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Halloween Memories

My Halloween: Son of Celluloid

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

I’m sure this answer has been given before, but I think it’s how all horror geeks and monster kids feel. Halloween is important to me because it’s the one time of the year when the rest of the world catches up with me. There are actually things I want to watch on TV. Stores actually have things that get me excited. I’m not just playing with my makeup kit at home; I can walk the streets looking as ghastly as I want. The music I like is being played. Theaters are inundated with horror flicks.

Basically, the freaks become the norm in October. Plus, I work in a haunted attraction, Netherworld, in Atlanta, so my Halloween starts in mid September and doesn’t end until the first weekend of November. Whereas most people get to dress up and be a monster on Halloween, I get to do it every night for over a month. I get to terrorize people and do things I would go to jail for normally. It’s the moooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the yeeeeeeeeeeear!

Sorry, didn’t mean to break into song there.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

As much as I love working at the haunt, I never work on the 31st. It’s a religious holiday for me. What religion you might ask? Halloween IS my religion. It’s also the only holiday that I have a lot of traditions for. My ideal Halloween would be spent more or less like I normally spend it. During the day I’d carve Jack O Lanterns and watch a tape; yes, a VHS tape I made years ago of my favorite Halloween specials (the three I’ll mention later, plus Beavis and Butthead’s “Bungholio, Lord of the Harvest, King of the Hill’s “Hilloween”, and a bunch of Simpsons “Treehouse of Horrors”). Then in the evening I would eat my Mom’s vegetable soup and cornbread (it was a Halloween tradition when I was a kid, don’t ask me why) and wait for my friends to congregate at my house. Once they got there, we’d put on our costumes and do our makeup. Actually, I’d probably do everyone’s makeup like I always do. That’s not a complaint either, I love it. As the smells of latex, collodion, and greasepaint filled the air, KISS Unplugged would be playing in the background, followed by Rocky Horror Picture Show.

There’s a story behind that combination, but it’s long and I won’t bore you. Once I spent way too long obsessing over every last drop of blood being in the right place, we’d go out hopping from party to party or haunt to haunt, scaring people, having at, and generally raising hell. About dawn, I’d stagger back into my place and fall asleep watching something old, scary, and black and white.

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

There’s a tie for the Halloween decoration I most cherish. One, for sentimental reasons, is a cheesy spider web with a felt spider that was given to me by my Great Aunt Mary shortly before she died. Her telling me ghost stories when I was a kid was my first realization that scary stuff was fun. The other, just because it’s cool, is my pet zombie. I got him 5 or 6 years ago at Spencers.  These days I keep him in my car. It’s a lot of fun at drive-through windows, parking lots, red lights, etc. People freak out! It’s hilarious.

While I don’t really dig the cutesy Halloween decorations, I wouldn’t say I hate them. I’ll just go with the one aspect of Halloween that I DO hate: candy. This will be the second Halloween since I was diagnosed diabetic, so all the candy corn and fun-sized goodness taunts me endlessly. Don’t mind me, I’m just bitter.

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

I kinda discovered what Halloween was in stages. My father was a southern Baptist minister, so I grew up very religious. Luckily they weren’t the “Halloween is Satan’s holiday” types. I got to participate, but the horror aspects of it weren’t kosher in my house.

My first Halloween memory is actually my earliest memory at all. I was four, and was going out trick or treating with the other neighborhood kids. That’s me, the Viking, in the photograph. I remember being fascinated by my friend Joanne’s homemade robot costume. I also remember how much fun it was to get to go out after dark, dress up, and get candy. Then, in 1987, I made a tape off of the TV that included It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, and DTV: Monster Hits.

If you aren’t familiar with that last one, look it up. You’ll be glad you did. Anyway, this became my favorite thing to watch, period. Year round it was playing constantly. These introduced me to the scary “bats, ghosts, and black cats” aspect of the holiday. Halloween was still about dressing up, but from then on it had an air of the arcane, unknown, and forbidden that fascinated and thrilled me.

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

Q: What is the one thing that sometimes drives me nuts about Halloween?

