# animated props for inside a car?



## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

This time of year I always like to start driving around with a prop or two in my car...it is great to see the reactions at stoplights when someone pulls up next to a corpse or a 3 ft tall maggot....So far I have only placed static props in the seat.....

I was thinking today about how easy it would be to run a few simple animations off of a car charger...imagine a skull head popper in the rear window or a skeleton that turns his head to the side in the passenger seat....or how about a simplified fcg type prop lit by a small blacklight? 


Has anyone ever made an animated prop specifically for use in a car? Is this even a wise idea to provide a distraction to others while driving? 

thoughts? anyone?


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I've thought about this many times. The thing that stops me is if an accident occurs, something tells me a judge would not be so jovial as I am...


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

An animated prop would be fine inside of a car if the car was parked and not a possible distraction to other drivers.

I agree with sickie. Don't be the cause of an accident.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

I drove around with a 3' skeleton in my car for a couple of days last year... I should definitely do it again. 

as far as animated... it would be easy enough to use the readily available 12v. 

I do think you might run into issues with distracting other drivers though... that and it's best not to have anything in your car that could maim or otherwise harm you should you get into a collision and it goes bouncing / flying around the cabin.


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## the_PROCRASTINATOR (Oct 14, 2006)

I wanted to put a full pop out in the rear of my hatchback. I wanted to get people walking by in my work's parking lot. I did however, drive last year with a full size corpse bucky in the car. I got one guy real good in the parking lot at work. He knew I had the bucky in the car, so he went outside to check it out. As soon as he cupped his hand against the car window for a real good look, I hit the car's panic button. Did I mention my horns are 1940's 6 volt horns hooked to 12volts! Oh yeah, it is loud as it gets (My wife hates them). Anyway the guy jumped out of socks while we laughed our butts off!


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## Moon Dog (Oct 3, 2006)

When I was 17, I had a skull in the back window of the car where I had 
put red Christmas lights in the eye sockets.

I wired it up so that the eye would blink depending on which turn signal
was on and they both would come on for the brakes.

The original third brake light!


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## the_PROCRASTINATOR (Oct 14, 2006)

Hell Moon Dog,
That sounds like something I would leave in year long


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Moon Dog, we think alike. I currently have jerryrigged a lifesized skull in the back window of my car, so when I brake, the skull lights up red!


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## BoysinBoo (Dec 10, 2007)

I bought one of the fade-in-fade-out screaming faces at BigLots. It's in the drivers side-rear window of my car on a suction cup. The window is tinted, so unless the face is lit it almost completely disappears. 

I was driving home the other night, and got passed by a Sheriff. I laughed when his head snapped back in the double-take. He laughed and gave me the thumbs up. 

I read that as it's okay.


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

I would absolutely hate myself if one of my props happened to be the cause of an accident, but on the other hand I have had nothing but positive feedback on the static props I drive around with. I love it when someone ahead of me at a light notices a prop in his rearview mirror, or when a kid gets excited by seeing something unexpected (minivans full of kids are the best....) 

I have had people follow to get a good look and I have had people go out of their way NOT to look. IMO, its all good fun and part of the season.

HOWEVER, sickie and haunti make excellent points about liability in the event anything would happen to go wrong. This is an issue we all deal with even in our home displays. I suppose what it boils down to is to use good judgement and common sense while enjoying the spirit of the season.


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## Lady Nyxie (Aug 30, 2006)

I considered something similar... place a blucky in the passenger seat... attach fishing line to his wrist... run that fishing line through the handle at the top of the door frame... run it across to my handle at the top of the drivers door... when stopped at traffic lights... pull my string... he waves. 

Alternative... take one wig head (like the ones made at the NJ/PA mnt)... put your mother in the passenger seat... make her hold the wig head on a piece of pvc... let her go to town making it stare out the window at passers by... let her talk for it... let her show it to unsuspecting gas station attendants (his response went something like this... "What the f**k")... priceless.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

when I was bringing my greeter to both the NJ haunters and the NJ/PA group meetings I would have him in the passenger seat and when I was stopped at a light the looks of the people that were turning in front of me were priceless. Lots of double takes and on both occasions they almost hit the light post. I would love to have it turn its head and wink to the person next to me or on the corner. The head already turns I just need to rig up a wink. maybe I will get a tree armature that they still sell.


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## Bilbo (Dec 13, 2007)

Oooh, I can just see me and my Talking Boris driving down Superior Street both singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" ala Wayne's World!! Just hook the microbone I removed back up...


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

I had the upper part of a female mannequin strapped into the passenger seat for a quick ride home from the flea-mart. She had a top on and I added sunglasses and a hat so she would not attract attention, but it was crazy how many people spotted and laughed at her.


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