Halloween Memories - From Zombos' Closet

Halloween Memories
From Granny Creech

Oct 31 2025

The ladies of Squirrel Hollow enjoy a cup of Witch’s Brew while reminiscing about Halloweens Past: L-R: Granny Creech, Hester Grimple, Vespera Howler, Winifred Hawthorne, Esmeree Grimshaw and Elspeth Darkmoor.

BOO!
Greetings, my children –

It is Halloween time, and your old Granny Creech finds herself in a most reflective mood. It is the time for memories – memories of pumpkins, lighted jack-o-lanterns, ghost stories, scarecrows, monsters, princesses and storybook characters, and things that go bump in the night, as well as parties, good times, cool fall air, and the happy sounds of “Trick or Treat!”

I had the girls over for Brew the other afternoon and the talk turned to Halloweens past, and the memories that the very mention of the word conjures up. We reflected on growing up in anticipation of the day, and how the stores and the weather helped usher in the season. Our school classrooms were cheerfully and scarily decorated with orange and black streamers, skeletons, goblins, witches, paper mâché jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, black cats and monsters galore. Recollections flowed like the Witch’s Brew we all heartily consumed.

One of the girls, Vespera Howler, remembered the fun she used to have going into the local five and dime store to look at the large Halloween display it had. Gurley candles, masks, Ben Cooper costumes, and decorations by Luhrs, Rosbro, Beistle and other companies crowded the “For Sale” tables and delighted her young eyes. Scary records could be purchased to play on record players. All sorts of yummy candy treats were also on display for purchase to appease the characters that would be making the rounds on that spooky night. All of the other girls shared similar feelings brought on by the displays and the predominance of the colors orange and black.

Winifred Hawthorne remarked how different things are today in regards to timing. She said stores didn’t set out Halloween decorations until sometime in October, whereas today, mid-July seems to be the starting point for many. Classrooms were pretty much holiday-oriented, and when October rolled around, kids knew what would be coming. Often classrooms would be decorated with handmade crafts using plenty of orange and black construction paper as well as by commercially-produced decorations and live pumpkins. It was all wonderful as Fall was a magic time of the year.

The TV and radio helped set the mood with programs and specials all geared toward things scary and spooky. Variety shows on TV usually had Halloween skits to bring in the season, and radio stations played songs such as “The Monster Mash”, “The Thing”, “Haunted House”, “Dinner With Drac”, and “Werewolf” among others. My nephew, Crazy Gary, told me when he was growing up in the big city, one particular radio station would feature a two-hour “Monster Marathon” on Halloween night that included ghost stories and creepy tales accompanied by eerie music. After the kiddies went out and tormented the neighborhood in search of all kinds of treats, they could go home and get scared to death listening to stories by Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, Alfred Hitchcock and others.

Hester Grimple said her most vivid memories were of the sounds and smells of Halloween night. She said that to this day, it only takes the smell of the burning of the carved pumpkin caused by the lighted candle inside to overwhelm her with a great sense of nostalgia. She also remembered the sound of children’s excited voices as they crunched their way from yard to yard over unraked leaves wearing store-bought costumes or handmade ones to fend off the cool, fall air.

Esmeree Grimshaw remembered that Halloween used to be fun back in a simpler time. She said that her Methodist church even had Halloween parties for the church kids and they were a hoot. She remembered the special room where a spooky person would blindfold you and take you into a room where body parts had been saved from the victim of a gruesome car accident. You got to feel a bone, two of his eyes, and a bunch of his veins. You also got to touch his brain that was sitting on a dish, feel some of his organs and put your hand in a bowl of his blood. At the end, you were given a towel to dry your hands off and were escorted out of the horrible room…if you survived! Ha ha! Halloween was a time where what you didn’t see was scarier than what you did see. It was all pretend and in good fun.

