Dancing Through a Gothic Wonderland

Once Halloween comes to a screeching halt, all Hell breaks loose as we gear up for one of the biggest holiday events in Second Life:  Gothmas!  Whatmas?  Gothmas!  It’s that black and romantic time when all the darklings come out of the woodwork and celebrate in a weird and wonderful way.  We don our goth apparel and dance to the ethereal carols of Pretentious, Moi?, Sisters of Mercy, Imperative Reaction, and Thoushaltnot.

Gothmas by Gaslight is nigh, and as you wander the hallowed streets of the cursed countryside, you will be regaled with many fine Gothic wares from a wide swath of merchants across the Second Life grid.

It’s time once again to give those blackened blue eyes an advance look at what’s coming up from Avatar Bizarre during this most sacred of holidays.

“Ozymandias Female” – Modeled by Misha-Selene

The Ozymandias, named for the poem by Percy Bisshe Shelley is resplendent in six gorgeous jewel tones.  Although it is a simple outfit with leather pants, silken shirt, and waistcoat, you will look positively stunning in any of the hues.  This outfit is available for men and for women, and the sleeves and pants are materials enhanced.  Shoes are not included, but both pants and sleeves were made to accommodate SLink hands, and SLink boots.

Gothmas opens in December, and both versions of this outfit will be available for 250L.  Please try the demo before you buy.

The HORROR! Lovecraft Dagon Terrifies the Grid. News at 11.

“With only a slight churning to mark its rise to the surface, the thing slid into view above the dark waters. Vast, Polyphemus-like, and loathsome, it darted like a stupendous monster of nightmares to the monolith, about which it flung its gigantic scaly arms, the while it bowed its hideous head and gave vent to certain measured sounds.” – HP Lovecraft

The holy terror moved through Innsmouth, towering over buildings, and causing the ground to quake with every footstep.  People ran screaming from this oceanic terror; an elder god of Lovecraftian proportions.  One glance upon its countenance could drive a man mad.

Now, Darklings, denizens of the deep, and huddled masses, the Dagon has at long last been unleashed upon the Second Life grid.  At 13.5 meters tall, this monster towers over human vermin in its path.  It’s available in seven colors, and materials have been applied, so it helps to have advanced lighting turned on when you’re viewing this creature.  The eyes can be modified for a deeper glow, or for no glow at all.  It also comes with a shape and an alpha.

If you find that your avatar won’t snap back to its original shape once the avatar has been removed, contact Sredni Eel for the free Utilitizer Undeformer.  Or you can get one from any of the Petites Mesh Avatar sims.

Available inworld and on the marketplace.

It’s Time for KRAMPUS!

Krampus is a Christmas demon who travels with St Nick and punishes the naughty children by whacking them with his stick.  If children have been particularly bad, he tosses them into his basket and takes them home to eat for his Christmas dinner.  Krampus has roots in Germanic folklore, but his influence is spreading across the globe.  Traditionally, young men dress up as Krampus during the first week of December and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells.  In my neck of the woods, a friend of mine crashes Christmas parties, Halloween parties, and just about everything that could possibly warrant a big hairy demon, and scares just about everyone, though Krampus seems to have a lot of fans as well.

Krampus isn’t as well known in the United States, though his story has begun to seep into American Pop Culture with appearances on American Dad, Grimm’s Fairytales, and other television shows.  It’s a moral imperative to spread the word about this beastie, particularly when so many parents we meet believe it’s  a fantastic idea.

Krampusnacht is fast approaching.  Therefore, it was time to introduce a new avatar into Second Life.  Avatar Bizarre is thrilled to present the Krampus avatar, which includes a rigged avatar with blinking eyes, the rigged basket (sculpted detachable babies), unrigged manacles and chains, and the alpha.  In true Krampus form, he has the horns of a goat, and hooves.

He will be available in a few different colors.  For now…at least for a couple of days…this is just a sneak preview.  This avatar will be available starting the first weekend in October.

So keep your eyes peeled, and don’t let the lack of Christmas demons Krampus your style!

EDIT:  HE IS NOW AVAILABLE inworld and on the Marketplace!

The Dickens, You Say! Ghost of Marley

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens, first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. The story tells of bitter and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation resulting from supernatural visits from Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.
 
The book was written and published in early Victorian Era Britain, a period when there was both strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions and an initiation of new practices such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’s sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.
 
The tale has been viewed by critics as an indictment of 19th-century industrial capitalism. It has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and somberness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, stage, opera, and other media multiple times. – From Wikipedia

And now a word from the builder of the Christmas Carol sim:
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Charles’ Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”

Happy holidays and welcome to Minty Entertainment’s Production of “A Christmas Carol!”  With great pride, we bring you this great classic story of greed and redemption.

