JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE. TO FEEL RELIEF…in classic comic book fashion…IT RETURNS…
Once again, it’s that special time where we crack open ancient remnants of “entertainment” from yesteryear and inspect the various capitalistic poisons found in between the stories of our favorite fabled heroes. Tooth rotting cereals? Archaic video games? Forgotten candy contests?BEHOLD: Welcome to another thrilling addition of Ad Nauseam! Why am I still doing this? I honestly couldn’t tell you! Excelsior!
Tonight, we’re crawling inside Spider-man Magazine #8released in December of 1994.
Spider-man Magazine is an interesting little time capsule of the Wall Crawler’s storied history as it was published as a “companion” to the Spider-man Animated Series airing in November of 1994. The magazine ran for 19 issues (March 1994-March 1997) and was an amalgamation of everything that would appeal to a 6-11 year old of the 1990s: part comic book, part Zoobook, part Highlights complete with free trading cards and neat contests. It even featured the freakin’ X-Men.
I found this particular issue tucked in between some “gaming” magazines at a used bookstore. Despite being a Spider-fan, I had no previous knowledge of this magazine but I’ll be darned if it didn’t still look as appealing as it did on the newsstand 30 years ago. This short lived magazine isn’t too difficult to find and doesn’t go for much. Unless you want the final 6 issues (which were only available through home delivery). Thumbing through Issue 5, I saw potential as its advertisements and layout stirred some personal recollections. It passed the “vibes” check as the kids say.
Let’s channel December 1994. So turn off Garfield’s Christmas, put down that god-awful Tiger electronics handheld “game” Grandma bought you, chillax, and let’s swing into the advertised offerings of Spider-man Magazine #8.
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Gargoyles
Imagine turning the page and coming face-to-face with this ad. I may not have had money in 1994 but take all my pogs including my ninja star slammer and just feed me whatever this is. An absolutely chilling and beautiful illustration in its own right; I’ll do whatever “Gargoyles” tells me to do. Coming October 24th? You got it. I’ve marked it on my school planner. I’ll even pretend to be sick and take the day off.
Of course this is for the debut of Gargoyles the animated series.
You remember Gargoyles. You friggin’ do. Most adults of a certain age remember Gargoyles. Can you recall specifics? Maybe not. But the fact that this show was on air for a little over two years and it’s still something many recall decades later has to mean something, right?
I’ll tell you what it means: It means Gargoyles was pretty badass. Do you see the advertisement up there?
Gargoyles was essentially Disney’s answer to Batman The Animated Series. Dark, brooding, mature, and meticulous; it was a cartoon made as much for kids as it was for adults. Heck, it wasn’t a “cartoon”…it was an “animated series”. It was masterly animated, pushed the boundaries of episodic animated writing, and was able to be “mature” all while maintaining a rating for children and adults alike. The intro to the show alone makes me able to do, like, 100 pushups.
While the show had a short run, it still spawned a comic book, toyline, and Sega Genesis game. Many in the animation industry have claimed Gargoyles as an inspiration and it even had its own convention that ran from 1997-2009. It was called The Gathering of The Gargoyles and the website is still live. If I was scheduled to work at a convention center during The Gathering of The Gargoyles I would probably bring a Pepsi bottle of holy water and keep a crossbow in my trunk.
There have been talks of a live action movie and “reboot” for years now, but I always find Gargoyles pretty special as it’s been untouched since its original purpose. It ruled the night for a couple years. The sun rose on their time and they returned to stone. They never overstayed their welcome. And they’ll be remembered fondly. And in today’s reboot/remake/recast culture, I think that’s pretty admirable.
Power Rangers Power Pak
I’m always going to be open with you: This advertisement is the reason I purchased this issue. I mean, there’s some cool stuff advertised here but this? This is the nostalgic g-spot. For a mere $6.99 ($1.95 S+H) you could become the baddest kid on the playground. As you’ll realize with the following ads, The Power Rangers were peak popularity and merchandise gold by late 1994. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze faded and the Power Rangers took the preverbal power ball and morphed with it. Personally, at the time I was completely dedicated to all things MMPR. You recall that famous scene from Scarface where Tony Montana is sitting in his mansion surrounded by piles of cocaine and henchmen? I was like that, except in a midwest trailer park with Power Ranger junk and Mondo. Almost the same. Basically.
The Power Pak consists of a small unconventional plastic “canteen”, a “just come out and admit its a” rape whistle, knockoff lightsaber consisting of the least popular colors, plastic telescope that a Power Ranger couldn’t use if they tried, and an identification badge if the rape whistle doesn’t work. Sure, it’s just a bunch of marked up dollar store toys, but that’s the shameless beauty of trends. This stuff sits on the shelf of the strip mall dollar store yet slap a Power Rangers decal on it and you’re sending away for it like a mighty morphin’ sucker.
An ad like this is why I’ve been writing these articles for over 8 years. Wow that’s a bit humiliating when it’s written out. Throw in a pair of plastic electro-binoculars, a list of demented far-left opinions, and mark the price up 800% and you can call it a “Luke Skywalker” Power Pak.
Cap’n Crunch MMPR WristGame
Hey guess what? No time for guessing it’s 1994 and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are inescapable. The masses have kicked those pesky Ninja Turtles to the curb and have found new (non-turtle) color-coded teenagers with attitude. And Captain Crunch is docking his ship to the Mighty Morphin’ Money train.
There is so much going on in this illustration. I love it. It looks like a flyer for an underground punk show plastered on a telephone pole outside a dive bar. We’re assaulted with the Power Rangers “Computer Wrist Game” but also watch VR Troopers from Saban Entertainment and, oh by the way, eat Captain Crunch cereal too. Sugary Technicolor Capitalist Vomit that I would get tattooed on my damn gosh back!
Even 3 decades later, I’m still intrigued. There was a boy in my class that had a Mario Bros. game watch that I thought was pure illegal magic. This kid can play Mario? On his WRIST? AND HE CAN PLAY IT WHENEVER HE WANTS?! The idea of just firing up your favorite NES game during school secretly on your watch was fantasy to me…because of course it was. It was one of those crappy little LCD games that are essentially bedazzled smoke detectors. Barely resembling the title it claims to be that made you want it in the first place. And the “Power Rangers Computer Wrist Game” was no different. And I don’t even think it even tells you the (morphin’) time. An example of the idea being better than the execution. Yet, I have to admit, it looks radical. Take your $8.95, Crunch. Because wearing this unassuming colorful robot the size of a can of soda on my wrist will make me the talk-of-the-town (and also the biggest dork on the playground).
Nabisco Marvel SuperSnack Tins
Reward children for eating cookies. What can go wrong?
Clip those proofs-of-purchase off that Chips Ahoy or Oreo package and send it away for a Spider-man, X-Men, Iron Man, or Fantastic Four SUPERSNACK tin. I’ve actually used the Spider-man tin to collect my spare change for close to a decade without knowing where it came from. The mysterious magic of Ad Nauseam at play, folks!
As a child, do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas or Birthday gift you received? You probably do. But what about promotional mailaway items? Okay, maybe not. Personally, I always thought these were the most rewarding “gifts” as a kid. Cutting out and collecting proofs of purchases, finding a stamp and envelope, gathering change for shipping. Finally, riding your bike to the mailbox and dropping that bad boy inside. You felt like you were “earning” something! And then the waiting game began. Remember, most of these things took 8-12 weeks for delivery. And, in kid time, that’s 3-6 years. So you completely forgot about it.
You come home from a monotonous day of school and you’re told there’s a package for you. Strange. There’s, like, never mail for you…you’re a child. Then you feverishly pull apart the packaging, the memories of what the heck is in your hands warmly floods back, and the serotonin goes into overdrive. Behold! Your long awaited treasure turns your mundane day into an exciting one!
I’ve had many Christmases and Birthdays with gifts that accompanied them. And I am grateful. Yet I can’t recall most of what I received in those days. Yet I can name the 5 mailaway promotions I took part in. Interestingly, If I received a Star Wars stamp set, Superman poster, or Indiana Jones flashlight as Christmas gifts I probably wouldn’t remember them. But because I “worked” for those particular things in question…at an age where money and responsibilities aren’t vast…I remember them 25+ years later and appreciate those objects a little more. Perhaps the lesson being earning things can feel more rewarding even leading to pride? Imagine that. Who says these articles have no redeeming qualities?
Spider-man may have been on his way to Marvel’s quintessential superhero animated glory, but he wasn’t the first there…as the X-Men reigned supreme at this time. So much so that Spidey shared this very magazine with the X-Men. X-Men already had some pretty awesome promotions but this one in question being arguably the most overlooked: exclusive “caps” with your Target Kids Mutant Meal. “Caps” being a term for unofficial Pogs. It’s difficult to get any more 90’s than receiving X-Men “pogs” from a department store cafeteria. Maybe if Steve Urkel handed them to you I guess.
I’ve been to a couple Targets that still have traces of a cafeteria (referred to as “Food Avenue” in this ad) though not as robust as they were 30 years ago. The point being these department stores were a place to spend the day; complete with daily sales and a place to get a hot meal. I spent an obnoxious amount of time in my local K-Mart as a kid complete with getting food at the “K-Cafe”. Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, popcorn, cotton candy, and Icees adorned the menu. I believe they even had breakfast options in the mornings. And frequenting K-Mart as often as I did, you couldn’t help but notice the “regulars”. The lonely single seniors with their paper and coffee. The downtrodden simply spending the day there. Teenagers taking advantage of the sitting space to read magazines without buying them. And, of course, the blue light specials over the intercom that kept many of them alert. These “cafes” bred a whole type of culture of its own. Not a “coffee shop” scene…but not quite a “homeless shelter” vibe either. It was somewhere right down the middle. And there’s been nothing quite like it. And I can’t say I miss it.
It’s interesting to think the modern trend is being able to pick up items without even leaving your car. These “restaurant” sections shuttered over the last couple decades. What does that make of the lonely, the societal misfits, the aimless youth that inhabited it? Was it for the best?
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Well, folks, that’s another Ad Nauseam for the books. Covering some interesting yet silly offerings found between the pages of a 30 year old Spider-man Magazine. A couple years back I was working on an Ad Nauseam installment when a coworker asked what I was doing. I answered, “I write about old advertisements found in comic books…” to which he simply and genuinely replied, “Why?”. I chuckled but the simple question really made me ponder on it for a bit. I recall that interaction whenever I write a new installation.