“That was before things took a turn for the worse and Halloween became something totally different,” said Elspeth Darkmoor. “That was when The Exorcist hit movie theaters and caused quite a stir. Suddenly the Devil and all things occult became too vivid, too real, and Halloween was caught in the crosshairs between those that saw it as harmless fun and those that saw it as too close to all things Satanic and evil,” she said. “Honestly, the Halloween marketers didn’t help, either. Costumes became too horrible and gory, too demonic, so they kind of shot themselves in the foot. You can thank Hollywood for that, too.”

“Yes, and sadly that was about the time we heard stories about people putting razor blades in apples and kids’ candy at Halloween time,“ Esmeree added. “That only gave the naysayers proof of how wicked and bad Halloween was. Society changed. We still see the repercussions of all that today. “Trunk or Treat” has now replaced going door to door and kids that do go trick or treating are always accompanied by their parents. Things aren’t safe. And it took us forever to convince our neighbors that we weren’t real witches…just six crazy old women who loved Halloween as we remembered it and dressed up in celebration.”

We all sighed and things got quiet for a moment as we each journeyed back in time in our minds, wishing things could be as they were. I broke the silence by saying that it was definitely up to us to make this Halloween a memorable one for our neighborhood kids. It was up to us to keep the old traditions going. I poured the last of my Brew (spicy peach tea, actually) into everyone’s cup and we toasted in the season, vowing to do all we could to ensure that this year would be a safe and fun Halloween to remember.

I later rummaged through my Halloween files and came up with some neat ads and photos from times past to share with you. Hopefully these will trigger some forgotten memories or help you to relive some ever-present ones. Enjoy!

And…Happy Halloween!

KISS Halloween Night at Dodger Stadium

May 15, 2024 / Halloween Memories / Leave a Comment

May 15 2024

You know you love KISS, admit it. Here’s an eye-popping 3D newspaper ad for their Halloween Night at Dodger Stadium. You will need those nifty anaglyph 3D glasses to view the image in its awesomeness. I know you monsterkids usually have a pair or two lying around. Even without the glasses, this makes a perfect wallpaper for your computer. Best viewed on a large screen, though.

My Halloween: James Chambers

October 27, 2014 / Halloween Memories / Leave a Comment

Oct 27 2014

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with author James Chambers.

Why is Halloween important to you?

I love the creativity and mystery that come on Halloween, the celebration of imagination, the ritual of taking frightening things like skulls and bats and making something fun and exciting of them. It's the one holiday that encourages people to choose an alter ego for the day by putting on a costume, the one day we're encouraged to turn down the lights and let in the shadows. When I was young, I loved putting on a costume and trick-or-treating. As I grew, the focus of Halloween turned to spending time with friends, watching scary movies, pretending, perhaps, that spirits really did walk the earth on Halloween night. These days, I still love the scary movies, but I also enjoy the decorations, which have become much more elaborate than when I was a kid, and I enjoy the excitement in my children when they put on their costumes and head out trick-or-treating with their friends. Part of me, though, still likes to stay up past midnight with a horror movie marathon, one ear perked in hopes of hearing an eerie knock at the door or the stray whisper of something otherworldly passing in the night.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

The Halloweens I've enjoyed best have involved costume parties. My friends tried to outdo each other for creative or wild costumes. Or they came as their favorite movie monster in detailed, authentic outfits. One year, I went as Dracula, complete with cape, fangs, and fake blood capsules to bite and dribble out of my mouth. The costume parties pushed us to go out on a limb, take a risk, give each other a thrill or a laugh. For one night we created our own world where we could be someone different for as long as we stayed in costume. But it's been a long time since those parties. These days, my ideal Halloween involves non-stop horror movies playing in the background, usually a little horror writing, then taking my children trick-or-treating, and negotiating for my meager share of the candy haul when we get home.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

