Michele's Musings on Mummies

Episode 55: Boris Grinsson & The Mummy's Shroud

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 21:17:00 +0000

Il-wey!

This past week has been a challenge to cope and adjust with the changing landscape of daily life in Southern California. While I adjusted well to working remotely - I'm an introvert and love being home - it was tougher to no longer have easy access to basic groceries, such as eggs, pasta, and bread as well as paper products and cleaning supplies. Empty shelves became a new reality and "social distancing" a buzzword and edict for navigating in a COVID-19 world. Closing correspondence with "be safe" is a new practice as I try to find a new normalcy.

One way that I am trying to find balance is through art, whether I'm creating it or engaging with it. This week, I thought I would share the movie poster that was created by French artist Boris Grinsson for THE MUMMY'S SHROUD (1967, John Gilling), which was produced by Hammer Film Productions. This was the third of four mummy films produced by Hammer being preceded by THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1964, Michael Carreras) and followed by Valerie Leon's BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1971, Seth Holt and Michael Carreras, who was uncredited). Also, this film has the distinction of being the last movie to feature a wrapped mummy the last movie to be shot at Bray Studios located at Bray, near Maidenhead, UK.

Bray Film Studios photographed by Chris Allen (Wikipedia)

Original theatrical poster (Wikipedia)

The original poster features the mummy (played by Eddie Powell) grasping the terrorized, barely clothed Barbara Preston (portrayed by Elizabeth Sellars) while the scene of the main characters approaching the tomb is simplified and played out on the top of the mummy's head. Grinsson incorporated that image and created an ominous, stormy sky in the background. It looks as though the woman is looking back and up towards the storm rather than the "shriek!!" word art in the upper right-hand corner of the poster. With Grinsson's version, she is now looking at the storm, capitalizing on the looming terror represented by the dark sky. I think the colorized version works well and together with the image from the original film poster, Grinsson captures the 1960s horror nicely.

Originally from Russia, the Grinsson family fled their homeland after the Bolshevik Revolution. According to the Boris Grinsson biography at the Rue des Collectionneurs website (see HERE), studied in Tartu, Estonia and honed his skills designing film posters at UFA Studio in Berlin. He fled Germany and settled in Paris in the early 1930s. He is credited with crediting over 200 film posters and that is probably a conservative estimate based on the 393 entries for Grinsson at the website, CineMaterial (see HERE for a who's who of film posters!).

Be safe.

Senebti!

Banner photo from Heritage Auctions website.

Episode 54: Interrupting Musings This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 02:21:00 +0000

Il-wey!

I’m interrupting this week’s musings on mummies to take a few minutes to announce that last Friday marked the release of Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern: Critical Essays (McFarland & Co), which I co-edited with Nicholas Diak. This is my third book that I edited and the first in which I shared co-editing duties. All the essays are the result of horror studies presentations that were given at the first two Ann Radcliffe Academic Conferences that Nicholas and I co-chair yearly.

The conference, in its fourth year, is held in conjunction with the Horror Writers Association’s StokerCon, an annual convention that in addition to the academic conference also hosts a Librarian’s Day, Final Frame Short Horror Film Festival, Horror U, panels, book signings, and the prestigious Bram Stoker awards. This year, StokerCon is being held in Scarborough, UK, April 16 – 19, 2020. If the UK is a bit too far to travel, then plan to attend StokerCon 2021, which will be held stateside in Denver, Colorado, May 20 – 23, 2021 at the Curtis Hotel.

Anyway, Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern: Critical Essays is available for purchase at Amazon (see HERE), McFarland (see HERE), and other online book sellers. Note: McFarland currently has the book in stock and I imagine that Amazon will have copies shortly.

I’ll be back next week with new musings on mummies!

Senebti!

Banner image taken by Nicholas Diak

Episode 53: Torg Eternity's The Nile Empire Unwrapped!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 02:48:00 +0000

Il-wey!

Last week, a 10-lb. surprise showed up on the stoop: the Torg Eternity special box edition of The Nile Empire campaign. Although this had been released via its own Kickstarter campaign, I purchased this set as an add-on when Torg held a Kickstarter campaign for their new story, Aysle.

Let's take a look inside the box (minus the bubble pillows):

As mentioned above, the box weighed in at 10 lbs. and given the top-down shot, the measurements of the box is 9" width x 12" length x 6.5" height.

There are three campaigns, a Game Master (GM) screen, and a paperback of stories set in The Nile Empire region. Let's take a closer look at each book:

My apologies, I should have taken a photo of the cover. There are five stories:

"Dead End" by Shane Lacy Hensley

"Carnival Voice" by Bill Slavicsek

"Cry Havoc" by John Terra

"Crocodilopolis" by Matt Forbeck

"The Land Below" by Stewart Wieck

The appendix includes game statistics for eight villains that are encountered in the stories.

Welcome to The Nile Empire campaign. "Change Zhi woke. As his eyes opened he realized he was swinging gently, about two feet off the sandstone floor below. His hand were tied behind his back and his feet were restrained by rope as well. His head pounded, very likely caused by the massive fist attached to that gigantic bruiser who knocked Zhi unconscious during a fracas in downtown Cairo..."

I peeked at the villains and yes, there are mummies: a divine mummy and I suppose a regular mummy. I recognized several ancient Egyptian gods mentioned throughout the guide, so I'm excited!

The GM screen includes a two-page screen as well as a trifold stats book for the GM. The character sheets are full size and include a portrait of the character on one side of the sheet and on the flip side, a full-body picture of the character. There's plenty of information without being overwhelming.

"The Fires of Ra" encompasses a large, multi-layered adventure.

"Delphi Missions" includes ten adventures set throughout the Nile Empire. These adventures can be compared with side missions/quests, so these are good for "fill-in" or to extend the main campaign.

The GM pack has The Nile Empire map, character cards, and gaming tokens.

A close-up of the possibility tokens. Regrettably, the photo doesn't show it well, but the tokens have an iridescence sheen to them.

Gaming cards.....

... and a soundtrack to set the mood!

Here's everything that's in the box. I cannot wait to try out the campaign!

Who else has this campaign set? What do you think of the campaign stories?

Senebti!

All photos by the author.

Episode 52: The Fire Mummies of Northern Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 20:36:00 +0000

Il-wey!

This week, my musings follow up on a conversation I had with comic book writer/artist Don Aguillo some months ago, who had remembered there were a group of people that practiced the art of mummification hundreds of years ago. After a quick search, I found several URLs linking to the mummies of the Ibalois people, located in Northern Philippines at Mt. Timbac. The Kabayan mummies, also known as the fire mummies, were intentionally preserved through a mummification process that was believed to originate from 2000 BC (in comparison, Egyptian mummification process was solidified around 2800 BC), however the mummies found thus far have been dated between the 1200s to 1500s BCE. The mummification ritual was replaced by European practices in the 1500s when the Spanish invaded and colonized the country.

Unlike the Egyptian mummification process that removed the internal organs and used natron to dry the body over a period of approximately 70 days, according to a Reuters article from 1999, the several weeks’ process involved drying the body from the outside inward. Prior to death, the person drank a salty liquid which started the dehydration process. Once death occurred, the body was washed and composed in a tight seated position. The body was exposed to the heat of a fire until the exterior was dried. To dry the internal organs, tobacco smoke was blown into the body through the corpse’s open mouth. Once the body was dried outside and inside, herbs were rubbed on the body. The mummified body was placed in a small wooden coffin and placed in a cave up on the slopes of Mt. Timbac.

