From Zombos' Closet comes a classy and trashy collection of popular culture artifacts for those who love the terrors and treats in movies, books, and Halloween.
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.
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 Caffeinated Joe...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Well, first off, Autumn is my favorite season, so right off the bat, Halloween falls in the right spot. Second, horror films are my favorite genre, so it gets to be a win-win here. Just have always loved the crunch of leaves, the smell in the air, the sun setting earlier. Yeah, I know most people like it the opposite, but not me. Bring on the dark nights! From the spooky decorations, the TV specials and movie marathons, there really isn’t much that isn’t great about Halloween to me!
Describe your ideal Halloween.
Right now, an ideal Halloween involves my kids ending up in the costumes they want, whether they are hand made or store bought or a little of both. Them enjoying trick-or-treating and the Halloween parade in town is priority number one. But, once they are in bed, I situate myself in front of the TV and watch whatever horror goodness is airing. I do this all October, really, between AMC’s Monsterfest (or whatever it is called now), TCM’s classic films and whatever else is airing around the tube. Lots and lots of late nights every October! And I ALWAYS make sure to watch my favorite movie of all-time, Carpenter’s Halloween. I never tire of it.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
We have a bunch of stuff, Halloween-decoration-wise. We have a skeleton/ghost that descends while playing creepy music. Also have a haunted light-up village and other odds and ends. And I have horror movie stuff, collectibles from Halloween, Friday the 13th, etc. One of my favorites is a Jason mask I was given as a gift. Also have 1/4” scale Jason statue and a Michael Myers that plays the theme.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where "you really knew" it was Halloween, and how was it?
Well, I don’t remember my first Halloween. But I do remember my mother making our costumes and going as a clown one year. And then buying those Ben Cooper costumes, with the crappy masks that hurt and the ties that snapped after three houses. And coming home with a buttload of candy and swapping pieces out with my brothers and sister and cousins. And watching creepy shows on TV, including Charlie Brown.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
I don’t know. Maybe “What’s the oddest Halloween memory you have?” I would answer that one year, my brother, my sister and my cousins went trick-or-treating and then later that night going into the cemetery that was right behind our house. We walked all the way through to the far end, which was quite a walk. And they had this big religious statue. One of my cousins walked up to it and she pretended to be ‘entranced’. None of us were buying her act, but she laid down on the grass and then waited and when she stood she acted possessed. I have to admit, for a moment, my heart jumped. Not because of her non-acting, but just because of the mystery Halloween night has, especially being in a dark cemetery as the hours ticked closer to midnight!
I have no pictures of me from Halloween handy right now, but attached is one of my two younger kids from two Halloweens ago, at Disney World in Florida. My daughter is dressed up as Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd and my son is dressed up as Ghost Charlie Brown from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. They got to trick-or-treat at Downtown Disney, which was a lot of fun, and then at my sister-in-law’s neighborhood, which was also fun – and warm, which was different, since we are from New England!
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with John Skeleton (John Skeleton's Horror Blog)...and also writing for Scream magazine when the lights are low...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, Samhain…whatever name you call it by, there’s something thrilling about the 31st of October that sends shivers down my spine…in the very best way possible! I am fascinated with the origins of the holiday, especially the idea that on that evening all of the witches, demons, evil spirits, and sorcerers hold sway and celebrate their revelries under the tenebrous cover of night.
The fire festivals of Britain, the Scottish traditions, and the Celtic celebrations of Samhain have all filtered down through history and somehow manifested themselves in the only holiday dedicated to those things that go bump in the night. For a fan of horror and the Gothic such as myself, I feel like Halloween is the one day of the year that I can be myself, and also watch the “normal” folks get into the spirit of devilish delight! The gleefully ghoulish house decorations, the creepy costumes, the long hours of horror marathons running on the television, mountains of candy…I love every minute of it!
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal All Hallow’s Eve falls upon the night of the full moon, with a few wisps of clouds above and a chill breeze rattling through hoary tree branches that stretch into the sky like decrepit and decaying fingers of the dead. Eldritch sounds can be heard echoing through the wood, emanating not from evil spirits of the forest, but from a large house situated deep among the trees, where the children of the night have gathered to celebrate the forces of Darkness.
