# R I P Must Die!



## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

And thusly I rant... So, I have been only haunting for 2 years. I have watched a lot of videos and all, and, I just dont get all the " RIP " tombstones. I have been to cemeteries. Some of them might have RIP on them, along with other stuff, but, not many. So, my plead goes out there... get your shureform scrapers out and paint, and remove all those silly RIP markers. Keep the stones, sure, but, the "RIP" fella is just too popular.

Added an edit - > So as to not offend, as this is ment somewhat as humourous, by suggention, here is a 
Would like to know other peoples opinions on this.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

The Rest In Peace abbreviation is common and easy to do. Some people don't feel the need to add a longer epitaph.
Why does it bother you so much?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

If R.I.P. dies, for sure someone will make a tombstone saying "R.I.P., R.I.P."

I'm sure it's popularity stems from its being a universally recognized acronym.


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

yeah, I know, it is easy, and, i suppose something of a Halloween institution. But.. when I see great videos, lots of great props, then a cemetery full of stones all saying RIP, i just roll my eyes and think to myself, 'really dropped the ball there'. I get if you just have a modist haunt, a few store bought stones and all, you'll have RIP on most of them. but, if you are gonna go through the bother of making your own stone... well, then make it truly unique. At least make it for Rip Torne, or RIP Van Winkle , or something like that....


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

To each his own I guess.
I leave mine blank because I like the look of the shapes. Maybe a vine or two or a simular decoration, but thats it. I never cared for some of the sillier sayings but thats just me. I also feel a bit odd about putting real names on them for some reason, not sure why. Didn't want to curse the living or incur the raith of the dead. (although being a haunter I could see that being a good thing). But in the end, they are your tombstones in your graveyard.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

scrape off the RIP and put your neighbors last names on instead. Then let the good times roll  ( I have 10 neighbors memorialized so far)


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

Agreed, it really is a matter of preference in the end, of course. I have started to use characters from the writtings of HP LOvecraft.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

The unfortunate thing is when you cast judgement, you get it back 10 fold.

Not everything we do in life will or should be appreciated by everyone. We are unique.
When you think you are better, you are less.

To each our own.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

For sure there are icons that have a vanishing connection to reality, especially in holiday decorations. There's no shame in following tradition for its own sake. 

(That said, I do try to steer away from old standards in my bigger pieces.)


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

Again, as I said, ultimately, to each their own, and I was not suggesting, F E , that I was in anyway superior to anyone else, no was it a specific judgement, it is, rather, an opinion, which, if I recall, is ok to have. It was, and still is, meant as something of a humours observation. If you did not see the humour in it, then I am sorry.


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

And, i like the idea ofheadstone of:
R.I.P.
RIP


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

I don't mind a few RIP stones. However, I agree it is over-used.


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

I am sorry, I hope I am not going on too much about this. Perhaps it is somethng that is just 'expected' like a skeleton in the graveyard, of which I have many. That is too is, when I think about it, kind of silly, as, last time i checked my local graveyard, I did not see any skeletons either. So, it is a tradition for some, I suppose. And, like I said in my initial rant, I can still like and appriciate the effort in props and scenery of anyone's haunt. Anything more than just a pumpkin in a yard just makes me smile in October.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Add some smiley faces to your first post, goth. That way no one will mistake your humor

I think I used RIP on one or more of our very first, last minute, drawn by hand on cardboard tombstones. They have long since been put to rest. RIP, crappy last minute tombstones of mine. Oh wait, I did it again......


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## Halloween_Anna (Dec 13, 2011)

Spiderclimber said:


> scrape off the RIP and put your neighbors last names on instead. Then let the good times roll  ( I have 10 neighbors memorialized so far)


A very funny idea, but since I have to live with them for quite some time, I'll pass (for now)

GothDJ - do you have a FB account? See the tutorial from John Nilsen that is right in line with your opinion. He posted tombstone propmaking pics and directions under Halloween Prop Builders group on FB. Very timely, I may add...


