoming 5th episode, wickedly titled, "Shut Up, Dr. Phil", guest stars, Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters. For those who don't know, that's Cordelia and Spike, respectively, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer... be still, my beating heart!

One Hundred Delightful Darklings!

2011-10-03T17:53:00.001+11:00

Well, it was quite a weekend! First there was the Blogger Zombie Walk, and then I hit the 100 followers milestone. My 100th follower was the blogger, "occhio sulle espressioni" (here). A huge thank you to him, and to all the other followers of my blog. I greatly appreciate all of you, and thoroughly enjoy our conversations through the comments.

Blogger Zombie Walk - Giveaway

2011-09-30T19:33:00.001+10:00

Zola the Zombie Doll

As my contribution to the Blogger Zombie Walk, I am giving away one of my Little Gothic Horrors. Zola the Zombie was designed and made by me. If you'd like to enter the giveaway for a chance to win Zola, just leave me a comment with the word "zombie" in it and you will go into the draw. Anyone, anywhere is welcome to enter.

The giveaway will be open over the entire weekend following the walk. A name will be drawn out of the cauldron during the week and a winner will be announced here on Saturday, October 8th. If you need to comment as "anonymous", please make sure that you leave a name so that I can identify you in the draw.

If for any reason you're having trouble leaving a comment then just shoot me an email, (here) and I will enter you in the draw that way.

I'd also like to thank Autumnforest, of Ghost Hunting Theories blog, for organizing this event!

The rest of the stops on the walk are listed below, so when you're done here, please shuffle and shamble off to the next blog.

Thanks so much for visiting Little Gothic Horrors!

October 9, 2011

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for Zola the Zombie during the Blogger Zombie Walk. Entries have now closed, and the winner is HollyHorrorshow! Congratulations Holly! Zola will soon be on her way to nibble at your brain!

Ghost Hunting Theories
Above the Norm: Bizarre Arizona
Zombies Everywhere
Holly's Horrorland
Anything Horror
Katy Bennett Horror Writer and Poet
Bubba's Place
Horror Smorgasbord
Gnostalgia
Monkey Man
Words and Music
Red Shoes Chronicles
The Wolf's Eyes
My Day in a Sentence
Pixie's Horror Galore
Strange State
The Misadventures of HalloweeNut
Halloween Blues
Kweeny Todd
The California Blogging Massacre
Horror Shock Lolipop
Vanessa Morgan
Improbable Frontiers
No Really, You Can Eat It
Art By Living Dead Girl Nicole
Two Gory Chicks
A Dust Bunny in the Wind
A Ghoul's Best Friend
Zombies Are Magic
Cherry Neko Saves the World
Tall Tales
At the Mansion of Madness
The Haunted Rose
The Rotting Zombie
Halloween Overkill
Out of the Shadows
Creepy Glow Keyhole Gallery
Creepy Glowbugg
Bifocal Univision
Haiku-Koo-Koo
Sherry Soule
Anchors and Roses
Paranormal Researchers Group
Whispering Pines History
Lovely Miss Megs
Sean Thomas Fisher's Blogwash
Rise and Fight
Stump Town Horror
LoliClown's Little Blog of Horror
Zombies Can't Love
Books and Beyond
The Grave Bandits
Screaming Goregasms
Lazy Daisy Life
Icky Monster
Pretty in Fiction
Ivy's Closet
Justine's Halloween
Annie Walls
Just Johnny

Rise Again - A Novel by Ben Tripp

2011-09-28T21:13:00.001+10:00

As I have mentioned in a previous post, The Walking Dead series gave me a new-found appreciation for the zombie genre, so I decided to give a zombie novel a try. After searching around Amazon, and reading a few reviews, I settled upon Rise Again, by Ben Tripp, and fortunately, I wasn't disappointed.

The story centres around Danielle (Danny) Adeleman, an Iraq War veteran and sheriff of small American town, Forrest Peak. During Fourth of July celebrations, a mystery contagion spreads through the town leaving the population of locals and visiting tourists decimated within hours. When the deceased begin to rise again and attack the living, Danny takes on the responsibility of a small band of survivors and flees the town, only to discover that nowhere is safe from the ravenous walking dead.

Okay, so the basic premise is pretty familiar zombie apocalypse fare, but it's the strong characters that really take this story to the next level. A warrior and natural leader, Danny is also a functioning alcoholic, scarred both physically and emotionally by her time in combat. She's not instantly likeable, but the way she tenaciously faces each soul-crushing trial, while at the same time searching for her missing sister, and attempting to protect those in her charge, made me care about her despite her faults. It was also interesting the way the book focused on Danny's military mindset and her constant need to create some kind of order amidst the anarchy.

