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Monster Tattoo Skeletons dislocated by Santa Ana winds

This post has been updated. The original post is below the update.

It is probably the least significant damage related to the massive tragedy visited upon Los Angeles in the past weeks, but it was certainly a curious sight to see. On the night when Santa Ana winds broke tree limbs, flung debris across freeways, and fanned devasting wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, the 60 m.p.h. gusts also knocked the giant skeleton atop the Monster Tattoo Tavern onto its face, dislocating its right arm. Its companion standing in front of the building, a giant Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton, likewise lost a limb but remained standing.

The oversized skeleton props are distinctive decorations for Monster Tattoo Tavern; unfortunately, this is not the first time we have encountered one with a missing limb – they seem to be targets for vandalism. Still, it was startling to find the rooftop skeleton pitched forward at a tipsy angle; it must have been very well-anchored to have avoided falling off the building.

Fortunately, the skeletons have been restored since the above pictures were taken.


Original Post: Giant Skeleton Sighting (November 24, 2024)

The end of the Halloween season is no guarantee that all ghosts and ghouls have returned to their tombs. In fact, giant skeletons still roam among us, as evidenced by the pair decorating Monster Tattoo Tavern in North Hollywood. The slightly less immense Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton* standing on the sidewalk has been around for a while; the taller one on the roof is relatively new. Together, they serve as a rather eye-catching promotion for the business they haunt.

*Footnote: Or one like it. If memory serves it was damaged or missing when we drove by several months ago.


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Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.