Massive and well-constructed, the numerous rooms of the old Victorian now serve as chambers of the morbid and macabre. Classic gems of horror cinema spray blood and gore across a massive projector screen in one room, while another contains multiple gaming consoles where eager players battle against the undead and other unholy creatures…or take on their personas themselves. Sepulchral melodies echo from a room where bodies twist and writhe in unholy ecstasy, and for the more adventurous there is even a fully equipped “torture” room where pleasure and pain melt and congeal together until they are one and the same.
The highlight of the evening comes at the witching hour, when an authentic Black Mass is performed deep in the bowels of the sanctuary…Okay, well I may have gotten a bit carried away there, but a man can dream, can’t he?
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
As I currently live in Japan, there is a tragic dearth of Halloween collectibles to be had here in the Land of the Rising Sun. That said, I like to keep things in my bedroom that many people might find at least a little bit odd. Some of my favorite pieces that could be considered vaguely Halloween-related are my life-size skeleton model, two anatomical models, a bottle of some mysterious liquor with a cobra and scorpion inside, and my stuffed and mounted bat. Factor in my pet snake, scorpion, and tarantula, and it’s pretty much Halloween every day around here!
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
To be honest, while the memories have faded with time I still have photos of a Halloween night long ago when my parents dressed me up as a black cat, complete with a nose and whiskers supplied courtesy of my mother’s makeup box. I trace the roots of my urge to dress up and my love for Halloween back to that point. As early as I can remember I always loved adorning my bedroom with fake spider webs, skeletons, and all manner of spooky paraphernalia, and in the end my parents always had to remove them, for if I had had my way it would have been like that all year round!
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: Who’s the zombie chick in the photo?
A: That would be yours truly last Halloween! While I wasn’t able to get so elaborate with the makeup, I had a blast with my friends at a big Goth party in Tokyo.
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 M. Baker (The Vampire Hunters)...
Why is Halloween important to you?
It’s the one day of the year where everyone wants to be scared. It gives those who ignore the genre for the other 364 days of the year an opportunity to know the thrill and enticement us genre fans experience daily.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween would be to own a home with a large enough front yard to set up a really awesome nightmare display. I dream of having desiccated zombies crawling out of the dirt along the driveway, corpses hanging from the tree, a giant spider precariously perched above the front door, and anything else my twisted imagination can dream up. In my hometown lived a guy who used to deck out his house with so many Christmas lights that people would drive from miles around just to see it; I want people to do the same for my Halloween display.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I like most of the Halloween decorations I put up around my place. The vampire bat with the four-foot wingspan that hangs over my garage. The decaying skeleton torso I hang from my bedroom window. The life-size Angel of Death I hang from the door knocker.
The collectible that is nearest to me is a simple ceramic skull that I set up on the dining room table every year. Back when I was a kid, my Aunt Bobby made it for me in art class because she knew that, as a Monster Kid, I would appreciate it. Today it wouldn’t scare a three-year-old, but that doesn’t matter. It reminds me of my aunt, who passed away almost ten years ago, and how she was one of the many family members who encouraged that weird little kid who loved monsters.
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. I do remember, however, Halloween as a kid in general. A few weeks before the holiday, my parents would take me to the costume section of the local department store to choose what I wanted to be that year. Back then, the costumes came in small boxes and consisted of a cheap, flimsy, overall-type outfit with an accompanying plastic face mask with eye holes so small they scraped the hell out of your lids. (You Monster Kids out there know exactly what I’m talking about.) Then on the hallowed night I would go out and prowl the neighborhood, where I thought I was the scariest/coolest monster on the block, and return home to eat myself into a self-induced sugar high. I miss those simple times.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: What would be your ultimate Halloween costume? A: I would want a make-up artist to deck me out as a rotting zombie with the whole nine yards: grotesque, oozing neck wound; ripped open abdomen with the obligatory intestines hanging out; and torn up face with exposed jaw.
I also have a standing invitation from a close author fiend to go out one Halloween with her and her daughter as Gomez, Morticia, and Wednesday Addams. I’m hoping to cash in on that someday.
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 C. Michael Forsyth (Hour of the Beast)...
Why is Halloween important to you?
It's the one day of the year when adults are allowed to play make-believe.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
A great big house party where everyone comes in costume and scary movies are playing on screens in every room.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
Mnnn, I don't collect much...does a flexible skeleton you can hang from a noose count?
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I must have been about seven and was wearing a rubber Frankenstein mask. It was awful because I could hardly breathe or see through it without my glasses, which didn't fit properly under it. Still hate the smell of those darned masks.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: What's your all-time favorite Halloween costume? A: I'd have to go with Zorro. What man doesn't think he looks dashing with a black cape, mask, and a piece of cold steel (okay, plastic) in his hand?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...author Dan Dillard writes mostly horror, but not always. Sometimes he writes about Halloween.