A: Well, I’m glad you asked. It’s the same thing that drives me nuts about some other holidays too. Halloween is October 31. Always has been, always will be. Halloween is NOT “the weekend closest to the 31st.” Halloween is Halloween dammit! When I was a kid, Halloween was whatever night the 31st was on whether it was a school night or not. I don’t care if you have to go to work the next day.

I know I’m not the only one (by a long shot) that’s gone to work with a fresh Halloween hangover. Halloween is supposed to be celebrated on Halloween. When do we open Christmas presents? That’s right, December Twenty Freakin’ Fifth, no matter what day of the week it is. Halloween deserves at least as much respect as Christmas.

On Monday, October 31, 2011, I wanna see people dressed up and having a spooky good time, not saying “well, I did my celebrating over the weekend.” You got that? Ok, sorry folks, I just had to rant for a second. I’ll get off of my soapbox now.

In closing, I’d just like to say, from all of us here at Son of Celluloid (meaning me), HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My Halloween: The Disney Experience

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2775658571_db594a3d8f_bFive questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Trader Sam of The Disney Experience…

Why is Halloween important to you?

It’s so different from the hum-drum life that we all lead throughout the rest of the year. I mean, you do the same things day-to-day, week-to-week. But, Halloween. Oh, Halloween! It’s the one month where we can step away for a while and do things we normally wouldn’t do. Wear things we normally wouldn’t wear. Act in ways we normally wouldn’t act. We need that, I think. I need that.

I typically get the Halloween bug around July, and it grows as October nears. When I can afford it, I dress up the front walkway and scare trick-or-treaters. The neighborhood kids really enjoy it, and they talk about it for weeks. It’s fun, but a lot of work for just one night. Sometimes, I like to take the year off to be the scare-ee rather than the scare-er.

Now for some shameless plugs, but only because they show how far Halloween I like to spread the holiday cheer . . .

If you’re a Disney fan, a Google search will eventually take you to a website called The Disney Experience, which I own and run. Every year (right now, in fact), I transform it into The Haunted Experience, with some sort of spooky overlay. It’s a fun annual re-design, and I always design something special to be released on Halloween. I look forward to it, and one year I took it a step further.

I decided to take my love of Disney, Halloween, and trick-or-treating and combine them into an online trick-or-treating website called Doorless Chambers (www.doorlesschambers.com). Web guests would go from site to site, downloading original digital goodies from Disney fan sites. Sadly, it only lasted for a couple of years. It was a mess to maintain and organize, and the funding just wasn’t there. I’ve been thinking of bringing it back one of these years now that I think I have the kinks worked out.

Lastly, I am a papercraft designer, and I’ve been creating Halloween papercrafts for the past 2-3 years. I sell them online from my portfolio website (www.navadesigns.net), and I’ve recently made the decision to sell them year-round. They’re small punch-out paper toys that only require a little bit of glue. They make great gifts for kids or can be given out at Halloween parties. They’re just one more way of spreading the Halloween fun!

Describe your ideal Halloween.

My ideal Halloween? I don’t have one. I have several. Here’s a list:

  1. Free reign of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. No cast members, technicians, or maintenance people except for those needed behind-the-scenes to make sure that the attraction runs smoothly all night long.
  2. Having the funds to design, create, and build an interactive haunted house on my front lawn. Something with a lot of hallways that can secretly swivel and/or slide around when guests are not looking, creating a maze of confusion and panic. Wicked fun!
  3. Having unlimited funds to create an entire haunted town out of my entire street. Something like a block party where the public could trick-or-treat, too.
  4. Taking my nephews to Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland.
  5. Creating a life-size robotic T-rex that I could climb into and “drive” through the neighborhood, scaring kids.

I lie awake at night thinking of things like this.

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

I’m a Disney fan at heart. I always have been. So, it’s no surprise that I’m a Haunted Mansion (all incarnations) fan. I even own a copy of the Haunted Mansion movie just to see the references to the attraction. How geeky is that?