My favorite Halloween item is a giant vampire bat with a six-foot wingspan that we hang over our garage door every year. It's eyes light up, and it freaks people out. Small children avoid it. It's great! But I'm also a sucker for jack-o'-lanterns in any form. I always carve at least one very traditional jack-o'-lantern each year, just to keep the spirits away, of course. For me, that's the icon of Halloween, and I enjoy going out at night to see the glowing pumpkin faces. There's not much I hate, but I do sort of lament the proliferation of giant inflatable Halloween decorations. Some of them are pleasantly creepy, but, to me, it goes against the creative grain of Halloween to simply load up your front lawn with those things versus putting some imagination into a display. I'm a fan of clever Halloween displays. I've been lucky enough at times to live near homes where people go all out, changing everything over for Halloween, and even appearing in costume on Halloween night to give out some scares, and a few goodies as well.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween?

The earliest one I remember is the year I found a dead body while trick-or-treating. True story. I was about five, and I went as Superman that year. One of my friends and I trick-or-treated a house. No one answered. The inside door was open, and through the storm door, we saw a bowl of candy on a table, and a woman's feet on the floor beside it. The rest of her body stretched back into shadows. Without really understanding what it meant, I knew right away she was dead. Everything seemed so still, and the thought just clicked in my head. But our parents didn't believe us. We had to drag them up to the door and show them, and then one of them quickly shuffled us off to the next house, while someone called for help. I never found out what happened to the woman, probably a heart attack or something similar. My friend and I continued trick-or-treating. Only years later did I grasp the weight of what we'd seen. Our parents really kept it from us then. But that's always defined Halloween for me. The possibility of a close brush with the unexpected, with something dangerous. I wrote a blog post about this for the Horror Writers Association's very first Halloween Haunts blog event, which you can read for the full story: http://horror.org/the-dead-have-the-best-candy/.

What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer to it?

I like when people ask me for my Halloween horror movie list. I switch this up every year, but rarely do I get to all the movies I pick. This year, I'm going heavy on the classics so I can share them with my kids, and we'll be watching a couple of Universal films, The Mummy and Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as The Uninvited, and possibly The Haunting, and finally Frankenweenie. After the kids are in bed, I'll be throwing on Trick or Treat, Return of the Living Dead, at least one John Carpenter movie (Halloween, Prince of Darkness, or The Fog), and at least one movie that I haven't yet seen still to be chosen. If I'm lucky I may get to throw in American Werewolf in London or The Resurrected.

My Halloween: Scott Kenemore

October 22, 2014 / Halloween Memories / Leave a Comment

Oct 22 2014

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with author Scott Kenemore.

Why is Halloween important to you?

Scott: I’ve been a horror fan since I was nine or ten, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Halloween. The word “important” is interesting. I’d say Halloween is important to me because it creates a kind of carnival atmosphere where people feel free to explore and engage with concepts and ideas that they might not usually entertain. You can use it to try out new costumes, yes, but also new personalities and ways of interacting with the world (if only for a night). I can’t think of too many holidays with that component.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

Scott: I would be 10 years old again, enjoying the Headless Horseman Hayride at Conner Prairie in Indianapolis, and then jaunting off to a Halloween storytelling festival, probably followed by trick or treating. An ideal contemporary Halloween would be spent with interesting people who really give a damn about horror. And probably cocktails.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

Scott: I can’t be the only reader of this blog who encounters this, but–being a “horror person”–the distinction between Halloween collectibles and horror collectibles feels more and more blurred all the time. That said, it is probably my Collector’s Edition of Return of the Living Dead. This is one of my favorite horror films of all time, and has definitely been an important part of many good Halloweens.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween?

Scott: Zounds! This is hard. I have memories of picking pumpkins at a very PG-rated Halloween festival when we lived in upstate New York in the Binghamton/Endicott/Johnson City area when I was a little kid. I don’t know if I had entirely wrapped my brain around the entire reason for the season, but I definitely was beginning to understand that something was “up.” And that it was awesome.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer to it?

Scott: Ha! Maybe: “What’s your favorite scary story to read on Halloween?” Lately, my answer has been The Last Feast of Harlequin by Ligotti. It is about the idea of dressing up for festivals, and is very, very scary to boot.

