Tag Archives: puppets

Muppet Cars and They Live Aliens Make for a Memorable 45th Birthday

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February is a very special time of the year for my husband Frank and I. For those who are not aware, we were born 6 days apart in the same hospital, so these past 2 weeks we found fun and unique ways to celebrate 45 trips around the sun for the both of us.

With me still being out of work I didn’t want to do anything too costly or too far away and I had heard about a new exhibit at the Studebaker Museum that was a little under 2 hours from us. Since my birthday falls two days before Valentine’s Day, we doubled down and made it a little day date adventure for that as well.

Now most of you may be saying “But Nicole, why the Studebaker Museum?” Well because a VERY special vehicle just happens to be on display there right now. A vehicle that an artsy Jim Henson obsessed geek like myself couldn’t help but feel all the feels from being in the same room with it…. aka the one and only original Studebaker from They Muppets Movie! The same car that Fozzie and Kermit take on their memorable road trip to Hollywood together. A vehicle filled with magic, art, hopes, and dreams! And maybe a few rubber chickens as well.

Not only is Fozzie’s car a very fun and nostalgic part of cinema history, it also plays a very fascinating part in both the world of engineering and puppetry arts. The car was actually outfitted to create the illusion that Fozzie was driving. They used a monitor hidden in the car’s bullet nose and the real driver in the trunk. With my husband being into cars and a tech in engineering he too was fascinated by seeing the mechanics of this in person. Seeing the car also takes you back to a very significant moment in Muppet history. The moment that Kermit and Fozzie meet Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem Band for the very first time. With the help of Scooter on bubble duty, the band busts out the paints and brushes and while they jam out to “Can You Picture That?” completely transform Fozzie’s car into a far out escape from Don Hopper. An epic masterpiece and a colorful new beginning to a very groovy friendship.

As you can see in the photos the band often influences my attire and for those Mayheads landing here for the first time, be sure to check out how Dr. Teeth inspired my Halloween costume in 2021. It was even featured in the Jim Henson Legacy Newsletter and Tough Pigs costume parade!

Now to switch gears..
So right after the holidays were over, I knew I wouldn’t have the money to buy my husband something off his wishlist so I started brainstorming what I could make him instead. I had less then 2 months and knew I had to get started on whatever I planned on doing. Then it hit me out of nowhere.. could I pull off making him a They Live Alien? It’s one of his favorite movies and he loves props that are life like in size. And like me and my Muppets, he also has quite the collection of memorabilia and tattoos to prove his dedication. Making him anything in the past has always been hard because when we are not at work we are always together. So being laid off I knew this was the perfect time to pull off something that required this much work. So the first thing I did was check the supplies I already had and made a list of what I needed to budget the rest.

I used the same life size, heavy weight, anatomical skulls I use for my zombie heads as the base and got to work. I had never made one of these so each part of the process was either going to go really well or I was going to be really tested. I kept thinking of David Bowie’s words “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

It was thrilling to see how giddy I would get with coming up with how to accomplish the next step in the process and seeing it all start to come to fruition. However nothing beat the feeling when I saw the look on his face when he opened it. 2 months of trying to hide this thing while still working on my other art projects paid off and he is now the proud owner of a They Live collectible that no one in the world will ever have. The beauty of aliens, love and handmade art!

You can see this They Live piece of art featured with more of my Misc Sculpture and Latex art on the Remains page of my portfolio website.

HUZZAH to the next 45 years!

Stay Strange & Magical✨,
LDG Nicole

Totally 80’s Limited Edition Art Sticker Packs Just Dropped!

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Attention fellow 80’s babies who are living their best kidulting lives because you know the true magic that comes from sticker collecting! You will be happy to know that I am currently putting the clear labels (that I designed) onto 10 Limited Edition Sticker Packs! 

Totally 80s art sticker packs by Living Dead Girl Nicole
Totally 80s art sticker packs by Living Dead Girl Nicole

Each pack is pre-packaged by my printer and contains 5 stickers I selected from various art pieces I have hand drawn or hand painted over the years that were all inspired by 80’s pop culture icons and nostalgia.

Totally 80s art sticker packs by Living Dead Girl Nicole

Although very limited at this time, these sticker packs are my way of offering something new to my art collectors while I continue to weather the storm. Since I am still unemployed and have to budget a lot more, I am testing the waters to see how well these do before offering additional sets. These first packs will be available to purchase in person at a discounted rate* at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL. (when I do my next art drop/restock) with limited stock also available in my Etsy and Latchet shops while supplies last.

I know I say it all the time, but thank you again for your continued support. Every order and purchase means the world to me, especially now while I’m unemployed and navigating this chaotic job market. The last six months have been a roller coaster of emotions with job rejections, opportunity scams, and moments where my self-worth has really been tested. But through it all, sparks of art wins from all of you have come in like small miracles, lifting my spirits just when I need it most. Your support is what keeps me moving forward, and I’m so incredibly grateful for those of you that continue to believe in me and my talents.

Stay Strange & Magical ✨️,
LDG Nicole

*Price is discounted from online store prices. Etsy listings reflect the unfortunate amount of shop and transaction fees they charge us artists to sell online. If you are local or traveling to Illinois, I encourage my clients to save money and see my work on full display by shopping my artwork in person with my consignment partner, Closet Collectibles where they truly support my creative endeavors to the fullest as their resident local artist.

