I’ve been off work for most of the week with a nasty headcold and have spent most of the time sleeping or lying on the couch staring blankly at the walls. I did, however, want to try and do something that was in some way inspired by Boogle the pony, an original character created by Bethany Van Scott, who I recently interviewed.
I kept thinking of Boogle’s clown-like attributes, and how I wanted to focus on these…but how? I am a big fan of Stephen King’s “It”, but I had only recently read the novel and watched the film, and as great as they were I was not really in the mood to revisit these again just yet. Thinking about “It” did, however, lead me to thinking of another creepy clown that I love, Mr Jelly from the BBC series “Psychoville”.
Mr Jelly is the one on the right with the sour expression.
If you enjoy dark British humour, I can’t recommend “Psychoville” highly enough!
In particular, I remembered a particular scene in “Psychoville”, in which Mr. Jelly explained to his rival (and former surgeon) Mr. Jolly. about the tradition among clowns of registering one’s makeup by painting it on an egg.
I think we all know where this is going.
I decided that making a Boogle-egg would be the perfect sick-day activity. Instead of basing the makeup on Boogle the pony, however, I based it on various photos Bethany has posted of herself in clown makeup very similar to her pony-sona.
I took a bit of creative license and incorporated various elements of two or three different makeup looks that Bethany has donned.
It is likely that I could have done a slightly better job if I weren’t ill…and if I had a white egg rather than a brown one to start with…but I’m still pretty happy with the results. What do you guys think?
I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this yarn. It seemed perfect!
If you’re interested in learning more about the clown eggs, there’s an interesting and informative article on the National Clown Week website.
To see Bethany’s work, including images of Boogle (in both her pony and penanggalan/doll form), you can find her via her DeviantART page.
And now it’s back to bed for me…but not before I have another hot lemon drink.
I enjoyed my interview with Bethany Van Scott so much that I just had to dedicate my next style post to her and her adorable pony-sona, “Boogle”.
This look is directly inspired by Boogle the pony. Just like her, it’s bright, quirky and cute. To get this look, grab the most vibrant shades of orange purple and green you can get your hands on and throw them together with cheerful abandon! mixing prints and throwing on an oversized wind-cheater really adds to the clownish feel of this. Most of us probably wouldn’t be comfortable wearing Boogle’s clown face-paint out, but that’s not to say you can’t have a little fun with your makeup. A bright green lipstick would match Boogle’s own lips and is sure to turn heads. Oh, and don’t forget to load on lots of eyeball accessories. That eye manicure is ridiculously awesome…if anyone decides to do that to their own nails I’d love to see a photo!
Boogle and Bethany both love The Gromble from Nikelodean’s “Ahh! Real Monsters!”. Although I love this picture by Bethany, I think it would actually be pretty difficult to make a Gromble costume,not to mention impractical, and so…
…this outfit could be a nice compromise. A mint-green dress is a nice match for the Gromble’s skin tone, and I’ve paired it here with a dark green bag to match his hair colour. a wide belt and black gloves are staples of the Gromble’s look…and don’t forget his signature red pumps! The Gromble must have dozens of those shoes, so it would be nice to have something pretty to store them in, like this shoe trunk. I vaguely remember him using a bone as a pointer or something in class, but maybe that’s just my imagination? Can anyone confirm this?
Her body is white and fleshy-soft – a beacon of desire. Her brethren cluster at her breast in awe and anticipation. Tremble before her, all you who are unworthy, lest ye be crushed beneath her heel.
Boogle’s best friend is a little plush toy named Kitty-Monster…who appears to be one of the snuggliest things on the planet. Don’t have your own to cuddle up with when the lights go out? That’s okay! Why not, go to bed dressed as your very own version of Kitty-Monster? Fluffy, clawed slippers and a cat-eared hat will keep you toasty warm as you curl up in bed with some light reading, perhaps with another kitty plush to keep you company. A stash of midnight snacks is virtually a necessity under the circumstances. May I suggest some sour worms? Those of you who are a little braver may like to try some of these lollipops with real insects inside. Go on…I dare ya!
So that’s all for my style tribute to Boogle and her lovely creator. Hmm, there are a few here I’d love to try out myself (if only I had that mint dress!) What about you, readers? Would you wear any of these?
Perhaps you’d like to try putting together your own outfits inspired by Boogle and/or Bethany? Please post a link here if you do, as I’d love to see the results!
It’s time for another interview and this time around my subject is the ever-delightful Bethany Van Scott! Bethany, known variously online as Penanggalan, Boogle, Vera, Bogmonster etc. is a Freelance artist living and working on the east coast of Florida. I’ve been a fan of Bethany’s vibrant, engaging and often haunting art for years now, and learning that she was a fellow admirer of My Little Ponies only increased my interest in Bethany and her work, and I could not have been more excited when she agreed to take part in this interview.
