# Jersey Devil for MonsterQuest



## blacklightmike (Nov 2, 2008)

I worked on this piece back in September, but couldn't release the pics until now. The client is MonsterQuest, for a show airing Wednesday February 25 on the History Channel at 9:00. They needed a full-size creature that matched the eyewitnesses unique take on what it is they saw... a first for the series, which usually does computer animated bits. 

As you can see*, the construction is old-school... PVC with foam, latex and batting. I also built an articulated wing, and designed the promotional poster for the show.

I'll also be on camera, and if it made the cut, so will my miserably tiny studio. Thanks for looking!

-Mike

*My apologies, I jumped the gun here. I'll repost the pics on Wednesday.


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## Draik41895 (Oct 25, 2008)

ive got it on record. i'll be sure to watch. oh yeah,any more pics?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Wow, he's gorgeous, blacklight! The wings in particular are fantastic.


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## blacklightmike (Nov 2, 2008)

Er, didn't post that the thumbnail pic is a link to a slideshow.


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## Draik41895 (Oct 25, 2008)

oh,ok
BTW the jersey devil is one of my favorite cryptids


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

That's so cool! So can the wings move, or is the articulated one for insert shots?


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Dude, this totally rocks!

I love the slideshow you did. Very informative. Did you put the battiing over the great stuff, or did you carve the greatstuff down?

I've got to watch!


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Your work is fantastic. Is he now yours, or the property of the show?


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Really really nice Mike


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## blacklightmike (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks, everybody! 

No, it belongs to the network now, but I'll be with it both at Chiller and the NJ Folk Festival in April. The foam was carved with Japanese saws, and rasped down to make the major forms. I sealed that with latex, then applied lumps of cotton to provide definitions here and there. The batting came last, followed by several more applications of latex... which, BTW, was tinted brown. The wings don't flap, per se, but rotate in their sockets to provide various poses. The show wanted the 'wings in front of the face' Dracula-look, but I made sure you could move them around. 

The fixed wings were a nightmare... designed to be lighter than the articulated one, they were PVC with bamboo fingers, hot glued with cheesecloth, batting at the joints, and then delicately coated in latex, which took an entire day and many applications. I will never forget wing day... I worked like an animal until 11pm to get them done. I still smell ammonia in my head from that horror...


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Great Job..


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## pyro (Oct 7, 2006)

ill be looking for it this wed on the history channel--great job


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

someone has to do a grab of this show and place it on ftp or youtube! We don't have cable right now.


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## Ghostess (Aug 21, 2005)

Wow.... it's beautiful. I need to keep your method for fleshing it out in mind when I rebuild poor Goliath. The foam is a great and quick idea, and I have a crap-load of scrap pieces of it.


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## skeletonowl (Aug 8, 2006)

Nice! I watch this show on occasion and I'll definatly watch this episode! I love the NJ Devil!


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

Unbelievable! What great work you do Blacklight. The detail is amazing, especially on the wings. Can't wait to watch the show.


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