After Walt Disney died, there was a debate between the Disney Imagineers about whether the Haunted Mansion should be scary or humorous. In the end, the two were combined to create, I think, the perfect combination between scary (more spooky than scary, really) and funny. Nothing really terrorizes you, but it leaves some room for your imagination which can REALLY terrorize you. There’s nothing quite like scaring yourself.

I am also a fan of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (surprise, surprise). I think I own three different copies of the album. In fact, I’m listening to Nightmare Revisited as I type this. Yeah, another geeky moment for me.

I love old things. Books, antiques, cobwebs, run-down turn-of-the-century houses . . . anything with a link to the macabre, really.

I’m not a big fan of the cutsie/kiddy Halloween themes. Jack-o-lanterns, witches, black cats, ghosts, and the like just are not meant to look cute. The exception to this rule is vintage Halloween ephemera. Those had a way of being kid-friendly without looking childish. And, the art design is just freakin’ cool (do a Google search for “vintage Halloween”)!

Alright . . . one thing that I absolutely loathe about Halloween is the needless use of blood and gore. Halloween is supposed to be scary. Blood and gore is just gross. I want to be spooked, not made nauseous. That’s a problem with modern “horror” movies nowadays (for me, at least). That’s not to say there are not appropriate times to use blood and gore. Use it wisely.

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

My dad once worked with a police officer in my home town. The officer’s last name was ‘Scorpino’. It’s a cool-sounding name, kind of like ‘scorpion’. It’s an appropriately spooky name in fact. He lived in an old 2-3 story Victorian-inspired house. On any night of the year, it looked like your stereotypical haunted house. On Halloween week, it actually became a haunted house.

This man and his family used Hollywood-quality props and special effects inside and out! I never went inside as a kid (was there an age limit?), but I hear that he had tours through various haunted rooms that were supposed to be very scary. The garage was set up as a mini walkthrough for the younger crowd.

My best memory of that house was the front porch. From the outside, it looked like any other porch with a clear overview of the cemetery (the lawn). But, when you walked up the steps and looked out, it appeared to be raining. Honest-to-goodness rain! I’m still trying to figure out how he did that one.

Scorpino’s house was my first true taste of Halloween.

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

Q: Do you ever tire of it?

A: No, not really. I get tired of some things, but I always try to change it up in some way to keep it fresh. For example, I’ve been meddling with a twist on an existing special effect for my porch dress-up.

A couple of years ago, I came up with this effect where trick-or-treaters (TOTs) would enter a room with black walls and ceiling. The room was decorated with candles, portraits, and other wall fixtures. With the help of a black light, it looks like a black room. But, one wall is really a black void. That’s where I lurk, dressed in black with glowing red eyes. I can jump out almost anywhere, and it freaks people out when the eyes float in or out of the “wall.”

I’m working on a new twist on that theme where TOTs would enter a black room with a door. Thinking that they’re supposed to go through the door, they’d eventually discover that they have to go through what they originally thought was a wall. I see some potential for pranks here.

I’m getting geeky again.

My Halloween: Lisa Morton

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Witchnoisemaker 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 Lisa Morton…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Wow, I could write an entire book to answer that…oh, wait – I've written three already! Okay, seriously…Halloween is just such a rich holiday that operates on so many levels. As a kid, I loved the empowerment of wearing a costume and being paid off in candy (and the better the costume, the more candy!).

As an adult, I love the creativity, the seasonal aspect as we change from summer to winter, and the celebration of fear but done in a whimsical way. I think it's healthy to have one night a year where we, collectively, impersonate, mock, and honor death.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I love seeing what people do to transform both themselves and their surroundings on Halloween. Every year I drive to locations where I've heard there are spectacular home displays (those are also usually where you get the best trick or treat costumes). I love the seasonal foods, so I have to eat a pumpkin stew and pumpkin seeds and even Halloween cookies from a local bakery. I'll probably wrap up the night by tuning in whatever horror movie or special is on television – the older the better!I'm ashamed to say I've never been to our local West Hollywood celebration, but I'm not a huge fan of crowds or traffic.

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

Oh boy, I've got a lot I love. As the author of three illustrated Halloween books, it's been (ahem) convenient to collect a lot of stuff that I could use as illustrations in the books, everything from vintage postcards to antique books to modern folk art and toys. But I think I have a special fondness for vintage noisemakers.