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

The phrase "Rest In Peace" or R.I.P. was often used for those who lived a short and/or troubled life, it was a wish for the departed to get what they did not get in this life. The use of it depended upon the period the stone or marker was created, and often with the religious beliefs of the departed or the area in which they were buried.
For many, it was all they could come up with to put on a stone or marker they could carve or afford to have someone else carve. Lettering on stones tended to be very simple, and kept to a minimum because of the cost of the carving and the fact that the more you hammered on a stone, the more likely it was to break apart, and the added cost would go to the family who paid for the stone to begin with.

I guess I like R.I.P. better than nothing, but I'd much rather see a clever epitaph that looks realistic in it's lettering style and size. If you don't want people stopping to read each stone then don't make fancy stones that will prompt them to read each one. If your stones will only be seen in the evening, then only worry about the text on the first row or two of stones, the more distant ones probably wouldn't be readable anyway.


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## Ramonadona (Nov 4, 2011)

Interesting topic: To RIP or not to RIP, that WAS the question...? Ha. I guess I don't mind the RIP's. Can't say I would be impressed with a whole graveyard full of just that, but a few is fine. I do prefer a clever epitaph and one that I might use at a later date makes me even happier (even though most times I'd forget what is was if I didn't write it down!). At any rate it's the creativity that excites my Halloween heart... if as a whole the haunt is put together well creatively that's all that counts.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Most of the store bought stones have the RIP "logo" on them. In my early days of decorating my yard was full of them. It does get redundant but I tend to look more at the sculpt of the stone and the other details. If there are some well placed props, good lighting, fog, sound, etc.. the RIP's don't detract too much. since I started making all of my own stones, I stay away from it, but, yeah, it's very commonplace.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Buy the headstones that have glittery orange lettering and say R.I.P. (or as mine do: "OUT TO LUNCH") for ten cents each on clearance, and then flip them over and make your own stuff on the other side. Win-win.

I must admit, I have filler RIP stones on the edges of my cemetery...used more for effect and neat shape/silhouette than face value. Very few peeps look at those smaller stones, anyway. While you can lament the use of lame RIP stones to excess, I've seen homemade stones that were clearly labored over, only to have unreadable script or a font that is too small, or is poorly placed or lit, and you can't read it anyway.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Have your stones get smaller and smaller the further away from they get from the viewer. Lining them up closer together, both side to side, and front to back will help. Forced perspective is a great way to make your cemetery seem bigger than it actually is, and the distant stones, as you have noted, won't be read.


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

Since RIP is overdone,
Let's leave it alone.
Place an epitaph instead,
On your precious stone.

Funny serious or creepy,
The choice is up to you.
Just don't use Rest In Peace,
Or gothdj'll come for you.

Oh ya.


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

LOL, thank you Wildcat, I do not think i have ever had a limerick written for me  
I will agree that a few RIP's are ok, like maybe 1 in 5 or higher. And, I have even done the mistake of too small epitaph letters so as to have made it a lost gag, so many things can go wrong with them. My 'beef' is when the stones o RIP are in the majority. Like E A Poe wrote ... a word, written so many times so that it has lost its meaning. Tooth, tooth, tooth.


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

I don't care how others do their haunts.I like ALL haunts and everything and every effort put into them.I enjoy seeing everyones work.I myself really don't like to get fancy with tombstones to me tombstones should be creepy but I do enjoy the real pretty ones.I don't thonk I have a rip one but alot of my filler ones are blank.All the others just include a name and date.But I enjoy them all so bring on the RIP ones.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

RIP is traditional, like say a skeleton, or a jack-o-lantern. Does the OP have either or both of those? If so, perhaps he should rethink them as they are "way over done". Just a thought.

Of course I say this in complete jest and am not trying to sound superior or judgmental in any way.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

I can see your complaint. There are quite a lot of them around. When we first started we had lots of RIP stones and silly names. We now try to make our stones more realistic and use real names. Those early stones were "stepping" stones. *groan*

We still have a few of those stones, but we no longer like them and plan on either replacing them or redoing the stones. We try to keep them pushed to the back so they can't be read. Tastes change overtime.

Haunters are a pretty diverse group, so you can't make blanket statements as you've found out. LOL!


