Halloween Stained Glass Window

 

Bindlegrim is very excited to be back exploring the warm glow of autumn light... with a special Halloween Window created as a one-time insert included only as a freebie with each copy of the new vintage Halloween collectibles guide The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4. To start then, let's just begin this blog entry with various arty views of the windows, at times together with the book set as described via THR's etsy bookstore or recent blog entry "Vol 4 Halloween Retrospect."

Dual-side faux stained glass paper window (2 shown) for THR.

Not to scale: window shown (right) with book trio inset (left).

Faux stained glass windows assembled by hand are limited.

Detail of matte color tissue paper that creates a warm glow.

Following is a description for these windows --- importantly noting once again that they are not-for-sale on their own, but only included as a free insert with copies of the March 2025 vintage Halloween collectibles guidebook series The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4. (Etsy link here).

To begin, Bindlegrim designs are inspired by research pursued by THR that proves the originals to be vintage 1940's products created by Milton Bradley. Those originals hail from a time that included well-known art contributors (such as Louise D. Tessin) when the company is regularly involved in education (not only entertainment) and regularly publishing a magazine for educators called American Childhood. (Internet Archive link here). And while the new items are true to the general feel of vintage pieces, the modern Halloween Window cannot be mistaken as such, because Bindlegrim's version is deliberately different in size, imagery, color, and production method (and collages the four characters into one space). 

As for construction, the Bindlegrim versions are made of a thick 2-ply museum board frame which has been laser cut by the artist yet hand-assembled in the final steps. Still, the result is a doubled-sided decoration with colored tissue paper inside (very old school) which by result means either side is equally presentable as front or perhaps simultaneously from both sides at once. The tissue paper glows with a brilliant color while the framework remains strong and steady.

But again, this is part of a set (shown below) and Bindledgrim is not selling these - they are free with a copy of THR's newest edition of research from its archive library publications.

THR, V4 is shown here with book, crossword, and decoration.

A little bit about vintage Halloween collectibles guides are in order here, particularly the newest book that releases March 2025 by THR. If you are not familiar with THR publications - basically the archive library publishes research that utilizes many hundreds of primary sources from its collection - to better understand the history of ye olde holiday market. So far there have been four research digests and one art survey book (with more planned in future). The newest of these digests is The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4 with book cover shown below (see THR's website or THR's online book shop).   

Cover art for The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4 by THR publications.

While many preview images of the book are available THR's website or THR's online book shop (or even via Instagram @halloweenretrospecs) here are a few to make sure this blog entry is complete...  

Page preview of The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4.

The Halloween Retrospect, V4 book, puzzle & decor.

THR, V4 featuring an homage window by Bindlegrim

Well, to close this blog entry, Bindlegrim might advise that while this vintage-style artist has had the pleasure of being involved with Volume 1 and Volume 4 digests... THR since it's first release in June 2023 has five books now full of data or images about vintage Halloween collectibles of the past. They are great references for seasoned or new collectors of the hobby.... and here is an up-to-date image of those that the bookstore currently offers:

The Halloween Retrospect Vol 1,2,3,4 & Halloween Artifacxts.

Hope you enjoy and if you do, perhaps Bindlegrim will continue to explore such Halloween lighting projects in future!?!?

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Project for THR Volume 1

Okay, okay, so brushing past the fact that Bindlegrim made the mistake of waking up in the real world  (with things like stale coffee, office banter, and dangerous commutes) seems it all just put hin back to sleep, dreaming about the garden at Ichabod's Cottage to see if there's a pumpkin vine or two still crawling along the ground. And so this little project came to be...

First of all, for sure, Bindlegrim loves vintage Halloween! With so many direct influences from vintage objects on Bindlegrim's artwork for lanterns, postcards,  etc., there was destined to be some kind of project that involved that olde stuff more directly. Looks like this is it. An archive library, The Halloween Retrospect, houses a whole bunch of vintage information objects (including content from nearly 500 vintage catalogs) and decided to put together a small digest of research from those sources. Of course, that's going to need some work on the book (particularly the cover), and then there's the website, creating a logo, and on and on. But, well, it's all ready now, and here to share. 

So, Bindlegrim had fun at first revisiting some old ghouls from an early lantern, and found this witch face from the very first lantern prototype in 2011.