Danny's little band of survivors are also engaging, and satisfy the most important requirement for any horror tale in my opinion, and that is, you really want them to survive. Some of these supporting characters, like a gay interior designer from Los Angeles, and a town drunk, could so easily have been stereotypes, but the author peeled away the superficial facades and created real human beings who quickly became my favourites. In many ways, the novel is primarily about the manner in which a broken society brings out the best and the worst in humanity. The most unlikely characters emerge with extraordinary nobility, while the actions of others are in fact far more disturbing and monstrous than the zombie threat.

Great characters aside, Rise Again is ultimately a zombie apocalypse novel, and as such, it also contains plenty of the requisite violence, gore, and scares that the zombie genre demands. The sights, smells, sounds, and tactile sensations are vividly described, and the pace is excellent with plenty of nail-biting tension, but just the right amount of respite between the big horror set pieces. Plus, without giving anything away, there is a stunning cliffhanger of an ending, and happily, from what I understand, a sequel is on the way. This book would have made a great television series if The Walking Dead hadn't got there first.

Rise Again is available here.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-09-25T20:12:00.001+10:00

Lucy the Zombie Girl by Angela Rossi

As the countdown to the Blogger Zombie Walk continues, I went on the search for a Delightfully Dark Find of the zombie variety. Not an easy task as it turns out because zombies may be many things, but delightful is not really one of them. I think I succeeded, however, with Lucy the Zombie Girl. Both delightful and dark, Lucy is the work of artist, Angela Rossi, of Etsy shop, Beat Up Creations.

You can see more of Angela's altered artwork here.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-09-24T10:58:00.000+10:00

Blogger Zombie Walk Countdown

2011-09-23T18:26:00.002+10:00

We interrupt our regular programming to bring you the countdown to the Blogger Zombie Walk. Little Gothic Horrors is temporarily going green... zombie green that is! For the next week, all posts will be devoted to the walking dead, culminating in the Blogger Zombie Walk on Friday, September 30. Details of the walk, organized by Autumnforest of Ghost Hunting Theories blog, can be found here.

Minions of Misery

2011-09-20T22:33:00.000+10:00

My blogging friend, Slowdeath77, of the Horror Smorgasbord blog (here), has chosen me to be a Minion of Misery. This involves selecting a dark book, a dark movie, and revealing a dark secret! Thank you, Slowdeath... I think... Gulp!

Dark Book

My pick for a dark book is The World's Contracted Thus, which in and of itself is not dark at all. In fact, it was my English Literature textbook in High School, but it contained the dark poetry of William Blake, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath. If the television, movies and novels of my childhood set me on the path to the dark side, then this book ensured that there was no turning back.

I Died For Beauty by Emily Dickinson

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied.
"And I for truth - the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a-night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.

Dark Movie

I'm going to bend the rules again and pick the television show, Twin Peaks. Love it or loathe it, this show was a landmark in the evolution of television. David Lynch went to shadowy and bizarre places with Twin Peaks, and paved the way for new styles of television drama. When I think of dark endings, Twin Peaks always comes to mind. The finale was shattering, both literally and figuratively.

Dark Secret

I once worked at an advertising agency run by a loathsome, reptilian man who bore a striking resemblance to Jabba the Hut. Even worse than the boss though, was the Creative Director, a sleazy degenerate devoid of any ethics... I'll refer to him as Mr X. After I quit this job, I met some of my ex-workmates for lunch one day. The meal was filled with tales of woe about their awful working conditions. In particular, I felt bad for a nice guy who had a sick newborn and desperately needed to hang on to his job. Mr X. was making his work life an utter misery.

After lunch, I went back to my new job, quietly seething, the words of Monty Burns from The Simpsons, running through my head:

"I could crush him like an ant. But it would be too easy. No, revenge is a dish best served cold. I'll bide my time until... Oh, what the hell. I'll just crush him like an ant."

Once I was back at my desk, I made a phone call to my old place of work. Posing as "Cindy", a fictitious one-night stand of Mr X., I left a message with a secretary, thanking Mr X. for his generosity in sharing a rather nasty venereal disease with "Cindy" during their brief encounter.