So please, join me as Bethany shares her own personal journey of ponies, art, dolls and monsters.
…wait, what was that last one?
When and how did you first become interested in My Little Ponies?
I remember playing with ponies as early as age 4, but they’ve been “around” me all my life. My Aunt bought me a plush Bowtie the day before I was born and put it in my crib to come home to. I still have her 🙂 You could say my cousin is who kept me interested, as we’d play ponies in the back room of her grandma’s house all the time.
Who is your favourite pony and why?
Sweet Stuff. I always loved her in the movie and episodes, she was so… well, sweet! And the pony itself has such pleasing colors.
What would you be like if you were a My Little Pony?
I do in fact have a pony persona, though she’s just the alternate version of my ball-jointed clown doll, Boogle.
Boogle the Pony. Serious respect for anyone who recognises the outfit.
She’s bubbly, adventurous and sweet, and I imagine she would be one of the most quirky and strange additions to the MLP herd. Her markings are KittyMonster’s eyes, a plush I made a long time ago that is very near and dear to me and one of Boogle’s closest friends.
Apart from My Little Ponies, who or what is your favourite fictional equine?
Starlight from Rainbow Brite would be up there!
What is your favourite generation of My Little Pony? What do you think of the other generations?
>1980’s. The others are good, but the originals are the most special to me.
Do you collect My Little Pony toys or other merchandise?
I have about 400 of the 80’s ponies, many of which are from my childhood. I also like a lot of the merchandise from that era.
Just a TEENY sample of Bethany’s enviable collection.
Do you collect or covet any other toys?
I collect tons of other toys and have a lot from each that I’m missing/wanting! Mostly other 80’s girly toys like Yum Yums and Hooks, but also some newer toys such as Jurassic Park and Trash Pack.
Do you keep any of your childhood toys in your room/house now? What about new toys?
I have them scattered all around my house, but most of my pony collection is in my (very suitably pink) living room 🙂
Have you seen the “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” cartoon and, if so, what do you think of it?
My boyfriend and I love it! I love the 80’s cartoons, but the newer one is a bit more gripping and well-written.
Your art strikes me as a mixture of the conventionally cute (ponies, fuzzy animals, girls etc.) and things which many people would consider creepy or “weird” (monsters, eyeballs, clowns etc.). What is your response to people who say that this combination is strange or jarring?
I’ve never actually had anyone describe it as jarring; only interesting or cool, which I appreciate. I have never been the type of person who easily fits in one genre or another; I like a vast number of things and very little creeps me out. I find beauty in and am fascinated by many things that people think negatively of, usually out of taboo or ingrained reasons. I always try to redefine the misunderstood and get people to see the alternate side of the things that disturb them.
Oddly enough, this jester-girl DOESN’T have eyes at the back of her head
What are the best and worst parts to you about being an artist?
Not sure how to answer this one… it’s hard to find a “bad side” to being an artist, since it’s my livelihood and something I enjoy immensely. I get frustrated with it a lot and feel stuck sometimes as I try to improve, but that’s every artist, I think.
I love monsters, but I had never heard of the Penanggalan before. Where do you do you go to learn so much about monsters and myths?
I read a lot about mythical creatures and one of my favorites are yokai/Japanese monsters and ghosts. I discovered the penanggalan years ago when reading about yokai as it’s frequently mentioned alongside yokai myths. It’s also easy to get trapped in wikipedia going from article to article and site to site.
I hear you have some rather unusual pets. Care to tell us about them?
I think most of my pets are pretty common, but then I am used to associating with all the communities for invertebrate/reptile enthusiasts, so to me, they seem common. I keep a variety of roaches in particular as they’re one of those misunderstood creatures as aforementioned. I think one of the best ways to really understand something is to study it yourself, and I’ve learned so much about them since keeping them. The vast majority of cockroaches are not at all like the ones that invade our homes. They vary greatly from species to species, and their biology is fascinating. They’ve helped people & the environment far more than they’ve hurt them, by being pollinators, helping farms by eating worse pests, providing nutrition to insect-eating creatures, and helping break down leaf litter on the ground. They even inspired a far superior artificial heart for humans.
They actually look quite pretty when they’ve moulted
Your various online galleries have lots of pictures of your clown character, Boogle, and even some of you in clown makeup. Have you ever performed as a clown?
Bethany in her “Boogle” clown makeup snuggles up with the aforementioned “Kitty Monster”
I’m far too shy to perform as a clown, and I can just barely juggle and make some balloon animals thus far. I would like to start out by performing with puppets and perhaps work my way up to being comfortable in front of a group of people one day. I love to make people laugh and am pretty much an every-day clown, just not always in grease paint. : o )
If you want to see more of Bethany, her art and her collections, you can find her online at any of the following links:
– Tumblr: penanggalan.tumblr.com
– deviantART: penanggalan.deviantart.com
– Nabyn: penanggalan.nabyn.com
all the pretty ponies 