One of my favorite pieces of Halloween non-fiction writing is an essay by Carl B. Holmberg called "Things That Go Snap-Rattle-Clang-Toot-Crank in the Night: Halloween Noisemakers" (from the book HALLOWEEN AND OTHER FESTIVALS OF DEATH AND LIFE), and that essay really got me started on noisemakers. Strangely enough, I never used noisemakers as a kid (apparently they never really made it to the west coast), but I just love their colorful graphics and the idea of kids making scads of noise with these things on Halloween night. I've attached photos of two that are probably my favorites: You can't beat that image of the witch with her cats, and the winking owl with the jack-o'-lantern just somehow always make me smile.

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

The first one I really remember was probably when I was in first grade (I think I was seven), and my favorite show was this ridiculous thing called IT'S ABOUT TIME with cavemen, so I wanted to be a cavewoman. My dad's a hunter (and still is, at 83!), so he made me this costume from an honest-to-God deer hide, and my mom ratted out my hair, and it was all very authentic. The only bummer part was that I was too small to lift a real wooden club, so I had a plastic club. I remember parading proudly in the school costume pageant around the playground, and being really proud of that costume.

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

Q: Lisa, if you could travel back in time to witness Halloween in the past, when/where would you go to?

A: Well, Lisa, that's a tough one…but I think I'd have to say that I would love to take part in an 18th-century Scottish party, such as Robert Burns describes in his poem "Hallowe'en". The night was one full of magic and romance and a little bit of spookiness, and it's no wonder the Scots loved the holiday so much.

My Halloween: Sally Bosco

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Sally Bosco cat Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with dark fiction author Sally Bosco…

Why is Halloween important to you?

I like to make fairly elaborate costumes and get dressed up for Halloween. My favorite costume of all time is anime character, Kitty Cat Sakura (see photo in this article.) Beyond that, I like the feeling of the restless spirits walking the Earth. It gives us a knowing that there’s something beyond this physical plane. When I had a home dungeon every day felt like Halloween, but the room was breaking down and I had to have it knocked down and replaced it with a sunroom. So now Halloween is pretty much back to once a year. Another reason I like Halloween is that it’s the one day out of the year that adults legitimately get to play.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I’d make elaborate costumes for myself and my boyfriend, Eric. We’d meet our friends, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell and go out to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Carmine’s in Ybor City, in Tampa, Florida and then we’d go to the best Goth bar ever, The Castle. People at The Castle are very serious about their costumes, so it’s always a spectacle and a huge blast. I’ve visited Goth bars in a lot of different cities, and nobody does it better than they do.

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

My favorite Halloween artifacts are my Living Dead Dolls, especially Sadie and Walpurgis. I keep them on my writing table for company and inspiration. The other Living Dead Dolls pretty much hang out in my bookcase. Sometimes I find them in different positions in the morning, but that might be due to my cats. I like to think they move on their own, however.

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

My parents dressed me up like Snow White and took me around to relatives’ houses. They didn’t want me to do the door-to-door trick-or-treat thing until I was older. Yes, I was an only child and very sheltered. It was still great though, because at that point it was all I knew, and I loved the creepy feeling of Halloween from the very first.

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

Q: What was your most memorable Halloween spent away from home?

A: One year I went to Paris for Halloween, and I was so excited I even took some bat wings with me. But then I found that they don’t celebrate Halloween at all. The only people who were dressed up were in theShakespeare Book Store, which is American. It was still a great night, though. It was odd to realize that Halloween isn’t universal.

Hope everyone has the best Halloween ever!

Sally writes young adult horror/paranormal novels. Her newest release is The Werecat Chronicles, available on Amazon.

My Halloween: My Scary Halloween

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2340_Scary2011Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with My Scary Halloween.

Why is Halloween important to you?