The Creepy Acres Show Unboxes Handmade Sam Squatch!

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I have been anticipating this post for quite some time. My husband Frank and I decided to do a little fan art couples project in tribute to one of our favorite online shows.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a deep love and appreciation for Jim Henson and when I was a kid I would choose a puppet show over a cartoon any day. I still will. I also blame Jim Henson for my infatuation with faux monster fur which I have on anything I can possibly find. This art project being no different. So top that off with my love of things creepy and unusual and you will see why I fell in love with Creepy Acres.

We first discovered Creepy Acres in 2019 when we attended Horrorhound Weekend. They had this awesome Sci-Fi and Cryptid section at the show featuring tv stars and guests who specialize in or are inspired by them. Of corpse Frank and I had to check it out. Little did we expect to find puppets, let alone cryptid themed puppets! The minute I laid my eyes on Max the vampire I had to have a picture with him and showed the guys behind the show my Count Von Count tattoo. They told us they had a show online and gave us some info on it. In passing we ended up sharing the elevator with some of the crew and got to meet Sam Squatch the star of their show who was on his way to meet and get a photo with none other than my idol Elvira. I knew right away this show was going to be right up our alleys. We streamed all the episodes on Youtube and were hooked. We have been in communication with them and fans ever since.

After re-watching episodes for the millionth time I got a vision that I shared with Frank. We brainstormed it and ironically when we didn’t want to go out and do the usual Valentine’s Day romantic mumbo jumbo he asked if I wanted to go supply shopping instead! Um…Absolutely! He knows the way to my heart. So that’s what we did. We took our time on it. Working on it as we could between other things and not to rush it. He did the hand sawing and sanding and I did the hand painting and fur application. We took it out to the woods to take some good photos of it and then mailed it off to Sam and his cryptid pals. We wanted to wait until they received it before I shared it here with my followers. The wait was worth it though, because I have a treat for you! Sam unboxed it on the show and here it is…

This video was just what we needed. We had been having Creepy Acres withdrawals because Youtube messed up their channel and they are in the process up re-uploading all their episodes. You can see their hilarious reaction to the nightmare they are going through with their recent ScrewTube episode.

Even more reason to go to their unboxing Youtube video and give them mad likes and love in the comments for doing this! It is beyond awesome and we are so incredibly grateful. As you all know I am all about “artists supporting artists” which is what inspired this creative vision to begin with. Ironically as cryptids, “we believe in them!” You can also comment and share their post of the art piece from their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. So share some creepy love!

Here are a few of the photos that we took in the woods before we mailed the package off. We made sure to wear our Creepy Acres and cryptid shirts! I even have a furry monster necklace on because when we do anything we are committed ha ha.

You can also see them on the Remains page of my portfolio website. This video will also be on my Freaky Fanatic Viral Video Playlist and listed on the Creature Feature page. You can also see this screenshot of Sam’s adorable furry face with the art piece in my Freaky Fanatic On Air Talent slideshow!

Stay Spooky, Magical & Creepy!
LDG Nicole

Spitting Image: It’s Gonna Be That Kind Of Mornin’

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Been working hard at checking another drawing off my art bucket list. Being a kid in the 80s sure had its advantages. Everything was a lot more original back then and people were not offended over every stupid little thing. This made things a lot more adventurous and fun. Wacky, nutty and cuckoo! Just the way I still like it!

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It will come as no surprise to the people who already know of my Pee Wee Herman obsession why I chose this subject matter that I did. To me, Paul Reubens created an iconic character with Pee Wee. From his stand up comedy, the unforgettable movies and of course the show Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Which might I add also contributed to my well-known puppet obsession. I mean the playhouse was in Puppetland! Can it get any better than that?

Well…. actually it does! Did you know he went to improv comedy school with my idol Elvira (Cassandra Peterson). And did you know Rob Zombie was a Production Assistant on Pee Wee’s Playhouse when he first moved to L.A.? Let’s not forget that Cowboy Curtis ended up in the Matrix, Miss Yvonne ended up mothering Charlie Kelly and Opal now rocks that famous orange jumpsuit on Netflix. These are the types of things that put everything you loved as a child and everything you love as an adult into full perspective. Ha Ha!

So, of course, Pee Wee, in general, has been on my art bucket list and I have seen so many art pieces done of him from his movies that I decided to focus mine on the show and I had a blast drawing it. Especially because I tend to watch and listen to whatever inspires the piece while I am creating it. So here it is.

I call this one “It’s Gonna Be That Kind Of Mornin'” A line from the theme song (done by Cyndi Lauper under a stage name) I felt it fits the vibe of the drawing and the inspiration behind it. Pee Wee’s Playhouse was one of my Saturday morning escapes as a kid. It might not be on Saturday mornings anymore, but I still watch the show as an adult and it never gets old to me. I could be having the worst day of adulting and then come home and watch the show and it lifts my spirits back up. Judge me if you will but it works for me and I dig it. I mean how can you not enjoy screaming real loud when you hear the word of the day?

So if you are just as big of a fan of Pee Wee as I am or you just love 80s nostalgia, you can get prints and t-shirts of this piece in my Amazon shop! And don’t forget to check out more of my portrait work on the Spitting Image page of my portfolio website.

Stay Spooky & Wacky!
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LDG Nicole