Scott Kenemore’s latest novel is The Grand Hotel.

And yes, the place is haunted by strange things that go bump in the night (or slither their tentacles in the night). Perfect for your October reading to prime you for a gloriously spooky Halloween. Stay tuned for my review, which will be invoked before the candy corn runs out.

My Halloween: Monster Cafe Saltillo

November 1, 2012 / Halloween Memories / Leave a Comment

Nov 1 2012

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…from Hurricane Sandy…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Monster Cafe Saltillo man Matthew Green…

Why is Halloween important to you?

It represents dress up time. I love the whole spookyness of it. Dress up time is so important to me. I have always had the acting bug. I am SURE Halloween was a start in heading down that direction. I even graduated from AADA in New York. The opportunity to play other people and dress up is thrilling.

As for favorite costume I can only go with the Ben Cooper line. They had such imagination when it came to costumes and individual choice. Nothing was off limits. I always liked Dracula because of the cape.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

Now I celebrate it all year round. I created Monster Cafe because I love the holiday so much. So for now having Monster Cafe filled with people and teaching them the Monsters, there is no greater thrill.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

I cherish pretty much anything from the seventies. The halloween blowmolds for one. I HATE kiddie halloween stuff. Pretty much anything smiling. Save that for Christmas.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween?

I was probably 5 or so. I was the Ben Cooper Spiderman. A friend I have till this day whose name is Dale…he was the Devil Ben Cooper. We MET on Halloween night.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Q: Do I have any Halloween collectibles?

A: No. They got lost in the fire of 1991.

My Halloween: El Bicho

October 31, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 2 Comments

Oct 31 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with El Bicho…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Halloween is an important tradition because at its core it is a celebration of imagination and creativity, attributes that currently don’t seem to be valued and promoted as much as they should, in both children and adults. Halloween makes for a wonderful amalgamation of sights and sounds as people express themselves through costumes and decorations in silly, spooky, and sexy ways they may not otherwise the rest of the year.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

My ideal Halloween takes place on the last Saturday of the month when the holiday should be officially celebrated since “school night” Halloweens are usually limited in activity. Just after sundown, my wife and I hand out candy to costumed kids as they make their way through the neighborhood with their parents. After a couple of hours, we head off to a costume party with friends for either a night of games or maybe a movie or two. If any of the gang doesn’t have a good reason for not making it, we head over to play a trick of some kind at their house. The night ends reading a scary story in bed.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

My most cherished Halloween collectibles are movies. “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein” being at the top of the list. I don’t hate any.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

While I am sure as a young child I was dressed up in different get-ups, like the plastic costumes that came with a mask held onto your face by a rubber band, my earliest memory of dressing up for Halloween was either first or second grade using my mom’s clothes and make-up and a wig from somewhere to be made into a woman. I got candy in the neighborhood so it was great for a kid.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Q: Would you like to come to my Halloween party?
A: Yes

My Halloween: James-Michael Roddy

October 14, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 1 Comment

Oct 14 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with James-Michael Roddy…storyteller…theme park dream (and nightmare) builder…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Halloween is important to me because it represents imagination. The things that go bump in the night usually get such a negative representation in our culture and society, when in reality they represent such strong traits such as imagination, resourcefulness, and creativity.

The kids who enjoy the fantastical, enjoy a life spent wondering “what if…” This is the one question that can be answered with pure imagination. What if lightning struck a body of dead tissue… would it re-animate? What if there were no more room in hell.. would the dead rise from the grave? It can be positive…What if there was intelligent life out there? and it could be negative…What if they wanted to conquer our world?

It is also the one time of year, when everyone seems to play along, and allow themselves to believe in the unbelievable.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

My ideal Halloween is spending the day with a dark grey overcast looming in the distance. The early evening is getting ready for Tricks or treats with my children and the little boy that still resides within me. Maybe scaring a few of the unwary kids that are too complacent in their begging for candy. Then, warming up some creepy cuisine and settling in with friends to tell tales of ghosts as the candles burn down. The evening draws to a close watching a movie like John Carpenter’s Halloween, Frankenstein, or one of my new favorites, Trick R Treat.

