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X-E’s Shoebox Die-O-Rama Art Contest!

EDIT: Comments are back up as of 5 PM Sunday! YAY.

Some of you asked if I was going to run any new artsy Halloween contests this year. Yes, I am! Right now!

It's time for X-E's Shoebox Die-O-Rama Contest!

Your mission: Use a shoebox to create some kind of spooky Halloween diorama. You can give it any kind of specific theme -- a graveyard diorama, an Elm Street diorama, an undersea monster attack diorama -- whatever you want! So long as we can effectively classify your diorama as "spooky" or "Halloweeny," it's valid!

You can use whatever materials you prefer: Paper, clay, plastics, cereal bits, blah blah blah. The one and only rule is that your diorama must be housed within the cardboard confines of a shoebox.

Entries will be judged by me and a team of people who just happen to be on AIM whenever I decide to do the judging.

And there will be prizes!

The grand prize winner will receive this amazing "Bloody Mary" Living Dead Doll, which is absolutely disturbing and would look just great rested upon the faux fireplace in the corner of your living room. Five runners-up will receive a random scary DVD of my choosing.

You have two weeks to send me a photo of your diorama. Please include the title of your piece with a brief description. This contest ends on Saturday, September 26th at 10 PM. Winners will be announced within one week of that time. :)

Oh, and if you can't figure out what the fuck a diorama in a shoebox is supposed to look like, here's an example:

You probably won't win if yours looks anything like that, though.

Other rules: Contest is open to everyone, no matter where they live -- BUT, if you're on the other side of the planet, I reserve the right to send you an Amazon gift certificate instead of something that will cost me an additional 70,000 dollars to ship.

Get out your construction paper, and make with the creepy creativity. GOOD LUCK.

PS: The Jukebox has been refreshed with almost twice as many songs. Call it inspiration!

PPS: I can't believe that "shoebox" isn't a real word. I'm told it's supposed to be "shoe box." I refuse to adhere.

Posted by Matt on 09/12/2009. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 225 comments

It is ON like Donkey Kong now! Even if we had to spent an SNT lurking on an old entry…may the rest of life be filled with such champagne problems :D Suddenly my shoe shopping habit is imbued with purpose.

Went to Target for the first time in ages to check out the H to the Ween and because I’ve been hearing they’ve got cute fall clothes. They seemed to be still finishing up with back to school so the Dollar Spot was pretty picked over, but I got my Bat Dots and wished I could justify spending $10 on a bleeding skull candle. It’s purple!!!

Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. I’ve got an old school assignment somewhere that I wrote about his outrageous Katrina comments; he’s an idiot (Actually, Kanye, there are a lot of books that I’d like an autograph from more than you, your ass is way back there behind Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret and James and the Giant Peach) and he riiiiiilly needs to move past “college” as the be-all-and-end-all artistic theme, but he’s got talent.

Anybody ever see Kanye’s episode of Storytellers? Hilariously awkward.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/14/2009 10:57 AM

Senor B: I’m a schmucko if that’s true — I’ll try to track you down.

Stephanie: I don’t want to institute too many rules because the contest is really for fun, but obviously those who put the most effort in are likely to win the prize over those who makes a dioramas….like the one I made. :)

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/14/2009 11:13 AM

Some of the trips are simple and benign. Others are pure entertainment, with your socially anxious host desperately trying to make it look like his shopping wagons full of X-E materials are for some kid’s birthday party. (I’ve gone as far as carrying forged shopping lists around in Wal-Mart, and sometimes, I even pretend to have phone conversations about whether I’m getting a nonexistent child “the right toy.”)

HA HA, I do the exact same thing!!! Confusedly look at my grocery list and then rummage through smurf dolls, and if I find the right one “double check” my list, and if not grumble about how “the kid’s out of luck…”

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo Berry the 70's Ghost @ 09/14/2009 12:18 PM

I feel self conscious when I’m looking at stuff that’s definitely out of my age range, and then a kid walks up and notices me. Then I have to make it seem like I’m looking for a toy for a kid, and not myself. But then I’ll see a fat, bearded guy with an anime t-shirt rummaging through all the Star Wars figures, and I feel better about myself.

Chestnuts roasted by tanta07 @ 09/14/2009 12:52 PM

I gathered the shoes box for a while, but those take many rooms. Then so, I started throwing out those. That the head cheese which was eaten at the place eats pastrami where anyone is mixed. In the place of 2nd ave that is really you liked that, with me.

Chestnuts roasted by Yuan Jing @ 09/14/2009 1:08 PM

Do the Kool Aid shoes come in different flavors?

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/14/2009 1:22 PM

I wonder if there’s a gender difference there – I never feel uncomfortable looking at toys. Maybe people are more likely to assume a woman looking at toys is shopping for a kid, so they don’t stare as much. Or it could just be that I’m shameless and don’t care :p I once strutted right up to the checkout at Target with Sesame Street bath foam and a pack of crayons.

Also, holy shit, I want some Kool-Aid shoes.

Chestnuts roasted by jazzy @ 09/14/2009 1:27 PM

just saw the trailer for This is It…that MJ documentary…I couldn’t finish watching… I sat and cried.