Superstition pervades the region. The people of the area believed they had been cursed by the loss of one of their tribal elders, Apo Annu, who was stolen at some point between 1918 and 1920 (some websites identify a Christian pastor was the culprit). Given Apo Annu lived approximately 500 years prior, one would be led to assume that he was one of the last leaders to be mummified by the traditional mummification ritual. Apo Annu was reported to be an attraction at a carnival due to the elaborate body tattoos, before he was eventually donated to the National Museum of the Philippines. In 1984, Apo Annu was honored with a burial ceremony before being returned to his coffin and original burial site. Security was put into place – iron grating – so that his resting place was not disturb again. An additional eight mummies were returned to the caves in 2004.

From my research, apparently only tribal leaders were mummified through this process. However, this information is based on mummies found thus far. Because of desecration and looting of the early 20^thcentury, about 80 mummies are believed to still be missing. Adding that number to the 100 or so mummies that are still intact in their burial caves led the nonprofit organization, Monument Watch, to declare the caves one of the 100 most endangered sites in 1998. The National Museum of the Philippines has listed the caves as a cultural treasure of the country. Additionally, UNESCO is considering listing the caves as a world heritage site.

Visitors can view a few of the mummies at a small museum located in Kabayan. Arranging for an official tour guide allows the tourist to visit one of the burial caves.

Senebit!

Images are from History Daily article, “Ancient Fire Mummies Made by Literally Blowing Tobacco Smoke Inside Them”

Resource sources:

History Daily, “Ancient Fire Mummies Made by Literally Blowing Tobacco Smoke Inside of Them,” dated April 5, 2017 and retrieved February 10, 2020 at https://historydaily.org/ancient-fire-mummies-made-literally-blowing-tobacco-smoke-inside

Mummy Tombs, “Kabayan Mummies,” dated 2000 and retrieved February 10, 2020 via Internet Archive Wayback Machine at https://web.archive.org/web/20001028161032/http://www.mummytombs.com/mummylocator/group/kabayan.htm

Wikipedia, “Kabayan Mummies,” retrieved February 10, 2020 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabayan_Mummies

Episode 51: Giving Voice to 20th Dynasty Priest

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 03:10:00 +0000

Il-wey!

A couple of weeks ago, scientists gave voice to Nesyamun, or The Leeds Mummy, that lived during the reign of Ramses XI (20th Dynasty). As a priest who worshipped at the Temple of Amun in the Karnak Complex, his voice would have been critical to his position. Because Nesyamun had a well preserved body, scientists were able to create a 3D print of his voice box. According to the Yorkshire Post, the researchers “attached an electronic larynx” and sounds were made, kind of like vowels.

Check out the entire article - HERE - and listen to the recording available as an embedded link.

Senebti!

Image reproduced from the news article.

Episode 50: Eerie #78 Issue Features Six Mummy Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:22:00 +0000

Il-wey! This past weekend I visited Santa Monica's comic book store, Hi De Ho for a book signing event that I was helping out by taking photographs. The shop was large and spacious, balancing new releases, older issues, and collectibles. Amongst the long boxes, there were old magazines including issues of Eerie (Warren Publishing), and there was two copies of issue #78. I purchased a very fine/near mint condition of the issue that was published in October 1976. Billed as a "Fantastic Spectacular Special Issue," I focused in on the smaller text mentioning "The Mummy book-length saga electrifying color!" Inside the cover, Cousin Eerie promises "six full-length, fantasy-filled adventures tell[ing] of the exploits of a two thousand year old mummy! A mummy who lives...and walks....to haunt the streets of Cairo!"

First, the cover artist was created by Jaime Brocal with color by Bill DuBay. The top panel features three views of the menacing mummy, while the smaller panel focuses on the mummy when he was alive in ancient Egypt. It was a wonderful surprise that Brocal was also the artist for the six stories, which provided continuity between the cover and the interior art. The colors by DuBay are interesting choices, especially on the portrait of the mummy's face. The rainbow of colors highlight and define the age of the mummy, who is portrayed with more flesh than is realistic. The use of green and yellow in the smaller panel is reminiscent of the color palette of the late 1960s/early 1970s.

The six mummy stories are listed first in the contents (see photo above) and were written by American comic book writer, Steve Skeates, who also wrote under the pseudonyms, Chester P. Hazel and Warren Savin. He is the multi-award winner of the Shazam Award (1972, 1973) and Warren Award (1973). At San Diego Comic Con International, Skeates was honored with the Bill Finger Award in 2012. This prestigious industry award acknowledged his writing excellence. In 1965, Skeates got his start in comics as Stan Lee's assistant editor, but it was not a good fit and Lee moved Skeates over to writing westerns. He has worked for the Big Two on numerous titles and his writing credits also include 72 stories for Eerie.

As mentioned above, Brocal was the cover and interior artist. Originally from Spain, he was one of the first Spanish artists to work for Warren Publishing. According to a Heavy Metal article from 2015 (see article HERE), "Brocal drew 16 stories for Warren from 1971 through 1974." "The Mummy" series of stories was one of the characters he worked on. Personally, I was immediately drawn to his art style because his art reminded me of Bernie Wrightson as well as Boris Vallejo.

Only the sixth story is in color; the previous five are black and white, which showcases brilliantly Brocal's work. DuBay was a writer/artist who also worked under the pseudonyms Will Richardson and Dube. Early inspirations were Herge's global-trotting adventurer Tintin. Sadly, both Brocal and DuBay have passed away.

I have already begun reading the stories and I am looking forward to reviewing them in an upcoming episode. For now, I'll leave you with a few examples of Brocal's incredible art:

Senebti!

All photos by author.

Episode 49: Alternate Movie Posters for ‘The Mummy’

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:38:00 +0000

Il-wey! Recently I came across an alternative movie post for The Mummy (1932) which made me curious to see what other alternative posters artists had created in commemoration of mummies in film. Here are my top five in no particular order:

Artist: Martin Ansin

Website: Click HERE

Like the original movie poster, Ansin incorporated many images from the film into a visually pleasing collage in front of the mummy with outstretched arms. In the background, Karloff’s eyes capture and mesmerizes the audience. The red tones are set off by the cream oval and the sepia and grey panels containing hieroglyphs. There are a number of juxtaposed images: Imhotep and the subservient Nubian on the left side is balanced by a desperate Frank clinging to a detached Helen. Further up are Ardeth Bey in his “modern” attire vs. Helen in a “traditional” ancient Egyptian costume. Both are confident and look at the viewer. Ansin includes credits below the collage, completing this poster that evokes the late 1920s art deco design.

Artist: Nico Delort

Website: Click HERE

Delort focused on the mummy in this poster. The highlights of the mummy’s face and linings are exquisitely set off by the shading techniques on the face and linens. One can almost feel the breeze that plays with the tattered ancient linens. The iconic scroll flutters in the lower left corner of the poster while Delort’s lettering is gracefully illuminated by an offscreen light source.

Artist: Laurent Durieux

Website: Click HERE

Durieux beautifully hooked onto the love story between Helen and Ardeth Bey. As fans probably remember, Helen was drawn into a hypnotic trance the first time she met Ardeth – an eerie and tense moment. Durieux actually combines elements from various scenes, such as the knife that Ardeth was going to use to kill Helen and the lamps that he used in the Cairo Museum when reading from the Scroll of Thoth. The Cairo cityscape peeks through the temple arch featuring an ancient Egyptian couple facing each other, which echo Helen and Ardeth. The title and accompanying shadow mirror the opening credits title.

Artist: Tom Whalen

Website: Click HERE

Whalen took a minimalist approach, keying in on very specific iconography from the film: Karloff’s profile and his haunting eyes. He added the pyramids from the opening credits and gave a nod to Universal’s bill for Karloff: Karloff the Uncanny. The artist references to the year of the film as well as the producer, Carl Laemmle. The title is juxtaposed with a looming sarcophagus on the left side of the landscape oriented poster.

