If you've been online and in the Halloween spirit this season, you've probably seen pictures of a particularly charming crew of skeletons performing construction work amid punny road signs. The clever jokes and commitment to detail won the hearts of many a Montrealer, but the mastermind of the spooky scene has remained a mystery.
Thanks to the magic of journalism, MTL Blog was able to speak with the Halloween decorator behind the creepy construction site, an architect named Dylan Henry.
Festive caution tape and punny French construction signs.Donna Gold | Twitter
The stars of this decoration setup, besides the outfitted skeletons, are the shockingly realistic construction signs, with labels like "Hoad closed, use haunted passage," and "Haunted site. Work ends: NEVER." These custom props were handmade by Henry using a surprising key ingredient: old campaign posters from the Quebec election!
"I scavenged a bunch of those political signs that the candidates put up because they're nice and plastic," Henry told MTL Blog over the phone. "I spray-painted them in fluorescent orange, and then the graphics for the signs are basically just big stickers that I printed on adhesive vinyl," he added.
As for the cones, they were sustainably sourced from the never-ending supply available across the city. "They're just kind of everywhere," Henry mused.
A handmade construction sign reading "haunted site" above one indicating candy available only on October 31.Courtesy of creator.
At first, Henry was worried his decorations would flop. "I wasn't sure people would get it, but everybody gets it," he said. When people pass by, he said, "I look, I see them smile, I see them pointing and reading the signs, and then they kind of take a second look and actually read everything again, which is great because I thought people would just ignore the signs."
Henry also made it very clear that the joke isn't meant to come at the expense of Quebec's construction workers. "They work harder than I do!" he said.
When asked how the experience has been for them, Henry smiled, "It's been fun. It's pretty cool to see the reaction I've gotten from both kids and adults."
"Now I just have to figure out what to do next year."