# Halloween 2016



## JustJimAZ

I get no ToTs to my house. My house is the last house on the left on an unpaved dead end road with no streetlights, and NO ONE decorates on that street. It's as black as a cave.

For this reason, I have focused mostly on my Halloween party. Setting up a whole haunt for no one to see is disappointing.

For 2016, however, I am going to try something new. I am going to plant my entire front yard with corn. The $%^&*! wild rabbits ate all my grass a couple of years ago, and it's been just dirt since then, so I have the opportunity to do this unusual thing. Also no HOA, of course.










So my plan is to grow corn in the front yard and put in a small "Haunted Corn Maze" for my party guests. It'll take some work to cut and light, but much less than putting up a haunt with the various scenes and the walls, etc.

I think it will be fun, and give me the opportunity to take "inspiration" from Master Pumpkinrot for some scarecrows. I might even incorporate one or two places for someone to hide and scare people. Maybe a stalk monster.

Any thoughts?
Has anyone here ever done something like this?


----------



## RoxyBlue

Never done it, but it sounds fun My first thought was "can you grow corn in Arizona?", which lead me to this article you might find useful:

http://www.southwestvictorygardens.com/growing-corn/


----------



## Haunted Spider

Talk with a farmer and get good seed from them. You may also want to research when to fertilize etc. Farmers fields work well because the corn helps protect itself by the sheer number from wind etc. If you don't have enough it will get blown over. 

Cut your paths early or plan them out and don't even plant there. Most mazes mow down the paths when it gets a few feet tall so the know exactly where they want the lines. 

Sounds like this needs to be an active picture thread. I want to see progress.


----------



## JustJimAZ

RoxyBlue said:


> My first thought was "can you grow corn in Arizona?"]


My family happens to be friends with the Vertuccio family of Vertuccio Farms, and they are one of several who grow corn in my part of AZ. They even have a huge corn maze!

Unfortunately, Mrs. Vertuccio does not consider haunted mazes of any stripe "family friendly", or I'd haunt theirs for sure!


----------



## JustJimAZ

Haunted Spider said:


> Sounds like this needs to be an active picture thread. I want to see progress.


I will do my best. Watching corn grow may not be the most exciting thing posted on the forum.... Perhaps I will post photos of the scarecrows as I work on them.

I will be planting in late January or early February, per advice from Mr. Vertuccio of Vertuccio Farms. I know he told me they plant the field and cut the maze later, but I think I will try not even planting those rows at all.


----------



## scareme

A house in the town my son lives in has worked with this idea. I have never stopped and talked with them, only because Rick is driving, otherwise I would. I noticed they now have sunflowers mixed in with their corn. It seems to help fill in the bare spots. Give strength to the stalks. And are just plain pretty. Just a thought.


----------



## JustJimAZ

I like the sunflower idea. Thanks!

This is the outline I have right now. each square = 1 square foot. I know it seems bigger in the picture than it will in life, but I have limited space.










Areas outlined in deep orange are potential scare spots for my family to hide in. Entrance is on the far left. Exit is by the gray rectangle on the right.

I plan to light the "dead end" part better to encourage people to go that way first. Parts of the correct path will also be only 2 feet wide, so it will be more claustrophobic than the dead end part too. I don't have to concern myself with ADA rules.

I may use plastic or cloth between rows to make it harder to see the path on the other side, but that's "Plan A" - which I get to only if I get though Plans C and B.

I'm thinking sentinels at the opening and witch's jars throughout, with spotlights either illuminating some places or, when appropriate, "blinding" the participants to the scares ahead.

More thoughts as time permits. Open to ideas.


----------



## scareme

Depending how much branches and shrubs you have, maybe you could make a few of these to use throughout your maze. I think the look creepy. I would cut some fishing line and hang it there. When people walk through and feel something, but don't see anything, they tend to think it's spider webs. Funny to watch.