This is the 17th installment of Ad Nauseam written over the course of 8 years. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. But I’m proud of these. It’s a way to wax nostalgic to myself about things that a very tiny number of people find interesting. It’s a great exercise of recollection, bad humor, and introspection published into the void of my website. There have been so many personal life changes over the course of those 8 years that sitting down to write these articles have become nostalgic in themselves. I recall different times that feel long ago when writing these articles that fill me with a specific warmth. The kind of warmth I felt when writing about these advertisements of simpler times. The act of writing about nostalgia has, in fact, now become nostalgic to me. It’s a great way to glance at the past, smile, and keep moving forward.
You’ll always find “insight” into comfy comic culture here on ChrisDoesComics. “Why?”
Why not?
Oh, and below are the trading cards that came with my magazine.
It’s alive! This is my LiViNg journal of Halloween related activities I’ll be updating from October 1st to October 31st! Return every weekday to read my random seasonal ramblings and see what spooky nonsense I’m up to!
The tail end of the Halloween season marched on for the past few days. Not as strongly as I wanted, but I’ll take it any way I can. We took a few days off work and headed down to the family household early to decorate for trick or treats. We weatherproofed some outdoor ambient lighting. Set up our blaring sound system and indoor lighting “network”. Spread cobwebs everywhere and jammed foam tombstones as deep as we could in the front yard. Ziptied plastic skeletons to various outdoor furniture. We ended the evening with dinner at a local dive bar with deliciously greasy food. The same as we did last year. Yet none of the patrons were in costume like the year prior.
Halloween felt subdued in our area. It could be because we spent the entire week prior out of state. It could be because many festivities were thrown the weekend before the actual holiday. But time seemed to just be flying by, even more so than usual, and it was a strange feeling to even be celebrating Halloween. It seemed to sneak up on us like some sort of supernatural horror movie slasher. And it went as quickly as it came. Halloween day was gray and aggressively blustery. We lost several tombstones to the wind in the early morning. A couple showers throughout the day made you feel a little more hopeless. I told myself that at least it wasn’t snowing like last year.
Trick or treating trickled in at 5 PM. Per tradition, I dressed as Michael Myers and stalked the yard silently; spooking those who’d stop by. The streets had a solid amount of zombies, skeletons, Ninja Turtles, and princesses for the next couple hours. Yet it still seemed lighter than usual. The night came to an end. Another successful spooky Halloween in the books. By noon the next day, all the decor was back in its rightful storage place as if it never even happened. In retrospect, it almost felt like Halloween didn’t even happen. We didn’t even look at decorations through various neighborhoods or carve a pumpkin. And, if you lived in America, you certainly know that starting November 1st, everyone goes full Christmas. Completely burying any remanence of Halloween that came just 24 hours prior. But the beauty of the holidays is: there’s always next year.
As I look forward to the coziness and warmth of the upcoming holidays, I always mourn the Halloween season. My personal favorite time of year. I already have some big changes in store for next season and I look forward to documenting them in next year’s Halloween Daily Blog. I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween season and you all carry some spookiness with you all year round. Thank you for reading and…
October 28th:
Earlier this year I was digitally browsing decades old monster comic magazines for inspiration when I came across an ad for a mail away mask of this goonish-like mutant. I loved the ad and the mask and made a mental note to come back to it and see if I can track down the mask somewhere online. Long story short, I can’t find the ad and I tried to retrace my steps numerous times with no luck. The mask in question, as far as I recall, looked similar to this Beach Goon mask. It’s not a dead ringer but I could see them being in the same family. When searching for this particular advertisement I came across The Monster Mask Catalog Archive which, while not what I was originally looking for, felt like I stumbled upon a goldmine regardless.
This archive features dozens of Halloween catalogs scanned in page by page at a solid resolution spanning decades. It’s so fun to hypothetically pick what you’ll be by browsing these decades old treasure troves of spooky delight. Besides scanning the choices offered from the 1960s and 1970s, I started browsing particular years from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s to see if I’d dust off the cobwebs and drum up any personal memories of Halloween’s past. And I certainly did. I wrote previously about nostalgic recollections of Halloween found in local drugstores, as I found many of the costumes offered in these very archives. Possibly the first time seeing them since those days long ago. They appear in some of the Collegeville archives from 1992 and 1993. I recall thumbing through those weird vinyl “jumpsuits” of Superman, Batman, a Ninja Turtle, and Sonic the Hedgehog at my local drugstore. Taking in the weird plastic smell and wondering why all these characters had their logos and pictures of themselves on their chests.
There were also many deluxe latex Halloween masks I recall seeing in various front yard displays throughout my childhood. Interesting to see that these masks were quite expensive in their day and can’t help but think of the owners leaving these masks out in the unpredictable midwest weather every fall. There’s also many props, masks, and latex limbs I remember fearing as they were used in local haunted houses and “spook sheds” at various pumpkin farms and haunts when I was younger. The Monster Mask Catalog Archive is an incredible resource if you’re into this niche. And if you’re here, I suppose you are. Browse the collection and put yourself back in those days of being a child and decide what you’d be for Halloween this year. It’s time well spent!
October 20-27th:
A bit of a cop-out, I know. But as soon as my art reception was finished, my wife and I whisked off to a much needed vacation to the Catskill Mountains in New York. I wanted to dedicate my time to the present and be phone-free, so I decided to halt the blog posts for the time being.
In all honesty, I expected to return with individual updates of our various Halloween-related activities but, surprisingly, we didn’t find much to represent the spooky season in the northern mountains. In fact, we both noticed the severe lack of pumpkins where we were. We usually have our “getaways” during the fall season as it’s our favorite time of year. And it is during those trips that we’ll sample a spooky smattering of pumpkin farms, haunted houses/mazes, and ghost tours. Unfortunately nearly none were to be found amongst the Catskill Mountains.
We spotted some decently decorated houses throughout. Although the “oversized skeleton” decor ran its course by house number 8. They were still few and far between. Talking to some locals, Halloween seemed to be a bit of an afterthought. Bartenders admitted to us that a couple “costume parties” in nearby bars were a bust with little to nobody showing up. Listening to their local radio, when on the subject of Halloween…it was talked down to…as if it was something childishly foolish to even think about celebrating. A town wide “trick or treat” was happening on a particular day we were walking the shops with only two trick or treaters spotted. We went on a ghost tour in Schenectady, yet even the tour guide’s cadence was “eh, whatever” after every tale he told.
Sure, it was only a week spent in late October within a small sampling of New York…so it would be dramatic and ignorant to declare “Halloween is dead!” when regarding my opinion of that area. But, if anything, it made me realize how well the midwest embraces the Halloween season. Within about a 15 mile radius we have dozens of haunted attractions, pop-up stores, incredibly creative decorated houses, local dances/fairs/festivals, and a bunch of pumpkin farms within a 20-30 minute drive. And, understand, I always believed we could’ve done more. Count your blessings as they say.
It wasn’t all a spook-less bust though. We did have breakfast in a quaint old diner where the servers were discussing their journeys on purchasing their grandkids Halloween costumes. And a pirate themed bar where the owner told us was haunted by a mysterious woman. You can’t escape Halloween. It just may not always be a big bright orange jack o’lantern glowing right in your face.
October 19th:
My wife and I made a slight excursion on our way to New York to spend the night in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A town that absolutely embraces its haunted history in a way both good and bad. I had driven nearly 11 hours getting there and we were only spending the night so we were unfortunately on a bit of a time crunch; but we did stroll the downtown area, get some dinner, and go on a ghost tour.
Sachs covered bridge being the highlight. Built in 1852, used by both Confederate and Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg, the bridge served as the execution site for at least three Southern soldiers, providing the backdrop for the supernatural activity said to take place there. Being a decent evening in October the bridge was quite crowded with activity…not ghostly per se…but with amatuer ghost hunters including a cringy young woman lighting candles to host a “seance” as Disturbed played through her bluetooth speaker. A real vibe killer.
There was a lot of firsthand knowledge of hauntings throughout the town of Gettysburg (rightfully so) supplemented by ghost tours taking place through multiple companies seemingly every 15 minutes. Take that how you will. We plan to revisit the town of Gettysburg much more thoroughly in the future, definitely not during the October season. The horrors that took place and lives ripped away all across that town is simply unfathomable. The American history there is tragically rich. Yet Gettysburg stands today bloated with hokey overpriced souvenir stores, ice cream parlors, medicorce restaurants and gimmicky ghost tours. The streets lined with an amalgorithm of tourists and locals treating it almost like some sort of warped Beale street/Magic Kingdom concoction. Tasteful? No. Disrespectful? Yes. Uniquely American? Indubitably.
October 18th:
I have my own art show the entire month of October at a wonderfully charming gallery in Ottawa Illinois called Openspace Art Gallery. Downtown Ottawa is such a hip cozy town. It’s like something out of a Hallmark movie but more artsy and not as corny or redundant. I’ve been part of a solid amount of art shows. And I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of several art galleries. But this my first solo show. Which, if you’re an artist, is a big deal. It means 1. You have the AMOUNT of art pieces to fill an entire gallery and 2. The gallery owners (also artists) think your art is strong enough to dedicate an allotted time in their business to your art ONLY. So this show is all very inspiring, hopefully to others as well, as I always want to evolve and grow as an artist.
The reception was held tonight. We had a great turnout complete with pumpkin cookies, spooky art, and a full moon. The two hours absolutely flew by and I felt so privileged for everyone that came.
I create my art because I need to. Financial gain and trends are never a driving force. Growth is. Every piece is a challenge because it needs to be. Yet despite all that inner turmoil, if my artwork makes someone decide to pick up a pencil and draw something that’s been in their head the past few days…then that makes it all of this worth it. To submit to that cycle of inspiration. And let creators create in their own way. You don’t need hashtags, followers, and blue check marks to be an accomplished artist.
October 17th:
About 6 years ago I was on Youtube rifling through various “lo-fi hip hop” and VHS filtered “synthwave” livestreams when I found something even more chill with nearly every type of niche represented: the endless world of Ambiance Videos. Calm and relaxing, ambiance videos are meant to be supplemental…to set the mode…feed a vibe. Like a larger, more creative sequel to those endless “burning yuletide logs”. It’s something you put on in order to do something else. Obviously with the Halloween season being here, I compiled a few of my favorite “spooky” ambience videos for your consideration:
Sitting On The Porch On Halloween Night: Crickets, rustling leaves, and fall inspired oldies music playing from another room. A basic standby when it comes to Halloween ambience perhaps…but for good reason. Here’s a similar one for good measure.
1980s Halloween Channel Surfing: Another nostalgically creative ambience video. The full moon shines on a humble spookily decorated living room complete with 80s era technology. Complete with a television playing all things horror from that era at a low volume. This video plays the complete classic Night of the Living Dead with classic Halloween commercials scattered in between.