Artist: 4gottenlore

Website: Click HERE

Artist 4gottenlore from Deviantart reimaged Ardeth Bey with his arms crossed at his chest. Ardeth is in deep shadow and there is just a slight sepia blush to Ardeth’s clothing and the title centered above him. His body dissipates into the smoke that is drifting into frame. In the background is a wall of hieroglyphs, muted and barely visible.

What’s your favorite alternative film poster for Karloff’s The Mummy and/or any of the mummy films over the past decades? Please share a link to the poster in the comments below!

Senebti!

Episode 48: Old Magazines Found at Long Beach Comic Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 05:19:00 +0000

Il-wey! Yesterday, I attended the Long Beach Comic Expo held at the Long Beach Convention Center in downtown Long Beach, California. I was looking forward to catching up with the fine talent of Scary Tales Publishing as well as conduct my usual search for all things related to mummies in Artist Alley and the exhibition vendors. Regrettably, Scary Tales did not have a booth presence this year, but I found a few treasures over at FVF Comics and McFly’s Comics operated by Brad Sloan and Cal Burke respectively. Both gentlemen had well organized booths so searching through their stock of magazines and comics was a pleasure. As a result, I purchased five magazines, four were directly relevant to this blog while the other I bough specifically because the cover art was gorgeous.

Here’s a recap of my mummy finds:

“Curse of the Mummy’s Hand”

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! True-Weird, Volume 1 (Gero Publishing)

June 1966

Plus, special mention to “The Queen who was Crowned After She Was Dead!”

“The Mummy: Im-Ho-Tep” Part II

Famous Monsters #144 (Warren Magazine)

June 1978

“The Awakening: It’ll Open Your Eyes!”

Famous Monsters #170 (Warren Magazine)

January 1981

“The Mummy Walks”

Eerie #137 (Warren Magazine)

December 1982

I’m looking forward to reading all the articles showcased above and reporting on them in the weeks to come.

Additional items I purchased:

Senebti!

All images by author.

Episode 47: Happy New Decade!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 04:42:00 +0000

Il-wey! Happy to a new year and a new decade!

First, an apology to my readers who were looking forward to my musings only to discover I had gone radio silent for the past several months. I am not going to make excuses by saying I was busy and other projects took priority, because at the end of the day, I did not show up with content. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to prove my blog is worth your valuable time each week.

Over the past weeks, I have been reviewing my approach to this blog. I knew that I still wanted to commit to weekly blog posts and I wanted to provide more content variety. I determined that some weeks I’ll still write longer blogs, but other weeks, I will post memorabilia and photos. I am planning to include more topics around literature, cinema/television, video games, and comics where mummies make frequent appearances. I will expand more on the mummification practices in other cultures, discuss advances in mummy research, and mummies in the news. And, I am planning on covering visits to museum exhibitions and conduct more interviews, like my interview with Lovecraftian author, Gary Myers.

I am excited about the content I will be presenting this year! I will start my new content schedule next Monday, January 13 and I hope you will come join me as I continue my journey exploring the fascinating world of mummies!

Senebti!

Banner image is a replica of King Tutankhamun’s mummy case at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum located in San Jose, California and was photographed by “mharrsch” (click HERE for Flickriver post).

Episode 46: Power-Con Isn’t Just for He-Man and She-Ra

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 06:06:00 +0000

Il-wey! August was a busy month for conventions this year and on Saturday, August 17 I attended Power-Con, a convention dedicated to all things Masters of the Universe (MOTU) and Princess of Power (POP) franchises. The two-day event was held at Hilton Anaheim and while I haven’t delved much into world of He-Man and She-Ra, one does not have to be seasoned veteran of the IPs to connect and enjoy this convention (check out my coverage of the con and photo gallery published at the Fanbase Press website by clicking HERE).

I saw many versions of He-Man, She-Ra, and Skeletor, who just looked so cool and menacing. There were several kits of the omnious Castle Grayskill juxtaposed with the cowardly Cringer. Action figures of the muscle man were bountiful at just about every vendor in the room. There was a healthy section of writers and artists either part of and/or fans of the IPs. Amongst the various exhibitors, I did manage to find several instances of mummies and a few choice pieces came home with me.

Possessed Skeletor: Evil Lord of Destruction

In “The Curse of the Three Terrors” Skeletor becomes “possessed by a fearsome ancient evil” according to the vintage-inspired packaging. Skeletor was one of four figurines available in this collection representing the MOTU franchise. Featuring the original Skeletor voice actor – Alan Oppenheimer – this animated short was released in 2016 and is available to watch at Amazon for a few dollars.

I found an unpackaged mummy, dark tan/antique gold in color. Matching the size of the packaged MOTU figurines at the front of the photo, I initially thought that it might be another version of the Possessed Skeletor, but perhaps it is a minor character. If anyone knows, please leave a comment as I would like to know.

Raph as The Mummy: The Radical Wrapped Turtle!

This is an unexpected blending of the Universal mummy and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises. Based on the font of The Mummy and image of the mummy at the top of the packaging, the Karloff version of the wrapped monster is referenced. Along with Raph, who glows in the dark, the accessories include two cobra sais, a stone dagger, and a kid-sized Egyptian ring. The ring looks similar to the ring that Karloff wore in the 1932 classic film.

According to the Universal Monsters Universe blog, in 1993-94 Playmate Toys and Universal partnered and released action figures known as Universal Monsters Ninja Turtles (check out the blog HERE). Mash-ups include: Donatello/Dracula, Michaelangelo/Frankenstein, and Leonardo/Wolfman. The vendor was selling Raph/The Mummy for $65.

Thundercats’ Mumm-Ra

Like most mummies that audiences encounter in popular culture, Mumm-Ra origins are from ancient Egypt where he was known as Wahankh, a loyal adviser to the pharaoh who eventually betrays the king. Although immortal, Mumm-Ra has to return to his sarcophagus to re-energize his powers. It should not be a surprise, but Mumm-Ra is also the main antagonist in the series. Mumm-Ra is interesting character and I will be revisiting his story again soon. Here are two different version of him from the convention.

Tales from the Cryptkeeper

I’m not familiar with this series that aired for three seasons between 1993 and 1999. The series vampires, werewolves and numerous other monsters, and according to the Wiki entry for this show, during the first season, the eleventh episode – “This Wraps It Up” – incorporated at minimum a mummy curse.

Mummies Alive!

This Canadian series only ran for one season of 42 episodes the fall of 1997. Set in San Francisco, the story centers on a pre-teen boy named Presley Carnovan, who learns that he is the reincarnated Prince Rapses XII. In addition to discovering his royal lineage, guardians are wakened in order to protect the boy from Scarab, the main antagonist. With a quick glance, it appears that YouTube has some of the episodes available. Amazon has the series available to stream. There was a nice release in 2001, but it is OOP. I watched a couple of episodes a year or so ago, so I would like to revisit this series soon. A vendor had four or five figures and while I would have liked to picked up all of them, I settled on Fighting Armon because he looked cool.

League of Legends: Amumu

I learned of League of Legends while attending Anime Expo a few years ago. The online multiplayer video game inspired a deluge of cosplayers wearing elaborate costumes at the event. It took seeing a Funko Pop at a pop culture convention for me to learn that the video game had a mummy character, Amumu, also known as “The Sad Mummy”. According to Gamepedia, there are a few possible origin stories for Amumu (read the entry HERE), but they all boil down to Amumu being a lonely, cursed character. Check out the banner photo to this entry to see the Funko Pop I purchased at the show.

Senebti!

All images by the author.

Episode 45: Gore Galore at Midsummer Scream

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 05:12:00 +0000

Il-wey! Earlier this month, I attended Midsummer Scream that was held at Long Beach Convention Center. It was my first time attending this horror-focused event expected to attract over 30,000 fans over the weekend of August 3 and 4. Arriving shortly before the doors opened, there were quite a long line already, but the queue moved quickly.

