Things That Go Bump in the Night
Happy Halloween from Pulp Arcana Studios and Fanboy Planet! To celebrate one of my favorite holidays, I thought I would share some past examples of my toy photography that focused on the darker side of things. I’ve gathered together some of my favorite pictures of werewolves, demons, monsters, and other such spooky subjects to help us celebrate the season. Enjoy!
“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night,
may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”
Werewolves are, by far, my favorite classic monster. There is something about the savagery, the transformation, the balance between curse and power that is just so rich and compelling from a story-telling standpoint. The two werewolf figures in these photos are the Furay Planet Veteran William (white werewolf above) and Loose Collector’s Great Wolves Muraco of the West (gray werewolf in photos below). Both are absolutely fantastic figures, and among my favorite figures in my entire collection.
In 1944, a division of the Crimson Moon corps discovers there are worse things than them in the caves of the Caucus Mountains.
A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away…No One Can Hear You Scream
Star Wars: A New Hope was the first movie I ever saw in a theater, and ever since that fateful day, the essential geek epic has had a place near and dear to my heart. I’ve always thought there might be darker corners of that far, far away galaxy that did not get covered in the movies and shows that we have received so far. And for me, there is no creature more emblematic of the dark horrors that space can hold than the Xenomorph. The figure with the lightsaber is Starkiller from Hasbro’s Star Wars: Black Series, the Xenomorph with the grid design in the foreground is from Neca, and the Xeno on the left is from Figma.
The last holorecording from the Imperial base on Raxus Prime was this image. It was accompanied by the following message:
“I want the Empire to know I’m coming. And Hell’s coming with me.”
“With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop, He’s out lookin’ for a top to chop. So don’t stop to figure out a plan. You can’t reason with a headless man.”
I’m a die hard Disney fan, but some of my most beloved Disney works are the lesser-known gems from before the golden age. The Headless Horseman, the Disney version of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the all-time greats. From the incredible vocal work of Bing Crosby to the absolutely beautiful animation, this is a legitimate classic. When I saw that Four Horsemen Studios, creators of Mythic Legions and Cosmic Legions, had done a Headless Horseman figure for their Figura Obscura line, I had to get my hands on it. In hand, it is a fantastic figure, and it is a complete joy to photograph.
Ch Ch Ch Ah Ah Ah
Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a visit from a horror icon. This figure comes to me courtesy of my son, who is developing quite a collection of Neca’s horror figures. When he got this version of Jason, I knew i wanted to at least get a quick shot of it. Neca figures have great sculpts and look awesome on camera, and this Jason is no exception.
“Door 13”
This is one of my favorite recent shots. Extreme Sets makes absolutely incredible backgrounds, and when I got their NYC Building Pop Up, I used it for weeks. It added so much ambience to every single shot. This one absolutely stood out. The figures on the left and right are GI JJOE Classified’s Night Force Shockwave and Agent Helix, and the character in the center, breaching the glowing door is Delta Red from the absolutely excellent Operation Monster Force line from Big Bad Workshop.
The breach light flared green. That wasn’t standard. Not at all.
Agent Helix didn’t blink. Delta Red leveled his weapon. The squad’s third man whispered a prayer that vanished in static.
They weren’t just clearing a building tonight. They were stepping through something old.
There’s no protocol for this. Only instinct, steel, and whatever you trust when the veil starts to bleed.”
Crossroads Bargain and the Beauty of Death.
Two last shots to share this Halloween. These figures come from Four Horsemen Studios and are part of their Mythic Legions line. Everything that comes from the Horsemen is excellent, but their Mythic Legions are some of my absolute favorites. First, in the Crossroads Bargain, we have a beaten and bedraggled Sir Elijah making a desperate bargain with the demonic Xarria. Then, to wrap things up, the loveliest example of undeath you’ll ever see. The enchanting Belualyth.
He came with nothing but the weight of his failures, and a name she already knew.
At the crossroads, there are no prayers.
Only deals.
So there you have it, Planeteers. Some extra spooky shots to get you in that Halloween spirit. I hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I did shooting them and sharing with you. Enjoy Halloween, stay safe, and don’t eat too much candy. We’ll see you back here soon.
Filed by Mark Gelineau of Pulp Arcana Studios for Fanboy Planet
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