Great Pumpkin Ambience and Music: Just discovered this one. As simple and lowkey as a Peanuts cartoon. The classic pumpkin patch fills your screen with the sound of wind, leaves, and (most importantly) the warm chill Peanuts music by Vince Guaraldi. So relaxing.
Halloween 4 Neighborhood Ambience: This one is an example of those niches you can find when delving into the world of ambience. For whatever reason, I think Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is the coziest of the Halloween movies that really captures the vibe of small midwest Halloween. This video is just 90 minutes of Haddonfield on Halloween night ‘88 with the sound of wind, owls, crickets, and passing trick or treaters.
Beetlejuice In The Attic: This one is so well done and creative I had to include it. It’s Danny Elfman’s score to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice but it all takes place from the attic’s perspective. The time of day changes. The tv flickers on. The wall opens. The model of the town reacts accordingly. It plays Harry Belafont’s calypso music. It’s like if you want to experience Beetlejuice without having to follow plot and dialogue. Strange and unusual? Yes but I myself am strange…and unusual.
These are cozy to play when eating a fall inspired meal, decorating your home for Halloween, or even reading for a bit. Nothing too distracting or loud, just a different vibe for a specific environment. There’s so many types of ambient videos out there by such talented creators that, with a little searching, you’ll undoubtedly be able to find your “vibe”.
October 16th:
Tonight I finally got to see 1941’s The Wolf Man on the big screen.
I say “finally” because the Wolf Man is my favorite Universal Studios monster and even though those films are considered horror classics, it’s still tough to track down a local screening; with your best chance being during the Halloween season. I’ve been lucky enough to see Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Creature From The Black Lagoon (in 3D!) at some historic Chicago theaters. Yet the Wolf Man always eluded me.
The Universal Monsters still bring in a crowd. Over 80 years later, The Wolf Man dragged in monster fans of all ages. The theater had a table in the lobby showcasing a local artist’s classic monster model kits assembled and painted. Live organ music played before the show. And a spooky Betty Boop and Three Stooges short accompanied the feature. An absolutely classic night at the movies in every way possible (except the prices).
Personally, I believe Halloween is a holiday most linked with movies. One can argue Christmas, yes, but Halloween’s entire image is shaped after horror films and spooky movies. Christmas films are based around the holiday’s traditions and the films themselves pop up during the season. The Horror genre is present all year and (if big enough) influences the Halloween season through decor, costumes, haunted houses, and music. Creating fresh traditions; adding to the lifeblood of the spooky season.
Speaking of movies, my bucket list classics left to see on the big screen would probably be Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, The Mummy, and (a personal favorite) The Invisible Man.
October 15th:
1982’s Creepshow is a bloated forgettable slog of a movie.
There I finally said it.
Horror anthology movies have always been a mixed bag in my opinion. Which is the allure of them I suppose. Several short spooky stories tied together as a feature length film is as “horror” as it gets, dating back to the spooky comic titles of the 1950s like Tales From The Crypt or Vault of Horror. Several scary stories for the price of one! It’s a subgenre that has had a resurgence over the years with such movies like V/H/S, Trick Or Treat, and All Hallow’s Eve.
Amongst the horror community, Creepshow has gotten a lot of positive attention the past decade or so. And how can it not? It’s an 80s horror film written by Stephen King, directed by George Romero, with Tom Savini’s makeup effects and wrapped up with a comic book presentation. The movie was a big hit in its day too, spinning off a sequel and the Tales From The Darkside television series. But despite all the talent and style involved I still think the movie is a forgettable swollen corpse.
The acting is goofy and over-the-top as it should be. The comic book styling is fantastic. The vibrant lighting and illustrated overlay effects and framing does make it feel like it’s a slimy horror comic come to life. And, with that, I expect the stories presented to be tacky, heavy handed, even predictable in nature. But, even then, each story runs far too long. Bloated with unnecessary details and exposition that add nothing to a plot in which an 8 year old knows the direction we’re headed.
“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”is my personal favorite of the stories presented. And that’s because Stephen King’s acting is so incredibly goofy yet innocent that he keeps your attention. And this short story moves at a good pace with a “less is more” humorous direction.
“Something to Tide You Over” is a distant second. Interesting premise. But you can easily shave about 30% off its runtime and it would flow much better.
Creepshow doesn’t have the cleverness of The Twilight Zone (or even Night Gallery) that came before it. Nor does it have the briskness and impact of Tales From The Crypt. All these brilliant minds of horror came together and showed me that they have a hell of a style and solid premise…but when it comes to execution…it made me want to put on a better anthology film. I’d recommend 1993’s Body Bags or even Creepshow 2.
October 14th:
I wrapped up casually reading this year’s edition of Archie’s Halloween Special.
The only comic book subscriptions I’ve ever had were Daredevil and Archie.
The comic books I read month to month were dark, dramatic, high stake episodic adventures. Kinda the point of comics, right? But sometimes the dark dank rainy streets of Hell’s Kitchen and Gotham become a burden. That’s when the sight of light, nostalgic, sunny Riverdale came along. Nearly 200 pages of Archie and his pals’ wholesome antics put together in a pocket sized digest. Archie was my “go-to” book whenever I had some downtime on the go. Nowadays I usually only pick up the Halloween and Christmas special as they’re the coziest and really cast the seasonal mood.
Inside consists of some new Halloween comic strips compiled with classic ones from the 70+ years of Archie comics publication archives. What’s great about these comics is the changing of art styles (especially fashion) throughout a comic digest. The Archie gang were always stylish for the time, so they were drawn that way. I love playing the game where you can spot saddle shoes and poodle skirts to bell bottoms and beetle boots to rolled up jacket sleeves and shoulder pads. You’re seeing Halloween through the ages. Reading a comic that perhaps some elderly person in the retirement home read when they purchased it for a dime at the corner drugstore.
As the cover says, this is “The Official Comic Book of Halloween” and that’s true as far as I’m concerned. Next time you’re in your grocery store or drugstore take a look to see if they still carry Archie Comics (they’re usually at the checkout). It’s a great spooky indulgence this time of year.
October 12th and 13th:
I’m sharing 2 different recent sets of General Mills monster cereal mascot prizes that I’m sure you all know: Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo Berry, and Frute Brute. Yummy Mummy inexplicably absent. For shame! The 3 smaller figures were offered individually as a prize in General Mills cereal boxes back in October of 2021. They had 6 of their “Cereal Squad” mascots dressed in Halloween costumes PLUS the famed monsters. Apparently the chance of you pulling these monsters out of your sugary box ranged from “very rare” to “ultra rare”. I didn’t partake in this promotion because I rarely eat cereal. Today, these figures go for around $15 to $20 a monster on eBay. I acquired these earlier this year stumbling upon an eBay listing riddled with spelling errors and poor keywords. $12 for all 3 monsters. And I didn’t have to devour multiple boxes of sugary byproduct!
The second set (taller with solid colors) was won from a promotion that ran in October of 2022. The back of the seasonal Monster cereal boxes had unique codes to enter through a website; in which winners were drawn at random. The winner would receive a set of 4 of the figures pictured (“redesigned” by the “artist” KAWS). Not only did I find out you could enter once a day; but I also found out they were giving out A LOT of these sets of figures; AND a single code you enter is good for every daily entry. So I figured with some determination and luck on my side, I’d give it the ‘ol college try. I entered 3 times a day; under 3 different e-mail addresses; 7 days a week. After about 5 weeks of doing this…I received an email that I had won and received them about 2 weeks later in the mail. This set goes for about $14 on eBay. That’s a little over $3 a figure. Cheap? Yes. But I won these. These monsters are mine. And nobody can take that away from me.
October 11th:
Tonight I’m recommending THE SUPERMAN MONSTER a one shot comic book released in October 1999 from DC Comics. As the title suggests, it’s an elseworlds tale stitching together the legend of Superman and Frankenstein creating a familiar and spooky super story.
This was a follow up to 1998’s similar oneshot Batman: Two Faces which was a tale taking pages from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Bruce Wayne being both crime fightin’ Batman and anarchistic serial killer The Joker; all while hunting down Two Face in Victorian-era Gotham City. After the story of Batman: Two Faces; The Superman Monster is unfolded by Daily Planet Editor-In-Chief Perry White toCommissioner Gordon over drinks at the Iceberg Lounge. The story takes on the familiar beats of the Frankenstein story with enough Superman lore to make it a title worth remembering for fans of either character. With mad scientist “Viktor” Luthor discovering the deceased alien remains of an infant; Using the strange “S” crest as a breastplate and electoral conductor; the “Superman Monster” wearing the black “revival suit”; The super powers causing The Monster to behave erratically to his “rebirth”; Stumbling upon the “Kent”’s farm as a way for The Monster to learn humanity; Eloise (Lois) serving as the eventual “bride”; and the “mad” Luthor searching for The Monster whereabouts in what he calls a “fortress of solitude”; the book was familiar, clever, and entertaining all within the span of 52 pages. I recommend reading it by Jack O’lantern light and sipping hot cider. The Superman Monster is written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with artwork by Anthony Williams, Tom Palmer, and Lee Loughridge.
October 10th:
Tonight was a creepy cartoon cavalcade of animated Halloween treats.
There’s 1985’s Garfield’s Halloween Adventure. My personal classic that I included last year in my Daily Halloween blog. It aired alongside The Great Pumpkin for 14 years in a row before it was abruptly stopped in 1999. I still recommend Garfield’s Halloween Adventure; especially if you have young kids and want something safe yet spooky for them to watch.
Disney’s adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic tale: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Cozy and classic, Bing Crosby narrates (and sings) the story of Ichabod Crane and his run-in with the legend of the Headless Horseman. Released in 1949, this is some peak Walt Disney animation and production. With every background being a work of art and Ichabod’s movement/expressions being downright hilarious.
A special that needs no introduction is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown broadcasted in 1966. The special’s enduring popularity helped define Halloween for baby boomers and contributed to the spread of Halloween as a widely celebrated holiday. Its viewing has since been established as a common Halloween tradition and its 2003 rebroadcast was the most successful holiday special of the 2000s with 13.2 million viewers. Since 2020 the Peanuts specials are all streaming “exclusives” on Apple TV. Completely ruining its broadcast legacy and causing millions who are incapable of dealing with all these different app and streaming nonsense to not see it. Good grief.