Chestnuts roasted by mandy_Reeves @ 09/14/2009 2:05 PM

I’ll buy toys and other kid stuff proudly. My husband and I will stand there in the toy aisle going “Oooooh, look at this” and “This is so cool!” and we don’t even care if a kid comes into the aisle and looks at us funny.

Chestnuts roasted by Annette @ 09/14/2009 2:09 PM

Ohboyohboyohboy. I spent all yesterday designing my diorama. Now to gather the materials to make my project complete! Muwahahah!

Chestnuts roasted by Rhino @ 09/14/2009 2:43 PM

Wee! I finished my diarama! Gonna just get everything on my cam put on the cd tomorrow (I took roughly twenty pics of it since my camera doesn’t seem to like small close up things) so I’ll haveta peruse to see what’s best! ^_^ And Matt, I won’t have the same problem I had on my last contest entry! No more weird dates and times on the camera!

Chestnuts roasted by emosewa @ 09/14/2009 3:07 PM

my diorama kicks so much ass, i wont submit it, out of fairness to all the x-ers who dont stand a chance if i did

Chestnuts roasted by clodhopper @ 09/14/2009 3:29 PM

I want the dolly dolly dol doll!

I used to have the one in the bunny suit. I like bunnbunns.

Anyway. I think I have a great damn idea, and I totoally want to gush about it, but can’t for the sake of the competition.
I was thinking of gushing about it on my blog and taking pix as I do so.
I think I will do that.

I am so damn amped it’s not even funny.
IT’S FUCKING FALL Y’ALL!

Chestnuts roasted by kittymao @ 09/14/2009 4:09 PM

Dammit! i wish I had a shoebox! Never thought taking care of my shoes and making them last for months could be a bad thing.
If I did have one, I probably would lose anyways. Most likely, I would’ve just put a fake hand covered in ketchup in front of a dark graveyard background, making sure to be as cliche as possible.

Or a foot.

Chestnuts roasted by Hazard @ 09/14/2009 4:10 PM

How can you have a Halloween jukebox that doesn’t have the Misfits, Blitzkid, The Other, Zombeast or any of the other awesome horrorpunk bands? Those guys LIVE for the creepy and the crawly, and the music is great, to boot.

Chestnuts roasted by jossimbyr @ 09/14/2009 4:12 PM

I think the Misfits are on there. I remember Halloween!

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 09/14/2009 4:13 PM

jazzy, you don’t know how lucky you are. :)
But you also bring up an interesting point, in that your attitude towards it can make all the difference. Most people, at least any who are worth dealing with, don’t care what you’re into as long as you’re cool about it.

And on dioramas…this reminds me way too much of grade school, but hopefully university (school-school?) doesn’t get in the way of this.

Chestnuts roasted by Tutsuro @ 09/14/2009 4:35 PM

The Misfits are on there? I’ve got no audio here nor internet at home, so I can only go by the titles. I thought it might be the theme song for the movie. :p My apologies!

Chestnuts roasted by jossimbyr @ 09/14/2009 4:46 PM

jossimbyr: My personal listening tastes lately are swinging in the horrorpunk and psychobilly direction. Do you like stuff like Calabrese, The Horrorpops, or The Deep Eynde?

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/14/2009 5:12 PM

There’s so many horror punk bands out now it’d be impossible to pick a good few songs. Same for horror surf, much as I’d love to see that added.

The top 3 creepy classics I’d love to see thrown onto the spookbox are Whodini’s “Haunted House of Rock,” “Doin’ the Zombie” by Chubby Checker, and “House of Frankenstein” by Big Bee Kornegay. I can’t go without those on Halloween.

Chestnuts roasted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/14/2009 5:34 PM

Well, I’m off to continue my search for Halloween dots. Wish me luck X-Ers.

Chestnuts roasted by ULTRAMAN @ 09/14/2009 5:54 PM

Good luck Ultraman!

On the topic of Halloween music…
Almost ten years ago- maybe more- Rudy picked up a CD autographed by Rob Zombie called Halloween Hootenanny.He got it for memorabilia purposes, but it’s one of the best Halloween CD’s we have.

If you’re a fan of that fun rocking, psychobilly halloween themed music, this is SO for you!

Chestnuts roasted by kittymao @ 09/14/2009 6:18 PM

Yuan Jing is back!!

I am gonna have to move my ass on this diorama thing. I vowed to enter the next XE contest, no matter what it was…

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 09/14/2009 6:45 PM

Matt, I am going to try to blow your mind with what’s possible with a shoebox.

Also, I’m still waiting for the grand prize from last year. I just thought that you were busy or something so I never messaged you about it. :C

I still wuv you though.

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Poop @ 09/14/2009 7:07 PM

God, I can’t stand Kanye. I mean, I LOVE his first three albums… when he RAPPED, but, well, I can’t stand his stupid acts. “I won’t go on the VMA awards again.” “I’m back again!” “Beyonce had the best album ever! Sorry to ruin your moment Taylor.” Anyway… can I comment again, Matt? For some reason mine aren’t posting, so… if you read this, could you please help?

Chestnuts roasted by Aaron @ 09/14/2009 7:19 PM

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 12th, 2009 at 9:37 pm and is filed under 2009 Halloween Countdown, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.