The convention included over 350 vendors laid out in an L-shaped configuration. Attendees could feast their eyes on art, toys, collectibles, jewelry, clothing, and other assorted horrific trinkets – there was likely something for everyone. Scares could be had at the themed haunted houses located in the Hall of Shadows, which showcased Tiki Terror. There was also a stage with entertaining shows as well as food vendors. The show also marked the 50^thanniversary of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion and the 30^thanniversary of Tales of the Crypt. In addition, this was the fourth year in which Midsummer Scream partnered with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles by hosting the Black Cat Lounge where attendees could meet and bond with one of the many young felines up for adoption. I was hoping to take a peek, but I probably would have been tempted.

This show was ripe for mummy sightings and I was not disappointed. Many mummies were either a direct likeness of Karloff’s 1932 version or inspired by his portrayal. Sadly, the one mummy I would have like to have seen/met was puppeteer Michael Oosterom, who also voiced the sarcastic mummy cat Rankle from the Netflix show, The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell. Below, I showcase many of the mummy products I came across and, in some cases, purchased.

This was a fun show and I am definitely planning to go again, probably for both days since there was so much to see and interesting panel programming that I did not get to attend this year. If you live in the SoCal region, or have the means to travel, and consider yourself an aficionado of horror, then Midsummer Scream is a must-do event!

Senebti!

All images by the author.

Episode 44: New Books Added to Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 05:46:00 +0000

Il-wey! Last Thursday, I drove to Los Angeles to listen to Chris Jaymes discuss his new graphic novel, Sons of Chaos, at Book Soup in West Hollywood. I had plenty of time prior to the event to visit The Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood. I happily found some books to add to my collection (see above):

In the Dark: A Horror Anthology

Rachel Deering, editor/designer

2014, IDW Publishing

I picked up this book because of a comic book story titled “The Body” written by Tim Seeley, art by Stephen Green, color by K. Michael Russell, and lettering by Rachel Deering. The body in the story was wrapped in linens like a mummy, however in the tale, the origin of the body is unclear. Was it a witch, a succubus, or a murder victim still wrapped in a body bag that looks like mummy wrappings. My other interest in this book is “Howlett’s Hysterical Horror Comic History: An Opinionated Essay” by Mike Howlett, who wrote The Weird World of Eerie Publications (2011, Feral House). I have written and presented on horror comics, especially mummies in comics, so this concluding essay will be helpful for my ongoing research.

Egypt: A View From Above

Christian Jacq (text) and Philip E. Plisson (photography), translated by Nicholas Elliott

2009, Abrams

The photographs are absolutely stunning and portray a side of Egypt usually only seen briefly from an aeroplane window coming and leaving this ancient land. However, I immediately recognized Christian Jacq, writer of fictional The Ramses Series, and an Egyptologist. I’m sure I will relish each photo and I am anxious to read Jacq’s perspective and thoughts about Egypt.

Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea, and the Holy Land

John Lloyd Stephens, edited and with an introduction by Victor Wolfgang von Hagen

1970, University of Oklahoma Press

Originally published in 1837, the American lawyer Stephens traveled up the Nile in 1836, visiting the many temples along the way. Stephens created an alter ego, an Egyptian merchant, so he could travel to Petra. I collect 19^thcentury travelogues in part because I’m interested in making comparisons between the observations of early travelers to my own Egyptian experience in the early 1980s. I am always surprised by the fact that the experiences are similar even though well over 100 years separates our respective journeys.

Dark Things

August Derleth, editor

1971, Arkham House

I collect Arkham House books and in thumbing through the table of contents, I was excited to find a Lin Carter short story, “The Dweller in the Tomb.” Carter wrote this story the same year this book was published and is the first in a series of short stories making up the Xothic legend cycle, that Carter based on H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos. This story and the rest of the series was published in The Xothic Legend Cycle: The Complete Mythos Fiction of Lin Carter by Chaosium in 1997.

Egyptian Household Animals

Rosalind and Jack Janssen

1989, Shire Publications

I previously picked up Rosalind Hall’s Egyptian Textiles, also from Shire Publications. These are informative overviews with accompanying illustrations as well as a list of additional readings and museums to visit (not sure how relevant that is). I’m looking forward to what the authors have to say about cats.

Senebti!

Image by author and featuring my feline, Algernon.

Episode 43: Mummies and Hot Sauce?!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 05:21:00 +0000

Il-wey! Although Halloween is still almost three months away, it is never too soon to add a little (or a lot) of spice to one’s scares this holiday.

Victor “The Undertaker” Ives has been making tantalizing hot sauces but with macabre twist: hot sauce bottles can be ordered nestled in a handmade cedar coffin and stuffed “liberally with ‘mausoleum moss’ and novelty maggots” according to the website (see HERE). Each bottle is topped with a piece of burial cloth and secured with a toe-tag smeared with blood. Ives has a line of sauces with Victorian-esque labels as well as his Mani-Yack monsters, based on the 1964 Kaumagraph Toy Division’s iron-on t-shirt transfers, which gave homage to six famous movie monsters that include Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature (from the Black Lagoon), The Phantom of the Opera, and of course, The Mummy.

My partner and I picked up Wolf Man and of course, The Mummy. And, yes, I went for the coffin, made by Ives himself. The former has a heat level of “hot” and billed as wild and flavorful. The latter’s heat level is considered “medium” and described as having earth spice (cayenne pepper sauce) “fit for an Egyptian prince!” My partner, an avid spice lord, ranked The Mummy as mild but with an excellent taste. I am not a spice lord and I thought the sauce was HOT but definitely yummy. While my partner can load on the sauce, I can only take a few drops. Hence, for the sake of seeing all the spicy goodness, I have included a picture of my partner’s plate of breakfast egg burritos, rather than the three drops on my fried eggs. The Wolf Man bottle has not been opened yet, so the verdict is still out on the hotness and flavor.

Each flavor come in 5 oz. bottles and are $7.95 on their own. Or, $17.95 with a handmade coffin. The cost for the hot sauce is not unreasonable and packaging is of quality material. The coffin is proficiently made and durable to several openings/closings. From the old-time coffin advertisement, the toe-tag, plastic bugs and spiders, gummi worms, moss and maggots, the label on the back of the coffin, and the personalize note, Ives hits all the right mummy tropes, makes this a fun mummy curio for any collector.

Below, are several pictures of all the goodies that came with the order.

If you like monsters and hot sauce, definitely check out Halloween Hot Sauce, so you can add some spice with your favorite monster!

Senebti!

All images by author.

Episode 42: Mummies at San Diego Comic Con International

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 05:32:00 +0000

Il-wey! I attended the 50^thanniversary of San Diego Comic Con International (SDCC) a week ago. At every event I attend, I look for mummy related items. This year, I found a variety of items in a number of mediums and while the majority of items are Egyptian-inspired, I did find a manga mummy. Below, I have listed an item-by-item rundown on what I bought at SDCC. I have included links to each artist/vendor, so if you see something you cannot live without, you can navigate to the website and purchase your own.

Scarab Beetle Illustration – Ashleigh Popplewell

Ashleigh Popplewell has been a panelist on my sketch card panels at Wondercon and at SDCC. I believe it was at Wondercon earlier this spring that Ashleigh had a line of beetle illustrations at her booth. I was looking for a scarab beetle, so I asked her if she would have time to complete a commission. I was thrilled that she was and we agreed that I would pick up the finished illustration at SDCC. “Wow!” was my first response when she revealed the commission. Not only did the beetle look absolutely awesome but she added the block of gorgeous blue with delicate gold dots that gave the beetle illustration a polished finish. I love it and cannot wait to get it framed and hanging on my wall.