----------



## JustJimAZ

_scareme said"Depending how much branches and shrubs you have, maybe you could make a few of these to use throughout your maze. I think the look creepy. I would cut some fishing line and hang it there. When people walk through and feel something, but don't see anything, they tend to think it's spider webs. Funny to watch."_

Thanks! I was thinking I'd like to do the spider web thing but was uncertain how to do it. The arch thing should have occurred to me, and I'm grateful you brought it up!

I'll put that into my Plan B or Plan A. Plan C is my bare bones, "These things have to happen" plan. B is for "I'm pretty sure I can add these too", and A is "Wouldn't it be great if I could..."


----------



## fontgeek

From what I see, your plan is a labyrinth rather than a maze, so there's no actual chance for guests to get lost. How many stalks deep/thick does a wall need to be for guests not to pass through it or casually break it down? I'd talk to your corn advisors to see what you need before you get too deep into the planning. 
How much slave labor do you have at your disposal to help with the scares and such within the maze? You might consider "planting" some remote speakers within the labyrinth so that you can add distractions and scares without the need for extra actors, and the space they would take up within the trail.
Overall, it sounds like fun though. I too would like to see progress photos and reports on your plans, your challenges, and how you overcome them.
Good luck!


----------



## JustJimAZ

I plan to plant the corn with no more than 1 foot between rows. That means in a space with 2 feet of space, there would be 3 stalks. Harvesting is not a concern, and I can stagger the seeds.

Also, this is really just for my party, so it's not like I have to keep it up for a month with 100 people a night. I know in a commercial corn maze, after a few weeks the integrity of the maze is compromised by the general public doing what they do.

I don't expect too many progress pics for a while. I will mostly be preparing the yard and planning how to water and protect from vermin. Will plant in Jan or Feb.


----------



## JustJimAZ

Just updating this because it turns out that I only need to plant the corn in June for an October haunt. Planting in Jan or Feb was apparently advice for farmers, not haunters>
Anyway, I prunes some trees and I have some raw material for scarecrows drying in the desert sun even now...


----------



## punkineater

I love the idea..what are the corn growing secrets for us desert dwellers? I tried my hand at a small patch last year, but the stalks only got to about 4ft tall.


----------



## JustJimAZ

punkineater said:


> I love the idea..what are the corn growing secrets for us desert dwellers? I tried my hand at a small patch last year, but the stalks only got to about 4ft tall.


I'm thinking it's high nitrogen fertilizer and lots of water. I bought some corn that's supposed to grow 12-15 feet tall for the outer perimeter. Regular feed corn for the inside. I sure hope it gets higher than 4 feet!


----------



## JustJimAZ

There's not much in the way of corn growing going on right now, but I did make these Blair Witch style totems to scatter around the corn.

I plan to make a huge one for people to walk under as they enter the maze. Kind of tie it all together thematically, you know?


----------



## Hairazor

Those ^ are just creepy, well done!


----------



## JustJimAZ

Hairazor said:


> Those ^ are just creepy, well done!


Thanks!
Someone suggested I might extend the theme into the house as well. Since the maze leads right to my front door, I think I just might do that.


----------



## JustJimAZ

I'm gonna need a hand - or a dozen hands - for my scarecrows, so I have started piecing them together.

I need some giant hands...










Some twiggy hands..,.









Some dead human hands...









And I'm going to need some poseable twigs too.









I'll make at least one with gloves for hands, and maybe a few with no real discernable hands at all.
So, that's the progress update.


----------



## RoxyBlue

I love seeing the longer fingers on prop hands. Makes them more spooky.


----------



## JustJimAZ

I'll need some skull shapes for the scarecrows, so paper mache seems the way to go.


----------



## JustJimAZ

*Scarecrow started*

I have the first outline of a scarecrow done. I built it on an old tree support post. Made a ribcage, arms, and hands entirely out of tree branches, wire, and screws.
Skinned it a bit with black trash bags. It still needs work and a paint job, of course.
In the photos you can see I have a couple more stakes and some pvc lying around. The pvc was painted green because it was "bamboo" in a "Crouching Tiber, Hidden Dragon" themed skit a few years back. Now, it will become arms and maybe other parts for some scarecrows.
In one shot you can see I put an old paper mache pumpkin on where his head might be. I have not decided just how the finished scarecrow will look.
I plan to mix a variety of scarecrow types in the maze. I've been collecting pictures of horror scarecrows (a' la pumpkinrot) for years. I have also been collecting pictures of real scarecrows from around the world. Plenty of themes to work from.