At some point we all leave our childhoods behind and with it a treasure trove of make-believe, candy, and the wonder that one night a year ghosts and witches do exist. Halloween allows me to reconnect with that childhood wonder and in that moment that sense of fascination recharges my creative soul for an entire year.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I love my Halloween scary – from the front porch where kids are greeted with macabre yard haunt, to the decorations that fill my house with a very spooky atmosphere – every detail is carefully considered. In the background a horror movie is playing, or perhaps a playlist of my favorite Halloween music. I usually have a few friends over to hand out candy, tell ghost stories, and enjoy a warm bowl of Autumn stew. After the activities fade and I am alone, I watch horror movies until late at night when the last of the pumpkin scented candle burns out.

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

I collect a Halloween village and every year I spend a month putting it together. I build platforms, carve rocks out of foam, and wire the whole thing together (pictures are on my website). This is a fascinating hobby for me and I’ve learned things like engineering, electrical wiring, woodworking and painting – all the same things I’ve put into use in my own actual home.

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

I don’t have many memories of celebrating Halloween as a kid. One of my most memorable Halloweens was my first year in San Francisco. The Castro neighborhood put on quite a big “show” and the costumes were incredible. One woman was being wheeled around in a phone booth covered with crows in homage to The Birds, and of course, there were the 8-foot-tall drag queens with headdresses that practically reached the traffic lights. I’d never seen anything like it (or since).

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

Q: Do you want to go trick r’ treating?

A: Yes! Let me grab a bucket.

My Halloween: WGON Helicopter

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Superheroes (1974)Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…riding on the WGON Helicopter…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Halloween has always represented a sort of “cutting loose” in my life. I don’t normally dress as Dr. Clayton Forrester from Mystery Science Theater 3000 in my daily life, but on Halloween, it’s not only perfectly acceptable, but expected. Growing up, it was that one day a year when my brother and I would start planning what our costumes would be weeks before the actual day. We spent our childhood in a very rural setting, and so we often couldn’t go door-to-door. Our parents would drive us and during some years, actually make our costumes for us.

I’m from northern Michigan, so the autumn was always crisp and clean, leaves on the ground, occasionally a snowflake or two. The air was perfect, the sun seemed to shine a little differently during October. The mysterious mood generated by “scary” costumes and a good ghost story or three nestled into my memory, sending a part of me back in time every instance I hear the word “Halloween.” It was important to me for the feeling of freedom, both in attitude and in nature.

MeasDrForrester1993Describe your ideal Halloween.

The child-like spirit is first and foremost. You’re “too grown up inside” to enjoy it? Tough…you better learn to quickly because that’s the part that comes out during Halloween. A sunny day with a few clouds here and there, and a blue sky through the bare trees. The air has to be crisp and cool, but not too cold. There doesn’t have to be a party – I’m fine with not going to one, although they’re usually a good time. Plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters, and when that’s done, two or three carefully-selected horror movies are on the docket to close out the night.

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

Believe it or not, I’m an antique-y, vintage-y kind of guy. I have specific things I look for when I go to an antique store or flea market. The Halloween collectibles I enjoy now, or want to get a hold of, are usually the ones I grew up with. Specific decorations or toys that I might have had when I was a kid in the 70’s.

In fact, that’s my cut-off point, right around 1979. Maybe into as late as 1982 is OK, but there’s a certain kind of magic attached to those decorations or toys that my mom would put out a week before Halloween. I can’t name anything specific, but I’d know it if I saw it. Such is the fun of collectible hunting.

What was your first Halloween…?

I try to remember my first experience with Halloween, and as I get older, the memories get a little hazier. An early one that stood out for me was 1974. My brother and I wanted to be superheroes, and you have to understand that the both of us have been comic nerds since the days when it wasn’t “cool” to be a comic nerd. The only problem was which one we wanted to be. We were immense fans of Thor, Spider-Man, Superman, both Captain Marvels (you comic fans know what I mean by that), the X-Men, the Metal Men. The problem was settling on one. That was OK, because our parents did it for us.

We had oversized books of Superman and DC’s Captain Marvel, so that is what they went with: homemade costumes that, while not as intricate as the cosplay experts can churn out, was good enough for us in 1974. Sweatshirts, shorts over pants, and capes made from old dress shirts…they weren’t perfect, but that night we were the mighty Justice League brought to life in a seven- and four-year-old’s imaginations. And we got some pretty sweet candy that year.