Yes, I know, it's all very vindictive, but I believe the universe was with me that day, my friends. Unbeknownst to me, the secretary was having a secret fling with Mr X., and she delivered "Cindy's" message to him, with gusto, in the middle of an important client meeting. All hell broke loose, and the guy with the baby, who guessed what I'd done, rang me with gleeful progress reports all afternoon. Mr X. spent the rest of the day in client damage control, and racking his brain trying to remember which of his conquests had been named "Cindy".

So my secret is out. Was it a dark deed? Yeah. Do I regret it? Nah. Not one bit!

Now I have to choose the next round of Minions of Misery:

Fortean Squirrel
http://www.forteansquirrel.com/

Cherry Neko Saves The World
http://cherrynekostw.blogspot.com/

Something wicKED this way comes...
http://wickedwaysproductions.blogspot.com/

You have been chosen!

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-09-19T21:47:00.000+10:00

"Get To Know Your Bloggers" Interview

2011-09-17T10:51:00.001+10:00

It's all happening at the moment...

Britnie, aka Random Girl, from the Blog, ... It's On Random, has interviewed me for her "Get To Know Your Bloggers" series (here). One of the most fun parts of this interview was getting to ask Britnie some questions, and I discovered that this gal has an end of the world evacuation and procedure plan that makes Sarah Connor look like a slacker, by comparison! I was seriously impressed, and in the event of a zombie apocalypse, I know whose team I want to be on. And she's even got a crossbow, my zombie apocalypse weapon of choice... swoon!

Britnie's blog is an eclectic mix of zombies, craft, cooking, comics, games, and more. She is an amazing artist, and has a shop called Astrid's Alley, full of handmade soaps, and zombie items galore. Thank you for interviewing me, Britnie! Check out ... It's On Random, here.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-09-12T12:43:00.000+10:00

Moribund Manor - Haunted House by Winona Cookie

Here's a little something to turn the Halloween spirit up a notch or two. Moribund Manor is a print of an original collage (the original artwork is also available to purchase) created by Ramona, of Etsy shop, Winona Cookie.

Not only is this artwork gorgeously detailed, but Ramona has supplied a delightfully dark backstory for all the deceased inhabitants of Moribund Manor. For example, there's Antoine Caput who committed suicide by the novel means of decapitation, and Owlwin Kestrel who was born with his head facing backwards and died after walking into one too many walls.

And just when I thought Winona Cookie couldn't get any better, I discovered that Ramona's shop was named after her childhood imaginary friend!

You can see more Winona Cookie creations here.

Thank you... Again!

2011-09-11T12:26:00.089+10:00

Sweet Cherry Neko has made Little Gothic Horrors her first "Blog of the Week", on The Little Blog of Blogs. Thank you so much, Cherry! I feel ridiculously spoilt.

Based on the particular style of my blog, Cherry imagined that I'd be the type to own a gothic mansion with an adjoining cemetery for midnight strolls... well, naturally I do! And believe me, it was no easy task acquiring one in sun-bleached, suburban Melbourne, either! (Wink!) If you haven't already added your blog to The Little Blog of Blogs, then you can do so here.

I also have to thank Lisa Fee, of the blog, Tall Tales, for bestowing awards on me this week. Lisa writes paranormal fiction. As I have only just recently passed a bunch of these awards around, I will simply say a heartfelt thank you to Lisa. You can check out Tall Tales blog here.

P. S. In the meantime, I received an 'I Dig Your Blog' award from the lovely Lorelei, of Lorelei's Muse blog. Lorelei is a published author of vampire and fantasy fiction.Thank you so much, Lorelei!! You can check out her delightfully dark blog here.

P. P. S. Oh my goodness! Now my blog pal, Pixie, of Pixie's Horror Galore, has passed the 'I Dig Your Blog' award on to me. Thank you so much! Pixie is adorable and funny, and you will find all sorts of interesting horror-related posts on her fantastic blog. So check it out here.

The Skeleton Dance

2011-09-10T20:53:00.000+10:00

The Skeleton Dance was created in 1929, as the first of Disney's Silly Symphonies. The concept was bold at the time because the film featured no familiar characters, or even a story. It was simply a fusion of music and animation designed to evoke a mood.

In spite of its age, The Skeleton Dance remains an immensely popular and critically admired cartoon. It is spookily atmospheric and kookily charming... although, those skeletons really should keep their bony hands off the long-suffering graveyard cats!

Buffy Revisited

2011-09-08T16:50:00.003+10:00

Buffy: "Y'know, you really oughtta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage."

