I have a special Halloween greeting for all my faithful readers.
Are you a first time visitor? That’s OK, you get the greeting, too.
It all began with a good deed: I did some caricatures for a local community theater. The art was used on a poster for a show. I wrote about it in an earlier post.
The theater company said: “You are a kind and generous soul, an exceptional human being– you must be rewarded.” (I’m paraphrasing here.)
So they gave me a free ad in the program for their latest show, a comedy about murder at a 1940’s radio station. It opens tonight, on Halloween.
Here’s my ad:
As you may have guessed, it’s a parody of Psycho, which is probably director Alfred Hitchcock’s best-known film. Most of the action takes place at the sinister Bates Motel, including the famous “shower scene.”
“Slash a leg” is a play on words: superstitious theater folks don’t want to jinx themselves, so they wish each other good luck by saying, “Break a leg!”
I always ask myself if there’s anything else I can do with an illustration. I thought this
one would make a great Halloween card. So I did a color version, and uploaded it to my store. Here it is:
Not the most meticulous carving technique, but you have to admire her enthusiasm. Here’s a larger detail image:
Hard to believe Psycho dates back in 1960. I’d forgotten it was filmed in black and white. Supposedly, chocolate syrup was used for “blood” in the shower scene. Hollywood trickery takes many forms.
If you’ve forgotten the film, or never seen it, you can watch this trailer. It might give you chills, so put on an extra sweater first.
I’m not a huge fan of Hitchcock’s films, but I am a huge fan of Hitchcock himself. He was just the sort of “artist” I most admire: a true craftsman who paid attention to every detail, but was always ready to poke fun at himself and his work.
No doubt about it– the guy was a kidder.
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Have you ever carved a pumpkin? Is it something you do every year?
Have you ever watched Psycho? If so, do you still take showers?
Are you a fan of horror? Is that why you visit this blog??
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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