Kits for making a life-sized rotting human corpse can be bought from various special effects distributors. These kits include latex or plastic parts that must be assembled and painted. Such kits will cost between $200 and $500, which can add up quickly. Spending the time and energy sculpting and casting an original under-skull and skeleton for the corpse that is going to be covered up anyway, also seemed inefficient. I would rather put my efforts into the part of the project that really makes it unique. Remember, with props, it only has to look real not be real. Some first time prop makers will often invest too much time and money into something that only needs to reflect light with the appropriate shape and color.

So, I combined the inexpensive "Plastic Lab Skeleton," (available everywhere), an "age-old" make up trick and my own warped way of doing things to devise a method for making a very convincing, life-sized corpse for only $30 worth of materials! The lab skeletons made a great base for the corpse and were more than worth their price. (I bought mine from a chain called Pick N Save for $10.) You can also buy these Lab Skeletons at costume shops and drug stores in October. They look ridiculous, but they are close enough to the size and shape of a realistic skeleton to work with a bit of re-fabrication. Because the hard part is now done for you, and the rest of this project is mostly just FUN!

Building the Base

First assemble the skeleton. Using either a knife or preferably a hand grinder with roto-cutting blades, carve out areas of plastic that should be hollow. Cut out the plastic "web" between the teeth, hollow out the eyes and various sections of the skull to make it look less "silly." Spray paint the inside of the skull black, in areas such as the eye sockets and inside of the mouth that will not be covered.

The next part of the project is dealing with the extremities. Carefully cut the plastic "webs" from between the fingers of each hand and bend the fingers into the desired position. Removing just enough of the plastic, creates a "hinge" between the individual bones. The bones in the forearm can be shaped and separated as well.

The pelvis area is a big problem with the plastic skeleton. It requires a great deal of cutting to get a more realistic shape. Use pictures of real skeletons to use as a reference. Keep in mind that any unrealistic holes in the plastic will be covered later. The feet will work fine just as they are.

Use Styrofoam and contact glue to fill in the stomach area. I suggest that you don't make it protrude. Remember that this is a corpse and it would have lost much of its fat through decomposition. It will look better to make the stomach sink into the body. Shape the foam accordingly using a rasp and sandpaper.

Applying the Skin

Spray a large section of the skeleton using a good quality spray glue like 3M Super 77 Aerosol Adhesive. Tear sections from white paper towels creating jagged edges and spread the paper onto the glue. This step is only to "tack" the paper in place. So do not worry if some of it hangs loose at this point. Push the paper towels into the depressions of the skeleton and smooth them over the protrusions until the prop is covered. Creating paper sections with erratic edges will help to blend the surface. Do the same with the arms and legs of your corpse, wrapping each finger and forearm bone separately. Cover the feet with skin like socks and then rip some of the "skin" from toes exposing the skeletal digits.

For the next step, you will need a glue that dries flexible, of the type used for book binding. Look in craft and school supply stores for Sculpt, Coat, Sobo Glue, Flex Bond 7500, or Tacky Glue. You can use plain white glue, just do not let the finished prop get wet. Mix about one cup of your chosen glue with one cup of water. Tint the mix with water-based paint. Various color schemes can be used such as peach-blue or light tan. Keep in mind that the glue will dry one shade darker. Use a paintbrush to apply layers of the mixture to the paper. It will soak in and bind the paper into a skin-like shell.

Once again, press the wet paper into depressions and smooth any protrusions. Additional paper towel can be added if desired, for wrinkles and such. Do one side at a time and let it dry, before turning it over to do the back side. Some paper soaked in the mixture can be used as a putty to create shriveled ears, nose and a navel to add to the prop's realism. I have also used a glue gun (the prop makers version of duct tape) to form body protrusions like nipples and ears. Once the paper and glue has completely dried, it will look like shriveled aged skin.

Painting

Airbrush the dark regions such as the eye sockets and in between the ribs, to enhance the definition of the piece. If you can obtain colored pictures of mummies or other types of bodies it will help you in this process. With a second color, such as dark brown, lightly mist the entire prop. Mixing a water based clear glue with water-based paint will give the skin a layered, translucent look. While spraying, keep the airbrush away from the corpse and spray it just lightly enough to see the second color. Once this coat is dry, cut any excess skin from the skull's mouth area with a razor blade or hobby knife. Paint the dark regions between the teeth and the gum-line black.

Paint the teeth white but allow the dark areas around them to show. Mix some glue with a small amount of yellow food coloring, and paint this onto the teeth to create a deep, aged stain. Paint the fingernails black or brown, and then like the teeth, cover them with a few layers of clear glue mixed with yellow food coloring.

At this point Eyes can be added to the corpse. You can purchase them, or make your own, but the more realistic the eyes are, the more realistic the prop will look. Mix black paint and glue to use for setting in the eyes into the skull. Allow enough glue to cover the eyeball exposing only the front 1/3 of the eyes. This will create the illusion of rotting flesh around the eyeballs.

Finishing Touches

Finally, use little dots of flexible, high-tack, clear glue to add hair in layers, to the head. The fake hair itself can be purchased from a local beauty supply store. It is commonly used to add hair extensions for styling. The hair generally comes in a three-foot long bundle for only costs about $5, and comes in a variety of colors. In October many beauty supply stores will also stock fantasy colors such as white and green! It is not necessary to make a full head of hair. Add just enough to suggest that the head had hair at one time.

Tattered clothing will further finish the piece and help to hide any part of the corpse that does not look right, and provides a gender to your corpse. People are buried in their Sunday best, so pick a suit for a male corpse and a dress for a female. Rubbing the cloth with a cheese grater you will distress the clothing to fit the look you are striving for.

Using the "Plastic Lab Skeleton," as a base is a great way to build an inexpensive corpse. Covering it with the "age-old" make up trick of flexible glue and torn paper towels can create a realistic looking corpse for a fraction of the cost of a purchased corpse kit. A good paint job and quality glass eyes will give you a finished prop that will rival those that cost ten times as much. And the best part of all is that the project is FUN!

Jerry Chavez is the author of the Haunted House Halloween Handbook and owner of Spooky F/X, a prop manufacturing company devoted to affordable animatronics and custom made props for the Home Haunter. Jerry can be contacted at 714-964-9413 or via email at Spookyfx@aol.com, or check out his web page at http://members.aol.com/Spookyfx/index.html

Flexible Glue Resources

• 1999 Demco catalog: 1 800 356-1200
  http://www.demco.com
  Norbond
  Cost: $3.39/8oz, $8.99/qt, $25.99/gal
  
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• The Library Store 1998 catalog 1 800 548-7204
  http://www.thelibrarystore.com
  Clear-Bond white Glue, white poly liquid adhesive. Dries clear.
  Cost: $2.45/8oz, $8.95/qt., $21.95/gal
  
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• Gaylord 1998 catalog 1 800 448-6160
  http://www.gaylord.com
  White pH-neutral adhesive--archival
  Cost: $8.15/8 oz., $23.90/qt., $41.95/gal
  
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• Highsmith 1999 catalog 1 800 558-2110
  http://www.highsmith.com
  Highsmith Book-Saver liquid plastic repair
  Cost: $3.45/8oz, $8.95/qt, $26.55/gal
  
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• Brodart 1999 catalog 1 888 820-4377
  http://www.brodart.com
  Brodart Bind-Art Flexible Liquid Plastic Adhesive
  Cost: $3.45/8 oz., $9.25/qt, $25.50/gal
  Brodart Plastic Glue (Water Resistant)
  Cost: $3.80/8 oz., $11.15/qt., $34.75/gal