Electric Bill
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==Ghost Corridor and Early Years== | ==Ghost Corridor and Early Years== | ||
| − | Only several months after opening day in 1992, one of the Haunted House's major effects began to cause problems. It broke, basically. The Flying Ghost was supposed to glide over riders' heads and down the Ghost Corridor before disappearing behind a wall. The effect was achieved using an inverted track that the ghost prop ran along, situated overhead. The effect worked like a [[Rollercoaster|rollercoaster]]. The prop was released at the top of the track, it ran down to the other end using gravity, before entering a lift hill hidden behind the wall which took it back up to the top. Sounds neat, does it not? B&M were busy at the time, so the track was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics instead. Problems started after enthusiastic members of staff mistook it for a real [[Rollercoaster|rollercoaster]], and proceeded to ride the ghost along the corridor until flaking paint/death occured. Arrow | + | Only several months after opening day in 1992, one of the Haunted House's major effects began to cause problems. It broke, basically. The Flying Ghost was supposed to glide over riders' heads and down the Ghost Corridor before disappearing behind a wall. The effect was achieved using an inverted track that the ghost prop ran along, situated overhead. The effect worked like a [[Rollercoaster|rollercoaster]]. The prop was released at the top of the track, it ran down to the other end using gravity, before entering a lift hill hidden behind the wall which took it back up to the top. Sounds neat, does it not? B&M were busy at the time, so the track was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics instead. Problems started after enthusiastic members of staff mistook it for a real [[Rollercoaster|rollercoaster]], and proceeded to ride the ghost along the corridor until flaking paint/death occured. Arrow was called in to rectify the issues caused by the misuse, but unfortunately had since gone bust. |
[[John_Wardley|John Wardley]] called in Barry Lee and Andrew Howarth (two Haunted House project workers) to redesign the whole scene with replacement effects. These included: a skeleton on a toilet; a skeleton with a bomb; a skeleton in bed; an exploded skeleton lying in the remains of another toilet. So, an insight into the minds of Lee and Howarth, there. | [[John_Wardley|John Wardley]] called in Barry Lee and Andrew Howarth (two Haunted House project workers) to redesign the whole scene with replacement effects. These included: a skeleton on a toilet; a skeleton with a bomb; a skeleton in bed; an exploded skeleton lying in the remains of another toilet. So, an insight into the minds of Lee and Howarth, there. | ||
| − | Along with the new infestation of peculiar skeltons, Electric Bill was installed at the beginning of the scene. The effect consisted of the skeleton | + | Along with the new infestation of peculiar skeltons, Electric Bill was installed at the beginning of the scene. The effect consisted of the skeleton pulling at a lever on an old fashioned electrical fuse box which turned off the lights. I mean, scary or what? I could never look at a light switch in the same way again. |
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| + | ==Surviving the Retheme and ''The Case of the Ever-Changing Appearance''== | ||
| + | The Haunted House was closed for refurbishment at the end of 2002. It re-opened the year later as 'Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back', featuring "brand new state-of-the-art effects" and "cutting-edge interactive dark ride technology". By that, they meant they were turning the ride into a laser quest whilst adding some painted dummies on moving mechanisms pushed around by Oompa-Loompas. Many quality effects were removed in favour of these home-made Halloween props, including much of the Skeleton Corridor scene. It is not known whether they had mercy on him or simply could not be bothered, but Electric Bill was not removed during the refurbishment. | ||
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| + | When first installed, the figure wore a black suit and wig. In fact, he was the only skeleton in the scene wearing wearing clothes, and the only one not taking part in some sort of bedtime explosive toilet activity for that matter. Anyway, during the Haunted House refurbishment into Duel in 2002/03, a hat appeared on the skeleton's head and his lower jaw disappeared. Around 2006, Bill's lower jaw re-materialised and his hat disappeared. Recent rumours suggest that Bill was low on money and decided to sell his jaw in a deal, before the hat was stolen by a [[Chav|chav]] and he asked for his jaw back. However, it was proven that this was untrue, when CCTV caught footage of a hatted skeleton swapping shifts with a jawed skeleton, before having tea and scones together. It is unknown what each Bill gets up to in their spare time, but there have been several reports around Stafforshire of a skeleton using the internet to visit a certain [[Alton_Towers|Alton Towers]] fansite. Scientists have disregarded these sightings as nonsense. | ||
Revision as of 15:52, 13 June 2010
Electric Bill (also known as Skeleton Bob, William Sparks, Bill Electrique, Kumar Dixit or simply Bill) is the animatronic skeleton from Duel (previously known as The Haunted House) at Alton Towers. It is in fact a real person's soul trapped inside the figuritive cage of the fibreglass skull, leading to the owner of the soul to believe he is by the mystery of the figure, though in fact he is just mentally disturbed. But you will learn more about that when you study Quantum Dark Ride Theory. Anyway, the animatronic was built by Spark's Creative Services after a design by Barry Lee and Andrew Howarth. It was installed on the ride in 1993 as part of the new Skeleton Corridor scene (see below), being a replacment for a previous scene named the 'Ghost Corridor', which totally, epically, miserably failed. Tut tut, Keith Sparks! Again...
