If you want to conjure up some spirits this Halloween, why not go big and head to Salem, Massachusetts, the home of "Ouijazilla," the World's Largest Ouija Board? The Brobdingnagian masterpiece is the brainchild of Rick "Ormortis" Schreck, a tattoo artist based in New Jersey who is also the Vice President of the Talking Board Historical Society.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! explains that the board is constructed of 99 sheets of plywood, weighs 9,000 pounds, and measures 3,168 square feet. Ripley's provide more information:
Aptly named Ouijazilla, this gargantuan board was unveiled on October 12, 2019, in the heart of the Salem Common. The hand-painted wooden board and accompanying planchette are modeled after the original Parker Brother's glow-in-the-dark Ouija board—minus a few of Rick's personal embellishments. Rick even got the blessing of Hasbro, Inc. to construct this enormous version of their game!
The Talking Board Historical Society, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization "dedicated to researching, preserving and celebrating the history of talking boards." They explain that talking boards date back to around 1848 and the birth of Modern Spiritualism. They go on:
Most Americans are aware of the most famous talking board, Ouija, first introduced in 1890 by the Kennard Novelty Company and sold today by Hasbro, Inc.
What they don't know is that since the beginning, the Ouija board faced fierce competition from other manufacturers who produced hundreds of different yet colorful talking board variations. These were sold, enjoyed, and eventually discarded, only to be remade and rediscovered by new generations. Therefore, these boards represent an enduring pop culture phenomenon and an important lost art form.
Check out the video below to see the board, and read more about Ouijazilla and its creator here. And to learn more about talking boards in general, check out the website for the Talking Board Historical Society.