Frequently, there will be live performers on the sim.  (Identified as “Minty Performer” group tags.)  They will be playing the roles of the characters from the book.  Feel free to interact with them, but please be respectful.  If you would like to perform here as well, then IM Zoltan Mint as soon as possible!

Explore!  Get out there and dig deep!  The adventure is in the details.  It helps if you are familiar with the book as well.  If you have not read it, do so!  It is available for FREE on the Internet.  (Google “Christmas Carol E-Book.”)

Can you discover how to travel through time?  Like Scrooge, you too can visit his days of Christmas Past, Present, and Future!  Here is clue:  Just like in the book, all the ghosts visit him in his apartment!

Thank you for taking the time to explore this holiday classic!  If you like it, tell your friends!  Please let us know what you like as well!  The event will run non-stop, now until January 2nd., 2014.

And from the Minty Entertainment Staff…

“MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!”

— Zoltan Mint
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Jacob Marley’s Ghost wanders the grid for the first time, in search of retribution from a bitter old miser.  Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol, has come to life in movies, television, song, Broadway, and now Second Life!  Inspired by a sincere plea from the builder of this year’s Dickens installation, the Ghost of Marley is a classic spectral outfit with glowing chains and a glowing cravat for that ethereal spirit appearance during the Holiday season.  This outfit is part of a growing Dickens collection available from Avatar Bizarre.  If Marley isn’t your style, there’s an outfit based on Ebenezer Scrooge, and a suit based on Bob Cratchitt, both available inworld and on the marketplace.

Marley dressed in death as he did in life:  in Victorian splendor, and draped in chains.  The Ghost of Marley suit is available in six muted colors, to represent the afterlife, and the glow on the chains and cravat can be modified as you see fit.  All pieces in this ensemble are modify and copy, including the rigged chains.  Though you cannot resize rigged mesh, it can be tinted.

Available on the Marketplace and Inworld.
Includes:
Rigged chain
Unrigged mesh attachments
– Coat collar
– Coat cuffs
– Coat tails
– Cravat
– Pants cuffs
– Shoes
System layer clothing
– Pants on two layers
– Shirt
– Waistcoat (top and bottom layer)
– Coat

Available in Silver, Patina, Violet, Copper, Green, and White

Credits:
Avatar – Sredni Eel
Hair – Wasabi Pills Dylan (with glow)
Eyes – Avatar Bizarre’s Mesh Manse Eyes (Glow), available as a Gacha prize at Gothmas by Gaslight in December
Landmark:  A Christmas Carol by Zoltan Mint

Feel free to wander this sim.  There will be shopping, Dickens folk, performances, and a vintage Christmas spirit to liven your holiday!

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Twisted Krissmuss is Swinging into an Avatar Bizarre near you!

Twisted Krissmuss is an annual shopping tour put on by the evil folks who give you two incarnations of the infamously difficult and gut-wrenchingly notorious Twisted Hunt.  Why?  Because when you don’t have a lot of money during the holidays, it can really, really suck.  Your mission, should you take it, is to take a look at all the nifty things each Twisted merchant has ON SALE for $100L.  No more, no less!  And the best part?  Every single-dingle item will be TRANSFER so you can put it in a gift box and send it to your best friend, lover, or whoever you think absolutely, positively has to have whatever it is you’re buying for them.

Avatar Bizarre is very happy to be a part of this magnificent event, and will be selling six colors of the 1930s Swing Suit for $L100 for the duration of Twisted Krissmuss.  Don’t let the picture fool you, because girls, you’ll look wonderful in this outfit, too!

Never fear, droogs and devotchkas.  There will be a tour website showing all of the landmarks, and probably even some images of the items on sale.  You will be able to get the url and stuff off the kiosks from every store on the tour, including Avatar Bizarre.

So let’s stimulate the economy by blatant and irresponsible spending, and have a great holiday!

Are You Ready for Krampusnacht?

December 6th is Krampusnacht, where people dress up as the demonic creature who travels with St. Nicholas and carries naughty children to its lair to eat for its Christmas dinner.  They rattle chains and ring bells, hoping to scare children into being good.

This Krampus avatar is long overdue in Second Life.  Celebrate the holidays in style as one of the most fearsome beasts in Holiday lore.  This avatar comes complete with a basket full of babies, the flogging stick, skin, shape, and all body parts needed to scare the poop out of any kid in Second Life.

Available on the marketplace and inworld at my main store location.