4 sides of Bindlegrim prototype lantern from 2011

Once in a layout, she took over and let the scene coalesce around her..., and here is the cover for the book which should be available around end of July and/or beginning of August. (It's ready but has a layout bug that needs fixing). 

Cover art for The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 1 by Bindlegrim

That offered a chance to do something more with the art, to offer the books a little extra something to go with them. From out of the cover art, four bookmark-tallies were created to accompany the mailer. Here they are below:

Set of 4 bookmark-tallies, an extra with official copies of the book.

The book also comes with an 11"x17" fold out poster featuring a 1926 Halloween ad of products for schools (very fun stuff), and has some nice color and black and white illustrations across 32 pages. It's a 9"x6" publication, much like those old novelty catalogs, and is sure to have some good info for those into vintage Halloween collectibles. Here are some sneak peek images:

The Halloween Retrospect Vol 1, with poster and 4 tally cards.

The Halloween Retrospect Vol 1, with poster and 4 tally cards.

Oh, and last but not least, Bindlegrim put together a little website for the project: https://halloweenretrospect.com, and the logo below is a link there. Hope you enjoy the return of Bindlegrim, and the book...! 

Bindlegrim's 5th Hallowe'en Anniversay Box Set

The 2016 Bindlegrim Summer Sale is still active into early Autumn with 25% off items on Bindlegoods, and a big thank-you to those cool ghouls following on facebook and/or twitter who participated in the two auctions that closed tonight (shown below).

Bats & Mice (left) with Spooksville Road (right) - auctions complete.

The final 2015 auction offers a pandora's box of past Bindlegrim work. It's a 5th Hallowe'en Anniversary (one-of-a-kind) Box Set with transparency logo, and filled with a selection of items from the past 5+ years (some pre-Bindlegrim) with at least one Artist Proof lantern never previously available.

Update Sept 5, 2016 (tentative content list at bottom of this post):

Tentative content list as of Sept 5, 2016:

Spook Box (2016) Content List Envelope (with card and Boo! transparency print)

The Pumpkin Dream, signed copy (orig. 2011) 

Untitled artist proof #2/3 box lantern, signed - (2011)

The Cornish Litany, carnivorous tree, signed postcard #14/25 (2011)

The Cornish Litany, chamber spooks, signed postcard #14/25 (2011)

The Cornish Litany, keyhole set of 12 postcards (2012)

Spooklights, Pendant Lamp Shade #1 (2014)

Spooklights, Candlestick Lamp Base, #1 (2014)

Spooklights, Candlestick Lamp Base, #2 (2014)

Spooklights Creature Votive (2014)

Beasties, candy basket version (2015)

Beasties, set  of 4 postcards (2015)

Dodeca lantern #10  Bats & Mice , signed limited edition (2015)

Dodeca lantern #11 Spooksville Road, signed limited edition (2015)

Additional Oddities:

Halloween Trunk Show 8, 9, & 10 postcards (2013-15)

Hallowe’en set of 9 greeting cards with 1 place holder, 1 place holder alternate (2004)

Vanishing Creeps

Week two of the Bindlegrim sale - and already some items in the Creeps editions are sold out as I pack their bindles with care for cross-country travels literally coast to coast! Again, thank you to all who gathered for week one.

It actually appears that the Summer Lantern Sale might be something of a misnomer, as I seek to fill out some unexpected gaps in the coming weeks - but for you 12-sided lantern fiends (and I know there are a few) I do plan to list the last 12-sided Creeps lantern in the final fourth week.

As I pull together some oddities for week three, here's a quick review of what is currently up for grabs in the second week ending Sunday, July 26th.

1) Vintage-Style Christmas SPIRITS #5/5 Artist Signed Set KRINGLE, FROST, & KRAMPUS

This listing is for the last full set of vintage-style candy-container lanterns from Spirits, a 5/5 limited edition set of three characters designed, printed, and diecut in the artist's studio. While a couple of characters may show up solo, this is the last of the Krampus characters available.

This is the fifth in an edition of five packaged sets - each character is signed, and the package insert is numbered #5/5.