Why is Halloween important to you?
Not sure what it is about Halloween that is so magical. It could be the lore or the mystery. It's like our one time to become one with the paranormal and there's an odd feeling of safety about the day. Seems like I read that it was once a festival where families would light bonfires to warm the bones of their deceased ancestors who walked the earth on that evening. I like that idea. I'm also a huge fan of horror and the ghostly tales that seem to surround Halloween... and secretly I like the costumes and the candy. I like watching my children enjoy that aspect of it as well.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween would start with a well decorated house. That includes carved jack-o-lanterns. There would be a party with friends and family (in costumes of course). It needs to be a cool night, not too cold, and there has to be hundreds of kids bebopping from house to house with bags of treasure. Each of them ringing doorbells in hopes of scaring someone on the inside. After the kids come home with their loot, the wife and I get to watch a movie and steal all the Reese's cups.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
Wow, collectibles? I'm not sure. I love the figurines from the movies...Nightmare Before Christmas is a favorite. I'd love to have Jack and Sally maquettes... maybe Oogie Boogie as well.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where "you really knew" it was Halloween, and how was it?
My family always celebrated Halloween. I remember when I was really young seeing my brother dressed as the Hunchback... he had latex scars on his face and fake teeth and the whole nine... That was pretty cool. I might have been 4 or 5. Think I was superman that year.
At 7 or 8 years old, I wanted to be a Tusken Raider from Star Wars...I think my mother helped sew the costume out of a tan bathrobe and my dad made the gaffi stick out of wood and styrofoam...it was pretty awesome. Pop on a little vacuformed mask and I looked great in the mirror... I also remember being Batman, Freddy Kruger, a Ghostbuster, a werewolf, and this year I'm...wait, that's top secret.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked, and what's your answer?
Q: Where can I get your book?
A: That's a shameless plug. I hope to hear a bunch of hopeful "Trick or Treat" s... That will be enough.
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...Sammy from Scooby Stole the Snacks leaves the Mystery Machine for a moment to talk about Halloween.
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween has always been the only time of the year where I could go out in a Scooby Doo outfit and not receive any weird looks from the general population. Also, it has been a great opportunity for my family, primarily my 8-year old brother, to actually have fun together. Plus, free candy! That's always a bonus. See, I go trick-r'-treating every year, and I just overall love that time of the year.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween? Well, honestly, I'm one of those simple people. My ideal Halloween would consist of it being on a weekend, so I wouldn't have to go to school. There would have to be homemade Halloween goodies, like my peppermint patty spiders and mummy hot dogs. My family and I would carve jack-o-lanterns in the morning, then relax and watch good old black and white movies, such as Bela Lugosi's Dracula. Then, we would go trick-'r-treating, and come home and indulge on all the free chocolate.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I personally cherish my old glow in the dark plastic skeleton that I hang on my door every Halloween. It's cheap and simple, sure, but it's a classic. I don't particularly like those candy bowls that have the hand that grabs you when you reach into the bowl. It was creepy at first, but it's really getting old every year. I both hate/cherish those fake spiderwebs that you can hang on bushes, trees, etc. They're awesome looking, but just a pain in the butt to actually hang up.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where "you really knew" it was Halloween, and how was it?
The first Halloween I remember was the year I dressed up as a Hershey's Kiss. I must have been around 2-3 years old at the time. My mom handmade the costume and I was the cutest Hershey's Kiss ever. I don't quite remember how it was, but I'm sure it was enjoyable, since I was smiling in all the pictures my mom took of me that night.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked, and what's your answer?
Q: What is the worst possible outfit that you can find at any Halloween store?
A: Any outfit involving Jersey Shore, or Lady Gaga
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...while Nathicana impatiently waits for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, she shares some Halloween spirit with us.
Why is Halloween important to you?