Ghost Corridor and Early Years
Only several months after opening day in 1992, one of the Haunted House's major effects began to cause problems. It broke, basically. The Flying Ghost was supposed to glide over riders' heads and down the Ghost Corridor before disappearing behind a wall. The effect was achieved using an inverted track that the ghost prop ran along, situated overhead. The effect worked like a rollercoaster. The prop was released at the top of the track, it ran down to the other end using gravity, before entering a lift hill hidden behind the wall which took it back up to the top. Sounds neat, does it not? B&M were busy at the time, so the track was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics instead. Problems started after enthusiastic members of staff mistook it for a real rollercoaster, and proceeded to ride the ghost along the corridor until flaking paint/death occured. Arrow was called in to rectify the issues caused by the misuse, but unfortunately had since gone bust.
John Wardley called in Barry Lee and Andrew Howarth (two Haunted House project workers) to redesign the whole scene with replacement effects. These included: a skeleton on a toilet; a skeleton with a bomb; a skeleton in bed; an exploded skeleton lying in the remains of another toilet. So, an insight into the minds of Lee and Howarth, there.
Along with the new infestation of peculiar skeltons, Electric Bill was installed at the beginning of the scene. The effect consisted of the skeleton pulling at a lever on an old fashioned electrical fuse box which turned off the lights. I mean, scary or what? I could never look at a light switch in the same way again.
Surviving the Retheme and The Case of the Ever-Changing Appearance
The Haunted House was closed for refurbishment at the end of 2002. It re-opened the year later as 'Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back', featuring "brand new state-of-the-art effects" and "cutting-edge interactive dark ride technology". By that, they meant they were turning the ride into a laser quest whilst adding some painted dummies on moving mechanisms pushed around by Oompa-Loompas. Many quality effects were removed in favour of these home-made Halloween props, including much of the Skeleton Corridor scene. It is not known whether they had mercy on him or simply could not be bothered, but Electric Bill was not removed during the refurbishment.
When first installed, the figure wore a black suit and wig. In fact, he was the only skeleton in the scene wearing wearing clothes, and the only one not taking part in some sort of bedtime explosive toilet activity for that matter. Anyway, during the Haunted House refurbishment into Duel in 2002/03, a hat appeared on the skeleton's head and his lower jaw disappeared. Around 2006, Bill's lower jaw re-materialised and his hat disappeared. Recent rumours suggest that Bill was low on money and decided to sell his jaw in a deal, before the hat was stolen by a chav and he asked for his jaw back. However, it was proven that this was untrue, when CCTV caught footage of a hatted skeleton swapping shifts with a jawed skeleton, before having tea and scones together. It is unknown what each Bill gets up to in their spare time, but there have been several reports around Stafforshire of a skeleton using the internet to visit a certain Alton Towers fansite. Scientists have disregarded these sightings as nonsense.