Finally, we finished with The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V originally broadcasted in 1994. The Simpson’s fifth Halloween special. This episode, in particular, is known for its adaption of “The Shining” and the late James Earl Jones briefly voicing Maggie. This is the first time I’ve added a Simpsons anything to a holiday list as I don’t know anyone besides myself who enjoys The Simpsons. It’s interesting that the show is so clearly revered by so many; yet whenever I’d bring up The Simpsons I’d get shut down quicker than an axe to the back of Groundskeeper Willie. Therefore, the act of enjoying The Simpsons has sort of become something I do in solitude. A love all for myself I suppose.
October 9th:
The Blowmold Blues
Do any Halloween-heads out there actually prefer the loud goofy inflatable lawn decorations over the bright glowing sturdy blow molds of yesteryear? Have you ever driven around your neighborhood and seen front lawns littered with colorful trash bags but realize it’s all those inflatable decorations sleeping on the job? It’s tacky and garish. And even though those two adjectives may seem appropriate for Halloween, those decorations defile it in a negative way.
Of course, those were the same thoughts back when it came to blow molds. Those charming plastic figures that give a warm glow come Halloween and Christmas. They’re called “blow molds” due to the method used to make them: melted plastic is blown into a mold. They were produced as early as the 1940s, but didn’t really catch on until the late 1950s(made popular by such companies as Union and Empire plastics) and were yard staples through the 1990s. You can still find some out and about today. Problem is many have stopped being produced, which means their value goes up, and nostalgia sets in. Suddenly that 36 year old Jack O’lantern blow mold that lights up your porch is going for $150 in used condition at an antique store. Your ‘ol Halloween standby is now a collectible!
I get it, styles change…companies close…that’s why lawns are now littered with what looks like humming inflatable circuses. In 30 years, will people be nostalgic for those? Will there be an antique store with an inflatable minion dressed as a vampire that only partially inflates for $200? Only time will tell. I still enjoy spotting classic blow molds in their natural habitat when I drive through neighborhoods looking at Halloween decorations. Its become a rare but cozy fall feeling. In my youth, I’d say seeing a blow mold displayed in a front yard amongst the decorations was extremely common during the holidays. So much so that they were completely unremarkable. Now if one out of every six decorated houses has one, its become a sight to behold. A relic from your past illuminating the night.
Trivia: Did you know the classic lawn Pink Flamingo was the first blow mold produced?
October 8th:
Halloween time is that special time of year for all the horror-heads to hit their blogs, vlogs, and social media to talk about the most underrated and overrated horror movies with opinions that will just shock you! Forget over and under…what about just rated?
For that, folks, I give you our movie of the evening: 1990’s Arachnophobia.
Arachnophobia is a perfectly serviceable movie. It works even better if you don’t like spiders. The director Frank Marshall does a fine job. Jeff Daniels leads a cast that does an adequate job. The cinematography and music is acceptable. The practical effects are satisfactory. Arachnophobia simplyisn’t risky enough in any way for the modern internet age to crown it “underrated” or slap the tired title of a “hidden gem” on it. It’s sufficient. And that’s okay.
I used to watch this movie here and there as a child. It had enough grossness and playful demeanor to keep me entertained. I kinda equated the tone to Gremlins; meaning it was light and humorous yet with serious repercussions. I decided to watch it last night because my wife hates spiders (how original) and this movie was made for people like that, right? Rewatching it from beginning to end for the first time in (nearly) 30 years, I realized how going “big” in horror isn’t always a benefit. The plot of Arachnophobia is as grounded and small as the spiders themselves. The horror mostly comes from the situations you wouldn’t want a spider involved in (there’s a spider in my shower; in my slipper; in my food) but it’s not over-the-top and garish. Throughout the film, I couldn’t help but think how diluted this movie would be with the modern use of CGI.
There isn’t a dog sized spider in the final act that webs up the loved ones and townspeople. The spiders don’t “talk”. The spiders don’t have green mucus oozing from their fangs. Nobody gets covered head to toe in a “blanket” of spiders. The “invasion” of these spiders doesn’t even involve anyone outside this small country town. So I appreciated the grounded take on all this. Here’s some regular sized spiders in a small town that have super toxic venom. Watch the f*uck out.
Arachnophobia isn’t overrated or underrated. It’s just rated. And after you finish watching it, you’ll probably be checking your walls more carefully, be more suspicious of any itch on your body, and check under your covers before going to sleep that night. That’s effective filmmaking. So it’s a win in my book.
October 7th:
As more Star Wars projects get made, I’ve come to terms that I do not like a majority of Star Wars. That being said, I am still passionately enthralled with a very select time frame within it…and I’ve stayed within that bubble to appreciate Star Wars again and, in my opinion, how it’s meant to be. That’s the beauty of the lore within the galaxy. I recently (and finally) beat 2002’s Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. It’s an action title focusing on Jango Fett’s peak bounty hunting adventures that served as a “prequel” to Episode II: Attack of The Clones. Why am I talking about a 22 year old Star Wars video game in a Halloween blog? Well, because the final mission takes place on, essentially, a cemetery planet. And it’s some classic transylvanian horror spookage.
The level takes place on Kohlma, which is nicknamed The Moon of the Dead because of a deadly war where the entire moon became a memorial tomb for the fallen. Since you’re playing as Jango Fett, you’re there to eliminate Komari Vosa…a force sensitive cult leader of the “Bando Gora” who created an army of drug addicted husks to be mindless assassins and slaves. Evil stuff, right? The silent “Bando Gora” assassins look like mummified remains with glowing red eyes. Some donning the skulls of a ram-like creatures. And the level itself looks like something out of Castlevania and a Hammer horror film. The darkness of night, thick fog as you explore crypts, coffins, and obelisks. Large bat-like creatures hover above. You traverse to, what I can only describe as, Dracula’s castle through the eyes of Ralph Mcquarrie.
I don’t think there’s a “Halloween” in the Star Wars universe, but this particular level had to be one of the first interactive fully realized “horror” environments established in Star Wars media. Evil cults, mysterious castles, dark “magic”, fog, cemeteries, crypts, bats, and skeletons. The final level of 2002’s Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is a little spooky space morsel to be had this Halloween season. And, fancy that, it was just remastered for modern consoles a couple months back.
October 5th and 6th:
The above image is a picture I took Saturday morning of White Cemetery near Barrington, Illinois. It’s claimed to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in Illinois and often gets mentioned alongside Bachelors Grove (one of the supposed most haunted cemeteries in the entire country). I finally got to venture inside it as it was part of a 7 hour ghost tour my wife and I were on.
You read that right: a 7 hour ghost tour.
I’m not sure if the average joe even thinks about going on ghost tours, but my wife and I always hit up at least one when we’re visiting a new state and try to find many local to us within a reasonable distance. We’ve done quite a bit…but this was certainly the longest one by far. White Cemetery is located on historic Cuba road, which in all is legendarily haunted if you’re familiar with anything spooky in the midwest. Disappearing gangsters, spirit “lights”, phantom cars, and burning mansions are just a select few of the bullet list of the bizarre when it comes to Cuba road. The tour was also more than just a single cemetery (for 7 hours it better be) as we ventured to the “Devil’s Gate” of Libertyville, Vincent Price’s childhood home, the shady Mineola Hotel, and also…well…a few more cemeteries. White Cemetery is a place I ventured with friends multiple times in my youth during the Halloween season. We were only ever able to drive past it due to heavy surveillance and even multiple parked police cruisers. Even today, management showed up in less than 10 minutes of us being in the cemetery. It’s interesting because my wife and I both trespassed into world renowned Bachelors Grove Cemetery after dark and spent all the time we wanted there with no trouble.
The Mineola Hotel on Fox Lake built in 1888.
If you’ve never taken a ghost tour before and you’re into the paranormal and (most importantly) history, I’d strongly suggest taking one because ‘tis the season. Not to mention most of these tours are small businesses run by a handful of spooky passionate people. On top of the history and lore it’s always interesting to hear how your guides ended up here and what hobbies they’re into. I think a lot of people seem to believe ghost tours are akin to some sort of “haunted house” walkthrough. As if it’s something childish or hokey when the reality is they’re essentially history tours that focus on death and darker elements guided by people who are truly passionate about it. And I love hearing people talk about what they’re passionate about.
October 4th:
Riding that Goosebumps high from last week, we decided to watch The Haunted Mask II tonight. Being a Goosebumps reader back when they were first released, I was aware there was a sequel novel, but had no idea it was adapted into 2 episodes of the Goosebumps television series. I hadn’t read the book so I had no idea what this Haunted Mask entailed; other than I didn’t like the mask design as much as the first. This episode was released nearly a year-to-the-day after the original (October 29th 1996) and the brief episode description laid out that one of the kid bullies from the previous tale got their hands on a haunted mask. Sounded enticing, as wearing the mask makes you an angry little shit as we saw with the first wholesome kid putting it on. So a mean spirited bully wearing it would mean an even more intense scary story, right?
No. Not really.
All the original kids were back for this one. Even the old spooky shop owner and parents. One of the bullies from the first one, Steve, got his hands on another haunted mask in which he was turned into a feeble old man. He said “boo!” to a couple kids at first, threw a small pumpkin at the front door of a house, then just got really tired…confused…thirsty…and wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood asking for a glass of water. Although the first Haunted Mask was a bit humorous due to some acting, effects, and plot issues…it was still effective especially for a child. Which is the whole point of the Goosebumps stories.
But Haunted Mask II wasn’t effective and I found myself laughing out loud often. This kid put on this grotesque mask and, after a couple minor inconveniences, acted like an elderly man. What I also found baffling was the amount of adults and kids in the neighborhood that reached out to help what they thought was a confused senior citizen; even though he flat out looked like a melting goblin. Is R.L. Stine pro agism? Do all elderly people look like monsters to him and this is how he’s expressing his prejudice?
I’d still say give this a watch as it’s entertaining in a different way from its predecessor. Afterall, I don’t think time can be wasting on a Goosebumps episode.
October 3rd:
Tonight we took a shot in the dark with 1976’s Kenny and Company. A movie not really forgotten because I don’t believe it was ever remembered in the first place. I was drawn to it as I was looking into the films of Don Coscarelli (of 1979’s Phantasm fame) and it involves a bunch of familiar names and faces if you’re a fan of the Phantasm horror film series. Kenny and Company is about nothing in particular and everything in general. It’s a slow, low key “slice of life” film about a 12 year old boy just living life in the 1970s. That’s literally it. There’s really no beginning or end. The film takes place covering some antics a few days leading to Halloween night.
