MondoCon 2016: Behold, The Daniel Danger Spirit Board Set
For the past however-many months (I lost count, honestly), Mondo artist Daniel Danger has been toiling away on one helluva project, one which he has finally completed and will be bringing with him to MondoCon 2016 (Oct. 22nd-23rd, find out more here). When I first got wind of what he was working on, I immediately asked if we could reveal the project here at Birth.Movies.Death.; it's simply one of the cooler things I've ever seen come out of this hobby, and I couldn't wait to share it with you guys.
Not only did Danger agree to let us make the reveal, he was gracious enough to send over brand-new photos of the Daniel Danger Spirit Board, along with some commentary about how the whole thing came together. On top of that, he's also agreed to offer one set up as a giveaway, in a contest which we'll go over at the end of this post.
So: learn about the set, gawk at the pretty photos, and then stick around to find out how you can win one of these things without even leaving your house. I think you're gonna want one!
Take it away, Danger:
For Mondocon this year I really wanted to create something unique and out of the norm for myself, and to have fun with my own aesthetic and narrative legacy. The concept of ghosts, and their many interpretable meanings and metaphors, are crucial to everything I do as an artist. Important as well is the notion of communication, sometimes between far away and illogical places and times, loss, and distance.
The notion of creating a “talking spirit board” (did you know Ouija is both meaningless AND copyrighted?) is perfect for MondoCon, as it plays into the company concept of playing an artist's aesthetic against classic films and stories and our relationship with them. Everyone has a story about using a Ouija board growing up, or heard one that kept them far away from one. Frankly, I’m terrified of the things.
Daniel Danger Spirit Board Set Includes:
- Custom 10x15” Spirit board and full wrap box
- Custom laser-cut doorway planchette
- Set of three new 9x12” four color screenprints
- Two 1.25” enamel pins in felt bag- Signed and numbered card
Mondocon Edition of 100 - $100- (includes signed and numbered screenprints, card, and tote bag)
- Limited number will include customized 9x12” clayboard monoprint ($400)
- Available at Mondocon on Saturday morning
2nd Edition of 150 - $100 + Shipping-(includes S&N card, prints are unsigned)
-Available online at danieldanger.storenvy.com at date TBD
This project started when I polled a fan group on Facebook about fun things I could make for the convention, and - amongst a ton of ideas - notorious collector Pineapple Tangaroa suggested doing a Ouija board. I thought to myself “...I could actually do that.” and immediately started trying to figure out the manufacturing side of it, as it was a little outside of my wheelhouse.
I eventually found a company overseas that would make me the boards and boxes in a shorter custom run, and a few back & forths and one major shipping gaffe later, we got a really beautiful, traditional-feeling game box and board. I was very very close to having an obviously staged photo of a happy family playing with the set on the back of the box, the kind that plagued every board game in the 70s-90s; but one of the kids would have jet black eyes. Maybe in a later edition.
I knew I wanted to get away from the traditional planchette, which is typically a teardrop shape, in favor of something more in line with my structural work. I opted for a doorway with the traditional shape as an insignia above it, as I liked the idea of spirits moving from one space to another. We tried working with 3d models and printing, plastic molding, etc, but I ended up working with Twig Case Co, a maker of laser etched cell-phone cases to construct the two-tier’d laser cut planchettes.
For the new art prints included, I wanted to try a different drawing style, a bit more painterly, loose, and with a soft glow, but aim for the cold B&W vibe of the (often faked) photos you would see of seances in the 20s and 30s when there was a cultural fascination with the occult. I wanted them to appear almost as evidence, spirits hiding within the frame of otherwise empty photographs. The screenprints and cards were printed by the wonderful people at D&L in Seattle, who have been printing most of my work for the last 12 years.
So, how fucking cool is this thing? The pins, the prints, the board itself - I'm blown away by the work Danger's put into this thing (unfortunately, it appears Danger chose to disregard my suggestion that he include "an actual ghost in every box", but I suppose there would be liability issues to consider). Can't wait to see the set in person at MondoCon next weekend!
Those of you who aren't attending MondoCon can, of course, purchase the non-MondoCon Edition at a later date (that'll be happening sometime after MondoCon wraps; you should follow Daniel Danger on Twitter to find out when that's happening), but - as promised above - one of you is going to win one of the MondoCon editions from the comfort of your own home (or office, or bus station, or wherever the hell it is you hang out online), and the rules are very simple:
We want to hear your best Spirit Board-related story. Ever had a freaky encounter with a vengeful spirit? Did you once accidentally summon the ghost of Don Knotts? Ever seen a Spirit Board predict the future? Tell us your best story (please, keep 'em at a manageable length) in the comments below.
Next Thursday evening, Danger himself will pick a winner, who will be notified the following day - on the eve of MondoCon 2016! - in the comments below and via Twitter (at both my feed and Danger's feed, so make sure you're following us both). Feel free to upvote the reader submissions you like best, though be aware that an upvote count won't necessarily determine a winner.
We are honored to be revealing the Daniel Danger Spirit Board set here at Birth.Movies.Death., and look forward to hearing your creepy tales in the comments below. Make 'em count, folks! This is one of the coolest things we've ever given away.