Master: "Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight."

As I continue on my quest to re-watch Buffy in its entirety, I have come to the end of the first season. The Slayer has had her showdown with the Master, or as he will come to be known, Buffy's first "Big Bad". Apparently the expression "Big Bad" was coined after Angel turned dark-side in Season Two. In the episode 'Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered', Buffy describes Angel as "the big, bad thing in the dark." The term evolved, amongst the fans and the show's creators, into a label given to the major antagonist of each season. "Big Bad" has now become a part of popular culture vernacular, and is often used in reference to recurring villains in other television series.

The "Big Bad", and other assorted monsters, however, weren't the only things creating havoc in the corridors of Sunnydale High during Season One. Desires ran amok, as well. Buffy yearned for Angel, Xander coveted Buffy, and poor Willow longed for Xander. The faculty and the undead weren't exempt either, as school librarian Giles started to fancy computer teacher, Jenny Calendar, and Angel, of course, pined for The Slayer from his position lurking in the shadows. These infatuations would become the launching pad for a slew of love triangles that became a distinctive feature of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and its spin-off show, Angel.

So, on to Season Two...

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-09-06T21:00:00.000+10:00

Hip and Clavicle

These black butterflies were created by Jacqueline, of Etsy shop, Hip and Clavicle. They are 3D paper wall art, and they do come in many other colours, but I was particularly partial to the "soot" butterflies.

You can see more of Jacqueline's exquisite paper art here.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-09-03T15:07:00.000+10:00

More Mad Monster Party

2011-08-31T17:09:00.001+10:00

While researching the Mad Monster Party movie, I stumbled across this fabulous artwork by illustrator Dave Perillo. He created it for an exhibition in 2009,
called Creature Double Feature. The show, which was held at Brave New Worlds Comics, in Philadelphia, challenged the artists to interpret the definition of the
word "creature".

I have always loved the illustration from the '50s and '60s, and Dave's retro style
is very reminiscent of that period.

The Mad Monster Party print is available from Etsy shop, Hen-N-Chicks (here). Amongst the other artwork in his shop are prints inspired by Edward Scissorhands, Dawn of the Dead, Doctor Who, and Alice in Wonderland.

Mad Monster Party

2011-08-29T21:35:00.003+10:00

Okay... this is one kooky little film! Quite how I missed this mad malarkey growing up, I can't imagine, and can only conclude that it may never have been shown in Australia. Anyway, I'd still be completely ignorant of its existence if I hadn't noticed it mentioned in a post about child-friendly horror movies on The Horror Hotel blog (here). I didn't really like the other Rankin/Bass stop motion animation films, like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but I had much higher hopes for this one because of the subject matter.

While Mad Monster Party is far from perfect, it's hard to resist the blend of traditional gothic horror imagery and 1960s pop culture. I particularly enjoyed the James Bond-esque opening titles song, with Batman-style word graphics like "shriek", and "gasp", as we were introduced by location to the rogues gallery of classic horror monsters featured in the story. The sets of Frankenstein's castle were fabulous, and the storyline was littered with appealingly silly jokes like Dracula stating that he was "the original Batman", a reference to the popular Batman television series that was airing at that time.

Full of very Sixties stream of consciousness looniness, and punctuated as it was with songs, this movie reminded me a little of the television show, The Monkees, except The Monkees' songs were good, and these, for the most part... weren't. In fact, this movie featured a number of musical interludes which appeared to be designed solely to induce the urge to stab oneself in the eye with a fork. There was one cute song called "Do the Mummy", performed by a skeleton band called Little Tibia and the Fibias, and if only they had left it at that, the film would have been so much more enjoyable.

There were also a couple of truly bizarre moments that really made me wonder how they got away with calling this a children's film back in the day. For example, in one scene, a Phyllis Diller voiced "Monster's Mate", and Baron von Frankenstein's buxom assistant, Francesca, strip down to their underwear and engage in a cat fight. As they roll around the floor, meowing sound effects can be heard. Then at another point, the camera zooms in on Frankenstein's male chef provocatively pinching the buttocks of an Igor-like character. My son, incidentally, thought these scenes were hysterical!

By all accounts, this movie has a cult following amongst those who remember it fondly through the rosy spectacles of nostalgia. It is certainly a freakily surreal roller coaster ride, and if, like me, you like the aesthetic of the gothic horror classics, and the Sixties, then it will probably make you smile. Apparently the look of Mad Monster Party was a big influence on Tim Burton's stop motion films, which is a pretty impressive legacy!

