Thanks for the tips and encouraging words!

Pete, I'd love to see pics of your Beastly Bookshelves.  You have FOUR, that's amazing. 

In fact, I'd love to see your collection posted here on the site. 

And thanks for parting with a few of them on eBay!

Greetings,

I have a recently acquired Beastly Bookshelf. 

Near the top, about where the large demon face begins, it curves inward, as if to loom over the viewer.

Is this intentional, and a common feature, or just a warp?

Thanks!


## UPDATE FEB 25 2008 ##

Okay, here's a picture.  The curve is visible, but not dramatically so until the piece is flat against a wall or floor. 

I think my question has been answered, anyway, if most of the existing examples are flat.

The piece in this picture looks particularly bad because I've chosen to restore it (the paint was flaking off, revealing exposed fiberglass) and I am currently in the process of removing the old paint.  A tad sacreligious, perhaps, but I don't think Rumph himself had anything to do with painting this one.  It was an gold with uninspired blotches of a darker wash.

I have also sealed the particle board structure on the inside with coats of fiberglass resin to inhibit further water damage.  This BB was apparently stored outside for some period in its history.

I'll post more pics of it later when it has returned to its beastly best.

### UPDATE March 30 2008 ###

I have an easy solution to Bookshelf warpage.

I set mine out on a flat driveway, on a towel, during an 80 degree Southern California day. 

In 15 minutes, the Bookshelf had settled back to flat, or nearly so.  I observed no cracking or other damage as a result.

My take is that is says "WIZARD'S"

I read it as 7 letters, based on comparing it to DEMON below.

The last two letters seem to be D'S, and the third to last letter isn't a P, which seems to eliminate RUMPH'S from possibility.  Not that I can positively make out the apostrophe.

The first letter appears to be an "R" but I didn't find a combination beginning with R and ending in D'S that made any sense.

The second letter looks like a U, but what if we are seeing an I along with the right upright in W.  The left upright of the W might be curling inward as if caligraphed, giving the illusion of being a closed-top letter.  The third letter from the end looks like an E to me, but what if it's actually an R.  Weakest part of my argument, in my opinion.  Then again, it looks like "RUSUED'S" to me.  Somehow, that doesn't seem likely.

The mess in the middle could be anything, but I think it's two letters, so I'm picking ZA. 

THE WIZARD'S DEMON DRINKING HORN makes sense, and fits the approximate letter count, and sounds like something Rumph would do.

Major element of wild-ass guess, but there you go.