Candy. Lots of candy. OK, OK, not candy. Halloween is the only holiday I celebrate. I love that it doesn’t have all the baggage that the other holidays have; no worrying about gifts, no arguing with family members over a dried out turkey dinner, no secret Santa crap. It’s just pure fun. Honestly, it’s the only time of year where people seem to take pleasure in the holiday itself. Plus it lets me inflict my love of creepy things upon others.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I’m pretty low key in my old age so I suppose my ideal Halloween is what we usually do every year. Two-day horror movie marathon (Hey, I grew up outside of Detroit: Halloween starts on Devil’s Night), then we have some friends over for a bonfire, and drinks. Maybe later we’ll terrorize the neighbors, howl at the moon, conduct a few virgin sacrifices. You know, nothing too exciting.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
They’re not collectibles but I just hate, hate those damn inflatable cutesy decorations people put on their lawns. They absolutely drive me crazy. Halloween is supposed to be spooky. Ugh, I’ll stop now before I go on a tangent about how I think Halloween has been sissified over the years.
Obviously, I love anything really creepy but my favorite item isn’t really a Halloween collectible. It’s a little statue of St. Francis of Assisi that I got from a church sale. It looks like it was created by Francis Bacon. It’s disturbing and hideous and it’s awesome. I don’t really have anything that would be considered a collectible when I think about it, mostly just decorations.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
The very first Halloween that I remember distinctly was when I was seven. I was stuck at my Grandparents house sick with something or other so I didn’t get to go trick or treating. I did, however, get to stay up late that night and watch the local channel’s thriller double-feature: Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things and Night of the Living Dead. It was terrifying and gave me nightmares and I loved every second of it. That was the point where I began to love everything to do with horror, anything dark, macabre, or creepy. I might not have gotten any candy that Halloween but it was the best Halloween ever.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: What’s your favorite movie to watch on Halloween?
A: Prince of Darkness. It’s an excellent film that I think is totally underrated which is a shame since it really has some great moments. Come on! “I have a message for you and you’re not going to like it. Pray for death”. That’s a freaking great line. I use it quite often, in fact.
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...Fiji Mermaid of Sideshow Cinema steps out of the Black Lagoon to celebrate Halloween with us...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween is important to me because as far back as I can remember I’ve always liked monsters, whether it be toys, songs, movies and such. That interest is still there to this day and thankfully there is a Holiday and a month that really puts that monstrous vibe out there for everyone to enjoy. As soon as I see the first Halloween store open, or decorations start to appear, it gives me that feeling of scary fun that only Halloween can bring.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween would be to set up some spooky decorations around the house and have some of the haunted house sound effects I’ve collected over the years playing on loop through some speakers positioned in the windows to set the mood. Dressing in costume to hand out treats seems like the only way to do the job right, so I’d pick out one of my costumes from the “Halloween” bin. I think surprising or giving a bit of a scare to the kids coming to get candy will help to pass on that fun of Halloween. If years down the road they can sit back and think about their own Halloween memories of the scary guy who was handing out candy then I’ve done my job of keeping Halloween alive.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I don’t have any Halloween specific collectibles, oddly. I love the season so much, but there hasn’t been a collectible outside of various scary film characters that were put into toy figure form that I can deem as collectible and fit into the spirit of Halloween.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
My first memory of Halloween was pre-school Halloween party/parade and dressing up as Dracula. My mom had some small little handmade witch cape with yellow moons and stars on it that I wore over some “Sunday best” type of clothing. My mom did my make up for me. I had the slicked back hair, white face and blood dripping down the sides of my mouth. I’ve looked at pictures of this day and the other kids are clowns, cowboys, Luke Skywalker and such. I look like the only scary kid in the bunch.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: Do you have a Halloween playlist on your iPod and if you do what are you listening to?
A: Yes, of course. There are certain genres and artists I stick to with my general music listening, but when it comes to Halloween I’m all over the board. If the content of the song has any even flimsy Halloween reference, or scary topic, it shows up in the “Halloween playlist”. If it’s about Halloween or appeared in a horror movie, that grants it access to the list.
I’ll not bore you guys with my complete 2+hrs long list of songs, but here are some highlights. I recommend tracking these down if you don’t have them and adding to your own Halloween mix. They are sure to liven up any party this time of year.
Tim Curry - “Anything Can Happen on Halloween”
3-Speed - “Once Bitten”
John Carpenter - “Halloween Theme”
Elvira - “Monsta’ Rap”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - “Nightmare on My Street”
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...the Creeping Bride has just begun a SHOCK! and Son of SHOCK! viewing project this October, covering the 72 Universal and Columbia movies released to television in 1957 and 1958...
Why is Halloween important to you?
I love how subversive Halloween is. Halloween is a rupture in the day-to-day miseries of quotidian existence—it’s like Mardi Gras but with less drunken idiots in the street and fewer puddles of vomit everywhere.
