The Devil and Halloween
All Hallows’ Eve, better known today as Halloween, is associated with trick-or-treating costumes, pumpkins, haunted houses, and ghoulish creatures of the night, both living and the nonliving. This holiday is a festive, fun time to dress up and eat candy. Yet, there is another thought that this night is about worshiping the dark side of the devil.
Over my career, I made many demon devils and learned it stirs up emotions in people. An individual with a dark side is immediately drawn to it and thinks it is cool, while the others admire the balloon skills it takes to make it, yet prefer that I make a monster or jack-o-lantern instead.
The demographic that likes the devil balloon is in the upper teens to mid-twenties. A quick tip to recognizing this individual is to look at their clothing. If they dress in black, have a Goth look, or have tattoos of a devil, then you have found the perfect candidate for a devil: Grandma’s or people who are coming or going to church stick to the more popular jack-o-lantern.
Is it worth learning or designing a devil? I would have to say, “Yes,” only if you want to expand your thinking as an artist. The devil design changes a balloon artist to transform their thinking from the cute and pretty to dark and evil.
If you are a beginner, I would rather see you spend your time learning a funny Halloween joke or improving your basic balloon figures. The devil is not popular enough to waste time developing and once you have exhausted and perfected all your Halloween designs, try it. Until then, the Devil’s face does not need to be in your arsenal of balloon figures.
Design note: I could have spent another 10-15 minutes making the devil’s eyebrows more menacing, but at some point in the design, you have to say, “That’s far enough.” Otherwise, you keep tweaking it until something breaks or deflates.
I liked this article on The Devil and Halloween. I liked how it gave a well balanced series of thoughts pertaining to this controversial season where people have definite sides where they camp out with their opinions. Thanks Dale. I think it’s important to keep everything in perspective and not get too wacked out on something that is not worth exhausting so much energy on. Personally I know their is a dark side that wants us to spend energy and get caught up in battles that keep us from what is really important in life.
I enjoyed reading your post! I too have seen much emotion in designs like this, but I remind everyone that it was an artist that designed the red devil. Nobody knows what the devil looks like. So he is an ugly monster not much different than our ghosts, zombies and more.