Inspiration: Zen Ghosts

Jon Muth's picture book Zen Ghosts has some of the best Halloween-themed art that I've seen. The atmosphere he creates--the bright leaves, the fantastic use of lighting, and the mischievous kids and creatures--is very similar to the setting of Untitled Ghost Story. But don't be fooled, even though the story will be illustrated, and it will have children and teenagers as its main characters, UGS has a bit of an edge that I wouldn't recommend for the little kiddies.

That being said, enjoy the lively, spooky art of Zen Ghosts. Pick up the book from your local bookstore or library. The book is part of a series of books by Muth--all of which have great illustrations and interesting multicultural themes.

Zen Ghosts appears courtesy of Jon Muth and Scholastic Press.

Character Sketches #1

Sketches of Byron, Beezer and Ian.

Inspiration: Dead Man's Bones

Among the many influences for this book (which I'll be sharing with readers periodically) is the music of Dead Man's Bones. The group consists of Ryan Gosling (yes, that Ryan Gosling), Zack Shields and the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir, and their aesthetic is this fantastic spooky, charming, southern gothic, B-rate horror movie awesomeness. Do you remember when you were watching that scene in Lars and the Real Girl when Gosling is goofing around singing in the treehouse and you thought, "Wow. He might be musically talented." Well, he is. They all are. I especially like "My Body's a Zombie for You"--totally haunting.

Now, Dead Man's Bones will probably--like Oingo Boingo and The Addams Family--be thought of as a seasonal, Halloween-specific thing. But also like Oingo Boingo and The Addams Family (about which I'll probably post in the future), this music is way more engaging than typical Halloween party background noise. It's creative and fun and sometimes sad, and it happens to be kind of spooky. I'd love Untitled Ghost Story to have a similar feel--sure, it fits as a scary campfire tale, but also as a meaningful story about kids growing up.

And here's some awesome videos from Dead Man's Bones. Check them out.

Dead Man's Bones appears courtesy of Anti-Records.