First of all, people dress up in crazy outfits and stroll the streets and it’s never an issue (have you ever wondered what would happen to you if you tried to wear a werewolf mask in public on the Fourth of July or Memorial Day?). Secondly, you give away fun stuff to total strangers (cheap candy, mostly, but I also sometimes give out DVD-Rs that I’ve made of public domain horror and sci fi flicks). So you’ve got this complete undermining of normal, respectable decorum and the dull mechanics of capitalist exchange.
Halloween also undermines the edifices of Christianity that tower over daily life in the U.S. It is, after all, a vestigial reminder of the distant pre-Christian and pre-industrial agricultural past: a polytheistic pagan harvest ceremony and festival of the dead. In Europe, the Church tried in vain to eliminate festivals like Samhain among the Celtic people by creating All Saints and All Souls holidays, but the stubborn persistence of Halloween suggests that this effort to Christianize the pagans has failed. In fact, I would argue that the evangelical “hell houses”—those haunted attractions put on by fundamentalist Christian groups in late October that substitute drug addicts, porn-addicted chronic masturbators, Muslim terrorists, ob-gyn doctors who perform abortions, and gay men for ghosts, vampires, and other monsters—illustrate how harvest-time pagan festivals of the dead have had a profound influence on Christianity. If you can’t beat the pagan ideas that underlie Halloween, then join ‘em, I guess.
Finally, I like that Halloween is so geared towards children. Kids have a very loose grasp on what is real—they are not bound by the confines of language, instrumental rationality, or career-mindedness, so theirs is much more like a world of imagination and instinct and emotion. Celebrating Halloween is giving them a time when they have the run of the roost of the Real World, and this makes the day all the more subversive. I know a lot of people like New Year’s Eve and Fat Tuesday as holidays, where the world is turned upside down, but for me, there’s only ever Halloween. (At least until we figure out a way to get folks to celebrate Walpurgis Night, too…)
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...Veronique Chevalier of Polka Haunt Us, haunts us with her Halloween...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Besides the opportunity to masquerade as a different character than the person I am in daily life, I love Halloween because it's a socially-acceptable way to celebrate our "Shadow Selves"- those dark portions of the collective consciousness that we try to keep at bay most of the time.
Because our society is so "Darkness Phobic" for want of a better term, Halloween is a welcome safety valve for many people to poke fun at, and with, the things that most folks would rather not have to address directly. And of course, it gives humans a ritual focal point for harvest season. Even though we are no longer an agrarian-based culture, we still seem to have a collective need to celebrate the change of seasons.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I love performing at Halloween time as my “Hellga The Devil's Beer Maid” character, because it's one of the rare occasions when I get a chance to interact with people of all ages, be it private parties, Harvest Festivals, Halloween Carnivals, etc. Last year I performed at an all-ages punk show, and the kids accepted me as one of their own!
As someone who didn't replicate, I am saddened that our society is so compartmentalized- families with kids interact only with other families and their offspring; and the singles mingle with others in similar situations, and the old folks are all warehoused together, off to the side. Dressing up in costume removes some of the barriers that separate us during the rest of the year.
I’ve loved monsters and the macabre and summer turning into autumn since I was a kid. And candy! Most people will say their favorite season is fall. I have lots of good memories associated with those things. It’s a time when I can really indulge my love of horror, although truthfully I do that all year long. Still, it’s fun to take an entire month and watch and read nothing but. And over the years Halloween has really become a huge money-making industry with decorations and costumes being more and more prominent, which I dig. I think it’s the mainstreaming of the early 1980s Goth-punk subculture, melding that with the kid-friendly environment of Halloween. Thank Tim Burton, I guess.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
Throwing a big Halloween party! My girlfriend and I did this a couple years ago, but we had it a week before, so it didn’t conflict with other parties—that’s always a problem. We also didn’t insist that people dress up because honestly, some people don’t like to do that. We made tons of food, got lots of booze, and decorated her apartment like crazy. It took us nearly a week to get it all ready! We had three or four TVs going with horror movies on—Hammer Draculas, Universals, Fulci, Price/Poe—and mix CDs filled with horror movie soundtracks and artists like the Misfits, the Cramps, Roky Erickson, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Black Sabbath, etc. It was a huge success but we haven’t been able to recreate it since.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I love monsters toys and whatnot and decorating with Halloween tchochkes all year ’round. I’m amazed at what a place like Target has for Halloween, so much fun monstrous stuff you can use anytime. Recently on eBay I found some kids’ monster books that I had when I was young; those bring back fun memories for me. And I love those skeleton candies that come in a little plastic coffin.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
My elementary school would have a Halloween fair in the gymnasium, complete with a haunted house and bobbing for apples and all that stuff. I can remember the cool fall night, walking over to the school in a costume—I believe a Ben Cooper Sleestak—and then winning some kind of Halloween toy. Probably came home and watched the Charlie Brown Halloween special afterwards! I was around 6 or 7 and knew about Halloween of course, but I think that was what made me a lifelong fan.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Paul Castiglia of Scared Silly: Classic Hollywood Horror-Comedies ...
