Con*Monkey

The 10th annual Mobile Renaissance Faire takes place November 12-13. Don’t miss your chance to witness jousting tournaments, sword fighting  and SCA battles. Of course this festival is not just limited to fighting.  Magical Wizards, Falconry, Jesters, Jugglers, Arabian Dancers, and Fire Breathers all ply their trades to entertain the crowds.

Traditional medieval costuming plays a large role in the renaissance festival.  At the Jousting tournament you can observe the King and Queen in their regal attire.  Knights and jousters can also be recognized by their elaborate costumes.  You will also see many people dresses up in less elaborate or commoner outfits.  Now everyone can be a queen or a knight and the renaissance festival does a great job of highlighting the social hierarchy of the period.  Hours of time and  research go into the details of these period specific outfits.  Many of the participants put hours of labor into hand creating their costumes. Visitors to the faire are encouraged to come in costume and further immerse themselves in the experience.

Don’t have a costume?  Not to worry!  Their will be  several merchant booths set up at the faire selling wares from medieval clothing and weaponry to traditional medieval foods. Mobile’s annual Renaissance Faire will be held at the Abba Shrine Temple, located at 7701 Hitt Road.  Festival hours are 10am-6pm and admission prices are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 5-11.  Children under the age of five are admitted free. Bring your family for a fun filled action packed educational experience at the Mobile Renaissance Festival!

More information can be found at the official website:

http://www.yesteadyhands.com/MobileRenaissanceFaire

It’s that time of year again. The time when the dead rise up from their graves to dine on brains. Halloween. Need a quick and easy costume? How about a zombie? This year Mobile had its very own Zombie walk lurching thru the streets of downtown. Zombies are becoming big business in pop culture with shows like The Walking Dead racking in the ratings. So, how do you get your zombie on?

Make up: Many Halloween stores sell a variety of Zombie makeup and sponges. Ideally, you will need to find a makeup set that contains red, purple, green and yellow in the color wheel. Cream based makeups are a personal favorite, but there are powders and paint like forms out there if that is your preference. White, gray and green bases are great for setting the stage for your freshly dead look. For a freakishly realistic bruising and blotching use a liberal coating of red make up followed by purple for some darker areas. Yellow and green can be sponged on to make the wounds look more aged. Rule of thumb, for newer injuries use reds and purples primarily. The older the wound, the more yellow and green you will need to add. Be sure to use a talc based power to set any cream based makeup so that is does not rub off easily.

Liquid latex is your friend: A simple application of liquid latex over a piece of tissue can create a gnarly looking burn or bite would. Mixing tissue with the latex allows you to achieve a layered look without having to use as much latex. To use this method take a regular facial tissue. Separate it into a single ply layer. Tear the piece to approximately the size you want the wound to be. Tear, don’t use scissors so that the injury looks more natural. For an even more gruesome look you can use a pair of tweezers to tear the tissue under the latex after it has dried to make a vicious looking bite would. You can use theater wax or scar putty to help build up areas such as scars or brow ridges. Note: If you are applying latex directly to the skin first either shave the area or, for areas like eyebrows, coat in petroleum jelly to prevent an unintended wax job. Latex can also be used on a plastic plate to create a prosthetic that can be used again and a again. For added support, medical gauze or poly fill can be added form structural integrity. Sawdust mixed with latex and green and gray paints can be used to create a disgusting mold.

Fabric aging: Remember that a zombie freshly risen from the grave is not going to be wearing pristine new clothes. One easy way to make most fabrics look worn and dingy is to boil them on the stove with several tea bags. I usually use about four tea bags per gallon of water. Cook the item for about 20 minutes. Note: If you are applying paint or fake blood this should be done after boiling the item so that the paint does not fade and make your item look pink. Sandpaper can be rubbed on clothes to help achieve that threadbare look. If you want worn holes try beating the fabric between with a hammer and a brick. Be creative, don’t be afraid to take your clothes out front and run over them with the car a few times. Nothing looks more authentic than real dirt.

Use props: Places like the Dollar Tree in Mobile are great spots to pick up inexpensive organs and appendages to add to your zombie attire. Use an assortment of brains, fingers and other gruesome props to really flesh out your zombie. Halloween store blood is great. Use it to accent your costume, but don’t go overboard, this is a zombie, not Stephen King’s Carrie. For large blood splatter use a large paintbrush to fling droplets. For tiny blood splatter use a toothbrush.  Put paint on the bristles and then drag your finger across the bristles so that the paint sprays onto the object you are painting. Use large sized bubble wrap or even pantyhose and tissues wound tightly into a tube painted and accented with fake blood to make a set of really gruesome intestines.