Help Cherry Neko Promote Your Blog

2011-08-29T11:19:00.000+10:00

A lovely blogger, Cherry Neko, of Cherry Neko Saves The World (here), has embarked upon an ambitious project to create "The Little Blog of Blogs" (here).
It will be a blog directory that will have listings separated under different genres
and topics so that potential readers/followers can find new blogs that interest them.

So if you'd like to add your blog to the list, email Cherry (cherryneko@hotmail.co.uk) with your blog title, blog address, and a brief description of what your blog is about.

"Horror" is already up and ready to go, and Cherry's open to any other category suggestions that you may have.

Don't Forget to Walk Like a Zombie

2011-08-28T11:37:00.000+10:00

The date for the Blogger Zombie Walk is fast approaching, so if you'd like to participate you can get details from the event organizer, Autumnforest, of Ghost Hunting Theories, here.

Buffy Revisited

2011-08-25T18:13:00.000+10:00

Principal Snyder: "My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in my world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time."

Ever since I posted the short film, Callalilly (here), I've had creepy dolls on my
mind, and creepy dolls have lead to thoughts of evil clowns and demon children.
As I continue to revisit Buffy, it's interesting to be reminded that all three archetypes are represented in the short, twelve episode, first season.

After hapless Principal Flutie is devoured by a pack of students possessed by hyena spirits, we are introduced to his unpleasant replacement, Principal Synder, in the episode, 'The Puppet Show'. Synder orders Giles to run the school talent show,
while Buffy, Willow, and Xander are recruited as unwilling performers. The Scoobies, however, are diverted from their life in the theatre by a sinister ventriloquist dummy, named Sid, who appears to be stalking the show.

In 'Nightmares', the residents of Sunnydale are subjected to their darkest dreams
and imaginings suddenly manifesting in physical form. Xander finds himself being pursued by a knife wielding clown in the episode, but he faces his childhood terror, and strikes a vicarious blow for all those suffering from coulrophobia (fear of clowns) in the process.

Then we have the Anointed One. In spite of his innocent visage, he is a vampire
child who wants nothing more than to see the Slayer, and the good folk of Sunnydale, dead. The Anointed One proves that one should never underestimate the abilities of
a sinister kiddie, especially when Giles discovers an ancient prophecy stating that young Collin will be the little devil responsible for leading Buffy to her death at the hands of the Master.

Collin proved he had tenacity, too. While the doll and the clown were each
dispatched within the space of a forty minute episode, the Anointed One was
a recurring character who became something of a Mini-Me for the Master throughout Season One. In fact, even though the season finale is imminent, and as such, the Master's demise is at hand, that pesky little demon child is not destined to get his comeuppance... not yet, anyway.

Fifty Delightful Darklings!

2011-08-24T20:46:00.000+10:00

Jenny Krueger:
"I like to see people's insides on their outside."

Well, who could resist
a statement like that? Not me!

Jenny Krueger, of the blog, Memoirs Of A Scream Queen, became my 50th follower yesterday, and as it happened,
I became her 100th follower on the same day.

Thank you, Jenny!
I'm so glad we were each other's milestones! If you haven't already done so, you can check out Jenny's fabulous blog here.

And to everyone else who
has followed my blog...
THANK YOU!
I truly appreciate you all!

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-08-22T16:49:00.000+10:00

Kreepy Girl by Cullan Hudson

Kreepy Girl is the delightfully dark creation of designer, writer, and blogger, Cullan Hudson. Kreepy's moods range from Gothic through to Steampunk, and she now has her very own blog where she has been seen in the company of zombies, mummies and a certain Dark Dude.

You can see more of Cullan's Kreepy Girl range here.

Blog Award

2011-08-21T16:56:00.003+10:00

Today I received this blog award (below) from Miss Bobo of Rockinglicious blog, and I have been charged with the task of passing it forward to other blogs that I dig.

iDig Your Blog Award Protocol:
1 ) Gratefully accept this award.
2 ) Link to the person you received it from.
3 ) Post 3 interesting facts about yourself.
4 ) Pass this award around to at least 5 blogs you dig.
5 ) Notify them.