You’ll see them go to school. Ride their bicycles. Work on their costumes. Skateboard and build a soapbox racer. Talk about girls and dying. Take on a bully. Go to a birthday party. All leading to their Halloween night of trick or treating. It’s like a stream of consciousness. But what I enjoyed about it is there was no rose tinted glasses or “nostalgia-bait” like so many attempts at the “throwback” entertainment of today. It’s a very genuine movie with great insight into those “good ‘ol days” as they took place. Not because that’s what they set out to do; but because it became sort of a time capsule with a thin narrative to string you along. I imagine the adults that were kids of this era would really get a kick out of this film.
It has a great cozy fall vibe throughout with plenty of classic Halloween decorations and just a careless innocence that can’t help but make you smile…even if you might doze off before it ends.
Finally was able to dust off the bin from our dusty crypt of a basement and get some decorating done to the ‘ol homestead. I don’t go overboard when it comes to decorating. Everyone has their own style and presentation. I aim for a quick setup and (eventual) take down. A single bin to pack up and store. Afterall I need to drag it up/down 6 staircases (including a tight winding one into the dark basement). We rarely get visitors and we’re often gone. So the decorations are for my wife and I only.
The final implementation is always a freshly carved Jack O’Lantern. And that comes later in the season. Speaking of jack O’lanterns, a new addition to our decorating lineup this year are some pumpkin streamers from the mid 1990s my wife found at a thrift store earlier this year. They have a fun nostalgic “classroom” Halloween vibe that I appreciate. Of course, part of decorating for me is also having the appropriate snacks throughout the season. Apple cider to sip on, apple cider donuts to snack on, plenty of “fun size” Halloween candy to munch. We’re not big on “pumpkin spice”, although I’ll usually get a pumpkin iced coffee out of Halloween civic duty. And, of course, a monster cereal proudly displayed above the fridge. Y’know, for posterity.
October 1st:
I was visiting a Spirit Halloween over the weekend when, in their mask section, displayed prominently was a single “Haunted Mask” as it appeared in the legendary Goosebumps episode. It was instantly recognizable, yet it took me a couple seconds to think why. Goosebumps, while fondly remembered, isn’t something I’ve really revisited (in book or television form). Yet when grabbing the mask off the peg, a wave of familiarity rushed over me. From the faded frightening look to the thin rubber feel. I even quipped “There’s only a single mask here, just like in the show!” Crazy how you remember such things, even though it has been decades since I’ve watched it.
The mask, haunting my thoughts since the day prior, caused me to seek out the famed Goosebumps two parter; leading to my wife and I (un)officially kicking off the Halloween season with a viewing. Although my wife is absolutely sheltered when it comes to pop culture in most general forms…she actually was a big Goosebumps fan and knew this particular story well. The Haunted Mask may be one of Goosebumps most popular tales of terror and for good reason. Despite the cringey acting and dated effects (that’s often the charm when it comes to horror anyway) it’s still an effective and downright spooky story. Afterall, a monster mask that grows on your face during a foggy Halloween night could only get more seasonal if candy corn shot out of your nose and your ass played Monster Mash. “The Haunted Mask” gets a strong recommendation for any age. Even though, as an adult, the scariest thing about it are the lines carelessly delivered from the oddly awkward human husk that is R.L. Stine.
It’s alive! This is my LiViNg journal of Halloween related activities I’ll be updating from October 1st to October 31st! Return every weekday to read my random seasonal ramblings and see what spooky nonsense I’m up to!
October 31st:
Well, folks, this is the big orange day! Life is often said to be about the journey rather than the destination. And it was especially true this Halloween season. It’s been a bit of a frustrating journey, with the 31st itself being the most frustrating. Our wedding being smack dab in the middle of October meant a lot of Halloween traditions had to be outright omitted. Which obviously comes with the wedding planning territory. But it’s also the main reason why I started this Daily Halloween Blog. As a way to not just share spooky activities; but to also reminisce about Halloween past. And writing this certainly helped evoke that cozy fall feeling I love so much about the season.
My final weekend leading up to Halloween was calm and cozy. We got dinner at a local dive bar. A “priest” took our order and Olive Oil was the bartender. I carved a Jack O’Lantern, watched Svengoolie and Hocus Pocus, ate too much fun sized candy, and my wife and I threw together a decent yard display for the trick or treaters. Here in the midwest, Halloween day was freezing cold and it even snowed! Despite the weather, we still got a decent amount of trick or treaters (about 1/3rd of what we usually get) as we had our Halloween music mix blasting and me as Michael Myers “haunting” (and shivering) the yard.
Yeah, we didn’t put together any costumes this year. And, sure, we missed a couple parties, pumpkin farms, and haunted houses. Our yard “haunt” was assembled quickly with not as much care as usual. And I certainly did not watch as many horror movies as I usually do. But I’m grateful to have what we have. Tradition is inseparable from nostalgia. Take Dracula and his casket or Dr. Frankenstein and the monster, you can’t have one without the other. As each new Halloween season approaches, I harken back to those of yesteryear. There was never any extravagance among my favorite Halloween memories. It was something as simple as taking in neighborhood decorations with my mother, attending my school’s fall fest with some friends, or carving a pumpkin on the kitchen floor.
And I believe that’s a big reason why Halloween has always remained special to me: it’s what you make of it. And Halloween doesn’t have the overwhelming pressure of, say, a Birthday, Christmas, or Thanksgiving. It’s the only holiday where you can watch Ghoulies Go To College alone while downing an entire bag of fun-size snickers and it’s considered time well spent.
I hope everyone had a nice time reading this daily blog. It certainly helped circulate some much needed Halloween spirit throughout my corpse. And I hope it had a similar effect on you as well. I’m already thinking about next year! Remember, Halloween is what you make of it! See you in 2024 and have a…
October 30th:
I distinctly recall the year realizing Halloween (as I know it) was over. The spooky season seeped in with little fanfare amongst my teenage group of classmates. The idea of costumes, trick or treating, and carving pumpkins suddenly became passé, something “kids” did which we certainly were not. An internal switch was flipped within my peers to abandon all the harmless fun associated with Halloween. Innocence traded for cartons of eggs and toilet paper. Trying to sneak booze and cigarettes; watch an R-rated slasher film solely for blood and sex.
In other words, it sucked.
I remember innocently asking my mom to take me to a costume store one weekday evening to browse for the big day. She reluctantly did, but chided me about being “too old” and asking “what for?” when it came to dressing up. The lack of care seemed like an infestation I couldn’t shake. A part of me thought it may have just been easier if I succumbed to my adolescence, listened to some Nirvana, and egg a neighbor like I’m apparently “supposed to”. I spent a few days before Halloween making a Marvel Comics Ghost Rider costume composed of an old leather jacket, tinfoil, and drugstore skull mask. I stepped out on a particularly cold and dark Halloween night to a barren street. I walked a few blocks alone in the cold with no one in sight. I ended up back home tossing my hastily handmade costume to the floor gutted. Realizing that chapter of my life was over.
Disappointed, I decided to distract my sorrows in our Windows ‘98 HP PC. I still remember a time where the internet was a tool. Slow and limited. Complex to most. A fad to some. New to all. The internet was often a place to many as well: the library, school computer lab, a friend’s basement. It wasn’t all instantaneously encompassing as it is today. The computer booted up; the dial up connected; and I was met with a festive AOL homepage consisting of Halloween-centric articles and even a “Halloween radio” to play. I indulged in the simplicity. I sat in our folding chair, parts of my “Ghost Rider” costume still attached to me, listening to a low quality “Monster Mash” hum through cumbersome speakers. I read the history of Halloween, trivia on classic Universal Monster movies, played a spooky flash game or two, and visited ghost hunting message boards…partaking in what I can only describe as “20th century ghost stories told around a digital campfire”. It wasn’t the Halloween I was used to…nor the one I wanted. But things change and I had to make the best of it. It was the beginning of something new…leading to the internet becoming the force and lifestyle it is today. A supplemental “celebration” I suppose. And a modern tradition that, I’m sure, all of us partake in whether on purpose or not.
October 28th & 29th:
Tonight I finally carved a Jack O’Lantern! I say “finally” because we’re cutting it close to the big day, but..then again…I think I end up carving a pumpkin around this time anyway. I’ve only been doing this classic seasonal activity regularly for a little over a decade. I started by simply painting a pumpkin or two for display. Then I “graduated” to carving more complex designs (my favorite I recall being “Stripe” from Gremlins). The past 5 years though I’ve been keeping it classic: gut it, carve a face, and throw a few tea lights inside. Nothing beats a simple Jack O’Lantern face be it goofy or scary.
When it comes to pumpkin decorating what grabs your ghost? Do you buy those plastic appendage kits to simply jam into your gourd? I once watched a home’s Yoda Pumpkin rot and become one with the earth over the course of about a year on my daily lunch walks. Do you paint or use stickers? If you carve, do you go with a face? Or a more complex design? Do you throw away your pumpkin guts? Do you save the seeds? Do you use actual candles to illuminate your work? Or some sort of lighting mechanism? There are a lot of inexpensive options out there that make this age old activity so alluring. The Jack O’Lantern is the symbol of Halloween afterall; and it’s pretty radical that you create your own to represent Halloween every year.
October 27th:
You recognize this Jack O’Lantern pumpkin pail. I know you do. We all do. I’m not speaking in generalities either. This specific one. With the angular features and “sharp” teeth. Come fall, Its presence is expected. Available nearly anywhere from pharmacies and grocery stores to pop up Halloween and department stores. They often line the top of shelves like a plastic candy collecting army. It’s become an important yet overlooked staple of the Halloween holiday. A spooky symbol of youth.
But he’s gone.
His name is “Big Jack”. He was a plastic blow mold candy bucket manufactured every Halloween from 1980 to 2018. Born from a line of seasonal blow molds, “Big Jack” was produced by Empire Plastics from 1980 to 2000. Empire downsized in 2001 and quit the blow mold game, selling all their machinery to General Foam. General Foam took over making “Big Jack” until their closing in 2017, with new old stock selling into 2018. The machinery that produces “Big Jack” and various other classic Halloween blow molds were auctioned off to independent buyers. Yet many exist somewhere untouched and unwanted.
Perhaps you don’t believe me? Maybe you think I’m all hopped up on blow mold plastic and talkin’ crazy. Next time you head to the store take a look at the candy pails. You’ll find a variety I’m sure. You’ll find similar ones. Ones you may even for this exact one. But it won’t be “Big Jack”. Another Halloween icon turned into a relic. Time devours all, my fiends.
I saw a quick video a couple weeks back from one of the many nostalgic instagram accounts I follow consisting of Halloween footage from the 1990s collected from various sources off the internet. No sound. Nothing too skilled, just a simple post to evoke nostalgia in the viewers.