----------



## RoxyBlue

Nice! Very menacing!


----------



## Hairazor

Gnarly!!!!


----------



## matrixmom

very organic feel and disturbing all at once!


----------



## The Halloween Lady

Very creepy! Please post pics as this develops and grows, I would very much like to see this. Cool concept.
I totally get what you say about your display. I do mine for a party too. We don't get many TOT's either.


----------



## JustJimAZ

Thanks, everyone! I will continue to post pics. The corn is starting to sprout.


----------



## JustJimAZ

So, I got some stakes and twine and laid out the maze in my yard. There were, of course, some tweaks necessary to bring the paper plan to the real world, but I think they made it better.
I have no idea if anyone is interested in a "walk through" at this point, but I made a short video for myself and I may as well share.




Here are some pics of other relate projects:

I stuck a plastic bottle inside one of my paper mache skull armatures and added more paper. I will be able to easily mount it on a stick now. Here it is drying on the burnt remains of my Christmas tree:

















What? How do you do it?

Anyway...
Someone suggested corn husk dolls, and that seems good to me. Not having corn husks yet, I made some prototypes using newspaper ads:


----------



## RoxyBlue

Creepy!

Are you gettings "looks" from the neighbors or are they used to your Halloween preparations?


----------



## JustJimAZ

It's pretty quiet around here. I'm guessing when they saw me digging trenches in my yard they might have been curious, but so far, no "looks" or comments either. Of course, the scarecrows are in back right now...


----------



## punkineater

JustJimAZ said:


> I have the first outline of a scarecrow done. I built it on an old tree support post. Made a ribcage, arms, and hands entirely out of tree branches, wire, and screws.
> Skinned it a bit with black trash bags. It still needs work and a paint job, of course.
> In the photos you can see I have a couple more stakes and some pvc lying around. The pvc was painted green because it was "bamboo" in a "Crouching Tiber, Hidden Dragon" themed skit a few years back. Now, it will become arms and maybe other parts for some scarecrows.
> In one shot you can see I put an old paper mache pumpkin on where his head might be. I have not decided just how the finished scarecrow will look.
> I plan to mix a variety of scarecrow types in the maze. I've been collecting pictures of horror scarecrows (a' la pumpkinrot) for years. I have also been collecting pictures of real scarecrows from around the world. Plenty of themes to work from.


This concept gives me the giggles..and what the neighbors must think! Yes, the organic-ness makes it _very_ creepy. Totally lovin' the scarecrow:jol:


----------



## MorbidMariah

Lookin' good, Jim! Can't wait to see the final outcome! Very fun idea!


----------



## JustJimAZ

punkineater said:


> This concept gives me the giggles..and what the neighbors must think! Yes, the organic-ness makes it _very_ creepy. Totally lovin' the scarecrow:jol:


Thanks, Punkineater!


----------



## JustJimAZ

MorbidMariah said:


> Lookin' good, Jim! Can't wait to see the final outcome! Very fun idea!


Thanks, Mariah! I'm having a heck of a time with the birds. Snakes don't scare them, and these scarecrows look too much like trees (they are for scaring people, not birds!). Less than 1/4 has survived so far, but I have a plan...


----------



## JustJimAZ

Some of the Scarecrows I am working on right now.














































@#$%^& birds, anyway.


----------



## RoxyBlue

The first one is my favorite.


----------



## Hairazor

I too like the first one best but gotta love the teeth on the second one


----------



## wandererrob

I am loving the scarecrows! The animal skull one is fantastic! 