One of my new annual past-times is at the end of the night, I set fire to the pumpkin that has been slowly rotting. I take pictures of it as the flames spill out from the grinning mouth and carved eyes. It represents the end of that year’s Halloween. I have performed this small closing ceremony for the last three years.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

I have a series of full-size busts of the classic Monsters: Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature. The only one I am missing is the Wolf-Man. Tom Savini gave them to me as gifts through the years and I love them. I also have an original Frankenstein’s Monster model from Aurora that my Mother built and painted for me when I was very young. Every year she would take such delight in making our front entry and living room a Haunted House for Halloween. This is a tradition that I continue to keep alive.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

It is hard to remember the very first Halloween. I do however remember the one Halloween that had the most impact on me. It was in the late seventies. I lived in Atlanta Georgia and the October month was very cold. Halloween fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday that year which meant there was school the next day. The whole day, we talked about Halloween. The teacher showed us The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on an old 16mm projector. We talked about monsters at lunch, including the newest Horror film – Halloween, which I really wanted to see. I drew pictures of Frankenstein’s Monster battling Dracula. Finally school ended and I headed home on the old yellow school bus.

That year I was like everyone else, crazy about Star Wars. I went trick or treating as Luke Skywalker. Dressed in his Tatooine wear, I went out in the dusk of late afternoon. It was also the first time I ever went Trick or treating by myself.

Later that night, I came home through the darkness, the shadows seeming to watch my every move. There is a sense of excitement for any fan of monsters to walk home alone, in the dark; your footfalls mixing with the sound of the occasional crunching leaves. I walked into the safety of my house, the decorations welcoming me into my inner sanctum. The candles slowly burning down.

I went through my treats, and then settled in watching some TV. The local PBS station was running Night of the Living Dead. I had only heard about the film and was excited that it was coming on. I wasn’t exactly sure of the plot, but knew that it was an important film in the history of horror. The film grabbed me and never let go. That night I tried to sleep, but the outside wind mixed with the sugar high kept my mind racing as I knew that Zombies were now part of my horror cast of characters right alongside Dracula, The Monster and the Wolf-Man.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Q: Do you get tired of Halloween?

A: Through the years, Halloween has in part become a career for me. I have been involved in events for Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Paramount Pictures, Hershey Park and many others. I have been a part of some Halloween event for the past 20 years.

This is the first year that I am not and it is a little surreal. It has given me the opportunity to redefine the holiday for myself. As a result, I have been able to simply and completely enjoy the holiday again, like I did when I was a kid. My house is decorated, I have put together some model kits, and I have already enjoyed some great scary movies. We are going to have a costume party and then just enjoy the fun of the holiday. I hope to see you at my door.

I’ll Be Lurking For You.

My Halloween: 13 Visions

October 13, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 1 Comment

Oct 13 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Scott Cole of 13 Visions…

Why is Halloween important to you?

It’s the one time of year it’s not generally considered weird to like ghoulish things, the one time a year pretty much everyone not only accepts, but celebrates, the things we horrorhounds love all year round.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I really try to stretch the holiday out to the entire month of October, but if I’m limited to a one-day celebration, I suppose my “classic” ideal Halloween would include some horror films, a late afternoon walk with a cool Fall breeze at my back, dinner with assorted monsters, a trip to a haunted house, some pumpkin carving, trick or treaters, and of course, plenty of candy.

I’ve certainly had my share of fun ones. In recent years, my wife & I have thrown some big parties, where the entire house is creepily decorated (more so than usual), with severed body parts, glowing skeletons, floating bats, and horror movie trailers projected on the walls.