Why is Halloween important to you?
“Important” is too strong a word for me to use in this case. My relationship with Halloween is one of “pure fun.” Specifically for me it’s become a time to revisit some old-school horror flicks (the more black & white the better). I’m not a big costume guy – used to do that more when I was younger. And I’m on a diet so I’m trying to limit my candy consumption!
But there is one thing that has become a Halloween tradition for me: I hold an annual Halloween movie night at my office. I try to keep things on the light side with classic horror films and horror-comedies, or films that fall into the PG realm without graphic content (whether it’s classic TV movies like “The Night Stalker” or recent animated hits like “Monsters vs. Aliens”).
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I think I just did – as long as I can watch some fun spooky movies I’m set!
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I love movie posters and lobby cards, old movie magazines, trading cards, comic books, books about old movies and the films themselves (when I was a kid in the 1970s that meant Super 8 digest versions of the classics; as an adult it’s the entire films on DVD). Not that I actively collect any of the above with the exception of the movies and books about them. But from time-to-time if I run across an interesting item I pick it up.
When was your very first Halloween, the one whereyou really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I can’t recall the year but it had to the early 1970s. I had a Batman costume, but it wasn’t one of the cheesy vinyl costumes with the plastic masks – this was a cloth costume with a cloth cape and I believe it may have had a cloth pull-over cowl as well. I’m guessing this was from Sears or some other department store. Within a year or two of that Halloween, my sister and I made a Spider-Man Costume – she sewed it and I used permanent marker to draw all the webbing onto it! It was cool because it had a pull-over mask that fully covered my head and I insisted that we use gauze for the eyes so they could be white (enabling me to still see-through the mask).
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: If you could go back in time and watch any movie you wanted in a theater for Halloween, what would it be?
A: My answer would have to be the classic William Castle-directed Vincent Price starrer “The Tingler” – complete with the rigged seats!
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Musing the Trauma of Blog of a Dead Dreamer shares a blast of October dreams...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween is the greatest time of the year, by far. You can have your Christmas and all the others. Sure, they are nice, but for me, Halloween is my Christmas. It has been for a very long time. Each year friends can look forward to my patented 'trick or treat' bags full of all kinds of goodies and/or gifts. They may or may not get anything for Christmas, but at Halloween, it's a guarantee that I will do my best to get everyone into the spirit.
Halloween is a great time where everyone just let's go and becomes more relaxed. It doesn't contain the formalities and etiquette of other holidays so there is a more relaxed air and no one has to put on any pretenses or be on their best behavior. It's a time for people to gather and just have some fun and it doesn't even have to cost you a dime. It's a time of year that everyone, at least for one night, is especially friendly and fun, and what can be better than that?
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween would certainly be spending that particular night in a documented haunted site. Something along the lines of heading to a spot with Zack and Aaron and the crew of 'Ghost Adventures'. Maybe somewhere like Savannah Georgia or a scary little spot in England. Something definitely reported to be haunted, though, and with a team that has the equipment to do readings and video etc. That would be awesome. It used to be seeing Gwar live on Halloween but that got to happen. Gwar, Halloween, and being covered in fake blood from the band is a pretty good way to go on that night,too.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
As far as Halloween collectibles, I am in love with Spooky Town. I absolutely love everything about them. The artwork, the detail, the painting, the themes, the figures and sheer mass of variety. I could not believe that someone had finally taken the old, ceramic, classic Christmas Village theme decorations and turned it up a notch for Halloween. They are awesome and every year I look forward to adding to Spooky Town and putting it out. This is also the time of year I put out my collection of Todd Mcfarlane's Twisted X-mas.Those never cease to get a comment by anyone who has never seen them before.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I don't recall how old I was, maybe 6 or 7. this was the first time that I knew something special was going on for this holiday, so it must have been about 1977/78 or so. My brother and his wife went through a great deal of trouble to get together one very scary costume for me. It was a hand sewn Creature From the Black Lagoon costume and it was pretty cool. It probably could have been sold in any store for quite a bit, his wife was quite the seamstress. they knew loved monster because while most kids lugged around a teddy bear, I never went anywhere without my Godzilla.