I've recently developed a fascination with melding animal and humanoid forms. I had a cow skull I was given several years ago that's been mostly a random piece of set dec in the haunt, mostly an afterthought. But this past season I rehabbed an old prop from a friend using the cow skull as the centerpiece around which the rehab was centered. Now I want more animal skulls! 

I'll be watching to see how your haunt/maze progresses! Happy haunting!


----------



## JustJimAZ

RoxyBlue said:


> The first one is my favorite.


Thanks, Roxy! It's my first attempt at an animal skull, other than a crow skull mask I made last year. It was supposed to be a horse, but it became something other...



Hairazor said:


> I too like the first one best but gotta love the teeth on the second one


Thanks! I used Allen Hopps' hot glue method for the teeth. I wanted to add some distinctiveness to each.



wandererrob said:


> I am loving the scarecrows! The animal skull one is fantastic!
> 
> I've recently developed a fascination with melding animal and humanoid forms. I had a cow skull I was given several years ago that's been mostly a random piece of set dec in the haunt, mostly an afterthought. But this past season I rehabbed an old prop from a friend using the cow skull as the centerpiece around which the rehab was centered. Now I want more animal skulls!
> 
> I'll be watching to see how your haunt/maze progresses! Happy haunting!


Thank you Rob. I don't know how it is in other states, but in the Phoenix area, it's fairly easy to find a little flea market with someone selling skulls. Coyote, horse, cow, rat, gopher, I even bought a bear skull at one, but it has no teeth. They do add something to the atmosphere, that's for sure.
Spirit sells a horse skull mask and hood.

I'm getting worried about the corn. Only a little of what I first planted has gotten anywhere. I replanted, and nothing at all seems to have come of it. It looks like birds are digging up the seeds.

I tried sprouting some Goliath corn indoors but none sprouted. So now I have a bunch of little plastic cups all over the yard, trying to protect the seeds from the birds until they can sprout and get going. Trouble is, even if it works, I'm going to have a heck of a time getting the height I want by The Night of Nights.

I happen to know that on the original set of Planet of the Apes they got the corn to grow 6 feet tall in record time by watering it and fertilizing like crazy. I'll do my best.

Now I have a backup story that includes a destroyed corn field and scarecrows, but I would prefer to have a maze.


----------



## DTRobers

If your residence is really "The Last House on the Left" it is unsurprising that people do not come around. Particularly on Halloween!


----------



## JustJimAZ

I'll post some pics of the finished product. I never got anything like a maze going. I got some kind of post-apocalyptic corn and weeds scene that I jammed a bunch of scarecrows into. I only ended up using 5 scarecrows, since I was planning on using them in various parts of the maze. The maze that never happened. Since no one was actually navigating a maze, there was no need for most of the scare setup I had planned.

So, yeah, I guess growing corn in Phoenix requires completely plowing up the earth and preparing it much more than I was able to. And much more maintenance than I had time for. 10% of me wants to start again in January with the seed I have, but 90% of me is done with this little project. Maybe I can convince the owner of a real corn field to let me haunt it instead.

My friend with a commercial corn maze does not want it haunted.


----------



## JustJimAZ

Some pics:

































Album HERE.

So that's it.


----------



## RoxyBlue

It's like a post apocalyptic cornfield:jol:

I really like that skull headed creature.


----------



## Pumpkin5

:jol:I agree with Roxy, it definitely has an 'end of the world' vibe. I like your scarecrows with the natural elements. I am going to go more rustic on my scarecrow next year. Thanks for the inspiration.


----------



## JustJimAZ

RoxyBlue said:


> It's like a post apocalyptic cornfield:jol:
> 
> I really like that skull headed creature.


Thanks Roxie. It does seem to be the most popular.



Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:I agree with Roxy, it definitely has an 'end of the world' vibe. I like your scarecrows with the natural elements. I am going to go more rustic on my scarecrow next year. Thanks for the inspiration.


Cool. I'm sure you are already a Pumpkinrot fan. If not, and if you like mine, you will love his!
The movie "Mr. Jones" is worth watching just to see his stuff on film!


----------