It inspired me to do something in the same vein but more my style. The footage is all taken by me casually either on various walks, in my own home, or on adventures. The music was pulled from this compilation I discovered 3 Halloweens back and am obsessed with. I tried to capture the nostalgic, warm, cozy feeling of the Halloween season with what I was surrounded by. A simple video experiment; but also a kind of “conclusion” to my personal season. I hope it all makes you guys want to sip some pumpkin tea and read some Poe.
October 25th:
Tonight we were lucky to catch a special Halloween screening of the director’s cut of 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors on the big screen. I watched this film at a very young age and remember it fondly solely for it being so loud and colorful. I’ve seen it a handful of times since and while I enjoy it…it’s not one of my favorite movies or anything like that. I’ve also never seen the “director’s cut” (nor did I know there was one). Generally, I’m not a fan of director’s cuts. And, as it turned out, I have no idea if I like this one because the distributor ended up sending the theatrical cut instead. The theater apologized, but I didn’t find it to be too much of a problem…as I was there basically for the candy and ambience.
Revisiting the film, I still rather enjoy it. Though I mainly perk up for Steve Martin’s scenes (especially with Bill Murray’s cameo) as he steals the show for the little time he has. Seeing it for the first time on the big screen, you can really see just how incredible the puppetry involving Audrey II is. Apparently Jim Henson (while uncredited) had a hand in it (ha!) being a Frank Oz directed film. Audrey II is a prime example of when people say CGI could be inferior when it comes to special effects.
Some trivia for this that surprised me: there was an animated series that debuted on FOX Kids in 1991. It’s simply called “Little Shop”, the main characters are children, and it had a rap intro. Sounds sacrilegious, right? But the art style and execution is surprisinglygood. It has a sort of Rocky and Bullwinkle 1960’s aesthetic (which was when the original film was made). I had no idea this thing existed…but, heck, if I caught this on a Saturday morning I’d leave it on. There’s just something about 1990s cartoons where there seemed to be some extra magic, you know? Things that shouldn’t have worked in fact did. Here’s the first episode of Little Shopfor your viewing pleasure.
October 24th:
The pumpkin farms I grew up with were synonymous with large wooden characters (often) amateurly painted and staked into the soil to add some pizzazz to an already colorful fall fest. There’d be the classic monsters and creatures you’d expect…some complete with face holes for the perfect photo opportunity. Possible memory makers cut and painted from plywood. This isn’t necessarily a lost art even in 2023, but time takes a toll on these wooden creations especially in midwest weather. Not to mention some characters lose relevance entirely and vanish to make way for more modern trends that the children will recognize with a smile. Personally, I’ve taken note of this through the decades. Which is why I’m focusing on this Yogi Bear during a recent trip to the pumpkin farm.
This Yogi Bear, in particular, has been at this farm for 32 years. The same spot. He even received a new paint job a couple years back. We used to take school field trips to this farm to pick our pumpkin for the season. Yogi would direct us where we’d be eating lunch for that day: in the repurposed greenhouse. Hey-Hey- The Eating Area is That-A-Way! What makes this so endearing is the amount of change that’s happened, not just in life, but at this particular pumpkin patch. So many personal staples are gone. History. Yet Yogi still stands. Not only as a director of where to eat that apple cider donut and hot dog…but, personally, as a symbol of youth and simpler times.
Reluctantly being a sort of cartoon connoisseur, this version of Yogi isn’t even the classic pic-a-nic basket grabbing bear you may know. It’s his “look” from 1991’s Yo Yogi! A short lived cartoon that reimagined Yogi and other Hanna Barbera characters as teens that worked at the local mall. A sort of “hip modern” take on these classic characters from the 1960s. If that popped collar, tie, and rolled sleeves combo doesn’t scream “1991” I don’t know what does. And here he stands in 2023. And, probably, to little attention from guests. A legacy probably as dead as the mall he worked in. I smile when I see him. Because I assume every year may just be his last. I give an abridged history of this cartoon cutout to my wife. She politely smiles and nods albeit disinterested. I don’t blame her. Sometimes I’m disappointed with myself when it comes to my knowledge on these things. Yo Yogi may not exactly be a Halloween decoration, but has inexplicably evolved into a tombstone of sorts. A marker representing a time long gone. Placed firmly in the dirt for all to see.
October 23rd:
Tonight we attended a screening of 1927’s The Cat and the Canary as part of a local “silent film” club that meets once a month in a historic theater. This is only our second time attending something like this, but we were so delighted the first time we figured we needed to make it a regular thing…especially during October. It is an inexpensive date night and it’s so darn impressive to watch (and hear) a live organist bring life to the film right before you. Realizing how integral music is to a film in conveying emotion. One man “scoring” a nearly 90 minute film…in one take…timed to the actions on the screen. Incredibly impressive, man. And, unfortunately, soon to be a lost art.
Like most early films, The Cat and the Canary is based on a stage play. I’ve only heard of it at this point but, in doing some mild research, I was excited to learn that it is considered a cornerstone of Universal Studios horror as well as the “haunted house” genre. The director, Paul Leni, also directed The Man Who Laughs the following year…a movie well known amongst Batman fans as the inspiration for The Joker. The plot is a little slow and the laughs are far between, but it’s atmospheric and entertaining. I’m glad I got to experience The Cat and the Canary in a way it was meant to. You can watch the movie (for free) here if interested!
October 21st and 22nd:
Tonight, we partook in a recent tradition of watching 1957’s “The Incredible Shrinking Man”. I first discovered this film only 5 years back through an episode of Svengoolie. A humorous premise coupled with the presumed silliness of 1950s sci-fi made me believe I was in for a laugh. But, instead, this film absolutely grabbed me and it has become one of my favorite movies period.
The first half of the movie being about the shrinking “sickness” is cleverly filmed. It’s silly, yeah, but there’s a seriousness to everything that you can’t help but empathize with our protagonist. And the second half of the film, taking place entirely in a basement, is just exemplary edge-of-your-seat thriller filmmaking. This (assumed) goofy ‘50s sci-fi turns into something profoundly thought provoking. Questioning the very foundations of our personal impact on life in the grand scheme of God’s design.
Also I got married this weekend but that’s not what this is about 😉
October 20th:
In Halloween terms, are you a makeup or mask person? Personally, I enjoy doing makeup for others…but I’m 100% a mask man. Although my early years of Halloween costumes definitely involved some classic makeup. I recall some days before school, sitting still on top of my grandparents washing machine while my mom made me into Dracula or the Wolfman with a cheap makeup kit bought at the drugstore. She always did a great job too, my favorite being the drizzle of “blood” running down from my mouth as Drac.
Halloween makeup kits were always fun to peruse whether I had any intentions on using them or not. An appliance always grabbed my interests; perhaps a warty rubber nose, bloody scar, or yellowed fangs. I loved the packaging of the models showing what your makeup could totally look like…if you had someone artistic enough applying it. I never saw anyone look as “spooky” as the person on the box but I suppose it was more about the journey than the destination. A few makeup kits I personally recall was a werewolf one purchased at a pumpkin farm when I was in 4th grade; as well as the yearly temptation for the “official” Freddy Krueger makeup kit: complete with latex nose and brow. Freddy was always on the costume list for me…even before I saw the films. It was just the uncomfortable idea of wearing, what seemed like, a gooey cake on your face for a day made me choose otherwise.
Another realization I made through the years was noticing the same scary makeup models on the packaging. If you’re that person, what does that feel like? What if you buy your kid a makeup kit with you on it from when you were their age?!
“So, son, your grandma pushed me into child modeling at your age. I have nothing to show for it other than landing a Classic Vampire Makeup Kit gig at Dr. Pumpkin’s Special Effects Inc.”
That’s basically immortality!
October 19th:
I have an ever growing mix of a Halloween playlist that I listen to when the season is here, and every year I seem to connect with a particular song. It doesn’t have to be a newly discovered addition either, it could be a song I’ve heard a hundred times for three decades. This year “Love Potion No. 9” is the song in question…much to my surprise…as this is a song I’ve heard for decades and, while I enjoy it, it never truly hit me until now. “Love Potion No. 9” was written in 1959 by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. They wrote such hits as “Hound Dog”, “Kansas City”, “Jailhouse Rock” and “Yakety Yak” amongst many other hits. “Love Potion No. 9” was recorded in June 1959 and released in July of the same year by R&B group The Clovers. The first version happens to be my favorite but I’m sure most of us are familiar with the version by The Searchers released in November of 1964.
I’m partial to the sassy piano and voice afflictions of the original Clovers’ version. I also understand the lyrics as they’re better enunciated in the original version. But it doesn’t stop there as there are multiple covers of “Love Potion No. 9”. I truly don’t believe there is a bad version of this song.
Lastly there’s Elkie Brooks’s cover from 1977. Her cover makes you feel like you’re walking into a smokey bar looking for murder leads as she seduces you on top of a piano.
Somehow, through it all, this became a “Halloween” song. It’s not spooky or Halloween heavy…but there’s a link to a potion. So that’s good enough I suppose. Yet I’ll take any reason to listen to “Love Potion No. 9”.
October 18th:
Deadly Friend is a 1986 horror film directed by the legendary Wes Craven. This movie has recently become special to me as it was so vividly embedded deep into my subconscious as a child never to be seen again until October 2022. I have a very evocative memory of sitting on my grandmother’s bed by myself one evening and being captivated by this film. I was completely enamored with actress Kristy Swanson and wanted nothing bad to happen to her throughout the film. I audibly yearned for her to turn out “okay” throughout.
Of course, if you’ve seen the film…something bad happens to her. And Deadly Friend is an absolute trip of classic 80s horror trash that my spooky soul runs on. It starts off as goofy robot-gone-bad suburban horror and then completely shifts gears about halfway through. And I love every moment. I later found out the odd tone of the film going from “boy and his robot pal” to suddenly “schlocky bloody horror” was because Craven made Deadly Friend with the intention of straying away from the horror genre and more into a sci-fi story of companionship. But, much to his chagrin, the studio was all “make this bloody and scary Nightmare dude.”
I was so enamored with this film that after I saw it, I immediately told my mom the entire plot through the filter of my limited child vocabulary. Confessing I was so sad for what happened to Kristy Swanson because “she was so cute”. For decades all I had to remember about this film was it was a horror movie with nighttime scenes starring a “cute” blonde girl and an ending credit theme so catchy, I remembered it 30 years later. For ages I just assumed it must have been 1983’s Christine as it has a similar aesthetic and the similarly striking Kelly Preston must’ve been whom I fell for back in the day.
Then, last year, I stumbled upon this wonderfully chaotic song on youtube that grabbed the thread of a memory, yanked it to the present, hotwired the nostalgia and got us running on that trail again. After 30 years, I was finally reunited with my Deadly Friend.