Beetle – Cryptobiologica / Shing Yin Khor

I love the whimsical cryptology subject matter of Shing Yin Khor’s art. I purchased a couple of postcards from her last year, so I picked up two of her books and a pin set this year. She had several pin sets displayed on preview night and I should not have waited until Sunday because most of her pins were already gone. The color combination on the beetle looked Egyptian inspired so I thought I would go ahead and showcase it with my other items.

Monster Squad Pin – Han Cholo/ The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles

Han Cholo created a wonderful homage to the Universal monsters with the Monster Squad pin. Officially licensed, this pin was a SDCC 2019 exclusive. Joining Karloff’s mummy are (l-r): the creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Dracula, Imhotep, and the wolfman. It’s a larger pin at 2.5 inch in length and has two rubber clutches on the back. It also glows in the dark!

Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro: The Birth of Kitaro – Drawn & Quarterly

Inspired by the yokai mythology of ghosts and monsters, Shigeru Mizuki wrote his supernatural Kitaro stories in 1960s Japan. The mummy featured on the cover is Medama Oyaji, Kitaro’s father and a yokai. Quickly shedding his wrappings, Medama Oyaji’s eyeball remains steadfast on his son’s shoulder through the seven stories contained in this manga. Translated by Zack Davisson, this is the first time that the Mizuki’s stories have appeared in English. The stories were entertaining and provided insight into the supernatural Japanese tales.

Creature Comforts – Chet Phillips

Although there is a coloring book version, I decided I could not pass up the fully illustrated color version of Creature Comforts. This slim volume features 20 different creatures of legend with their favorite snack, because as Phillips states in his introduction, every monster has “a basic need for culinary enjoyment which resides at the core of their being.” Amongst Yeti’s spaghetti, Cthulhu’s calamari, and Kaiju’s honeydew is the mummy. Framed by sand-colored columns, the bright blue-eyed mummy gazes longingly at a gummy bear. Phillips includes colorful lotus flowers and the soft imprinted lotus pattern in the background are lovely nods to the ancient civilization.

Egyptian Postcards – Oktopolis: The Art of Brian Miller

Part of the “Exotic Travel Poster” series, I found two of three images. The two I found spotlight the Ancient Ruins of Al Baleed and Ancient Wonders of Egypt. The one I’m missing is Fizayah Beach. The cards are 5 x 7 and if I recall correctly, were five for $20. I am drawn to clean design lines and a basic color palette, sa well as being wonderful nods to the old travel posters. I think if I had been aware that Brian Miller had poster versions, I might have picked up those instead. He does have the posters available for purchase at his website for $19.99 each.

The Mummy Lunchbox and Vintage Traveler’s Poster – Factory Entertainment

I passed the Factory Entertainment booth a few times throughout the con, but always there were several people in front of the display cases. Sunday morning as I walking the exhibition floor, I passed their booth again. This time, there was only one or two people looking through the cases, so I was able to browse the vendor’s stock. I immediately spotted the lunchbox and a reproduction of Karloff’s scarab ring ($250, I think). I took a merchandise advertisement and got into the short line. While waiting, I saw that the vendor also had a mummy poster. The image was too small for me to really get an idea if it was worthwhile. When I got up the cashier, I asked about seeing it, but the posters were boxed up. I decided I would get it and the lunchbox. It did not come with a thermos, but the detailing around the sides and the warning on the bottom of the box was an added bonus I discovered later when taking photos for this post.

Yummy Mummy Patch – Retro-a-go-go!

I don’t remember General Mills Yummy Mummy cereal, so I found Fright Rags’ blog entry titled “The Evolution of the General Mills Monster Cereals” which explained that the mummy-inspired cereal debut in 1987. The cereal included “fruit-flavored cereal and vanilla-flavored marshmallows.” The cereal was discontinued in 1992, but made a return in 2013 with orange-cream flavored cereal and regular marshmallows. Sadly, the cereal only lasted for about a year.

Weegyptians – CovenTree Olde World Market

Last year, I bought an Osiris figurine from Coven Tree Olde World Market, but I failed to pick up a business card so I was not able to purchase any more statues. As I was walking around the vendor area, I was delighted to find the proprietor again. Although I did not buy any this time – it was Sunday and I did not want to have to carry the statue around all day – the merchant gave me their product cards and pointed out that I could reach them via their Facebook page and order that way. Osiris was $15 and decently made/painted.

Senebti!

All images by author; image of Factory Entertainment’s vintage poster from Amazon.

Episode 41: First Look, Peter Milligan’s 'Egypt'

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 13:31:00 +0000

Il-wey! In Episode 39, I briefly mentioned I had purchased DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint comic book series Egypt written by Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, Bad Company), and published between August 1995 and February 1996. The first issue was illustrated by Glyn Dillon and the remaining six issues by Roberto Corona. This is not Milligan’s only foray into ancient Egypt; he penned Titan’s The Mummy Volume 1: Palimpsest (Titan). And as mentioned in my prior episode, I was attracted to the title because I seldom find comics centered on this ancient civilization.

In the opening pages of the first issue, Calvin Klein briefs strewn the streets of New York City as Vincent Me pontificates about his latest failed relationship. Self-absorbed and lacking any desire to claim responsibility for his part in the chain of failures in his life, he takes up with a group of college students thinking he might find his next easy ride. The students have more than a passive interest in ancient Egypt and specifically after-death experience, believing there are secrets to be unlocked.

A failed experiment sends Vincent time travelling to ancient Egypt in a sort of backward reincarnation. He finds himself in the body of Vin Centhotep, who serves as a double-agent. Like Vincent, Vin is also not the nicest guy around. As Vincent becomes acclimated to his new surroundings, readers get a glimpse of the high priest Soter, filling the role, at least initially, as villain. Behind the crass veneer, there are hints that that Vincent’s life took a wrong turn in his childhood when his sister died at a young age. One of main themes that Milligan explores through Vincent, is redemption and coming to terms with oneself.

Having read the first two issues thus far, Milligan incorporates Egyptian gods, religious rituals, and provides readers with a peek into the ancient civilization. For instance, Vin is a cutter, the person who makes the incision to the abdomen for removing the lungs, liver, stomach and intestines. And as portrayed in the comics, cutters were at a lower social status because of the impurities they were associated with in the mummification process. The series promises to include more intriguing and insightful moments in the series, especially with the closing pages of the second issue in which Milligan teases readers with the appearance of the god, Seth, so I’ll be looking forward to writing a full review once I have completed all seven issues.

Senebti!

Image from Google search.

Episode 40: LA Vintage Paperback Show

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 01:38:00 +0000

Il-wey! Since learning of the event a few years ago, each spring I look forward to attending the annual Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Show held in Glendale. A couple of weeks ago (Sunday, March 24) marked its 40^thyear in which attendees could mull through boxes, piles of magazines, and shelves of books, serial titles, memorabilia and other related miscellany items. Admission was still $5, although this year a parking fee was added, which cost more than the show itself!

Throughout the day in front the auditorium’s stage, guest authors sat at the ready to autograph fans’ bags of books for free. Although I have stood in line for Tim Powers, Joe Lansdale, William Nolan and others before, this year I focused on buying. For me, having at least a cursory list of authors is helpful because I tend to forget what I was seeking once I start going through shelves, stacks and boxes of books. I first sought out book vendors I had made purchases from in the past because I had success finding titles in my wheelhouse of interest. After visiting those book sellers, I branched out to the rest of the vendors. While I did not find everything I had in mind, I did leave with several excellent titles.