So, without further ado, I will get on with abiding by the award rules:

1. I gratefully accept this award.

2. A big thank you to the lovely Miss Bobo, of Rockinglicious blog (here),
for presenting it to me.

3. Hmmm... I don't know if these qualify as interesting, but they are facts:

I am an Australian, born to Australian parents, but my country of birth was Papua New Guinea. My father was working there as a lawyer,
and I lived there until I was 3.
I am married with one son, and I say with all sincerity, that I have
the best husband and kid in the universe!
I was obsessed with London as a teenager and moved there a few years after finishing high school. I lived and worked in London for almost
5 years before returning to Australia.

4. I am passing this award along to the following FAB blogs with my gratitude
for their support and blogger buddyship:

Autumnforest is my firecracker of a blogging buddy. Smart, funny and compassionate, she is the mover and shaker of our corner of the blog world. A visit to her blog, Ghost Hunting Theories (here), has become
a daily ritual for me.
Another of my blogging buddies is Justine, of Justine's Halloween (here). She writes fascinating and thoughtful posts on all manner of topics related to Halloween and arcane matters. We have a very similar, and slightly wicked, sense of humour, and I always enjoy the comments that she leaves on my blog.
Slowdeath77, of the Horror Smorgasbord blog (here), is a hardcore horror fan with a tough guy image, but he is really a teddy bear. His posts are infectiously enthusiastic and informative, and he is kind and generous.
A total sweetheart!
Adsila, of the fabulous blog, Above the Norm (here), is also adorable, and I love it when she drops by my blog to visit with me.
LuLu Kellogg's blog (here), is warm, friendly and inspiring, and it's an absolute pleasure for me when she pops over here to leave her most welcome comments.
And last, but not least, is the Real Queen of Horror blog (here).
Simply put, Zena is fun, effervescent, and mad for horror.

5. You're all fantastic, and have been duly notified.

A Classic Ghost Story

2011-08-18T16:58:00.000+10:00

“What she wants is unknown,
but she always comes back,
the spectre of darkness,
the woman in black.”

This is the official teaser trailer for The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. The movie is due for release February 2012, and I have to say, judging by this clip,
it looks promisingly creepy!

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-08-13T17:12:00.004+10:00

A Frozen Charlotte Doll Mourning Necklace

This necklace, from Etsy shop, GhostLove Jewelry, is a solid sterling silver locket-style pendant hanging from a black velvet cord. The locket is in the shape of a coffin, with a cross on the lid, that opens to reveal a tiny Frozen Charlotte doll inside. This doll is an antique, as GhostLove Jewelry explains:

"This doll is part of a rare collection of porcelain bisque dolls excavated from the ruins of an old doll factory that operated between 1890 and 1913 in Thuringia, Germany. That makes them over 100 years old!"

You can see more from GhostLove Jewelry here.

"Frozen Charlotte" commonly refers to a doll, made from either china or bisque with immovable or "frozen" limbs, manufactured from about 1850 to 1920. The dolls ranged in size from an inch to 18 inches or more, and being charms in Christmas puddings, or occupants for doll houses, were amongst their many uses.

The name is believed to have originated from an American folk ballad called
Fair Charlotte or Young Charlotte, by William Lorenzo Carter. The song was based upon a poem called A Corpse Going to a Ball, by Seba Smith, written around 1843. The poem and ballad are cautionary tales, thought to pertain to a true incident, about a girl called Charlotte who ignored her mother's request to cover her fine clothes with a blanket, and then froze to death on a snowy sleigh ride to a ball with her intended husband. The story was meant to discourage such vanity in young women.

This is part of the ballad:

They reached the place and Charles jumped out and held his hands for her,  
"Why sit you there like a monument, have you no power to stir?"
He asked her once, he asked her twice; she answered not a word.  
He asked her for her hand again, and yet she never stirred.

He took her hands within his own -- oh, God, they were cold as stone.  
He tore the mantle from her brow, the cold stars on her shone.  
Then quickly to the lighted hall her lifeless form he bore;  
Young Charlotte was a frozen corpse and never spoke no more.

He sat himself down by her side, and the bitter tears did flow,  
He said, "My dear intended bride, I never more shall know."
He threw his arms around her neck and kissed her marble brow
And his thoughts went back to the place where she said, "I'm getting warmer now."

He put the corpse into the sleigh and quickly hurried home,  
And when he reached the cottage door, oh, how her parents mourned!  
They mourned for the loss of their daughter dear, and young Charlie mourned for his bride,  
He mourned until his heart did break, and they slumber side by side.

You can see the rest of the ballad here.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-08-11T18:11:00.000+10:00

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-08-10T11:12:00.004+10:00

Zen And Coffee

The Halloween season is now fast approaching so I thought I might try to start setting a little inspiration in motion. These gorgeous arm warmers and fingerless gloves are made by Wren, from Etsy shop, Zen And Coffee. I think they would make the perfect finishing touch to a Victorian Gothic or Steampunk themed costume.