October 17th:
Tonight we watched Garfield’s Halloween Adventure which has become a yearly tradition for us. This cartoon was first aired October 30th, 1985 on CBS alongside It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The special was aired every Halloween season through 1999; so there’s a reason why so many of a certain age may fondly recall this fall classic. As long as I can remember, I watched A Garfield Christmas every holiday season. But I actually haven’t had Halloween Adventure in my regular Halloween viewing rotation until the last 4 years or so. It starts off with a classic Garfield plot, but really takes a spooky turn in the last 10 minutes or so. From art style to narrative, it’s probably the most “off-brand” Garfield special…but with good reason and it’s still great for kids.
I grew up (and still am) a big Garfield fan. Not in the confusing “ironic” way so many seem to be nowadays either. I read Garfield every week in the funny pages. Watched his reaired specials and Garfield and Friends series. I genuinely enjoy his antics.
As a sort of cartoon connoisseur, the “ghostly” encounters of Garfield’s Halloween Adventure definitely seem rushed and incomplete. There’s a lot of recycled animation throughout the special, but the style takes a (more complicated) shift once they get to the spooky mansion. There’s a complete lack of sound effects, some bizarre pacing choices, and poor reused animation cycles that don’t make sense for the plot/predicament. I notice these every year, and it makes me wonder if there had to have been a rush to meet the deadline. I know it’s just a silly old Garfield cartoon…but that’s honestly why I notice. Because these issues don’t stick out in the other specials. But I’m just being picky. Regardless, I still recommend Garfield’s Halloween Adventure; especially if you have young kids and want something safe yet spooky for them to watch. In fact, Garfield himself uploaded it and you can watch it here.
October 16th:
It’s (pretty much) the halfway point to Halloween! I hope all the Halloween-heads that keep returning to read my Boo-Blog are having a fulfilling season primed with rubber bats and foam appendages. Ironically, I decided to write this daily countdown this year because I wasn’t able to have as bustling of a season as I usually do. Yet I figured since I’m not able to do a lot of things I’d like, I can at least write about them as a way to relive and share.
Since we’re speaking of a “halfway” point and “time” being a loose theme, I happened to find an old Halloween picture of myself trick or treating as a clock. I received a lot of clothing (and Halloween costumes) as hand-me-downs from my older cousin. That’s why I always looked about a decade behind when it came to style. And it’s also why I’m dressed, bewildered, as a clock. I didn’t want to be a clock. But, I suppose, it was time. What’s not pictured is the fact that I have a plush “winding” mechanism attached behind me. And it was indeed wound by various strangers throughout the day much to my disliking. I recalled seeing an older child dressed as Spider-man trick or treating whimsically. I remember being filled with disappointment and jealousy to the point where I thought the titty-looking things on my head would ring in a rage. “Why can’t I be Spider-man?!” I thought to myself. Sulking in my round cumbersome clock body approaching each door for treats. I was a parrot the following year. Again, another hand-me-down costume. It took a few years for me to finally get a choice (Dracula). Despite all that, I’m glad I have the picture to laugh at. Time does heal all wounds afterall.
October 14 & 15th:
When decorating, I display this set of Mcdonald’s Halloween Happy Meal toys from October of 1995. I place them snugly under my television for the season. I bought them up in a zip lock bag for $12 years back at a flea market. The set features all the Mcdonaldland characters with snap-on Halloween costumes! I don’t remember having these particular toys in my youth. But I can recall a certain fondness for Mcdonalds not only for myself, but for many adults around my age. And it’s no surprise when looking back at Mcdonald’s Happy Meal marketing throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Mcdonald’s advertisements towards kids were less commercial and more short film. In fact, food rarely appeared in many of these “commercials”. Most of the time your show was interrupted with a mini “show” of the current adventures of Ronald Mcdonald and his gang of colorful characters. In this particular case, the “short” was about what Ronald was going to dress up as for Halloween. It was even a two parter!
The result is a whole generation linking Halloween with Mcdonalds. Whether you get that warm fuzzy feeling from these toys, Boo Buckets, plastic Mcnuggets dressed as Mummies, or even “spooky sounds” cassettes. If you feel it you can’t deny it. So much so that, nearly 30 years later, these Happy Meal toys go alongside my various other Halloween decorations.
October 13th:
Woah, a Friday the 13th in October! How spooky cool. The last time we had one of these was in 2017! Perhaps you think you have a greater chance today to get killed inside a sleeping bag by a man in a hockey mask. That may be true! Yet Jason Vorhees wasn’t the first thing that popped into my head while writing about today. It was actually Donald Duck of all people (?).
A video I watched regularly as a child was Donald’s Scary Tales released in 1990. A collection of 6 scary Walt Disney cartoons starring mostly Donald Duck. The cartoon I’m bringing up, in particular, is 1939’s Donald’s Lucky Dayin which Don is attempting to deliver a package on Friday the 13th with every instance of bad luck slowing him down. In child form, this may have been my first instance of grasping what Friday the 13th was and what “bad luck” entailed. Either way, I happen to have the entire VHS right here that you can watch for free complete with tracking. The entire compilation is great nostalgic Halloween fodder that includes 1929’s The Skeleton Dance and Pluto’s Judgement Day in which Pluto the dog burns in fucking hell.
Cartoons aside, today should essentially function like Jason Vorhee’s birthday: the patron saint of murdering near-naked teenagers. Like Frankenstein being an icon for classic horror films, Jason has evolved into a similar function for the slasher era. The next “evolution” in horror (or devolution depending on who you talk to) The first Friday the 13th film releasing in 1980 and the hockey masked wearing Jason we all know debuted in 1982. The time in between the first Friday the 13th film and today (43 years) is encroaching on a similar timespan from Universal’s Classic Monsters to the slasher genre kicked off by 1978’s Halloween. Crazy to think. As for other goodies, I recorded a podcast episode on the journey of the Friday the 13th NES game about 5 years back. Hopefully you didn’t walk under any ladders or break any mirrors to celebrate!
October 12th:
We made a quick trip to a local pumpkin farm on this chilly rainy afternoon. Not ideal, but with this month being so incredibly busy we have little choice when it comes to Halloween traditions this year. I’ve been visiting this particular pumpkin farm for as long as I can remember. And despite so many changes through the decades, I still get a warm fall feeling when pulling into the parking lot.
My wife grew up in the rural midwest, so she opened my eyes to the authenticity of pumpkin farms; and the Chicagoland ones I grew up on are about as authentic as Olive Garden is to Italian dining. I realize that as they’re located in a bustling suburb. And, no, I don’t see any surrounding “farmland”. And, sure, all the produce and bakery are labeled as being from somewhere else entirely. And not a single pumpkin is growing on a vine. At one point, though, it was a farm. I get it. It’s now essentially a small fall themed grocery store with an overpriced petting zoo and dilapidated spookhouse. But you can’t let that damper your enjoyment of this tradition! Let us “city folk” live in ignorance I suppose.
Concerning these Chicagoland pumpkin farms, the cynic in me has created a tradition of spotting all the chic pinterest women decked out in the latest trendy fashions. Smokey Bear hat fastened; humorously navigating through the gravel and dirt in their impractical footwear; oversized wooly warm toned flannel; smartphone in one hand, Starbucks cup in the other. Scanning for that perfect fall selfie spot. God bless ‘em.
There will be a time where I stop going to these entirely. I’m no longer the demographic. Yet I still get the nostalgic feeling. Memories washed up this time of the year of simpler sunny fall days at the pumpkin “patch”. A conjuring akin to witchcraft. And, in time, it will fade. But, for now, this will do. This will do just fine.
October 11th:
I have a couple standards when it comes to partaking in Halloween treats: Reese’s pumpkins, apple cider donuts, those little sour pumpkin gummy guys, and the newest addition: Witch’s Brew Kit Kats.
Witch’s Brew Kit Kats was the only good thing to come out of 2020. It’s a simple mini kit kat but the wafers are coated in green marshmallow cream instead of chocolate. I originally gave them a buy because I thought they were a repurposed tie-in to the Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie that was delayed to the following year. The green “slime” look and marshmallow flavor is 110% on brand Ghostbusters afterall. I’m not sure if any of that is confirmed or I’m making it up, but as far as I’m concerned it’s head canon to me.
Ghostbusters aside, they stand on their own and have already become a Halloween staple in my household. There was some fear originally, as we didn’t spot them in various Halloween candy aisles this year (their 4th seasonal appearance) and thought they may be done for! We’ve only been able to find them in Target stores. If you get your hands on a bag or two, I recommend sticking them in the freezer as I believe they taste better cold.
October 10th:
I’m always in the mood for Halloween chachkies. Pins, pens, rubber squishy creatures, keychains, candy dispensers, fangs, fingers. If you’re here you know what I’m talking about. Dollar stores have a decent amount of things like this, as do some “dollar” or “party” sections in certain stores. The little checkout “maze” in every Spirit Halloween store is the main reason I go into them. It’s not everyday you can grab a little tin of mints in the shape of Michael Myers’s mask, some Freddy Krueger socks, and a Overlook Hotel magnet.
Yet I gravitate towards more “generic” Halloween standbys. Nothing beats a classic sheeted ghost, pumpkin-headed-person, or the simple vampire. In Target’s “dollar spot” section I found a pile of simple “wind-up” toys. Amongst the skeleton, Pumpkin-man, and Witch (?), the Frankenstein monster stood out to me most. For $1, I thought I’d indulge myself for nostalgia’s sake. I recall always walking out of a pumpkin farm or school/park district Halloween party gripping something similar. Most revered had to be a rubber Crypt Keeper topper on one of those plastic tubes holding candy corn. Despite being a total scaredy cat as a child, I absolutely worshipped the Crypt Keeper in all his rotting glory.
Looks like little wind-up Frank will adorn my desk for the rest of the spooky season. The most fitting for a windup feature, as his shambling is quite on point for his character wouldn’t you say?
October 9th:
Tonight my wife recommended one of her newly discovered horror films: The Blair Witch Project.
I introduced this film to her a couple years back. We binge quite a bit of horror movies in the fall evenings, and The Blair Witch Project was one of my “bottom of the barrel” recommendations. It’s not that I don’t like it, quite the opposite, it’s just that it produced a “tired” genre of found footage films that I personally moved past. But it proved itself fresh in my wife’s eyes and, decades later, proved why it was so successful in the first place. Therefore it found itself in our Halloween horror movie rotation.