Sax Rohmer: Tales of the Secret Egypt (New York: A.L. Burt Company, 1919)

English writer who is best remembered for his Fu Manchu series, Sax Rohmer’s first published work was a short story “The Mysterious Mummy” which appeared in Pearson’s Weeklyin 1903. His interest in Egypt was a recurring theme throughout his writing career of novels, short stories, non-fiction, songs and plays and is likely the result of his (claimed) membership in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucians as well as the consistent reporting of Egyptian archaeological finds in London Times. Rohmer was a contemporary to Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, friends with Harry Houdini and was influenced by Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Tales of the Secret Egyptwas originally published in 1918 by London publisher Methuen Publishing. The collection features twelve short stories divided equally into two sections, Tales of Abu Tabah and Other Tales. The stories are:

The Yashmak of Pearls

The Death-Ring of Sneferu

The Lady of the Lattice

Omar of Ispahan

Breath of Allah

The Whispering Mummy

Lord of the Jackals

Lure of Souls

The Secret of Ismail

Harûn Pasha

In the Valley of the Sorceress

Pomegranate Flower

Bram Stoker: The Jewel of Seven Stars (New York: Zebra Books, 1979)

Originally published in 1903 (Heinemann) and later revised in 1912, Bram Stoker’s The Jewel of Seven Starsis about a young barrister who becomes embroiled in a plot to revive an ancient Egyptian mummy, Queen Tera. Since I have only read an excerpt from the novel, Wikipedia states that the story “explores common fin de sièclethemes such as imperialism, the rise of the New Woman and feminism, and societal progress.” The story incorporates many tropes of Egyptian Gothic stories written in the later half of the 19^thcentury and into the first two decades of the 20^th(see Roger Luckhurst’s The Mummy’s Curse: The True History of a Dark Fantasyfrom Oxford University Press) such as curses, supernatural elements, look-alike modern character to the story’s featured mummy, and a royal or religious mummy. Additionally, female mummies appeared in these stories.

Robert Bloch: The Opener of the Way (UK: Neville Spearman, 1974)

I was looking for the Panther (1976) edition but I found this version of Robert Bloch’s The Opener of the Waypublished by Neville Spearman in 1974. The Panther edition has a much better cover, but I was not going to pass up a first edition title by Bloch. Early in Bloch’s writing career, he was an H. P. Lovecraft acolyte playing in Lovecraft’s cosmic horror sandbox. Bloch emulated Lovecraft’s style and developed his own voice and narrative tempo that I have come to admire. Most of the 22 stories appeared in Weird Talesand were originally collected and published by Arkham House in 1945. Borrowing from Lovecraft’s Egyptian motifs, there are at least a handful of Bloch’s stories that segue into that arena that I am anxious to read and report on in a forthcoming blog.

David Case: The Third Grave (Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1981)

This Arkham House title was published in 1981 with a run of just over 4,100 copies, and I now own two of those copies! The first copy was procured through Abe Books and when received, was found to be in an inferior state to what was advertised. Hence, it became a general reading copy and I figured I would purchase another copy in superior condition. I was surprised to see this familiar title with the cover illustration by Stephen E. Fabian. Like Bloch’s book above, this was Case’s first book published by Arkham House. Case’s story stems from secrets discovered during an archaeological expedition that is referred to in flashback with the majority of the story set in a mid-20^thcentury rural English village. I’ll be discussing this story in more detail at a later date.

Additional books I came home with include:

Robert Bloch: The Living Demons (New York: Belmont Books, 1966)

As mentioned above, I am a fan of Bloch. Although I prefer to collect hardcover first editions, I’m not going to say no to a first edition paperback for five bucks!

Lin Carter: The Young Magicians (New York: Ballantine Books, 1969)

This is the seventh book from Ballantine Books’ Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, identifiable by the unicorn logo. This series was launched in 1969 with Lin Carter at the helm as editor and ended in 1974. It capitalized on the growing interest in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings and fantasy literature in general. This collection includes stories from Lovecraft, Tolkien, Lord Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Carter, and others. The cover is by Sheryl Slavitt.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Lurking Scar and Other Stores (New York: Beagle Books, 1971)

I have most, if not all of these Lovecraft stories collected in other books, however I was attracted by the little creatures featured on the wrap-around cover.

Lin Carter: Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Myths (New York: Ballantine Books, 1972)

Literary critic and an author himself, Lin Carter is an influential individual in the realm of Lovecraft and weird fiction. With this book, Carter seeks to leave readers with a deeper understanding of the Cthulhu Mythos and differentiate it from Lovecraft’s other cycle of stories that inhabit his Dreamlands (or Dream Cycle).

Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965)

This book is not like the others listed above, however it is a story that I read some years ago and as a result, I became a fan of Collins’ novels. As one of the first modern mysteries, I found Collins’ story to be mysterious, mystical, and thoroughly riveting. I went on to read some of his other stories, but this is my favorite. I did not have a copy in my collection and the cover was intriguing, so it was a must have for my collection.

Senebti!

Episode 39: Finding Mummies at WonderCon

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 05:55:00 +0000

Il-wey! My apologies that my two-week hiatus extended a bit longer than I had anticipated. Between a personal heartbreak and finishing up on a project, it has been a struggle to get back on track. With a new month commencing today and April Fools’ Day to boot, the timing to restart the blog is somehow appropriate.

Last weekend, I attended WonderCon held at the Anaheim Convention Center. It was an opportunity to go on the hunt for mummy related material, and I am happy to report that with a little digging, mummies are alive and well – so to speak.

In artist alley, I met Breed who had created a collection of sketch cards featuring the Universal monsters. His composition of monsters around the center card is appealing and for the most part, all the monsters are illustrated well. Since the set focuses on the classic monsters, it is Boris Karloff’s mummy that is featured in Breed’s set and it is an excellent representation of the character prior to being reanimated.

At a vendor booth, where older comic book series are packaged and sold, the DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint ran a seven-issue series titled Egypt and was published between August 1995 and February 1996. I was attracted to the series because it is difficult to find a title devoted to Egypt, so I picked it up without knowing anything about it. Upon opening, issue six features a mummy on the cover as well as ancient Egyptian iconography. Additionally, it was written by Peter Milligan, who wrote The Mummy Volume 1: Palimpset in 2017 (Titan).

I also spent some time at FVF Comics, talking with owner Brad Sloan. Over the past two years, I have been slowly picking up Marvel Comics’ The Living Mummy. I already had issues 5, 7, 12, 14, and 15, so I was able to pick up issues 8, 9 and 10. This series introduced N’Kantu and it may or may not come as a surprise that Marvel has featured a number of mummy characters over the years. I believe most of them have been villains. Check back in the coming weeks, because I will be discussing this title in more depth.

While I was asking Brad if he had happened to have The Mummy, a four-issue 1991 comic book series from Monster Comics, he mentioned he had Dell Comics’ The Mummy (1962). Apparently, Dell released one-shot stories of the various Universal monsters. After a little digging, he found his copy and what a cool cover:

Not a bad “mummy” weekend. It matched up well with my finds the prior weekend at the Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Show. Come back by next Monday to read about what I found at that show.

Senebti!

Episode 38: Joyous Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:11:00 +0000

Il-wey! The above image is a vintage postcard depicting an Egyptian harpist. Part of a larger scene, the harpist performs before a pharaoh and is part of a religious scene found in the tomb of Ramses III (c. 1184 -1153 B.C.) located in the Valley of the Kings.

The harp is one of the oldest musical instruments and depictions of its angled shape can be found as early as the Old Kingdom wall paintings. With music one of the universal languages, it seems fitting that the harpist herald warm wishes for a joyous holiday season. And in honor of the holidays, I’ll be taking a short break and will return on Monday, January 7 with a new musing.

Until then, senebti!

Banner image from Google.

Episode 37: Mid-Century Modern Mummy with a Twist of Tiki

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 04:35:00 +0000

Il-wey! I spend a couple of days in Palm Springs last weekend, and while I expected I might see an old postcard of Boris Karloff lounging poolside with a mid-century modern home with clean lines in the background, I was surprised to find a few references to mummies. Where you ask? Well, at the Shag Store of course!

