This week The Undead Bazaar is featuring
Annie M. Vicar, a doll maker from Pittsburgh, PA. An artist her entire life, Annie began as a child by drawing witches, skeletons and the occasional blood splatter. "My mother managed to save a few drawings, though I'm not sure if her intentions were that of a proud parent or to show them to a child's psychologist." Annie was fortunate to be encouraged at a young age to tap into her artistic side. Though money was tight, her parents managed to enroll Annie in weekend art classes.
Combine this enjoyment of the arts with the factor that her family always enjoyed Halloween, and you have the beginning of dark artist. Annie would make Halloween decorations and costumes from scratch with her father and carve pumpkins with her sister. "In retrospect, these activities combined drove me in the direction of doll making. Also, the refusal to completely grow up and not wanting to give up playing with toys and dolls. My body ages, but my heart is always a child. I don't see that ever changing. Art has been my escape and outlet."
Annie's first doll was the result of a failed attempt at creating a marionette puppet. New creations, however, are a bit more involved. "The design is simple and each piece takes between 15 and 30 hours to complete, depending on how elaborate. Of course, I've made things that have taken a lot more time than that. It's hard to say... I just wake up on a Sunday morning and go until I can't keep my eyes open. I have no concept of time when I'm working on art. I sculpt each part by hand with polymer clay. I have never used molds, so everything is completely unique. The arms and legs are generally lap-jointed, painted with high-quality acrylics and attached with ribbon to a soft-sewn torso. I sew each costume by hand as well. The limbs hang free like a marionette, so they can be posed in a variety of positions. I also make it so the heads are able to turn from side to side."
If anyone is interested in a back catalog of work, many past creations are on
Annie's website. Those interested in checking out what's for sale want to head over to the
Etsy store. Commissions are welcome and previous ones have been created using photographs and even general ideas. "I can do (in my own style, of course) just about anything anyone asks me to do. I come up with many of my own characters and concepts as well."
"Every year I bring my dolls to the Horror Realm convention in Pittsburgh, PA. I have also done illustration work in the past for Electric Frankenstein (NYC), The Lobster Quadrille (Rochester NY) and Agent Ribbons (CA). I have poster art featured in The Electric Frankenstein Art Book published by Dark Horse Comics in 2007. I've participated in the Jim Thorpe Halloween Opera juried art show and won in 2008 for "Most Haunting Creations". Every year my friends from Horror Realm and I run a charity art auction where all of the proceeds are donated to the "Cara Gasper Animal Rescue League Memorial Fund", which benefits the local animal shelter, Animal Rescue League of Western PA. I always keep my website updated with information regarding the charity, which is very dear to me."
What was your first introduction to zombies? "Night of the Living Dead when I was about 7 or 8. Scared the shit out of me. Slept with the lights on for about a year. Hahaha. Thanks, Dad!!"Favorite zombie movie/book/game? "Favorite zombie movie: Shaun of the Dead. Book: Do comic books count?? Dellamorte Dellamore. Game: I'm not really into video games, truth be told. I tried to play this one called Zombie BBQ and couldn't hang of r more than 5 minutes. I suck at everything but Mario and Tetris."If you were bitten, would you want shot or left to change? "SHOT!! That way I can come back as a ghost and haunt the shit out of people!"If we were to make a toy of you, would you be a zombie or a survivor? What accessories would you come with? "Survivor - Armed with a can of Super Hold Aqua Net and Poison Cupcakes. And maybe a Laser Cat. Not that any of those would do much good against Zombies, I think they'd leave me alone assuming I had no brains."
Make sure to check Annie Vicar's contest feature for your chance to win Mahitabel, the Egyptian Zombie.
