IT Came From Indiegogo: The Lost Mysteries Collection Art Book

I know that I haven't done a "IT Came From..." for quite some time. and I also know that I still need to publish an article outlying Octovember, but this is a special case. When I get attracted to a crowdfunding project, whether it be on Indiegogo or Kickstarter, and I believe in the campaign I want it to succeed. If this means giving it a push, even with our small fan base, then that makes all the difference in the world.


So that leaves me with one question: Do you watch Scooby-Doo?

No, no.  Wrong reference. I'm talking about the Scooby Doo, Where Are You? You know, the (somewhat) cherished Hanna-Barbera cartoon featuring a totally not high group of mystery solving teens and their apparently magical talking dog? Yeah, I understand that the concept of Scooby-Doo was as ridiculous as every other Hanna-Barbera cartoon (i.e. Jabberjaw). They were silly, simple, at times convoluted, most times cheap, and I loved them.

Warner Brothers too zany for ya? Try Hanna-Barbera.

If Warner Brothers were the Marx Brothers then Hanna-Barbera would be Abbot and Costello. Really funny and really crazy, just not as funny or crazy as the other. Looking back on it I realize that I seemed to prefer Hanna-Barbera cartoons over the far superior Looney Tunes. I liked the insane scenarios I guess, the unrealistic set-ups of talking sharks and cars that solved crimes. They weren't as groundbreaking but they were entertaining to me, none more than Scooby Doo Where Are You?. 

The show was like the Haunted Mansion at Disney World, a safe scare-zone for kids who wanted a little spookiness in their Saturday morning lineup. Primary a mystery program, each episode would occur in some unnerving setting such as an old dark house or an abandoned amusement park while searching for lost gold or cursed treasures (or money. Lots of money). How is that creepy? Because the thief would usually be some kind of horror trope such as ghosts, monsters, aliens, robots, ghost pirates, zombies, voodoo priests, ghost knights, goblins, mummies, Aztec mummies, clown ghosts, cavemen(?), ghost spacemen, cotton candy ghouls, and the Creeper. 

No, wrong creep. I said Creeper.

Forget it, close enough. 

And the show really got interesting when actual classic horror characters from films began to show up like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the ghost of Mr. Hyde, Brackula, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers...you don't recall seeing those episodes with Jason or Freddy? 

Well apparently a lot of others didn't either because the Indiegogo campaign we're focusing on today was created to bring these little known "lost mysteries" of the Scooby gang to life (and no, before you post a picture below from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, I mean the Scooby-Doo gang). Believe it or not, It Came From Indiegogo..."The Lost Mysteries Collection" Art Book.

"The Lost Mysteries Collection" is, as it says above, a limited edition art book created to bring to life the mysterious that never happened, but if they did it would be awesome. A couple of months ago images began being shared on the web featuring modern day horror icons inserted into classic Scooby-Doo scenes.

The Case Of the Mysterious Ghost Face!

They seemed to match up perfectly with the original art and before you knew it they became viral. Blogs began reporting on them, horror fans started sharing them, and, in the ultimate expression of appreciation, the creators of many of these films began tweeting them. 

It was only a matter of time till the people began begging for these illustrations in the flesh. Eventually the horror website Bloody Disgusting decided to help back a project and the Indiegogo campaign was organized. As outlined on the campaign page, the "Lost Mysteries Collection" would

 compile all of the “Lost Mysteries” you have come to 

 love PLUS new mysteries the fans have been clamoring for: 

I’m talking Carrie, The Shining, The Lost Boys and MORE! 

And we're not talking about a indie zine, but a real bound book. 

I want this collection to be a quality product. One that’s 

printed on high quality paper like a REAL SWEET read. 

A book you’d find in Barnes & Noble and not WalMart, 

between the arts and crafts aisle and $5 DVD bin. 

\

It's funny if you think about it, as I bet a large number of the films this collection plans to cover are probably sitting right now in those very bins.  Just saying. The campaign page also describes how the book would be constructed, featuring-

Each book will measure 6″x 9″. It will be hardcover 

bound, printed on high quality paper and in full color.

This will be a limited run of 300 books. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

So as you can see these will be a big collector piece once the initial run is finished.

I'm guessing the book will look like this. Just. Like. This.

 So what will be featured with these lost mysteries? How about when the groovy gang met Freddy Kruger-

The Case Of The Springwood Slasher!

Or the time they visited Haddonfield to investigate the strange events in the old Myers place on Halloween-

The Spooky Shape Of Haddonfield!

Or how about when the Mystery Machine breaks down near an abandoned summer camp-

The Creepy Case of Camp Crystal Lake!

 And we can't forget the classic meet ups the gang has with the likes of-

That's a lot of sass in one package.

They all can't be the creepiest capers.What kind of demented mind could conceive of such a demented tome?

Travis Falligant has been a graphic artist for 10 years while working with such giants as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Orlando. He's also worked for more genre friendly outlets such as HorrorHound Magazine and Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Featured in HorrorHound Magazine

Travis has also been the owner and artist in residence at IBTrav Illustrations where he has created art for clients while also selling his own creations usually featuring mash-ups of popular culture.

Love that 'Mannequin' art.

