Real Flames+Fake Bones=Fun!

We’re absolute fiends for Halloween, though we'll admit that sometimes we go a little overboard. Last year our porch was so scary that several elementary-aged trick-or-treaters refused, absolutely refused, to step foot on it, sending their parents up to nab their candy. Something about the creeping tentacles and clouds of fog unnerved the wee ones. That was before they saw the giant 14-foot spider hanging in the carport. Good times.

Naturally, one of the things we’re aching to see this weekend at Maker Faire is the Halloween stuff, especially Flaming Halloween. It’s the project of local mad scientist, robot builder, robot book writer, and über-Halloween dude Edwin Wise. You might've recently seen his giant flaming Rubens' Tube at opening night of this year's Fantastic Fest.

Wise will be giving Rubens' Tube demos every half hour at Maker Faire. He'll also have other Halloween hoo-ha around, including several projects profiled in the Halloween issue of Make magazine, like the Flying Crank Ghost and the Web Gun. Last but not least, he'll be doing a some castings from live faces and hands. Every seen a lifecast? They're amazing!

Maker Faire is this weekend at the Travis Country Expo Center [map].