2) Vintage-Style Easter Greetings TO THE HUNT #4/10 Artist Signed Postcard & Folio

Since Bindlegrim reached outside of the Hallowe'en norm for the above Christmas listing... this Easter card was also included to bring in a little more cheer, albeit slightly twisted once again. This print postcard was limited to a run of only ten cards, each with a peek-a-boo folio. This card is signed and numberd #4/10.

3) Vintage-Style Halloween CREEPS A.P. 2/2 Open Silhouette Set Candy-Box Lanterns

This is the 2/2 set of artist proofs created before the final 5/5 run of "soot-faced" Creeps. I cannot fully recollect why this set was created before the final packaged sets, but I believe it must have had to do with the direction of the dies upon the 2-ply museum board (since the die cutting process actually gives a subtle front and back edge to the paper). In any case, unlike the 1/2 set sold off the previous year, the 2/2 set was never even bent into shape... as shown here standing at full attentive display in this old crate.

4) Vintage-Style HALLOWEEN & CORNISH LITANY variety set themed Postcards and Book

With Bindlegrim's 2013 lantern stock rapidly vanishing - I continued to grab up a few other items for the sale... and thought it fun to gather a collection of printed goodies. This lot contains the following:
1) On Stranger Winds - Tall Tales for Shorter Days: a signed copy of the book with the newer matte cover (which I love much better than previous editions for its soft touch). The book is a collection of stories and poems (and was a winner of the New Mexico Book Awards in 2013 in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category). Cover art by David Irvine (aka The Gnarled Branch).

2) Cornish Litany cards, 2011, has a limited number #/25 of signed cards. Both here are numbered #6/25. These postcards are artist reprints of the original art that was commissioned by Cornish Litany fanatic Debra Mesiter: A Litany... Cornish and Otherwise.

3) Cornish Litany cards, 2012. This set was originally release with a (sold-out) 12-sided Cornish Litany lantern that contained the same imagery.

4) One set of 4 Hallowe'en cards from the new Spooklights lanterns by Bindlegrim. Un-signed from a moderate run of 100 sets.  

Thank you once again to all for considering these items for your Halloween bindle. Stay tuned for week 3 starting this Sunday, the 26th.

Crawling Out of the Woodwork

As design materials for Halloween 2014 start filling up the workspace for the new Spooklights series, seems like a good time again for a sale... to bid a final farewell to the work of 2013, and here's just a quick revisit of some of the work that's been lurking about in the dark forgotten crevices of the studio (pictured below) here gussied up as an orange crepe-paper gift-basket of vintage-like goodies.

Perhaps you caught last year's summer sale that wiped-out the remainder of all 2012 six-sided lanterns? Well, I wasn't sure there would be enough from 2013 but, after some rummaging, discovered there are actually limited-edition packs and some artist-proof singles of Creeps (both candy-boxes and special edition 12-sided lantern), Spirits (candy-containers), Cornish Litany postcards, and signed copies of Tall Tales Stranger Days.

There is no definite date for the beginning of this, (which could perhaps be as soon as this Sunday the 13th). Stay tuned, and I'll do my best to get the message out through the various Bindlegrim channels - facebook, twitter, the newsletter, the blog here, and the news blog now on Bindlegoods.

Merry Kitsch-mas!

Bindlegrim is happy to announce that Grim Happy Christmas is now in its 2nd edition for 2013 with improvements on both price and format. This newer version is a larger 8.5" square which just seems more kid-friendly, and the print is larger for those of us with tired eyes. As well, the cover and content are now on soft-to-the-touch matte pages without any major loss to the photographic quality. I only regret it has taken me since 2011 to get this done!
 

You can find the book in two places online* this December with the following special prices:

1) On Amazon (currently priced around $7.95 and qualifies for their free shipping deals).

2) On CreateSpace (using December's coupon code 4DX92CZD get it for $5 + shipping). 

* Note that the book is still on blurb.com but there the 7" glossy (first edition) costs around $20 to produce and for some reason they only offer limited and expensive shipping options via UPS)... 

Are you new to Grim Happy Christmas? Well, once upon a time, a little Christmas gnome leaps from the darkness of his storage box to seek out the happy dreams of the holiday, but instead finds dirty dishes and big scary bills! What has happened to Christmas? The story that follows is told in simple words and photography, and is appropriate for the entire family (minus perhaps a scary scene with the grim reaper), and offers a quick lesson that maybe the importance of the holiday isn't found rushing off to find glittery gewgaws to bedazzle the senses, when love is right there at home, wherever that may be for you!

