Tombstones, Wicked Woods

When I first joined the Wicked Woods, they had a graveyard scene filled with plywood tombstones adorned with “punny” epitaths (“I.M. Dead”) and classic horror names like Dracula.  Eventually, I replaced those tombstones with more realistic looking ones containing the last names of people who made significant contributions to the Wicked Woods.  The idea came from the upper windows on Main Street U.S.A. in Disney parks that honor key employees.  They are made from rigid foam insulation coated in monster mud (part latex paint, part drywall compound) with a little sand thrown in for texture.  The shape is similar to one that was common in a Salem, Massachusetts graveyard I once saw.  The names are carved into the foam and painted black to contrast with the stone color.  I then aged each stone by painting moss and other stains on each, making sure the aging reflected how many years each person had been helping (i.e. newer key volunteers had fresher looking tombstones).

If you have questions or comments about this or any of my other projects, feel free to send me a note via my Contact Me page.