WesternOutlaw Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 My last and final true Return to Grave Stone creation will bridge the gap between the mythical Ghost Town and the real world. The creation was part of a Wizard's Challenge here on EB in which participants had to create a Wizard and a Wizard's Workshop. Taking the advantage of an opportunity to be creative and unique, I thought of creating a traveling Snake Oil Salesman, a wizard in his own eyes. The creation is called The Snake Oil Wagon of Professor Snidley C. Rooked, Wizard of Curiosities. Inspiration Very early inspiration for the Snake Oil Wagon came from none other than the old classic, Wizard of Oz. During the beginning black & white part of the movie, Dorothy meets up with Oz as the travelling Fortune Teller. He provides the perfect inspiration for the Wizard of Curiosities. Other inspiration would be drawn from Circus Wagons pictured in Lego Idea Book 6000. The Story Professor Snidley C. Rooked, Wizard of Curiosities rides from town to town in search of trusting townsfolk to sell his magical potions and Snake Oil. The all-knowing Professor is always willing to share tall tales of far-away places and mythical creatures to those that will listen. He even claims to have barely escaped a ghastly town know as Grave Stone in which a skeletal outlaw roams the cursed land. Most discount his stories as mere tactics to sell his Snake Oil, but there is always one believer in every town. The Snake Oil Wagon includes a removable side wall for easy access to the interior, and the Professor's collection of magic and curiosities. The Story Revealed I personally love the story related to this MOC. The reason why is because I like the thought of the Snake Oil Wagon serving as a conduit between the real world and Grave Stone. Imagine that only few have been to Grave Stone and made it out alive. The Ghost Train will serve as one possible way to get out, but how does one find the desolate town? The Professor of Curiosities knows the way through the desert and may give you a ride for the right price. One can draw inference between this story and Greek Mythology relating to the river Styx. "Charon" serves as the ferryman who can transport people between the world of the living and the dead (Hades). Professor Snidley C. Rooked serves Grave Stone in a similar manner. The Creation The backside has a removeable wall to allow access to the interior: :skull: --- :skull: --- :skull: This concludes my Ghost Town Collection as part of the Return to Grave Stone. Future MOCs introduce a Grave Stone sub-theme called Ghost Train (for those of you familar with my creations). Aside from Ghost Train, I did create two additional Grave Stone creations that I do not plan on re-editing. They include Decrepit Bank after a visit to Death Valley, California; and The Lynching of Jim Craven, which was a vignette entry for a 2008 EB Halloween Contest. Both creations were originally photo-edited pretty well; maybe I'll just resize. I hope you have enjoyed Return to Grave Stone. I do have something special planned as my next creation (if I'm ever able to obtain all the pieces). Until then, remember that Grave Stone may not be as far away as you think... :skull: Quote
Klaus-Dieter Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) That's again an great MOC, TheBrickster! I really it! This waggon looks very well designed and it's interior looks very nice, too! The only suggestion I'd made is to either deisgn the waggon not that tall or to have two horses in front of it. Otherwise this is a great MOC and the idea of connecting the ghost town with the real world is an awesome idea which you did realise with this your MOC very well! I hope you have enjoyed Return to Grave Stone. Of course I enjoyed Return to Gravestone! It's a pity that you don't show again your ghost train MOCs since there are surely some new members which would really much like to see them (and I know that it's nearly impossible to find older topics when you search for them). So perhaps some links to the topics which contain your brilliant MOCs would be helpful. A very, very well done MOC series you created there for a ghost town! I do have something special planned as my next creation (if I'm ever able to obtain all the pieces). Until then, remember that Grave Stone may not be as far away as you think... :skull: I woke up last night since there was some noice in my room. I watched carefully and then noticed that it came from outside. I looked through the window and saw prospector Tex Grimwell downstairs on the meadow in front of the house. He was searching for gold. It seemed as if he already had searched for gold the whole night - but didn't find something. So he was that angry that he called for the skelettons which shortly after that "visited" me with their nightmare stagecoach. You can't imagine how horrible that was - they were driving through the apartment the whole rest of the night and did firstly disappear when the sun rised. :skull: I can't wait to see your next creation! Klaus-Dieter Edited March 8, 2009 by Klaus-Dieter Quote
Captain Green Hair Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 Nice work, i especially like the decal you made and the interior. The stairs are a little bit big IMO, the small ladder could look nicer. How did you make the decal btw? Quote
Siegfried Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Very cool! The "Snake Oil" salesman is probably my favourite western sub-genre. Your MOC give me flashbacks to "Say Say Say".... How did you make the decal btw? I don't think he did... Quote
Shadows Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Now this is a blast from the past. It was this very contest that spurred me to make my first post to EB and launched my multiple personality disorder use of talking birds in colours and the wizard Aluvar of EBRP fame. Wow, Bluervo, it seems like only yesterday. I know, Pinky, think... if it hadn't been for this contest, none of us would exist. Of course we would exist, we just wouldn't exist here. Did we exist anywhere else before this? No, but that's not the point. What is the point? Does anyone really know the point? Don't try that existential nonsense on me. Shush, you two, you're not the point of this post. Does anyone really know the point of this post? I hope he does, but you never can tell... We've I've always loved this MOC, it's perhaps our my favourite part of the whole theme, much like Sinner said. Quote
Captain Blackmoor Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Another great creation. I really like the sneaky interior. You've put some awesome details in it and your Photoshop skill makes it even more macaber in there. This was awesome and creepy, as always. Quote
Zorro Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Nice wagon, I like how you used the green into the exterior and the interior is one piece of art on itself. I like the decal you've used for the good old doctor, and this is one of the few sets I remember well from my last visit to your website, so I must have liked it back then as well. Quote
WesternOutlaw Posted March 12, 2009 Author Posted March 12, 2009 Thanks for the feedback guys. Re. the stickers/decals: The Professor's white torso is actually that of Senor Polomar from one of the Adventurers/Jungle collection, not a sticker or decal. The Wagon has a 3x4 piece with the printed potions (from Harry Potter Set # 4729: Dumbledore's Office). For the actual creation, the backside of this piece (used for the EXTERIOR) has a custom sticker that says "Snake Oil Wagon". However; at the time, I ran out of photo paper printing the decal on regular paper. The result didn't look too good, so for this photo re-edit, I added the "Snake Oil Wagon" digitally. Quote
Siegfried Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 However; at the time, I ran out of photo paper printing the decal on regular paper. The result didn't look too good, so for this photo re-edit, I added the "Snake Oil Wagon" digitally. I don't think he did... Do I win a prize? Quote
WesternOutlaw Posted March 12, 2009 Author Posted March 12, 2009 Do I win a prize? How about a ticket aboard the Ghost Train? Quote
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