It's unfortunate that this retro brochure for Castle Dracula in Niagara Falls, Ontario doesn't use any actual photographs of the attraction. If you Google "Castle Dracula Niagara Falls" use can see it's actually fairly impressive looking (at least from the outside).
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UPDATE: I've just discovered that the artwork for this brochure was lifted from a 1973 issue of the House of Mystery. Check out this post over at The Haunted Closet. Looks like you're busted Castle Dracula people.
The drawing above I made when I was in junior high. It was my attempt to make something extremely scary. I think I was inspired by the film Poltergeist, even though that movie isn't known for its monsters, there is that one scene near the end with the ghostly creature in the hallway.
Poltergeist 1982
My take on this creature this was to make it extra gross looking with rat-like hair and diseased looking skin. Drawing my new version of this monster was sorta a nightmare. I started with a much more dynamic pose, but that was a headache to draw so I changed it at the last minute to look more like the original drawing.
If you're a Haunted Mansion fan maybe you've always wondered where the kitchen is. I remember when I was a child thinking it might be cool to see a haunted kitchen scene. It wasn't until recently when I found the above art on the Internet that I learn there were actual ideas for a haunted kitchen scene.
The art is once again from the talented and very prolific Marc Davis, and the text at the bottom of his drawing reads:
Invisible ghost cooks meal. Footprints move around floor. Handle on teakettle raises up to position, teakettle pours into pot. Steam rises. Spoon stirs pot. Oven opens, lid on roaster raises. Steam comes from roaster. Voice of ghost happily hums and recites recipe.
Well enough of the setup here's the animation...
Additional comments...
One issue with a long show scene like this is it's very possible you could ride the attraction multiple times without seeing it all. Although that would sure encourage repeat rides...
EXT. DISNEYLAND -DAY
Three Haunted Mansion fans discuss their favorite ride.
HYPOTHETICAL HM FAN#1 The part where the kettle floats up and pours into the pot is pretty cool.
HYPOTHETICAL HM FAN #2 Wait, the kettle floats? I've only seen the oven door open.
HYPOTHETICAL HM FAN #3 What are you guys talking about. The water pump is only thing I've ever seen going on in that scene.
I guess if this scene was actually in the Mansion most of us would have to wait for a YouTube video from some guy who got stuck in front of the kitchen scene and was able to record the entire sequence to eventually see all of it.
A very special thanks to my friend Bob Biestek who did the great job on the 3D kettle for me, and who even made the lid jump up and down.
Also I'd like to thank GRD999 over on MiceChat for helping me identity the artist of the artwork.
It's time for some real life monsters with the this retro brochure for the Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum in Niagara Falls, Canada...
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Lots of scary folks inside here, and they even got Spider-Man on display with the rest of the human scum too. Somewhere J. Jonah Jameson is happy.
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From what the Internet tells me, unlike most of the old travel brochures I present here, the Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum is still in business. So why don't you stop in and visit the next time you're at Niagara Falls honeymooning, or going over the Falls in a barrel, or whatever.
Time again for another of my "then and now" monster drawings...
I made the drawing above sometime around the 8th grade. I remember I started drawing the redheaded guy with the intent of making some sort of goofy Alfred E. Neuman-like character. I didn't like what I drew, and left him half-finished. A short time later I drew the monster behind him to eat him up.
Looking back at this old drawing I like the subtle line of action on the monster has, and I also think he sorta looks like a Muppet.
It's funny, for my 2009 update I still don't like the redheaded guy. I think his design could be better, and his construction is a little wonky too. I'm glad there's another big monster behind him ready to eat him up.
Hey all you fans of the Disney Parks Haunted Mansion, I've got something fun to show you I think.
As part of my Halloween celebration, I got the idea to animate some of the unused concept art to see how that scene might look if it was actually installed in the Haunted Mansion.
For Marc Davis' s concept art of the "Tiger Hunter" I animated it two different ways: First, I animated the art only, and made to move like it was an animatronic scene. Secondly, I animated a crude simulated ride through as if you were in your "doombuggies" complete with sound and lighting effects. Check it out...
Some additional thoughts and comments...
I wish I had the time to fully animate the classic "Story and Song" cover art for my opening titles. It would have looked cool, but that would also be a lot of work to prep that art for animation. Maybe next year.
Marc Davis was a genius at staging a scene. Everything reads so clearly. I hope I managed to come close to what he was envisioning. All the tiger heads on the wall are drawn differently, and so I animated them each in different ways.
Audio for my simulated ride through was challenging. If anyone out there reading this has a good sound effect for a laughing tiger I would love to hear it because I couldn't find anything suitable. Although losing the laughing effect was probably for the best since the sound for that scene was getting pretty full. I basically only used the growling, hiccuping and the hunter's ranting (which I turned way, way down). I dumped the bone crunching, panting, and laughing (which wasn't good anyway) because I found it all to be just too much noise.
After you enjoy your day at Walt Disney World, head to Downtown Orlando to have the culottes scared off you at the Anthony Perkins endorsed Terror on Church Street.
Wait a minute, this just in... Terror on Church Street is no longer in operation. Sorry about that folks.
Well please enjoy the graphically cool Terror on Church Street brochure.
The company that produced Terror on Church Street is based in Spain, and still operates haunted attractions in various countries. Check out their site if you dare.
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