My Inktober 2021 #31 - It's the Great Pumpkin

And there we have it, folks! Another "Inktober" success! 

Be careful out there, keep a sharp eye out for spooks, don't eat too much candy, and avoid insincere pumpkin patches at all costs!

(All images property of their respective owners.)

My Inktober 2021 #30 - Chernabog

My next-to-last Inktober piece, and what better way to commemorate Halloween Eve than one of my most favorite Disney villains? He would be the most favorite if he had more screen time.

(All images property of their respective owners.)

My Inktober 2021 #29 - Halloween Mario

One of my most favorite video game characters. And only two images left after this...wow-wee!

My Inktober 2021 #28 - Scary Clown

No way in heck was I gonna draw Pennywise for this...but this creepy clown from a well-known 80s children's movie wasn't much of a better option! Yeesh!

My Inktober 2021 #27 - Silly Clown

I used to be petrified of clowns, but when I got a little older, I liked them enough to dress up as one a few times for Halloween.

But scary clowns? No-o-o-o thank you!

My Inktober 2021 #26 - Creepy Video Game Memory

As much as I loved playing Donkey Kong 64 (and would love to play it again one of these days), King K.Rool sure freaked me out something awful. 

None of us could bring ourselves to "quit" the game due to his creepy laugh, the way his enormous bloodshot eye stared straight at us while the camera kept moving, and the way the Blast-O-Matic machine took aim at DK Isle while those dreaded words "GAME OVER" flashed over everything. 

As we played the Hideout Helm level, where we learned just how important those blueprints really were, our controllers became notoriously sticky with sweat. 

And whenever we'd had enough of the game as a whole (or Mom and Dad made us turn it off), we just flipped the switch after saving our progress. 

It may be just a game, but man, that was almost too much. 

Now they're able to show us just what happens when the Blast-O-Matic actually fires. Geez...

My Inktober 2021 #25 - Creepy Movie Memory

Maleficent appearing in the fireplace gave me the creeps then, and such an appearance still gives me the creeps today!

 

My Inktober 2021 #24 - Goofy Witch

Only one week to go, but I've been loving it. Besides the cuteness meter, I always like to test my limits with the "goofiness" meter, and sometimes I legitimately crack myself up. 

I'm not a huge fan of Hocus Pocus, but the Sanderson sisters absolutely steal the show. My favorite quote: 

My Inktober 2021 #23 - Halloween Owl

Just like with pumpkins, skeletons, vampires, witches, and ghosts, you can't have Halloween without an owl somewhere. 

And, as I always say, the cuteness meter is never safe from me. Never. 

My Inktober 2021 #22 - Halloween Horse

Holy smokes, less than 10 days left! Time does indeed fly when you're having fun, no? 

So, we've done a Halloween feline and canine, therefore it's only fitting we do a Halloween equine as well. 

A plain bedsheet ghost sounded boring, so I gave this horse a "Charlie Brown ghost" costume. Simple, yet charming. 

My Inktober 2021 #21 - Halloween Dog

No worries; those are prosthetic heads (lightweight ones, too) for a cute little canine costume. Extra goodies for this good three-headed boy!

Internet Issues and My Inktober #17-20

Well, the Internet decided to go completely down at my house, and so I've fallen a bit behind on my "Inktober" posts. I don't know what happened, but Mom tried to tweak it herself for a while, until she had to call in a professional.

The fix-it guy wasn't able to come in until today; he must have come while I was still asleep (day off from work) because when I woke up, the Internet was working once again. 

While it was kind of nice to have a little break, for obvious reasons, it goes to show you must never take technology for granted.

Luckily, I was still able to complete the art itself in Photoshop, so here it is. 

Starting with #17: "Thriller."

I well remember the first time I watched Michael Jackson's famous/infamous music video. Those yellow werewolf/werecat eyes definitely freaked me out, and Dad wasn't too happy with me when my little sister watched it with me and had a little freak-out of her own. 

Not that I had any real intention of showing it to her; she just happened to wander into the room while it was playing. Oopsie!

Now onto #18: "Monster Mash."

Pretty self-explanatory. Just a bunch of monsters getting together for a good time, a little homage to the most famous Halloween song out there. 

Personally, I think Wolf-Man, the bats, and Dracula and Junior turned out best. 

#19: "Dracula." 

Never liked vampires much (and don't get me started on Stephenie Meyer's sparkly dead fairies) but you can't really have Halloween without a bit of Dracula, can you? 

I wonder what it would be like if Beowulf ever crossed a vampire's path...or if a vampire ever crossed Beowulf's path. 

And #20: "Halloween Cat." 

Okay, now we're officially caught up! I always felt black cats could use a lot more love, and not just at Halloween. 

I had a black cat myself once, the one that preceded Butterscotch. We named him Boo-Boo, and though we only had him little more than a year, he was such a sweet, playful ball of black (and very slightly brownish) fluff. Dad sure liked him, and one of our friends dubbed him "Vampire Kitty." 

If I ever own a black cat again, I've already got a name reserved: Boo-Boo Two! 

My Inktober 2021 #16 - Ghostbusters

Even if you never watched the movie or the cartoon series, no doubt you recognize this symbol (minus the Xs) and heard this theme song multiple times in your life, especially around Halloween. 

 

 

I was feeling kind of lazy (and a bit burned out creatively, not to mention physically and mentally exhausted from life in general) to do more than the iconic symbol, with the Xs replacing the dot eyes to spice it up a bit. 

 

I'm not much of a fan myself, but I don't appreciate how they made that obligatory "gender-swap" reboot in 2016: depicting the Ghostbusters as girls because they just had to show women saving the day. 

 

 

Now, if they had done something a bit more unique, come up with a completely different story about a pack of girls pitted against a pack of supernatural creatures, I would have been fine with that. Instead, we get a cheap carbon copy (with minor tweaks at best) that positively reeks of political correctness. 

 

I love strong female characters, but I can't stand female characters who come off more as "bad-A wannabes." You can always tell when the writers are trying way too hard. 

 

Besides, like the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. What was wrong with the 1984 movie the way it was, besides the obvious all-male cast?

 

Yes, I'm aware that if we don't like a movie, no one's forcing us to watch it. But I must lament the "copycat age" we live in just the same; it's like no one's got any real creativity left. 

 

And yes, original stuff takes time and effort (and a boatload of both) but it's not as though certain people are trying so hard anymore. 

 

 

Oh, well, rant over. Time to revisit my happy place...

My Inktober 2021 #15 - Cute Halloween Unicorn (and Happy Birthday, Mom!)

Just like the adorable holiday unicorns I drew last year. I'll admit, I've kinda missed 'em!

On a side note, happy birthday to Mom. I'm finishing this early because we're going out to dinner tonight. We're going to Golden Corral (an all-you-can-eat buffet) and I got some double fudge brownies from work at half-price.

It helps that I scanned this last night and got off work a little earlier than usual.

Happy birthday, Mom. Love you bunches and bunches and bunches.