Other years have found me applying zombie makeup to Thriller dancers, vacationing in Salem, Massachusetts, and stuck to an uncomfortable chair at a 24-hour horror movie marathon.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

My home is filled with all sorts of scary stuff – most of it is horror-related in a general way, but some is specific to Halloween.

I have a lot of skulls. I mean, A LOT of skulls. But I guess one of my favorite things is a Halloween snowglobe I’ve had for years. It’s the head of a green goblin-monster-thing, with big bulging orange eyes. The top and back of his head forms the snowglobe, with his brain exposed inside the clear dome. Instead of snow, it’s filled with tiny plastic bats and other bits of detritus.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

My mom tells me I was dressed as a pumpkin for my first trick-or-treat excursion, but I was maybe 2 or 3, and don’t remember it. I do remember dressing up as a vampire, a devil, a ghost, a black cat, and various monsters through the years – always something scary, of course – but I honestly don’t remember which one came first.

Halloween was never not fun. As a kid, it was the big after-dark, outdoor costume party I looked forward to all year long. Now, it’s kind of a way of life.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Q: Any horror movie recommendations for the big night?

A: You simply can’t go wrong with Halloween itself. Or any of the Universal classics from the ’30s or ’40s. A good anthology feels right for Halloween too – I’d say go with Creepshow, or the recent Trick ‘r Treat.

My Halloween: Mr. Lobo

October 12, 2011 / Halloween Memories, Horror Hosts / 1 Comment

Oct 12 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Mr. Lobo…up all night at Cinema Insomnia…

Why is Halloween important to you?

For the world it’s a time when adults can give themselves permission to act like kids. And kids are able to dabble in the adult arts of overindulgence and masochism. On a personal level, it’s more economic. Mr. Lobo tends to eat better around Halloween. As a working genre personality/ horror host, it’s our “bread and butter” time–Well, “brownie and peanut butter cup time”. Not only does Mr. Lobo have more work, we also like to hit the sales the Day After Halloween to do my yearly shopping for –Well-Everything…clothes, kitchen wares, pantry items, birthday-X-mas-Valentines-Mothers Day-bereavement gifts! It’s the only time I can buy amenities and necessities that suit Mr. Lobo’s demanding tastes and at deep discounts.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

The season begins with an experiment where we mutilate gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and let them rot on my front stoop. Not having dental insurance, this is the time of year Mr. Lobo likes to prepare and eat Carmel Apples–to remove any loose are damaged teeth or inferior dental work. It’s always a hoot to make embarrassing or cumbersome costumes for my children out of recyclables. Mr. Lobo is a workaholic–so ideally we will host film shows, make misunderstood movies, and as a legal reverend, marry a Goth couple or two. And Finally, as Mr. Lobo does every “Devil’s Night”, we soap windows, TP the CVS, smash and destroy early Christmas decorations at major department stores, crank call my mother, and set fire to television stations and sponsors that have wronged Mr. Lobo or CINEMA INSOMNIA in the past 10 years of the show.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

The cheap 49 cent glow in the dark vampire teeth—the kind that come in a little sealed plastic bag and the tops and bottoms are connected with excess plastic: They make you drool like a teething Saint Bernard and they cut your gums so you’re leaving steamers of crimson slime at everyone’s front porch.

I’ve found that that a lot of Elvira dolls are badly made, it goes to prove how hard it is to capture her combination of sexy, silly, and scary…I have one with a witch hat and broom made by Figures Toy Co. that looks like a drag queen with Down Syndrome.

I also like to collect spooky Pez dispensers and those flimsy vintage Halloween treat bags that can maybe hold like 6 and a half pieces of penny candy. Even though they are maddeningly impractical—Mr. Lobo loves the kitschy artwork!

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

That would be three years ago. It was OK.

Just Kidding. Y’know, it was great when it all began. Mr. Lobo was a regular Frankie fan. I had a Don Post Frankenstein Mask when I was 5 or 6 and I remember wetting it in the sink to make the cut on his forehead look real.