“It’s Mummy Time” caught my attention immediately as I looked at all of the framed prints hanging on the walls. The mummy’s resemblance to Karloff’s mummy film from 1932 (Karl Freund) is readily apparent. The mummy wears a scarab beetle ring and close at hand is his precious Scroll of Thoth, and in the background, there are columns of hieroglyphs and the pyramids. All of these items can be found in the early film, as well as a white cat. Relaxing in a comfortable chair, there’s an ancient Egypt meets the 1950s appeal to this print. Sadly, his lady love does not look like Zita Johann’s Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon.

Cue the music and sing along: “They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash…” In this serigraphy print, Shag channeled a number of popular culture monsters in “Mad, Mad, Mad Monster Party.” Of course, the Pharaoh mummy is the life of the party, tearing up the dance floor. He appears to be at risk of unravelling and perhaps this is a modern interpretation of an unwrapping party that were the trend amongst the upper Victorian class. Interestingly, his mouth looks as though it might have been sown closed, which is not typical of Egyptian mummies, but the crown and collar are definitely Egyptian. The possible nod to the epic comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963, Stanley Kramer) via similar titles was a fun coincidence.

While I did not see this one at the gallery, I did find “The Dead Pharaoh” at the Shag online store. Printed on plywood and limited to only 200, the mummy wears a black bow-tie while lounging on a period Butterfly Chair, legs crossed with a white cat sitting on his knee. The juxtaposition of the mummy and cat – the mummy sad and forlorn while the cat looks on curiously – is reminiscent of The Mummy (1999, Stephen Sommers) where Imhotep would run in horror from the white fluffy cat. Shag may have used the original Karloff mummy or the Hammer Film Productions’ version from 1959 (Terence Fisher). The title of the piece refers to a pharaoh, so the bow-tie is the closest iconography to denote sophistication, elegance, superiority, and the privileged class.

In all three, Shag utilizes colorful Tiki-inspired colors resulting in playful portrayals of mummies, and continues the longevity of the wrapped monster in popular culture. Senebti!

Banner image from Google.

Episode 36: Ancient Egyptian Gods Get Astral Facelift

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 05:27:00 +0000

Il-wey! As the last vestiges of summer heat were receding and being replaced by cooling winds, my Instagram friend Tarotandabunny contacted me about a Kickstarter campaign featuring ancient Egyptian gods that happened to include a cat mummy. It did not take me long to decide to back this project, and this past weekend, I received the pins!

New Zealand artist, Lucia Fusco, created five enamel lapel pins showcasing Bastet, Horus, and Apophis. Bastet is probably one of the most recognized gods because the Gayer-Anderson cat that is displayed in the British Museum and replicas can be purchased in the museum gift store. Fusco created two Bastet designs: Cosmo Bastet, reminiscent of the Gayer-Anderson cat, but with gold wings; and a reclining Baby Cosmo Bastet with a glittery cloud pillow. In the former, one can imagine Bastet, ever the vigilant fierce protector. In the latter, there is a playfulness in the kitten’s repose, eyes closed and the hint of a smile. This design comes in blue and pink.

Starbound Apophis is an unusual choice because he is not as familiar to the general public. While Bastet was being worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE), Apophis was first mentioned in the Eight Dynasty (sometime between 2190 – 2118 BCE). In art, he is depicted as giant snake and represents chaos. Embodied with a magical gaze, Apophis is often subdued by Ra, the bringer of light as the solar deity (traveling across the daylight sky). Ra is also represented as a cat that slays Apophis. In Fusco version, Apophis takes flights as an astronaut with a coiled body and a determined gaze.

The fourth design is Galactic Horus. Along with the sitting Bastet, Fusco channels a recognizable representation of Horus in her design. Horus is a significant god in the ancient Egyptian mythology and originated from late prehistoric Egypt. Horus is usually regarded as the son of Isis and Osiris. He fought his uncle, Set, who killed and dismembered Osiris. Horus was often portrayed as a falcon in hieroglyphs and in statue form. If you have seen the film Gods of Egypt, Horus was portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

“Lucky Scarab Meowummy” does not represent a specific god, but the cat haphazardly wrapped in linen holding a ball of linen with a starry moon shape and an inquisitive scarab is adorable. It is probably one of the cutest interpretations of a mummy in popular culture that I have come across in recent months. It was a nice touch to symbolize the linen as a ball, like a ball of yarn that a cat would most assuredly play with if given the opportunity. The scarab is often associated with protecting mummies, so it seems natural and appropriate that a little green scarab watch over meowummy.

Fusco currently has her Ancient Space Amulet pins available in her Etsy store, Sweetaspins, for those who are interested in purchasing one or all of the pins (click here for a link to her store).

Senebti!

All photos by author.

Episode 35: Five Mummy Books to Buy This Month

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 05:39:00 +0000

Il-wey! With the holidays fast approaching, you might be looking for mummy books to buy yourself or someone who is interested in mummies, tombs, or mythologies residing the same realm. Here are five books, fiction and non-fiction, you should check out.

The Bog

Released this past spring, Shelby Popham, a professor in the Writing Programs at UCLA, wrote this horror novel about bog bodies, which is not often the subject of fiction tales. In this story, Popham weaves together the destinies of a number of characters while revealing in twists and turns ancient rituals of Irish folklore. Although I felt the book had a rocky start with the opening narrative structure, once Popham focused in on Rob’s journey, The Bog becomes suspenseful and engrossing.

Amazon purchase link here

Mummy Knows Best

I like collections of short stories as they are great ways of being exposed to new voices and mummy stories. I have several anthologies in my library and I picked this one edited by Theresa Derwin because she collects stories from contemporary writers. Derwin includes over two dozen clever tales that include a story about a rock band with a secret (E.F. Schraeder’s “The Mummy’s Curse”) and Anthony D. Redden gives an unsettling new perspective in “M.I.L.F.” I’m still in the process of reading through all the tales, but initially, I think this anthology is worthwhile.

Amazon purchase link here

The Nyarlathotep Cycle: Stories about the God of a Thousand Forms

Readers of H. P. Lovecraft will recognize the name, Nyarlathotep, an Outer God who shifts his appearance to serve his interests. Renown writer Robert M. Price edited and introduced this collection of short stories from a who’s who of Lovecraftian writers commencing with Lord Dunsany through Gary Myers, each exploring and providing their own interpretation on Nyarlathotep. I picked this book up specifically for Robert Bloch’s “Fane of the Black Pharaoh” and I was not disappointed. The illustrations with Egyptian motifs are gorgeous.

Amazon purchase link here

The Seventh Plague

Part of the Sigma Force novels written by James Rollins, I’ll be honest, the scarab beetle on the cover of the mass market paperback version I saw in my local grocery store one day caught my attention. The book opens on describing an ancient ritual of self-mummification a woman subjects herself to. Her body is tattooed with secrets – think Ahmanet’s tattoos in the 2017 mummy film – which is found in contemporary times and has ramifications of epic proportions. Because this is part of an ongoing series featuring recurring characters, I didn’t get all of the inherent dynamics that comes from prior knowledge, I still enjoyed and was entertained by The Seventh Plague.

Amazon purchase link here

Tomb, Treasures, Mummies Series (reprint from out-of-print hardcover)

Founder and editor of KMT journal, Dennis C. Forbes has written a series of informative books titled Tomb, Treasures, Mummies. In each volume, Forbes typically provides an in-depth historical study of two tombs accompanied with a generous number of photographs. Additionally, he has included details endnotes so readers can seek out more information if interested. Forbes spotlights two royal mummy caches, TT320 discovered in 1881 and KV35 discovered in 1898 in the first volume. They are definitely worth the (average) $35 - $40 per volume.