Christmas Gnomes (Tomte, Nisse, or Hobs) are (per Wikipedia) mythological creatures from Scandinavian folklore typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season. The gnome is known as a gift bearer and considered the Swedish version of Father Christmas. As mid-century decorations - the gnomes were Christmas kitsch ornaments Made In Japan during the 1950s of hand painted hard plastic faces topped by flocked paper hats. Arms, legs, and hair were chenille, and the bodies and feet were made from spun cotton.

The characters of this book are actually cherished vintage hand-me-down ornaments from the author's home, that became the centerpiece of this book's lesson during a particularly skint and cancelled holiday. The photos seen in this book were at first to become a simple Christmas card yet during the photo session seemed to be telling a story, and this developed into a little hand-made book of scribbled words and pasted pictures. It was the only material gift offered during that harsh year - but with content that became meaningful beyond price. 

Bindlegrim, Red Hob, & Green Hob send you their best this season! Merry Kitsch-mas!

You can see more pictures of the book on flickr:

Night of the Bindlegrim

So perhaps the weather was an omen... rainy and cold... an appropriate Bindlegrim night full of thunder and dark purple skies with bits of brilliant Halloween orange peeking out from a setting sun... yet I had zero expectations (certainly after reading the other finalists listed below) so this was to be an amazing surprise that On Stranger Winds won in the Fiction: Sci-Fi / Fantasy category of the NM Book Co-op's 2013 New Mexico - Arizona Book Awards!

Days before the actual announcement, I wanted to take the time as a scifi/fantasy fan to see what our local authors had to offer, and with an eagerness to cheer them on for their hard work. Therefore I assigned myself homework - to read (as much of) each as I could before the date. And I feel confident recommending most of these if you enjoy the genre. Here is a quick rundown of the book and author finalists in the Sci-Fi Fantasy category, (with many offered as Amazon e-books with a downloadable free preview).

1. Ghosts of the Black Rose: Belinda Vasquez Garcia -  www.belindavasquezgarcia.com
   Note: there is a very interesting scene in here involving a priest, his deceased skeleton wife, and the enchanted beautician.
2. Asleep at the Wheel of Time: Michael Gray - www.michaelfgray.com
   Note:  a true well written sci-fi entry that had my interest piqued with a story that involves dolphins and a recent VLA discovery of what could be a message from Titan.
3. The Tower of Il Serrohe: RJ Mirabal - http://rjmirabal.blog.com
   Note: an anti-hero in the Rio Grande Valley finds an alternate universe. Back-story involves curanderas. And there is a sly sense of humor to some of the dialogue.
4. Corr Syl the Warrior: Garry Rogers - www.garryrogers.com
   Note: A smartly written YA novel where animals evolved, and utilize natural powers together with technology. A murder has occurred at the beginning, while trouble brews on the borders.
5. On Stranger Winds: Robert Aaron Wiley - www.bindlegrim.com

With my reading accomplished, I was ready to cheer any of these authors for a well-deserved award. And we arrived at the 2013 NM Book Awards on that stormy November 15th night in ABQ. New to the experience, I had no idea what to expect, yet had a welcoming, wonderful time. Met some great authors and publishers, enjoyed drinks, and the food was actually top notch. (Heartfelt kudos to the meal planner!)

The award ceremony itself was perfectly timed and the actual winning of the award a bit of a blur... (see the full list of winners here)... and while I wish I had bid more money to win that Rodulfo Anaya book package, the following are my personal highlights of my evening...

1. Out of pure chance we sat next to Fresco Books. Really awesome chatting with the authors behind this amazing hardcover book. They won both the Art Book category and the Best New Mexico Book for Art of the National Parks. To my immediate right was this wonderful artist, Terry Dunn: www.tlawsondunn.com.
2. On our left sat a first-time author Karen Kelling. I'm not sure I understood the complete plot, but the book sounds like a good read for you holiday fans as it takes place around Christmas, and there are appearances of ghosts from the past: The Comanchero's Grave.
3. Across the distance of the table sat Arturo Madrid with what sounds like a fascinating book (and most definitely with quality design & photography): In the Country of Empty Crosses: The Story of a Hispano Protestant Family in Catholic New Mexico .
4. And during our wait for winner stickers at the end, had a great time conversing with Candace Walsh and learning about her book: Licking the Spoon: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Identity.