Also, at a school contest I made a classic cardboard box/ tinfoil/ dryer hose robot costume and won a free ice cream at Baskin Robbins–or what I called it: “31 Flavors”. I also remember the belly aches and thinking I would die after consuming Pop Rocks and Coke.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Great. Now I get to do YOUR JOB!

I have some novelty songs on iTunes including one called “HALLOWEEN CANDY” and I also have over 20 full length CINEMA INSOMNIA episodes on YOUTUBE on our “CINEMAINSOMNIATV” channel including several HALLOWEEN SPECIALS. So I suppose a question I wished someone would ask would be…

Q: Isn’t it amazing that your song “HALLOWEEN CANDY” is the most downloaded song in history, easily eclipsing THE MONSTER MASH and that more people watch CINEMA INSOMNIA episodes at HALLOWEEN than anything else in all of media?

A: Yes, it is amazing.

My Halloween: Amy Grech

October 11, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 1 Comment

Oct 11 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with author Amy Grech…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Halloween is the most magical time of year when adults and children can transform themselves into anyone or anything they like! It’s a day to embrace your darkest imagination and put it on display for the world to see.

I have quite the sweet tooth, so even now as an adult, I raid the candy bowl for childhood favorites: candy corn, Necco Wafers, Smarties, and Tootsie Rolls.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

A clear, crisp day with brown, yellow, orange, and red crunching under foot, as my friends and I, dressed in full costume, head to the annual Halloween party at a mutual friend’s house.

A few years ago, I splurged on a life-size Tootsie Roll Costume and won funniest costume! Plenty of food and drinks; a good time had by all!

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

I begged my parents to let me get a foam pumpkin with a life-like, frightening expression at a toy store. I still have it to this very day!

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

I was 5; I remember going to kindergarten as Little Bo Peep, wearing a fancy, aqua dress. My father made me a staff out of cardboard and my parents took my brother, dressed as a hobo, and me trick or treating after school; we got tons of candy because we were so cute!

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?

Q: Are you ever too old to celebrate Halloween?

A: No!

Amy Grech has sold over one hundred stories and three poems to various anthologies and magazines including: Apex Digest, Fear on Demand, Funeral Party 2, Inhuman Magazine, Needle Magazine, The Flash Fiction Offensive, The Horror Express, Space & Time, The Brutarian, Zombie CSU, and many others. Damnation Books published her second collection, Blanket of White.

She has a story in the upcoming Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled. Amy is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association who lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website: http://www.crimsonscreams.com.

My Halloween: Gavin Goszka

October 10, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 1 Comment

Oct 10 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Gavin Goszka of Midnight Syndicate…

Why is Halloween important to you?

I think I’ve always felt drawn to the historical significance and meaning of Halloween. It marked the dividing point between the light and dark halves of the year: a time of transition where the veil between worlds was at its thinnest. It also marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year. It was believed that at this time, the dead could travel between worlds and communicate with the living. I think there’s an undeniable sense of mystery about it, and many people feel much more in touch with the unseen. Autumn is my favorite time of year in general – it’s great to enjoy the scenery and traditions that come along with it.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I’ve always enjoyed decorating for the holiday, so that’s definitely a big component. I’ll usually set up most of my decorations early in October, but there are some nicely-elaborate surprises that get put out on Halloween night as well. I’m also an amateur ghost hunter and try to plan some kind of investigation for Halloween night: it’s just too perfect for that!

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

I don’t have a lot of collectibles from my childhood, but I did keep this set of cardboard glow-in-the-dark ghosts. They’re not incredibly scary, but they always bring back some great memories of growing up.

I think one of my favorite props is a wireless talking skeleton I picked up a few years ago, however. It has a speaker inside, moving jaw, and light-up eyes that are triggered when you talk through a microphone. My house has a large porch that I’d set the Halloween candy out on, and when the kids would come up to get it, I’d have the skeleton “talk” to them. It was great because I’d be a few feet away behind a window that I left open a crack so that I could hear them. They couldn’t see me, but I could respond to them in real-time and address them by name. That always gets some priceless reactions!