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

One question I wouldn’t mind being asked about Halloween is “What’s a good movie marathon for Halloween night?”

My answer might depend on the personal tastes of the person who’s asking, but I could provide a general list that I might run with on a good Halloween night. First off, without question, is the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead. That’s a Halloween tradition. For sheer atmosphere, I’d recommend the original version of The Haunting. You really can’t go wrong with that one. The recent mockumentary Lake Mungo is a fantastic chiller that depends on atmosphere. For downright scares, I usually go with the tense, frenetic [REC] films from Spain. For more international atmosphere and creepiness, I’d recommend The Pang Brothers’ stylish The Eye(NOT the remake). For some yuks of the comedic kind, it’s good to pick from the trio of Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and Evil Dead 2.

So many to choose from, so little space.

My Halloween: Evil von Scarry

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

My wife and I’s anniversary is on Halloween. We had a Halloween/Carnival theme to our wedding and we’re both Halloween freaks.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

No costume No candy. Kids going out all night gettting treats and dressing like monsters and ghosts, haunted houses, carving jack o lanterns.

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

We’re both kind of into Nightmare Before Christmas, lots of Tim Burton memorabilia around, skulls, black cats, ghosts, scary trees, the works.

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

It was awesome, the one I remember best. My brother and I used pillow cases and when they were full went back home, dropped em off, and went out again. I think that year was about a 2 1/2 pillow case year, lol.

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

Q: Is it supposed to be scary?

A: YES!!!

 

My Halloween: Pandora’s Pen

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ZombiejoFive questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…inked with Pandora’s Pen…

Why is Halloween important to you?

There’s a certain type of magic unleashed into the spiced autumn air of late-October. Children sense it and relish in its mysterious chill, but many adults tend to turn their noses up at it, thinking they are too old for Halloween. But it is truly the one time of the year when lovers of the macabre are allowed to embrace their true selves and roam free among the normal people of the world. Halloween is important to me because the atmosphere allows me to feel right at home and to try and show others the magic of fall.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

My ideal Halloween lasts the entire month of October (and preferably some of September, too) because the magic of Halloween is hard to capture in a single day. I will do a marathon of all the best Halloween-themed movies, read plenty of Halloween stories, and listen to the right music to gear up. Then I’ll decorate the house, create my costume, and carve pumpkins.

As a kid, nothing could beat the pumpkin farms where we went on hayrides, ate elephant ears, and examined the best pumpkins. As we near the day, only the best haunted houses are in store. Finally, as Halloween arrives, I’ll witness the spectacle of costumed children trick-or-treating and throw a party with Halloween-themed food and drinks… and who knows, maybe a ghost or two will show up…

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

One Halloween quite a few years ago, my mother (who is just as much a fanatic as I am) bought a 2-ft tall poseable skeleton who we named Benny. But after Halloween that year, we couldn’t find any space in our cluttered basement to store him, so we left him out sitting beside the fireplace. A stuffed turkey ended up in his lap for Thanksgiving; he donned a Santa hat for Christmas; the Fourth of July gave him an American flag bandana. Even now we keep him out year-round as part of the family, and he recently wore a paper top-hat and tie for my sister’s engagement party.

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

My first Halloween, I was too young to recall, but I distinctly remember my kindergarten or first-grade Halloween where we dressed up for school and paraded down the hallways. The other girls wore Dorothy’s ruby red shoes and princess dresses. Me? I went as a skeleton, complete with full-body bone suit and painted face. I knew then that there was something different about me, and that afternoon as I reluctantly put on a heavy denim jacket and raced over the dead leaves with the neighborhood kids as we went house to house, I knew that this was truly Halloween.

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

Q: I think I’ve lost the magic of Halloween since growing up. What can I do to get it back?

A: There are so many things you can do, and I’ll tell you all of them on Pandora’s Pen’s Halloween Countdown.

