The Mad Lab

The Trick-or-Treat Lophiiforme (aka Angler Fish) Pumpkin

The Story

Frank, the pumpkin had spend many Halloween watching wicked children smash and destroy his fellow pumpkin brethren. It didn’t seem to matter what the style of face they portrayed, the type of lighting used, Frank and his gourd-kin were always falling victim to trick-or-treaters. Defeated and desperate, Frank made a pact with the pumpkin devil that he would sell his pumpkin soul for the chance of revenge. The pumpkin devil transformed Frank into a Lophiiforme (aka Angler Fish), his stem grew longer and a hypnotic blue lure appeared at the tip. The blue pulsating light would put trick-or-treaters into a trance like state as they approached for a closer look, giving Frank the chance to swallow them whole. Every thirteenth year Frank comes up from Hell to drag more unsuspecting trick-or-treaters back with him. It just so happens that it was 13 years ago that Frank made his initial pact with the pumpkin devil, so be on the lookout for the the Trick-Or-Treat Lophiiforme pumpkin this Halloween!

The How To:

This was created using the method from Stolloween's web site (http://www.stolloween.com/?page_id=67) with a few modifications. I had the basic shape of the pumpkin (with lots of layers of paper mache), I cut it in half, or 25/75. From there paper mache clay was used to add the classic pumpkin ridges to both the top and the bottom halves. The stem was created by first having a hollow toilet paper tube built into the top of the pumpkin with clay built up around it for strength. Once all that was dry, 14 gauge utility wire was used to make the basic curved shape of the stem. Numerous layers or twisted paper towel was wrapped around the write to build up the stem. Once it was all dry and painted the blue blinking lure was added. I had an old LED necklace laying around with a battery built into the clasp, it was from some conference and a vendor had been giving it away. I was able to pull the LED bulb out of the acrylic charm that lit up and inserted that into a plastic X-mas light bulb, it fit perfectly. That was hot glued to the tip of the stem and the clasp with the battery was attached to the stem about half-way up. I didn’t want to risk breaking the LED by making the wire longer so the clasp is a bit obvious but makes turning it on and off very easy. The center post is a PVC pipe that locks into a t joint that has been split at the bottom for stability. Some paper towel twisting with paste was used to give it a more pumpkin-gut type of feel.

an amazing idea and prop.