Amazon purchase link for volume one here

Have you read of any of these? What did you think of them, and what books would you recommend?

Senebti!

Banner image from the cover of James Rollins’ The Seventh Plague

Episode 34: Egyptian Sarcophagus Opened Before Media

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 06:01:00 +0000

Il-wey! Since March of this year, a French-led team of archaeologists have been excavating at the El-Asasef necropolis, located on the western bank of the Nile, between Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings. The burial site was reserved for nobles and senior officials to the pharaohs. Earlier this month, the team found a nearly 4,000-year-old tomb containing two sarcophagi.

It took the team five months to clear 300 meters of rubble and they were rewarded for their efforts. The tomb’s owner, Thaw-Irkhet-If, was a priest who supervised the embalming process of pharaohs at the Temple of Mut in Karnak, at the Karnak Temple complex. The tomb included approximately 1,000 wood and clay Ushabti funerary statues that were symbolic of servants for the afterlife. There were also skeletons and mummies found in the tomb dating back to the Middle Kingdom period (4,000 years old). Additionally, the tomb included exquisite painted ceilings containing familiar symbols of ancient Egypt: winged scarabs, Eye of Horus, and images of Thoth.

Earlier this month, archaeologists privately opened Thaw-Irkhet-If’s sarcophagus, but last Saturday, they publicly opened the sarcophagus revealing a well-preserved mummified woman, who they tentatively believed to be named Thuya. The sarcophagi represent two distinct styles and dynasties: one is in the rishi-style, or feather motif, of the 17^thDynasty, while the other sarcophagus is representative of the 18^thDynasty.

While there have been many discoveries made in Egypt this year, however the opening of Thuya’s sarcophagus has garnered a lot of attention because it was opened before an international media group. Many of the articles I read speculated this was a move to rejuvenate tourism in Egypt that declined after the 2011 uprising. Visiting Egypt many years ago was a life changing experience: not only was it the first time I had traveled outside of the U.S. where I could experience a different culture, but I was able to see many places that I had read about for years in the various books we had in the house. No amount of books and online searches can replace first-hand experiences.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this discovery. There is sure to be additional information announced in the days to come regarding both Thuya and Thaw-Irkhut-If.

Senebti!

Images from Google search.

Episode 33: A Professor’s Daughter Falls In Love with a Mummy

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 05:24:00 +0000

Il-wey! The Professor's Daughter was written originally in 1997 but was translated from French to English and published by First Second Books in 2007. Set in London, the story follows an imminent Egyptologist's daughter, Lillian, and one of his discoveries, the reanimated mummy of Imhotep IV. While out and about the city, Imhotep is involved in an altercation, which leads to trouble for the couple and lands them in jail. The Egyptologist Bowell and Imhotep III arrive unexpectedly, causing their own mayhem. Queen Victoria makes a brief appearance as part of a scheme to free Lillian and Imhotep IV. Readers familiar with the 1989 Anne Rice novel The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned will recognize similarities in the first few pages of this graphic novel, but Joann Sfar (The Rabbi’s Cat; The Little Prince) and Emmanuel Guibert’s story quickly diverts into a whimsical and fantastical adventure.

While the story is a light-hearted romantic comedy, there an undercurrent of serious themes that runs throughout The Professor’s Daughter, adding complementary layers to the story. Early on, the parent-child relationship is expressed from the point of view of the two adult children, Lillian and Imhotep IV. Lillian waxes to Imhotep IV that she feels as though she is a “possession” of her father’s – a feeling that Imhotep knows all too well since he is an artifact from as her father’s archaeological discovery – and that she has no freedom. She states that Imhotep is “precious” to her father, to which Imhotep reminds her that her father feels the same towards her. The subtext of this theme is that the parent-child relationships are damaged by their respective fathers’ careers, most specifically by Dr. Bowell.

A number of mummy stories in literature and film often included the idea of lost love and the transference of that love to a living person that resembles or is the reincarnation of the person lost. This is the second theme found in this story. In a dream, Imhotep’s children appear to him. He asks where their mother is, but they answer that they cannot see her (we find out later that her body did not go through the mummification process so her soul was not transported into the Afterlife). The children comment how much Lillian looks like their mother, so they ask if their father will marry her. He seems keen on the idea, but Lillian oscillates between loving the mummy and not: she is concerned that he does not love her, but rather her image that is the likeness of his lost Queen.

The Professor’s Daughter also provides readers vestiges of the middle-class society of Victorian England as well as its justice system. For example, after Lillian’s arrest for poisoning a policeman and a gentleman, there is a brief conversation in the court that Lillian cannot be let off due to a similar case that resulted in the accused’s death. There is recognition that the justice system was skewed to the benefit of affluent middle class. One of the telling aspects of British society was the roundup of mummies for Dr. Bowell’s inspection after wanted posters go up for Imhotep’s capture. While the warehouse full of mummies was an exaggeration, it may have not have been too far off given the popularity of unwrapping parties at the time and the myriad of private collections that possibly included a mummy or two.

The visuals that accompany this story are beautiful. Guibert did not overthink or overwork the illustrations; they are clean and uncluttered by extraneous detail. In fact, the six-panel layout per page is the norm, with the occasional full-page single pane to emphasize specific moments in the story. The color palette Guibert selected accentuates the moods of the action unfolding across the pages. And the thin lines, thick lines, shading, and washes adorn each panel. The lettering caps off the visuals and again, Guibert has kept it simple and uncomplicated.

Senebti!

Banner image from Google images.

Check Amazon listing here

Back Next Week

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 04:21:00 +0000

Il-wey! Thank you for stopping by to read this week's musing. Regrettably, I have had a death in my family and was not able to prepare a musing. However, I hope you read one or more of my prior weeks' musings in the meantime.

I'll be back next week, so do please come back by next Monday.

Senebti!

Banner illustration was drawn Johann Jacob and titled Mummy Embalming (1732).

Episode 32: The Evolution of Iconic Mummies in Pop Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Brittany) — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 22:28:00 +0000

Il-wey! Artist Jeff Victor (check out his website here) created “Pop Culture Evolutions” in which he selects a popular culture icon and charts their evolution over time. For example, Victor has done many of the superheroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Deadpool, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but he has also highlighted individuals including Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, and The Rock. Last week, Victor wrapped up his Evolutio-ween horror series with none other than mummies!

Which mummies made it to his Evolution of Pop Culture Mummies? Naturally, one has to start with Boris Karloff’s Imhotep from the seminal 1932 film The Mummy. Fast forward five decades to the 1987 Monster Squad mummy then to Arnold Vosloo’s reanimated Imhotep in 1999 for the Brendan Fraser movie The Mummy. Skipping right to 2002, who can forget the western attired soul sucking Bubba Ho-tep, who lent his name to the title of the Don Coscarelli film, which is based on Joe R. Lansdale’s short story? Victor moves ahead ten years to the animated film, Hotel Transylvania. Ceelo Green voiced the rotund mummy named Murray. Rounding out Victor’s evolution is Sofia Boutella’s Ahmanet from last year’s The Mummy. Although I haven’t seen Monster Squad or Hotel Transylvania, Victor portrays each mummy in an iconic moment from their respective films. For example, most fans will remember the peaceful looking mummy in the opening scene of Karloff’s film, Vosloo’s menacing toothy scream, and Boutella’s hand-raising call for a dust storm in London.

I think having a nod to the Christopher Lee’s Kharis from the Hammer Horror The Mummy (1959) would have been a good addition. And to give a little more screen time to women, it would have been cool to include Valerie Leon’s Queen Tera from the 1971 Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb. Which mummy character would you have included? Any mummies you would have switched out for another? If you dig this poster and want to order your own Evolution of Pop Culture Mummies poster, then click here!

Senebti!

Banner image from Jeff Victor’s website.