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

This is an interesting conversation. I have a bunch of RIP tombstones that made up my haunt when I first started. I personally don't like them because I think that too many of them makes the haunt boring. When I started making stones I used the names that played on words. The usual Myra Mains, Yul B. Next etc...I didn't like those because I wanted more "fright" in the graveyard so I started making names, that with a crack in the right place, spelt something more eerie. I came up with my own names like Benjamin Fraid and put a crack through the nj and the min to get a more sinister message.(Be a Fraid is what it turned into) The last stone I made was Samuel John Quint. Most people know him as Captain of the Orca.(What can I say I liked the movie) I guess at the end of the day it has to do with personal preferrence, how much time you have, and a little imagination (which I have seem to run out of lately).:googly:
I will have to say that this is a good topic.


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

I am liking the posts and opinions, and trying not to be judge 'mental' in any way  To go full circ in my comment, it is not the " R I P " in itself that I do not like, but more seeing a vast sea of them in a graveyard, with little to nothing else. But, heck, if that is what someone else thinks is spooky, or creepy, or 'worked right' for their display, then fair enough.


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

I didn't think your original post was offensive. It actually made me laugh because I feel the same way about my own yard. We started the slow process of making our own and rotating out the RIP ones. I think a few RIPs are fine, for me, but I want custom ones. I am not passing judgement on anyone else. I love all Halloween stuff. 

Every year, as I looked at photos, I was kind of disappointed that the tombstones in my yard made it look not as realistic. (You know, because all of the zombies look completely factual! Ha!)


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

So, realistic, in that Halloween haunted, scary kind of way !


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## Night Watchman (Aug 15, 2009)

I think most people start off with the store bought RIP tombstones for their haunt. Thats what I did, than I decided to try my hand at making my own. If you have the time they are really not that hard, and than the RIP tombstones start to become fillers in the haunt to the point they are done away with all together. Well I least that is what I have started to attempt. I am not a fan of them in my haunt but they have their place there for now.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

I think a few RIP stones are realistic but would probably be a minimum in a "True" haunters scene. I love Spiderclimbers idea of putting neighbors names on the stones, one of my neighbors would love it, the other, ummmm. Debbie5's idea of flipping the stone and putting your own message on the back is super.


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

I am happy to see any halloween decor so if someone wants to put them in their whole yard it makes me happy.I love halloween I love any decor people see fit to use in there haunt it puts a big smile on my face.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

I'm the guilty party here. The majority of my tombstones are RIP. And for the reason everyone here has stated. They are the ones on sale, so I pick them up by the cart load. And I take them home thinking I'll scrape off the RIP and put my own cool wording on them. That's right, this year 2005, I'm going to work on tombstones. Yes, it's 2006 and I'm going to make my tombstones special this year. I have nothing else to this year 2009, but work on my tombstones. Look, it's 2010 and I've printed up a list of names. But I really really swear, you guys will be suprised when you see my 2012 album this year! I promise!


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

I really could not care less what is on a tombstone, as long as I see a tombstone. There are just sooo many people out there who won't even hang up a cardboard decoration in their window, that it makes me really happy to see anything in a yard at all. It absolutely looks great when you see very impressive hand made awesome stones in someones display and I really enjoy looking at the art and work involved in each one. But I am also very happy to just enjoy any amount of work and talent that people put in to their displays. To see people decorating and enjoying this wonderful holiday just brings a smile to my face.

I do not care what's on the stone
Or if a name is clearly shown
There is no wrong, there is no right
Just get out there and haunt the night!


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

scareme said:


> I'm the guilty party here. The majority of my tombstones are RIP. And for the reason everyone here has stated. They are the ones on sale, so I pick them up by the cart load. And I take them home thinking I'll scrape off the RIP and put my own cool wording on them. That's right, this year 2005, I'm going to work on tombstones. Yes, it's 2006 and I'm going to make my tombstones special this year. I have nothing else to this year 2009, but work on my tombstones. Look, it's 2010 and I've printed up a list of names. But I really really swear, you guys will be suprised when you see my 2012 album this year! I promise!


That's it! Our new RIP hero is here. You'll have to change your name to RIPme though

On second thought. That may not be a good plan:xbones:


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## gothdj (Dec 25, 2011)

Ok, I admit, I have been having fun seeing the various responces to this thread. I will repeat - I would rather see a sea of RIP tombstones vs nothing at all. And, there is a 'pain in the ass' factor of modifying a store bought stone, because of the bead polystyrene that they are typically made of.


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