My best friend wore a black pair of these arm warmers to a Halloween work function last year. They were part of a dark fairy ensemble, complete with bat-like black fairy wings, and they earned her an award for "putting sexy back into Halloween".

You can see more from Zen And Coffee here.

Night of the Lepus

2011-08-09T10:19:00.008+10:00

Sheriff: "Attention! Attention! Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There is a herd of killer rabbits headed this way and we desperately need your help!"

I watched this film years ago with my best friend, Sue. As teenagers, we stumbled across it on late night television and were riveted by the utter absurdity of it all. We laughed until we cried over the giant mutant bunnies, blood dripping from their little choppers, attacking the good folk of a small Arizona town.

Over the years, Sue and I have reminisced fondly about Night of the Lepus, and to this day we agree that it still holds the title for being the most ludicrous movie that we have ever seen.

Recently, on a whim, I decided to google Night of the Lepus and found an entertaining review on the blog, Exclamation Mark (here). As Mark suggests: "It is probably one of those flicks you'll enjoy more in the company of others."

The Cautionary Tale of Callalilly

2011-08-05T12:07:00.000+10:00

"A temper, if not tamed, 
can leave a little rag doll maimed."

This is a short film, from doll artist Christy Kane, that definitely falls into the delightfully dark category. But, beware if little dolls freak you out!

You can check out Christy Kane's Etsy shop here.

Buffy Revisited

2011-08-03T10:24:00.001+10:00

Buffy: "If the apocalypse comes, beep me."

The last time I re-watched any Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a couple of years ago and then it was just seasons 5, 6, and 7, so it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I made the commitment this week to start again from the first episode. It will probably be a long journey because I really haven't got the time to watch the show in marathon chunks, and after Season 3, I will need to start watching Angel, too, in order to keep the crossover episodes in chronological order.

So I'm five episodes in, and it's fascinating, and a little frightening, to see how young the cast all look. I can't believe that the first season was made in 1996. Sarah Michelle Gellar is so baby-faced and I am trying to remember if girls really were wearing the mini-dresses and go-go boots that she sports in the early Buffy days.

The other thing that struck me was the lack of cell phones. The idea of teenagers without cell phones is almost inconceivable, now. Giles keeps tabs on Buffy via a beeper.

Granted, some of the monsters, like the sexually predatory teacher who turns into a giant praying mantis, are sort of ridiculous, but somehow the show is so charming that I don't care. All in all, I'm looking forward to Buffy revisited.

And, I had forgotten how much I had missed the Master until he poked one of his minions in the eyeball with a sharpened fingernail, and uttered the words, "Hold on... You've got something in your eye."

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-07-31T11:47:00.000+10:00

RockerByeBaby

Delightfully dark and utterly cute! These skeleton plushies are available at Etsy shop, RockerByeBaby, here.

Delightfully Dark David Tennant

2011-07-28T21:22:00.000+10:00

I would like to thank Dr Blood (Dr Blood's Video Vault) for whipping me into a complete David Tennant frenzy with trailers and promotional pictures for the remake of Fright Night. My heart nearly gave out... but in the best possible way!

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-07-27T18:59:00.000+10:00

Brocade and Bat Wings

2011-07-26T14:46:00.000+10:00

Just a little more eye candy from the Dracula film. Pictured is Lucy (Kate Nelligan), in a 1913-style evening coat, as she arrives to dine with the Count, and later, under the thrall of Dracula, in a gown with sleeves resembling the wings of a bat.

Candles and Cobwebs

2011-07-25T14:53:00.001+10:00

The beautiful photo of a spider's web in my previous post, reminded me of the 1979 film, Dracula, starring Frank Langella. There is a visually stunning aerial shot of a spider crawling over its web as Lucy, beneath, makes her way further into Dracula's snare.

Personally, although I have always enjoyed the Dracula story, I don't subscribe to the notion of the Count as a romantic hero. He certainly knows how to charm the ladies, but his motives are always completely selfish. Call me crazy, but I just don't find statements like "You shall cross land or sea to do my bidding" particularly alluring. However, I will say that Langella's Dracula certainly knows how to set the scene for a dinner date. The Count transforms the decaying ruins of Carfax into a dark, gothic masterpiece of interior decoration with little more than copious quantities of candles and cobwebs.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-07-22T20:58:00.006+10:00

SHE Calls It HOME

I love the name of this image! To be honest, I'm not really a fan of spiders, but this web, dripping with dew in the darkness, is absolutely stunning. This picture is the work of Olivia, from Etsy shop, ORphotography.