What made it stand out, though, was that people were out in full force. It seemed to me at such a young age, that it was thousands of people and kids in costumes in my neighborhood. It was a neighborhood of row houses so it was an excellent spot for trick or treating. This was my first scare by someone in a costume, a very elaborate Dracula costume. I was frozen in my tracks with fear but couldn't take my eyes off of him. This is when I knew what Halloween was about.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
A Halloween question I would like to be asked, hmmm?
I'm not sure about that one, but one thing I would love to know from others around the country is if Halloween is still going strong in their part of the world?
It seemed to me not as many kids were out and about, so I was stunned to learn that Halloween is actually the 2nd biggest holiday of the year. Maybe people just do more for the holiday in a controlled environment these days, such as parties, etc., and not so much with the trick or treating outdoors.
I guess my question would be, would you be upset if Halloween went the way of the dinosaur? My answer would be absolutely, yes. I would probably stop celebrating any holiday at all if that happened.
Here's a little something I made just for fun about a year ago, and thanks again!
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Allhollow Steve of Halloween Addict who keeps his October Dreams in mind all through the year...
Why is Halloween important to you?
I think it's one of the few holidays that is really about fun. It hasn't been clouded by set-in-stone tradition, family politics, overcrowded holiday travel, gift buying stress, etc. It's about the thrill of being out at night, getting free candy and treasures, dressing up in costumes, watching scary movies.
You can celebrate Halloween however you want: with loved ones indoors, traipsing through a corn maze at night, by the warm glowing warming glow of a television horror marathon, handing candy out to kids and families at your door, building a yard display for the community to walk by and see. So many different things, and it's all about fun.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
My ideal Halloween would be waking up with a balanced Halloween breakfast of pumpkin pancakes and a bowl of a General Mills Monster Cereal. Then I'd be out the door embracing the crisp Fall day and off to the local pumpkin patch for pumpkin scrutinizing and picking. From there I'd head back home to read a little from my favorite Halloween tome "October Dreams" while sipping a pumpkin spice latte. With AMC's FearFest on, I'd spruce up my house with any last minute decorations and carve my jack o' lantern before the trick or treaters start showing up (I'll be the cool house giving out mini Jones Halloween sodas and full sized candy). When the doorbell stops ringing I'll switch over to my annual tradition of watching Trick 'r Treat with the lights off. I'd close the evening with John Carpenter's Halloween. Once the clock 'ticks to 12:01am on November 1st the magic of the night dissipates...
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
As a kid, I had a 55" classic Beistle jointed green-tinged skeleton that hung on my bedroom door every October. I loved that thing. When the skeleton got hung up I knew that candy wasn't far behind. As for collectibles/decorations I don't like, I'm not a huge fan of vintage Halloween collectibles. I think it comes down to the fact that I don't like googly-eyed jack o' lanterns. I like a traditional jack o' lantern with empty triangle eyes. There's something both friendly and sinister about that traditional look.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I can't quite remember my very first. I know that one of my very first costumes was a Collegeville "Tiger" but the one I really look fondly on was when I was in Elementary School and asked for and received a Ben Cooper "Darth Vader" costume. My mom had this black velvet cape from a Halloween party she and my dad had gone to a few years before and I swapped the crappy, short vinyl cape that came with the boxed costume with the huge, black velvet one.
I wore it to school for the October "costume day" (when the teachers parade the classes around to each other's classrooms). In my mind I WAS Darth Vader. There was no more authentic looking Vader in that parade. Didn't matter that I was still wearing the bright yellow vinyl suit part that said "DARTH VADER" across the chest, or that the cape was red on the inside (clearly more Dracula than Vader), OR that I was only 3 1/2 feet tall and not a 6' 5" David Prowse, OR that the mask had a rubber band holding it to my head. Didn't matter. I was rockin' that Vader costume. Even had the "Imperial March" tune stuck in my head as I tromped around. I couldn't have been happier.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Clever answer:
Question: Do you want to see something really scary?