My Halloween: Know Joe Moe

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Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Joe Moe…so you know…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Like our favorite Horror movies themselves, Halloween represents such a high degree of art, craft, and creativity. It’s so theatrical, clever, and creepy. A great way for parents to encourage imagination and share their limited (or vast) knowledge of tradition, stagecraft and spooky mythology with their family. If all else fails, it’s a nationally sanctioned day for kids to piss off uptight parents!

Halloween is also transformative. As a kid, you could be whoever you wanted for that one magical night. Or, at the very least, not be your regular self for a spell. All of this contributed to my aspiration to tell spooky stories as an adult. While I haven’t accomplished all I have left to do yet, I have made movies, designed haunted rides for theme parks internationally, and lived with and took care of one of the pioneers of our genre, the late great Forrest J Ackerman. Thanks, Halloween! Pretty good trip so far!

Describe your ideal Halloween.

One that goes on for the entire month of October. It starts with planning the big, themed Halloween party for the actual day. This year it’s Vampire Spaghetti Dinner with my fanatic Halloween pal, actress Carol Ann Susi (from the original Night Stalker series and now Mrs. Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory). But long before the 31st, there’s exploring Disneyland’s family-friendly Halloweenification, Knott’s Scary Farm’s infamous, immersive, month-long Halloween Haunt. Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights is hit or miss, but I personally never miss it! There’s even the fun of scoping out the mainstream department stores to see what innovations, decorations and novelties are offered this season. And no Halloween can go by without a visit to Del And Sue at Dark Delicacies in Burbank. Oddly, nowadays, I hardly ever wear a costume as part of my Halloween celebration?!

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

I worship any Don Post Studios mask. Back in the 70s, having one of those deluxe, over-your-head treasures was like owning an actual piece of classic horror history. There was no better way to become your favorite monster than to squirm into one of those remarkable, detailed latex masks. I don’t own any myself today, but I do have a copy of the mask I actually sculpted for Don Post Studios in the 80s (Schizoid, at left). I can’t express what an incredible dream come true it was for this (then) 22-year-old kid from Hawaii to contribute a monster mask to the company that so affected my childhood dreams and ambitions. Seeing my mask on shelves at the Hollywood costume shops and theme parks was beyond exciting.

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

I was nine when Halloween coalesced into understanding of the tradition and fun of the holiday. It was the year my parents finally allowed me to read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Now I could put all the creatures and movies I was drawn to into the context of the genre. I also got my first store-bought costume, Frankenstein’s monster! It was one of those boxed costumes. A flimsy printed, shiny jumpsuit, tied in back like a hospital gown. And the vacu-formed mask printed with garish colors that smelled like plastic (and later, spit). I wore that costume days before Halloween. I shredded it. I won my first Halloween contest that year. Today I realize that I won, not because of my lousy commercial costume, but because I stood next to a kid in an identical costume and the judges thought we were cute twins. Luckily, I was handed the prize and not that other kid.

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

Joe, will you please attend my:

a) Halloween Party

b) Haunted House

c) Seance

d) Homemade graveyard

e) Spooky movie screening

f) All of the above

My answer is…YES!

Joe&Werewolf

Joe and Werewolf under a full moon. (Joe’s on the right)

 

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Forry’s Don Post Life Masks

My Halloween: Wicked Crochet

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CrystalballFive questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with Kara of Wicked Crochet…

Why is Halloween important to you?

I look forward every year to Halloween’s approach. What I really love is that for one night of the year you can be whatever or whoever you want with no judgement from society. From a beautiful princess to a rotting zombie corpse, anything goes. A night of whimsy, magic and imagination that takes me back to my childhood.

Halloween is also the one night of the year where the veil between the living and the dead is lifted. Ghosts, monsters and witches creep through the night. Carved jack-o-lanterns adorn every doorstep, the smell of the pumpkins burning flesh wafting through the crisp air. It’s the lore and myth that fascinates me. Halloween is the night to scare and be scared and that is a total rush.

Oh and I almost forgot….The Candy.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

A walk through a corn maze, a visit to a haunted house, a little trick or treating, and, to top the evening off, a midnight stroll through an old cemetery.