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

I don’t remember my very first Halloween, but I do remember setting up these makeshift ‘haunted houses’ in our basement, using old sheets, ropes, and whatever props I could make or scavenge. I used to plan them out weeks in advance and just had a blast setting it all up and watching my friends’ reactions as they went through them. I’m sure my parents were none too thrilled at the prospect of not being able to use their laundry room for a few days, but they were always very, very awesome about it, which still surprises me.

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked, and what’s your answer?

Q: Do you believe in ghosts?

A: Although I have yet to find concrete proof myself, I have seen and heard some strange things and do believe in the possibility that there’s a lot more to the world around us than we’re aware of or can perceive.

My background is in science and although I tend to rely on critical thinking and analysis to explain a lot of things, I try to keep my mind as open as possible. I actually think that quantum mechanics may hold the key to explaining many paranormal phenomena: it will be interesting to see how these fields intersect in the future.

My Halloween: Edward Douglas

October 7, 2011 / Halloween Memories / 3 Comments

Oct 7 2011

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Edward Douglas of Midnight Syndicate…

Why is Halloween important to you?

It’s the one time of the year when everyone feels free to explore their fascination with things that go bump in the night. Imaginations run wild and that’s a great thing. Even though many decorations are quite cheesy it’s wonderful to be surrounded by the imagery and themes I like to surround myself with year-round. It’s also an opportunity to spend time with family, friends, and neighbors. I have kids, so to be able to pass down the traditions and watch them experience the things that made Halloween special for me is very cool. I get a kick out of watching them use their imaginations and get excited over their “haul.”

Over the years Midnight Syndicate’s music has worked itself into the holiday so it’s also an important time of the year for us as a band – an exciting one as well as it’s the one time of the year when we’re likely to hear our music in public places (haunted houses, stores, radio). That’s always great.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

My ideal Halloween would be: Do a big setup in our yard, take the kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and then to the neighborhood I grew up in, head up to Chardon Square for cider and donuts, hit a haunted house, then have friends and family over for fresh-roasted pumpkin seeds, German Oktoberfest beer, and Thirsty Dog Pumpkin Ale.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

I wouldn’t say they’re collectibles but the decorations from my early childhood are things I hold on to. Every year I’d get out the paper skeletons you can pose, the glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and a big poseable paper scarecrow. Nothing terribly fancy but it signaled the beginning of the Halloween season and that was always exciting as a kid. I don’t hate any collectibles because everyone has their own way of celebrating the season. If folks have them or have them up on display then they probably have some sort of connection with them. I’ve recently come across Halloween postcards from early 20^th-century. I’m thinking of starting a collection of those.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

I think I was a pumpkin or a clown and most of my memories from that are through photos although I do remember my cousins coming by for trick-or-treating. I definitely remember my first time going through a haunted house. I was pretty young. It was set up in a building on our townsquare and run by the library or the Jaycees. The haunt was really small but I still remember the creeper guy on the floor hidden under a pile of leaves, Frankenstein’s laboratory in strobe lights, and then, the ultimate climax for a haunted house….? an “ultra terrifying” light sabre battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker from the new hit movie “Star Wars.” I thought it was so cool!

What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked, and what’s your answer?

Q: Why is Halloween important?

A: I feel it’s not only healthy but a good release for folks to have at least one night where they can be a kid again and have the opportunity to pass down traditions (or make their own) to their family or friends. There’s no pressure – no gifts, no decorations (unless you want to), and no mandatory parties (again unless you want to). It’s all JUST about having fun and letting your imagination run wild. I think we need that especially during these challenging times. I’d like to think that too, in a way, the holiday also helps build communities a bit. Whether it’s that house on the corner with the killer decorations that you go to every year, waving to your neighbors while trick-or-treating, I just think it’s a great, great holiday.