Practice your zombie stagger and strike a few undead poses in the mirror at home to make sure that you are ready to lurch with the masses!   The trick to a truly epic zombie experience is to be creative. A little time and imagination is all it takes to create a truly gruesome zombie that will send small children running in terror. Remember, have fun and eat lot of brains!

Conventions can quickly go from not getting here fast enough to being right around the corner before you know it. Most all require a significant level of planning; be it costume creation, ride share, room procurement or just finding the financing. For most of us, pooling resources with friends is the only realistic way to make it happen. To this end there are a few things you can do to not only secure your presence, but possibly insure the attendance and sanity of those around you.

Really decide to go. This seems obvious, but if mentally you are not serious about attending the convention, it is going to be harder to adhere to your budget. Save some money and buy your membership in advance! Find a decent deal on a plane ticket? Get it early! Psych yourself up about the convention and how much fun you are going to have when you get there… NOT how much fun it would be IF you got to go! In the words of Marty McFly: If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything…

Get organized. Network with other like-minded geeky friends, that you don’t mind sharing a hotel room with for a few days! Try to find roommates who enjoy the con the way you do. If you enjoy partying all night and attending late night events you probably won’t mesh well with roommates who like to get to bed early. If you are a private more introverted person, you likely wouldn’t enjoy rooming with a bunch of drunken hooligans. So, go find yourselves some geeky con buddies and start planning! Group costumes, room parties and general con antics out will be all that much sweeter if you have the right mix of people to share them with!

The more you know about the con, the hotel and the area, the better you will be able to estimate how much money you will need to enjoy the con. Research the con and its surrounding areas. Look for rates on nearby hotels. Search out what sorts of public transportation or shuttle services may exist for more satellite reaching hotels. Be aware of what sorts of dining options there are near the convention.

Create a budget. The earlier you start setting up your budget and setting aside some money for your con-tastic vacation the easier it will be to save the cash. Budgeting for the con should start as soon as you decided that you would “like” to go. Worst case scenario, you decide against it and have built up a little nest egg to spend as you deem worthy. Try to set aside a little money each pay period, even if it is just a few dollars. By the time the con rolls around it won’t see like such a financial burden. Remember: Budgeting doesn’t start two weeks before the con!

Over budget. Expect the unexpected! Be prepared to cover additional room share, gas, parking and other group related expenses, should someone be forced to drop out at the last minute. Don’t let one person’s misfortune create a domino effect for your entire group. Save, Save, Save!!!!!! $$$$$$$

Don’t be a flake. Seriously! Remember if you are sharing a room or even just a ride with with other people, your decision WILL have a substantial impact on their budget and overall planning so try to give as much prior notice as possible if it looks as if your con is a no go… With great power comes great responsibility!

No city better represents the magic and spirit that is Halloween than New Orleans. This Halloween  The House of Blues in New Orleans will be hosting a  Steam Punk Soiree! Many of you are probably already familiar with New Orleans’ famous Vampire Ball. The Endless Night Vampire Ball is best described as a Venetian Masque Ball meets a Vampyre Court, topped off with the energy of a rock concert and the elegance of a burlesque cabaret. Steam punk and vampires? A perfect match!

This is much more than just a dance party. Festivities last the entire weekend leading up to Halloween! Friday starts with the announcement of the Vampyre Court at the Endless Night Vampire Ball in New Orleans. this event will take place at the Voodoo Garden at the House of Blues. Here will be some vendors, VIP registration, cash bar, merchants, drum circles and a meet and greet. If you are a fan of Steam Punk you don’t want to miss this amazing weekend of Halloween in New Orleans! Tickets are available now!

Saturday 10/29/2011
Doors: 09:30 PM
Show: 10:00 PM
Price: $42.00 – General Admission Standing Room
Ages: 18+

More information at the House of Blues link below!

http://www.houseofblues.com/tickets/eventdetail.php?eventid=71017

Looking for something awesome and geeky in Mobile to celebrate Halloween? Maybe you are looking to help out a great local charity? Maybe you just wanna eat brains? Look no further! Mobile will be hosting its very own Zombie walk…er…lurch… on Sunday, October 30th 2011 at Bienvelle Square, Downtown Mobile.

Zombie gathering begins at 4pm and the lurching begins at 5pm. Organizers are encouraging participants to bring canned goods for the Bay Area Food Bank (no brains please) Several downtown bars and eateries will be participating in the festivities. Soon the zombies WILL rise and take over the city of Mobile! Visit the official Facebook page below for additional updates!

http://www.facebook.com/zombiewalkmobile