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

I have an adorable little jack-o-lantern trophy that I display proudly every year. In 1978, when I was seven, I won a pumpkin carving contest. Just that it has survived all these years amazes me.

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

I remember it well. I know the year was 1977 because every kid out trick-or-treating that night was dressed in a store bought Star Wars costume, except of course for me: my mom always made my costumes. I was dressed as Dracula’s bride. I had a fabulous dress, high collared cape, and my awesome plastic vampire teeth with fake blood dripping out of the corners of my mouth. I can remember thinking how funny it was that the other kids weren’t scary at all. What fun is that?

There was one house we went to trick-or-treat at that night that was decorated amazingly. There was a huge spider web made of rope that covered the front of the garage.The man on the other side was dressed as a creepy old wizard. The garage was full of fog from dry ice and had a black light going. I was so scared but I walked up to that creepy guy, reached my hand through that spider web, and got my candy!

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

Q: What is the strangest thing you have done for the love of Halloween?

A: Three years ago I had a jack-o-lantern tattooed on my leg. That’s how much I love Halloween.

My Halloween: Penny Dreadful

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PennyThronePicFive questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with horror hostess Penny Dreadful…

Why is Halloween important to you?

Halloween is a very special time of year for me. There’s something magical, otherworldly and a little scary about it. All Hallows Eve evokes such delightful thoughts of dead branches swaying in the breeze and the smell of burning leaves coming from people’s backyards. It brings to mind thoughts of bag-fulls of candy (chocolate was always the best!) and creepy costumed beings running through the crisp Autumn night. Truly, I love Hallowe’en.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

Mere words cannot describe the unspeakable horrors which make up MY ideal Halloween! However, I will describe a very GOOD Halloween. A very good Halloween is one in which I play numerous monster novelty and rock ‘n’ roll tunes through the use of one of those compact disc machines. Garou and I then don mysterious costumes to protect ourselves from the roaming revenants and head out for a festive Halloween gathering with its assorted games and revelry. Pumpkins are required and hot cider is a nice bonus.

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

One I always liked was a plastic pumpkin my mother used to hang on the front door. It had strange silvery eyes. Alas, it is long gone.

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

Too many centuries have elapsed dear Zombos. However, my most memorable Halloween involved getting together with my sisters and cousins, getting into our greasepaint and flowing costumes and running out into the cold New England night with the intermingled scents of candy and rotting leaves in the air.

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

Q: Should Halloween be declared a national holiday?

A: Of corpse it shouldn’t be a national holiday. It should be an INTERNATIONAL HOWLIDAY! On Halloween, no cool ghoul should be in school! On All Hallows Eve, those who lurk should not work! If I ever run for political office, this will be my (gallows) platform!

My Halloween: JG Faherty

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J-g-faherty Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…and coffie with author JG Faherty… 

 

Why is Halloween important to you?

Well, I don’t know if important is exactly the right word. It’s my favorite holiday, and I look forward to dressing up and going to costume parties. I always have, ever since I was a little kid. Historically it is important, both as a modern holiday and ancient celebration of life. But it’s not like I sit around all year and think about it.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

Well, it would have to fall on a weekend so you could celebrate for 3 days. I’d do a book reading or appearance, maybe have a book premiering. There’d be a party to go to where everyone dressed up in wild costumes. I’d make some Halloween-themed drinks or snacks. That’d be a good Halloween if I stayed local. You could add a photo trip to local cemetery as well. However, if I could plan the ultimate Halloween vacation, it would be to a haunted mansion or castle, where a group of us would spend the night.

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

What do you mean by collectibles? I have some statuettes and decorations that I like, and some Halloween-themed art and books. But they aren’t ‘collectibles’ per say; I certainly couldn’t retire (or even go away for the weekend!) if I sold them.

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

Probably somewhere around kindergarten or first grade. Back then just wearing a costume and getting candy was all that mattered. It wasn’t until my teenage years that I understood the history of Halloween.

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

Q: What is your best Halloween memory?

A: Probably a couple of years ago when my wife and I spent the weekend in Salem, MA. I’d wanted to go there for years.