2017: Night of the Wolf

This year's teaser simply read...

Coming to you very soon, a transformation by the light of the moon...

This Halloween, 
"Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night,
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright."

> The Backstory

As you walk through the deep forest, you come across a couple's campsite out in the woods. They seem a bit upset, asking what you are doing out here and if you happened to see anything odd. Apparently they were attacked by... something. A bear maybe? But it was too fluffy to be a bear. They're not sure, but it scratched or bit the female, who is wrapped up in a thick blanket and not looking well at all. The man managed to chase whatever it was off with a flare or something, but was also injured on a tree branch in all the excitement. With some concern, they warn you to be careful out there.

After sharing their harrowing story, the woman explains she's not feeling well and excuses herself to go rest in their tent. The man offers you a hot dog, but finds they've been left on the fire too long and are now charred beyond recognition. He apologizes, and continues chatting with you.

A few moments later, odd sounds of someone in pain begin to come from the tent. The man asks if everything's alright in there. A snarling, "Go away!" comes in response. He sticks his head inside to see what's happening as the tent begins to shake. Suddenly from around the side of the tent a vicious, howling wolf appears! Yet walking upright like a man? Ferocious and furry, the female camper has transformed by the light of the full moon!

Your group leaps back in terror as the man comes around and attempts to calm his friend. Looking around with a menacing mouth full of sharp teeth, she unexpectedly and gruffly speaks. "Well, I feel better now!" Turns out this wolf is not so mean, and he talks her into handing you a packet of Halloween treats. She'll even let you pet her furry paw... IF you're brave enough to approach.

As you make your way down the moonlit path through the woods, the wolf's howls can still be heard, along with a growling, "Happy Halloween!"

It's always double trouble with these two.

Your view upon entering the garage... er, forest?

They really are happy to see you, but why are you out in the woods?

By the light of the full moon, she really doesn't look so well.
(But note the Ravenclaw cap, a subtle nod to a certain professor of another house.)

Did you notice? Her blanket is a wolf.

Would you like a hot dog? Sorry, they kinda got burnt.

Now there's something you don't see popping out from behind a tent every day. Thankfully.

Nice puppy??

Imagine his surprise...

These campers have a backpack full of treats to share.

Are you brave enough to take a treat from a wolf?

Maybe she's not such a mean wolf after all.
Happy Howl-o-ween!

> The Trick

It just so happens Lon Cheney Jr. as Larry Talbot in the 1941 film "The Wolf Man" (quoted in the teaser above) is my favorite classic Universal horror character. Along with other admired wolf types, such as Quentin Collins of Dark Shadows and Harry Potter's Remus Lupin, taking on the were-role was simply bound to happen sometime. We actually purchased the phenomenal jaw-motion mask and costume shirt at the end of last season, and had a pretty good idea of this year's direction at that point.

Even a wolf's gotta dress for success.

Some of the kiddies were wondering just what was happening inside that tent. Here's a hint.

A more recent acquisition was our fine photography backdrop, which included a moonlit path lined with pumpkins. Real pumpkins were set up around the edges to move from a 1D to 4D effect, and special backlighting brought out the full moon's glow. It was also very cool to see the very real waxing moon appear through clouds above our garage for a portion of the night.

The very real moon above. It wasn't full, but the clouds diffused it perfectly.

Observant visitors will have noticed our campers listening to a strangely appropriate playlist of related tunes, which included:
• "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon
• "Bark At the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne
• "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran
• "Cry Wolf" by a-ha

Large, cut branches and yard leaves scattered around our personal tent enhanced the outdoorsy feel to this set, which was actually quite simple overall. Amazing what you can do with what you have lying around.

Recreating the outdoors indoors.

Another thanks to mom for not only corralling the kiddies, but also loaning us that thick blanket which, as one might expect, featured the image of a wolf's head.

Freaky Fact: The warning from inside the tent was yet another homage, this one referencing the beginning of Michael Jackson's transformation in the long version of the "Thriller" video. While I claim this as the best music video of all time (of course featuring STL's own horror master, Vincent Price), younger viewers may find it a bit... intense. The brave can view the whole thing here. Find the referenced scene at 2:23.

> The Treat

For a cool but dry Tuesday night, we had plenty of visitors, including at least one family who just HAD to come back and see us again, plus our mysterious late night friends who annually appear via their haunted wagon. About 80 treat bags were handed out, so not too shabby. 

Recipients scored a classic Halloween character rubber duck, with a one-in-four chance of getting either a Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, witch or, of course, wolf duck. We also happened upon some organic "Black Forest" gummies, which both fit the outdoorsy theme and included werewolf shaped pieces. A werewolf sticker was included as well, along with our usual pretzels and Wonka candies.

This year's theme card was naturally all about transformation, highlighting stories and verses such as Daniel 4:28-37, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 12:2. This was also the first year we added "The Big Story" to the site.

Printed on some lovely blue parchment paper, this card appeared as below...

JUST THE TEXT:
What were you doing out in the woods in the middle of the night? At least you had a full moon, and we hope you had a howling good time at our campsite.

So maybe we don’t actually transform into wolves at the sight of a full moon, but we can all act like lunatics at times. The fur really flies when we forget about the one who created us in the first place. God made us very different from animals. He even says he made us in His own image. But when we forget that, things can go wrong fast. 

You can read about a king who decided to forget God and make everything about himself (in the Bible’s book of Daniel, chapter 4). He suddenly started acting like a wild beast, even growing long nails and hair. It wasn’t until He remembered God was in charge that he returned to acting human again.

While that king’s story is pretty extreme, we all forget God sometimes. But instead of chomping on grass, maybe we start thinking terrible things. Maybe we ignore God’s rules and mistreat people. Or maybe we start believing life’s all about us and we’re in control, just like that king did.

The Bible really is the story of a better King, though. Jesus never did any of the awful things we sometimes do. He lived and loved perfectly. For that, some people hated Him. Like a ravenous pack of wolves, they moved in to get rid of Him. Jesus died.

Amazingly, Jesus underwent a type of transformation too. As He was dying, He “became” all those bad things we think and do, even though He never did anything wrong. He became the most terrifying thing in existence by becoming everything God hates. But in dying, He killed those evil things. He also came back
to life, showing everyone He’s a much better King. He is God. And now we can be transformed to be like Him if we trust Him. He can renew our minds and help us live like we should, in His image instead of like mindless beasts.

Got a full moon fever to find out more about all this? Try sniffing around HallowsGarage.blogspot.com. We can link you to ways you can learn more about Jesus and read the Bible yourself. Our new page “The Big Story” might help too.

Keep an eye open next time you’re out in those woods, and happy Howl-o-ween.

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