Well, that's it! After all the hard work, and latest excitement, I've been spending the past 24 hours quietly(?) basking. Thank you to all the words of congratulations from friends and family. And of course thank you again to the informed editing assistance of Cara Wilhelm, the spooky whimsical cover art from David Irvine, the spooky font Zombie Apocalypse available from Sinister Visions, and the word-styling of Daniel Boyer in his fabulous foreword.

 Goodnight folks... time now to work on volume two...?

2013 Sci-fi Fantasy Book Finalist

Okay, I admit, I am 30 days late to the party! This was announced on September 20th - and I've been so lost in the new candy container / lantern designs that I missed this incredible news:

On Stranger Winds (Tall Tales for Shorter Days) by Robert Aaron Wiley (aka Bindlegrim) was listed as a finalist in the science fiction and fantasy category of the 2013 New Mexico & Arizona Book Awards. (In June the NM Book Co-op mentioned processing over 1200 entries and getting more every day)...! New Mexico Books promotes the best in local New Mexico & Arizona books. The list of finalists are available here: 2013 Finalists.

Just to mention once again - the book can be found on both Amazon & Barnes & Noble as a self-published work from Bindlegrim Press. Amazon (in print and on Kindle). Barnes & Noble (on Nook).

Thanks once again to David Irvine of The Gnarled Branch for the cover art "The Traveling Ghost." And to Cara Wilhelm for her help editing some of the contents. Also, please note the newest cover design utilizes a font Zombie Holocaust by Sinister Visions.

Best October wishes to all. This is the perfect season to read these tales!

Halloween Bindle-Bust?

Well, it appears Halloween 2013 might be a bit of a bust for the ol'Bindle this year... as this exhausted codger very likely steps down to enjoy the work of everyone else. And at least for that, I can't wait!

In the meantime, I will lump up my own fail as the following learning experience...

First, I thank everyone who gave their attention to Bindlegrim's previous offering: the 2012 limited-edition vintage-style 12-sided lanterns. I hope that those autumn-minded folks who grabbed up one or two in 2012 and/or early 2013 will find these a great addition to the coming Halloween glow! (So amazed that all the 2012 pane designs sold out. Thank you again...!)

I thought then, in 2012, that I was finally on the right track with a holiday production calendar... (though things certainly drifted with the additional book (see below) Tall Tales for Shorter Days that released in November... yet as early as April 2013 I had set my sites on this year's coming design blogged here: Creepster Cast 2013.

Well, sadly much here is done during "hobby time" and this summer I fatally lapsed in a bad balance between a full-time job, a part-time job, and attempting to breathe... there wasn't much time to squeeze in the sadly neglected Bindlegrim. Though some unexpected time opened in August but it appears that was already too late!

The original plan was for pre-made candy container lanterns, in an old school style, that I could finally offer to more people at a set low price.  (No limiting editions, no auctions, etc). However, some printing follies these past 2 weeks have collapsed any forward motion... and my chosen vendor proved not to be agile nor capable of affordable printing on old-style products best mocked these days by kraft paper, cardboard, and/or chipboard. (By the way, printer recommendations are very welcome).

Should plans change and quickly, I will post them here: I have pondered a small batch hand-made run of the new designs, and maybe even a single edition of 2012 style lanterns with a new set of panes... but then it is also so very tempting to just sit back and enjoy the season...

If you missed the book Tall Tales for Shorter Days, which came out post-Halloween 2012, I encourage you to add it to this year's autumn reading list, as it is in fact very Halloween-ish. This is it's first official Halloween! The content includes The Pumpkin Dream poem (non illustrated), while the stories are half dark-and-creepy with the other half waxing with Halloween nostalgia. It's available in print and digital formats from Amazon, B&N, and even on Etsy.

Bindlegrim still looks forward to this Halloween, and can't wait to join the rest in the fun of the season. Let me know what you're up to this year!