Well, as I post this, there are just 78 days 'til Halloween.
For those of you who share a twisted love of this holiday like I do (and I honestly have no idea why, I just do), chances are you enjoy decorating your home, perhaps making your own props (often coming out better than store bought stuff) and generally giving the people in your neighborhood, as well as the trick or treaters, something extra to remember you by.. for better or worse.
There exists, out on the 'net, an awesome website that brings together all these elements for the DIY haunter, a "Monster List" of links, that is truly of monster proportions.
Apparently, an awful lot of people are as enamored with the holiday as I am, and some a whole lot more !
The links on this page will take you to numerous websites that offer detailed, well documented and well diagrammed, photograph-laden "how to's", for making your own animated skulls, corpses, giant spiders, cob-webbers, hydraulic props, lightning machines, and a myriad of other ghoulish delights that stretch the imagination.
The page has a new domain of it's own this year, so the URL is now:

http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/

(Just for reference, the old link was http://markbutler.8m.com/monsterlist.htm)
Last year, inspired by many of these sites, I finally built the animated prop known as a Flying Crank Ghost, and results were spectacular. If you have the bandwidth to be able to download and view the video(s), I urge you to do so, as the photographs on my page don't begin to do it justice.
http://www.phrets.com/anastasia
I haven't quite figured out what I'm doing new this Halloween, but this year I'm now the proud owner of a 120 PSI, 8 gallon tank, air compressor, so .. I'll be able to do something new with air-driven hydraulics that I couldn't do previous years!
Enjoy the feast.

The Monster List is a great resource. I have used it for years.
Mystician -- great FCG! You will have to let me know what you
do this year. Due to a back injury, my participation will be
limited this year. I am going to work in a friends comerical
haunt on an "as needed/as available" basis.

From one halloween nut to another...

Keem 'em screaming!

Dave

Thanks for the great link!

Thanks for the link...
I downloaded your video sample of anastasia before and show it to some of my friends... they thought it was real hahahahaha

goodluck to your website... hope you can add more materials ...

TOO KOOL!!!!
A great list. No VooDoo Dolls though...????
Thanks
Dave

You could always get course here:
http://www.bloodymarystours.com/tours-workshops.html

Here's a link full of very good pictures of authentic dolls, great for reference:
http://www.voodooshop.com/products/dolls/index.html

Another good link, but not as many projects is:
http://www.hauntproject.com/

Hey, the more the merrier ! There was an interesting version of a fog chiller linked to there. Some of those projects are getting very sophisticated, with heat exchangers and all that.

Fantastic! Mystician, you've helped me put a few more nails in my yearly coffin... Thanks!

This is the best "Monster Site" I have ever come across.

http://www.monstrous.com/

That's a good site on monster mythology and such, but that's a bit like comparing pumpkins and pineapples.

That's a new one on my 'favorites' list. Thanks.
Steve