You can see more of Olivia's work here.

The 'Burbs

2011-07-21T17:06:00.000+10:00

I laugh a lot. In fact, when I find something really funny, I tend to be a tears-in-the-eyes-falling-off-a-chair sort of laugher. That said, I don't watch many comedies. I tend to like the emotional rollercoaster ride of sandwiching my comedy in between slices of horror and tragedy in the style of shows like Buffy and Supernatural.

One of the notable exceptions to that rule is the movie, The 'Burbs. This is a movie that seems to polarize opinion. Either it is dismissed out of hand, or it is revered as a classic. In my opinion, virtually every line from The 'Burbs is quotable, and indeed, has been quoted by those living under our roof, and amongst close friends. Add to that the neighbourhood haunted house theme, and well... what more could anyone want from a comedy?

These Zombie-Boots Are Made for Walkin'

2011-07-19T17:15:00.000+10:00

The fabulous, flame-haired Autumnforest is organizing a Blogger Zombie Walk for September 30. It's a virtual walk event, so bloggers the world over can join in the fun!

You can head over to her blog (here) to find out all the details.

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-07-18T10:49:00.000+10:00

Swelser

I knew that doing an Etsy search for The 'Burbs (or as it is known in my household, the funniest film, ever), would glean some great results. I discovered Swelser, a husband and wife team, that designs and sells extremely cool vintage-style film and superhero posters.

You can see more Swelser posters here.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-07-17T12:14:00.000+10:00

Eerie Old Maid

2011-07-15T15:22:00.001+10:00

I just received this Halloween Old Maid card deck in the mail and my inner-child is doing a little happy dance!

I discovered these cards when I was taking a peek at the Etsy shop of my new blogging pal, Justine, of Justine's Halloween. As I said in my previous post, I had a couple of fun, spooky board games when I was a little kid, but our family's Old Maid card deck was pretty forgettable, so when I saw Justine's interpretation I just couldn't resist.

You can see the rest of Justine's Etsy shop here and her blog here.

Some Spooky Sentimentality

2011-07-11T15:07:00.009+10:00

My childhood was during the pre-video game period when every household had a large stash of board games to keep the kids busy on a rainy day. I can't say that I was overly enamoured with playing board games as I usually found the subject matter pretty dull (I've never really understood the appeal of Monopoly), but every once in a while a board game would come along that was just my cup of tea. One such game was Milton Bradley's, Which Witch? (also known as Haunted House). Not only was it set in a haunted house plagued by witches, but it was three-dimensional!

The house was constructed from intersecting cardboard walls that created 4 rooms with a central fireplace. If you were unlucky enough to draw the 'Ghoulish Gerty' card, a ball would be dropped down the chimney threatening to knock down the plastic game pieces, which were in the shape of children. One of the many other hazards was having your game piece turned into a plastic mouse and therefore being unable to continue around the board.

The other board game that I remember especially fondly was another Milton Bradley game based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of The Addams Family. The game was a pretty basic throw the die and move around the board type, but from memory it had the perverse bonus that the last one to finish was actually the winner.

Sadly, I don't know what became of these games as my family moved house a few times when I was a child and my mother probably gave them away. (Sigh!)

Delightfully Dark Finds

2011-07-07T17:12:00.000+10:00

Gothicrow

One of my all-time favourite shops on Etsy is Gothicrow. Not only does photographer, Donna, produce the most beautiful gothic images but she is also an absolutely lovely person and passionate about animal welfare.

You can see more Gothicrow photography here.

Delightfully Dark Quotes

2011-07-06T12:40:00.000+10:00

The Walking Dead

2011-07-05T21:31:00.000+10:00

I first read about the AMC series, The Walking Dead, in a British Sci-Fi magazine and was immediately intrigued. Gore, in and of itself, has never been a major factor in attracting me to the horror genre, which might explain why I'm something of a latecomer to the zombie sub-genre, but The Walking Dead has me hooked. I find the characters and the science fiction elements of the viral apocalypse riveting, and every episode is just crammed full of tension.

So, now that I have become a bit of a zombie convert, I can't wait for the second series to start in October and, as is my wont, I already have a theory about the message whispered in Rick's ear.