I vividly remember seeing The Blair Witch Project when it was originally in theaters. With how the film immediately spawned so many parodies and imitators I can see why many may scoff at it. But when it was fresh, The Blair Witch project was mysterious and chilling. A true example of minimalist horror and letting your imagination run wild. The film’s fantastic viral marketing was also groundbreaking in terms of internet publicity which, in 1999, the internet was a privilege and tool rather than an intrusive lifestyle like today. “Missing” posters of the film’s characters were distributed amongst movie goers. It had “interviews” on a *gasp* website! Even a mockumentary was produced and aired prior to the film’s release.
Perhaps, by modern standards, the film falls flat and unimpressive for younger generations. Maybe it was a case of “just having to be there”. But I’m glad I was. Was it real? Did this actually happen? The film’s credits are barren. What does the Blair Witch look like? I know someone who said you could see her in the background! No one seemed to know the truth at first. And that’s what made the film so powerful. The filmmakers conjured up the legend of the Blair Witch out of imagination but the movie became a legend in its own right. Recalling the final shot of the film and closing “ambience” still gives me GOOSEFLESH.
October 7th & 8th:
Tonight we cuddled up by the non-existent fire and watched season 2, 3, and 4’s Halloween episodes of Roseanne. Roseanne is one of my favorite television shows but anybody familiar can tell you their Halloween episodes were “must-see” television back in the day. The early seasons being my personal favorite, the writing is sharp, witty, and delivered by a cast that seems supernaturally natural in their roles. Seriously, watch the first 5 minutes of an early Halloween episode and tell me their chemistry isn’t sitcom perfection.
Being a favorite show aside, the passing of time has made these episodes even more special. Each one becoming a little time warp of quintessential 1990s midwest Halloween. From the decorations to the costumes to the pop culture references…everything comes together to make you realize why you love Halloween so much today…because there was plenty to love back then. Each episode (usually) revolves around the theme of the family scaring each other to be the “master” of Halloween pranks. What may surprise some is how heavy the “gore” is in these specials. With blood, guts, and appendages…it made me harken back to how “gore” obsessed Halloween was in the 1990s. Obviously due to the rampant popularity in the slasher genre and its constant “envelope pushing” when it came to violence. Which, if you grew up in the 1990s, the surge in violence “plagued” us through every kind of media that existed. Were they wrong? No. As a boy growing up was it awesome? Heck yes.
My favorite episode is the season 3 episode 7 entitled “TRICK OR TREAT” which has become more relevant than ever as there’s a plot thread about Dan being upset with his son wanting to dress as a witch (a girl’s costume) for Halloween. Not to mention Roseanne dressing as a man and hanging out at the local bar is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. I have the episode for free right here if interested.
I’m still going to make Dan’s Three Stooges costume someday. I swear!
October 6th:
What’s your go-to candy when it comes to trick or treaters? Chocolate? Gummies? Suckers and sour stuff? Are you one of those people that give away popcorn balls or some elaborate homemade snack?
I once received a gallon of milk from an Indian couple while trick or treating. They seemed as confused by the fall tradition as I was when receiving their “treat”. As a kid I found it bizarre but, as an adult, it’s pretty practical. I actually wouldn’t mind if “adult” trick or treating involved getting household necessities. Walking down your block dressed up as a vampire collecting paper towels, gently used produce, and generic brand Clorox wipes. Maybe head to the “rich” neighborhood, I hear they’re handing out avocados and full sized dish soap!
I made a quick trip to the Dollar Tree this morning and was disappointed to see those traitors went nearly full Christmas by early October! They had one single measly picked-over aisle of Halloween goodies. Regardless, dollar stores always have the best candy. Probably because it’s not always a name brand so the have to lean into the Halloween aesthetic to get your attention. The two bags that jumped out to me were BLOODY BITES which are absolutely awesome. They’re the classic glow-in-the-dark plastic vampire fangs that always dig into your gums after 5 seconds coupled with oozy candy “blood” goop. I can just imagine kids getting these making an absolute mess of their costume. This would definitely be the treat that parents snatch away for “later”. But it’s so classic Halloween!
The second bag was essentially Pop Rocks but GHOUL AID flavored! Complete with Kool Aid man in his Dracula costume. I vaguely recalled Ghoul Aid being back in jammer form. That’s basically Capri Sun since apparently parents are too lazy to make 40 second sugar water? I looked into this particular candy and apparently it hit the Halloween scene in 2019. Makes sense for it to trickle down after its initial debut. That’s so dollar store.
October 5th:
I read this October edition of REMIND Magazine which is all about witches in pop culture. The magazine is a fun nostalgic read focusing on popular culture from the 1950s thru the 1970s (with some 80s and 90s thrown in). Last year, REMIND Magazine was suggested through a Facebook Ad with a subscription fee of $12 for 12 issues. I assume this ad targeted me because I behave elderly and all my FB friends are baby boomers. I’ve been giving issues away to older generations that would appreciate it more than I, as that’s who it’s geared towards, especially with its mailaway ads for knick knacks every grandma and aunt would have displayed within their dusty wooden cabinets. But this Halloween issue definitely kept my attention.
This magazine has only been around since 2017 and delving into their October back issues, they had a tradition of spooktacular covers featuring The Wolfman, Mummy, Dracula, Michael Myers, and The Munsters. No offense to Elizabeth Montgomery but following up with Samantha from Bewitched as the face of your Halloween issue is a choice.
But the issue itself has a insightful dive into witches in pop culture. It has a great article on the history and impact of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, as well as some neat-o suggestions of witch-related movies and songs going back to the 1920s. Like 1928’s Witchin’ Hour Blues by Tampa Reid to get into some truly vintage spooky feelings. I was also surprised at the amount of Buffy The Vampire Slayer coverage as well as a recommendation of Dario Argento’s Suspiria! Pretty cool to see it recognized in a mag like this. The layout is a cozy throwback as well. And I found some good music to add to my personal Halloween playlist. I honestly don’t know if they carry this in any stores, but for $1 delivered to your door, its worth it…especially this month.
October 4th:
I can really go for some Mountain Dew Pitch Black come Halloween again. My best friend and I were practically powered on that while recording our seasonal episodes of the It’s Alive! Podcast. I mean, a soda themed to be the Black Lagoon…complete with the Creature offering it to you?! That’s not an idea; that’s an epiphany.
That being said, I purchased a 12 pack of Mountain Dew Voo Dew 2023! That means that I enjoy the flavor, as opposed to last year. For the past 5 years, Mountain Dew releases a white soda called “Voo Dew” around the Halloween season that features a mystery flavor. My favorite being 2021’s “basically Starburst” flavor. This years flavor tastes similar and I’m not going ahead just yet to look up what it is online. I wish there was more of a dramatic “unveiling” on a later date when it came to the flavor. Now it’s like when someone says “Guess what?!” and they immediately say what it is giving you no time to actually guess. But I digress, have you guys seen this creepin friggen mummy on the box?!
The black light-like artwork is always awesome. I’m not above displaying a framed soda box. But with this Mummy, it was love at first fright. The Mountain Dew medallion, Randy Savage sunglasses, Thriller pose, and pink mohawk?! He looks like a relative to Curly from Goosebumps and I want him tattooed all over my body. This mummy has become the mascot for Halloween 2023 for me (maybe beyond).
I shall call him Mummy Dew.
October 3rd:
I picked up some photos at Walgreens today (that’s something you can still do apparently) and decided to take a look at the Halloween offerings. I always seem to make my way to this pharmacy around the Halloween season as it was a staple of my childhood days. My mom was never the shopping type and only ever entered stores for necessities, so the local Jewel-Osco and Walgreens were often the only stores I entered weeks at a time!
Walgreens, in particular, was a place where quite a bit of my childhood Halloween costumes came from. I recall a rack of those thin fabric character “smocks” with an attached plastic mask. I remember coming across Barbie, Looney Tunes characters, and asking my mom if I could be Superman that year. It certainly had to be the end of the lifespan of those particular costumes. If I couldn’t get a costume, then I’d bargain for a rubber bat or skeleton. Preferably the ones that were “glow-in-the-dark.”
The pharmacy offerings seemed more robust back then, but that doesn’t take away the fact that I still like to browse. I wrote an article about the “Drugstore Halloween” last year; and a lot of the products still apply this year. I even found the same lone “Ghost Face” mask hanging on a peg. This has become a ritual born solely out of nostalgia, as what’s available is about as hollow as a jack o’lantern to me…so perhaps some year I’ll stop altogether. But, for now, I’ll haunt the aisle thinking of memories long since dead.
Like, you know, a ghost. Halloween-y, right?
October 2nd:
I watched Hulu’s “No One Will Save You” tonight on account of an interesting and simplistic premise. I’m weary when it comes to modern horror as I don’t find the screenwriting very sensible and scare factors seem tired. And I lower my commonsense when it comes to the horror genre as is. “No One Will Save You” is about a young woman who isolated herself to the edge of a rural town out of guilt. Then aliens begin to mysteriously visit her.
There’s barely any dialogue. The film does a good job at conveying emotion and story through actions and cinematography. The alien designs harken back to a “classic” look that’s been lost in the last few decades. I enjoyed a good amount about the film but overall it just didn’t do much for me. Our protagonist’s arc was a bit muddled; as was the ultimate “goal” of our alien invaders. I felt, like a lot of modern horror writing, an interesting premise and alluring style takes precedence over meaning and motivations.
It’s a brisk 90 minutes and wastes no time grabbing your interest. I’m not adding it to my regular spooky movie rotation, but I’d throw it out there for a sci-fi horror fan that wants fresh meat.
October 1st:
An unusually late start for me, but I finally decorated my home to get in the mood. Usually by late September, my home is decorated, I’ve inhaled a disgusting amount of apple cider donuts, been to at least 2 pumpkin farms, and guzzled 2 jugs of apple cider. But with my wedding being in October, a lot of traditions and festivities have taken a back seat. Expected, of course, but it is what it is.
I dialed back the decorating slightly this year as well. Not that it’s a long process, but I simply feel I won’t be home enough to appreciate it. But to not decorate at all would be a stark betrayal to the Halloween Gods that I simply couldn’t live with. I also realized how many batteries I go through in a season. I think that may be the scariest part of the season personally.
Lastly, to highlight what’s become one of my favorite and most unique decorations: Drac’s Tomb in a Room. A Halloween response to the “Elf on the Shelf” tradition; conjured up by children’s author Kristen James. I heard of this through a Universal Studios Monsters Instagram account 2 years back and had to indulge. I recommend grabbing one from the author herself. It could start a great tradition for your little trick or treaters. Not to mention I’ll suck up anything Dracula when it comes to the Halloween season. Get your mind out of the gutter.
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