Ghoulish Delight

Jody and I will be traveling to Walt Disney World for the resort's 40th anniversary on October 1, and Disney asked if we might create something special for a Haunted Mansion themed auction that takes place the night before, on September 30th. We decided on a unique interpretation of the Hatbox Ghost - a one-of-a-kind maquette based on artist Collin Campbell's original painting for the famous 1969 Disneyland Record, "The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion."

For decades, old Hattie's legend was kept alive for thousands of kids lucky enough to own a copy of this LP, with its "magnificent full-color illustrated book." There was (and still is) something deliciously disturbing and exciting about Collin Campbell's illustrations, and the very best page was the the one that showed "a cloaked man whose head disappears from his body and glows hideously from within a hat box."

As far as we know, we've never seen a three-dimensional figure based on Campbell's Haunted Mansion illustrations, so this may very well be the first. Our 8-1/4" tall ghost was cast from my sculpture and then hand-painted by Jody in Campbell's illustrative style, with "hair" fibers added on as a final touch. The maquette is displayed on a wooden base made of antique weathered barn wood, under a glass bell jar. When viewed through the wavy glass, the figure takes on a mildly distorted appearance that makes him even more ghostly.

Hope to meet some of you in Florida.

Here is where we'll be...

Friday, September 30, 2011 -- WDW's Contemporary Resort

Signing at the Contemporary Resort gift shop from 10am-12pm

Haunted Mansion: Room For 1 More event 6pm to 9pm

Saturday, October 1, 2011 -- WDW's actual 40th Anniversary

Diamond Horseshoe in the Magic Kingdom from 1pm-3pm