‘Stranger Things’ home in Plainfield good for neighbor’s Pumpkin Riot Productions display

A sign in Brian Hunter’s front yard invites passersby to “take a photo with Riot Jack.”

Riot Jack is just one of dozens of handmade props Hunter has displayed outside his home as part of an extremely cohesive exhibit in terms of color and design.

This is Hunter’s fourth year for the exhibit: Pumpkin Riot Productions.

“Every year it gets bigger,” Hunter said.

The “pumpkin lords” are made from a base of PVC and chicken wire with hand-sculpted latex heads, he said. The jack-o’-lanterns are “hand-carved” – but their glow does not come from light sources.

“Orange UV paint,” Hunter said. “I had some lying around.

Hunter said he opted for the paint because hand-lighting the jack-o’-lanterns would take far too much time, especially since fashioning the props themselves are time-consuming.

Riot Jack took four months to make, Hunter said. Each witch takes approximately two to three weeks. The entire display takes several weeks to install, Hunter said.

“I need a month to set it up,” Hunter said, “and a week to tweak the lights.”

Every year, Hunter selects a few of his ideas to focus on. Every year, he starts building pieces earlier than the previous year.

“I started this year in February,” Hunter said. “And I still ran out of time.”

So Brian Hunter has already started working on pieces for next year’s display.

“I am more excited for next year than this year,” Brian Hunter said. “Because we’ve got great plans.”

[ Neighbors didn’t mind ‘Stranger Things’ display in Plainfield ]

Hunter said his own Halloween display received some extra attention this year from people who had parked near his house to visit the “floating Max” display farther down the street at the home many now call the “Stranger Things Plainfield Home.”

Ironically, Hunter was just 10 years old the first time he was portrayed in a Herald-News story about an elaborate handmade Halloween display. His late mother, Georgina Hunter, was the focus of that story, he said.

And yes, a few of Georgina Hunter’s original pieces are mixed into Brian Hunter’s display, although he gives them minimal handling.

“They’re so old, they’re falling apart,” Brian Hunter said.

A few pieces are store-bought. Those are strategically scattered among the display, he said. But one needs a discerning eye to tease them out.

Brian Hunter pointed to a piece at the back of the display.

“See that?” he said. “He’s from Home Depot.

Brian Hunter’s goal is to make by hand 100% of the display, even as he continues taking commissions from Halloween devotees seeking original props for their yard. Customers this year came from as far away as St. Charles and Georgia, he said.

Although Brian Hunter’s goal was to create a streamlined display, he said he loves all Halloween displays, even if a homeowner adds just a couple of items, interweaves themes or even places characters in a seemingly random fashion.

“If you celebrate Halloween,” Brian Hunter said, “you’re good with me.”

For more information, visit the Pumpkin Riot Production Facebook and Instagram pages.