Monday, October 19, 2009

THE HAUNTED MANSION ON THE WEB By Bethany Ruthven

Good evening, darlings, and thank you for reading. Welcome back to Haunted Mansion Mondays on The MonsterGrrls' 31 Days Of Halloween, and today we shall examine the far-reaching influence of the Mansion on the Internet. I have three sites of note which will allow you to enjoy and learn about the wonders of this beautifully macabre dwelling, as well as give you inspiration for your own happy hauntings on this Halloween.

Created by graphic designer Jeff Baham, DoomBuggies.com has an exhaustive number of historical photographs, notes, history, memorabilia and media related to the Mansion, and is probably the premier site on the Web for the Mansion. See all sorts of photographs detailing the Mansion's history (including the only known photo of the infamous Hatbox Ghost), listen to clips of sound effects, see videos of the Mansion, and much, much more. This lovely site is located at http://www.doombuggies.com, and also has an online store where one may purchase the Doombuggies book "Secrets Of The Haunted Mansion," written by Baham himself.

CGI artist Ray Keim's amazing Haunted Dimensions website showcases computer-graphics-crafted artwork of the Mansion, as well as a number of free downloadable zip files of his amazing paper models of several of the Mansion's key elements, including the Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris Mansions, the entrance pillars, and the outdoor crypt. Keim is a seasonal designer for Universal Studios Orlando, and is involved in designs for their popular Halloween Horror Nights attractions. Visit Ray Keim and procure your own tabletop Mansions at http://www.haunteddimensions.raykeim.com.

And finally, to view how the Haunted Mansion has affected at least one of its many guests, animator James Lopez's blog The Haunted Mansion-Northside features many fond remembrances and creations inspired by the dark ride, including one post showcasing his amazing Mansion-themed office, complete with demonic wallpaper and staring statues. View the delightful insanity at http://hauntedmansion-northside.blogspot.com.

The holiday fast approaches, and next Monday will conclude our treatise to the Haunted Mansion. Do return for more of The MonsterGrrls' 31 Days Of Halloween, and if you're not careful, a ghost may follow you home...

Regards,
Bethany Ruthven