I've just got my partner for the serial killer swap! Unfortunately, she's asked for nasty ones. I was sort of hoping she'd let me choose, and then I could pick someone tame. She's a hippy and a Disney fan, and her faves are Ed Gein and Andrei Chikatilo, which requires some research:

Ed Gein was inspiration for Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He was only convicted for killing one person, so isn't technically a serial killer, except for his peculiar decorating habits as discovered by the cops:

Four noses
Bone fragments
Nine death masks
A bowl made from a skull
Ten female heads with the tops sawed off
Human skin covering several chair seats
Pieces of salted genitalia in a box
Skulls on his bedposts
Organs in the refrigerator
A pair of lips on a string

What a charmer. Unsuprisingly, the abusive mother was to blame. He spent ten years in an institution to determine if he was sane, then spent the rest of his life in jail. Ironically, the doctors noted he was model patient, especially for the interest he took in handicrafts...My favourite part is about his car - which, after his imprisonment, was sold to a sideshow for $760 - who then charged 25 cents for people to have a ride. My partner refers to him as "Eddie" and claims "repurposing" is one of her interests.

Andrei, on the other hand, is known as "The Rostov Ripper" - and wikipedia enthusiastically informs me he not only killed 53 women and children, but was also a "sex offender, child molester and paedophile". What a charmer. Much like "Eddie", he was a victim of child abuse and grew up in Russia during World War II under horrible circumstances. He was ultimately caught and given 52 death sentences, one of which was carried out.

Frankly, I'm still very confused about this swap, but am looking forward to designing something nontheless. Possibly based on Gein's art projects which, as a crafty soul, do strike me as interesting (if not appealing). Or maybe a fake estate agent advert for his hand-crafted pad. I wouldn't touch Chikatilo with a bargepole - it strikes me as far far too distasteful. Gein was a bit creepy, but at the end of the day, only ever killed one person -the rest of the parts were the result of graverobbery. The card being sent to me is from a Twilight mom who I've swapped with before, who seemed sorta normal at the time; but I discover her fave is Henry someone or other, who at 360 confirmed kills, is America's most prolific serial killer of all time.

In short, I feel a bit sick - a real sticky feeling in my throat. And I'm still confused.