It was when creating these creations that he stumbled on to something that really clicked with the horror community: Horror villains in Scooby-Doo. Why had no one thought about doing something like this before. It was ripe for a mash-up. Perfect almost. These two worlds meeting was amazing enough but the depth that Travis has gone to bring up more obscure films shows his immense fandom.

This Street Beat Is No Treat

Yeah...a 'Frankenhooker' reference. He went there.

When fans started asking Travis when he would sell his creations in his shop he was at first hesitant

I can’t tell you how many times I've been asked if I was 

going to sell these  "Lost Mysteries" pieces as prints or merchandise. 

I’ve always said "no". When I started this project, 

it was simply for fun and other horror fans’ enjoyment. 

It’s since grown into something of a juggernaut, 

giving me exposure and opportunities like I’ve never experienced. 

So there was no plan to sell the art until he consider a new, more complex way to immortalize his artwork.

So I said I wouldn’t sell them as prints, 

but what if I compiled all of the "Lost Mysteries" 

with preliminary sketches, never-before-seen art and commentary into a book?  

After Travis decided upon the "Lost Mysteries Collection' he made the decision to join up with a campaign partner, and who better to partner up with Travis then a website that has featured many of the lost mysteries artwork perviously...Bloody Disgusting.

Bloody Disgusting has been a source for horror entertainment news and features for years and they decided that "The Lost Mysteries Collection" was important enough that they decided to back Travis in his attempt to let it see the light of day (or night if you're Jerry Dandrige).

Travis has also partnered with Scares That Care and has promised to donate all the proceeds once the original goal is met. .

The horror community is truly an amazing one. A community I’ve been a part of for years. 

We are a wild but also caring bunch. I recognize that 

goodwill is something that needs to be passed on. 

All of the good will you have given me with the "Lost Mysteries" series, 

I want to pay forward.

In 1999 there was a massive Scooby-Doo 24-hour marathon that was based on 'The Blair Witch Project' called "The Scooby-Doo Project". 

Perhaps not the most original concept, it was rather a refreshing parody of the classic Scooby-Doo tropes while also a clever send up on what was a monstrous success at the time. What it really did was make a connection between Scooby-Doo and horror. I'm sure if you dig deep enough you will find that many hardcore horror fans started out as Scooby-Doo fans. Scooby Doo, Where Are You? was like horror training wheels, the first taste of a poisonous fruit. 

Scooby-Doo and the gang never were in any real danger, they were just costumed men in masks who wanted to scare people away, so there was never a true threat. In fact, Hanna-Babera originally conceived the show as an outlet for non-violent thrills unlike the superhero shows that were airing at the time. Without threats of violence one had to rely on suspense and mood, this is where Scooby-Doo found its voice.

By exercising the cartoon-like violence and playing up the atmosfear Hanna-Barbera, without realizing it, had implanted the seed of genre sensibility. It seems like a perfect match to combine the harder realm of horror with the lighter version. It's a nostalgic funhouse for both the kid and adult in us all.   

The only problem with this nostalgic trip back to our childhood is that this throwback collection does not feature what was one of the truly lost pieces of Scooby-Doo memorabilia: The "Scooby-Doo Lost Mysteries Game" for the SEGA system.

SHARE THIS

 While the game was fun it had to be pulled from shelves due to the graphic violence and a shocking amount of harsh language. Some things are just before it's time I guess.

$10USD

"Trading Card Terror!" 

-Trading Card 5 Pack: Collect trading cards from your favorite Lost Mysteries scenes! 

-Tweeted “Thank You”

$15USD

"The Sticker Stickup Change"

-Sticker pack of 3 large vinyl stickers featuring images from "The Lost Mysteries" 

-Tweeted “Thank You”

$30USD

"The Kooky Coloring Caper!"

-PDF version of "The Lost Mysteries Collection" 

-"Lost Mysteries" 32 page coloring book. Bust out your crayons and color the baddies from your favorite Lost Mysteries in this 8.5x11 funbook!

$40USD

"That Book, It's Worth A Look!"

-A copy of "The Lost Mysteries Collection" hardcover book! The bound, HQ printed collection of all Lost Mysteries in one, limited edition tome!

$75USD

"The Terror Target Takedown"

-A copy of the "The Lost Mysteries Collection" hardcover book 

-Wolfman Nards! Children’s Shooting Target game piece (originally only 2 ever produced!). High quality cardboard target collectable piece depicting the "sweet spot" on the Wolfman.

 

$250USD

"The Creepy Calendar Calamity!"

-A copy of the "The Lost Mysteries Collection" hardcover book 

-Printed name in "Thank You" section of book 

-31 Days Of Halloween Calendar (featuring art from the IBTrav Sketch Project, years 2013-2014)

$1,000USD

"Animated Abomination Situation"

-A copy of the "The Lost Mysteries Collection" hardcover book 

-Printed name in "Thank You" section of book! 

-"Lost Mysteries" coloring book 

-"Lost Mysteries" Limited Edition Tshirt 

- Get animated in your very own"Lost Mystery" scene with 1 horror icon or guest star of your choice! (8.5x11 HQ print)

 Donate to "The Lost Mysteries Collection" Art Book today before these mysteries are lost forever.