Answer: [attacking] Raawwwwwwwwr!
Straight answer:
Question: Would you like to make enough money doing HalloweenAddict.com to quit your day job and live comfortably?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with My Ghoul Friday who's the kind of girl you want to have around every day of the week, but especially on Halloween...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween is the one season of the year when the general public gets on the same page as they engage in play, and they see beauty in the dark.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
That's really tough. My ideal Halloween might be a bright, crisp, but not too cold day that started with pumpkin flavoured coffee before heading to a pumpkin patch that had different types and colours of pumpkins and gourds. After choosing a wheelbarrow full of goodies, and maybe consuming some hot apple cider, I would make my way to a place in the country - maybe a cottage - where I and my closest friends (Oooo and let's throw in a number of fellow haunters I've always wanted to meet) would spend the afternoon adding the final touches to decorations (would be nice if there was a barn available). There would be cooking over a fire and music as we got closer to evening. And the night would be capped off with some excellent horror movies and perhaps a few games. I suppose that's a bit boring. Even if we added attending a Halloween fair or parade in the afternoon, my ideal Halloween doesn't get very fancy.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I have a plastic vintage black cat & pumpkin lamp I found at a second hand store for a dollar. It sits in my office year-round.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
If you've ever gone to my "About Me" page, you've read the story. It started when my parents let me spray paint a tombstone on the concrete wall of our basement for my Grade 4 Halloween party.
It was my first real Halloween party, and I wanted it to be great. I constructed a haunted house the length of the basement and led people through dangling, slimy snakes hanging from the ceiling - just one example of the many forms and obstacles waiting for them in the shadow. I hadn't gotten over my fear of the dark, and I was deathly afraid of being in the basement alone (never mind with the lights off), but to make sure I could see well enough to safely guide each guest one by one through the haunted space, I sat alone in the pitch black basement for 20 minutes before the party goers even started to arrive.
That's when she was born, the little ghoul in the basement. Since then, she has come back to me every year, usually in late summer, ready to build creatures for Halloween. Sure, she's there throughout the other months, peeking through my eyes at the newest horror film being released, or tickling my neck so I turn to see the brochure for the Festival of Fear coming to the city.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: Can we, the general public, help you with time and donations to make your ideal Halloween come true?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Ryne who beams some Halloween rays from The Moon Is a Dead World to light up the night...
Why is Halloween important to you?
I can't remember when Halloween first became a staple of my life. Each Halloween in my younger years gets jumbled together into one big happy, spooky memory. I think, strangely enough, my love of Halloween began when I was eight or nine years old. My family was eating dinner in the living room on Halloween night when trick-or-treaters showed up at 5 o'clock! Trick-or-treating wasn't supposed to start until 7, and it was a surprise to us that anyone would begin so early. For some reason, this memory sticks with me as the biggest reason of why I love Halloween so much. Maybe it was the fact that I was with my family on that fateful Halloween, or maybe it was the enthusiasm of the trick-or-treaters that visited so early. Either way, Halloween became one of my favorite times of year, and it still holds that magical feeling from when I was a kid.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I prefer my Halloween spooky rather than playful, so the trick-or-treaters in my ideal Halloween would have to be decked out in scary apparel - no princesses or pirates allowed! Also, you know that scene in Trick 'r Treat where Anna Paquin walks down a forested path decorated on either side by jack-o-lanterns? That would be included as well, because the whole town gets caught up in the festivities.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
This is a little embarrassing, but I really enjoy the old McDonald's Halloween Happy Meal toys they gave out in the '90s - the ones that feature the Hamburgler, Grimace, and Ronald McDonald, where their costumes can be interchanged. It's a nostalgic thing for me, I guess, because it reminds me of my childhood. We've had them for years, and still never hesitate to put them around the house each Halloween.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
My very first Halloween...like I said, my past Halloweens are all a jumble of memories, but I think I had to have been 4 or 5. I was Frankenstein, and I had a fuzzy, puffy Frankenstein mask and clogs to make me taller. We put something on my neck to look like bolts, although I can't remember what we used.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Christine of Fascination With Fear who tells us what else holds her fascination...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween is my favorite day of the year. Has been since I was small enough to know what a favorite is. It's rather funny to think I love the holiday so much when I'm not really a big fan of kids (that alone should get me burned at the stake). But it is such a fabulous time of the year. In addition, October is my favorite month, and it's just capped off by the holiday. Over the years, I've always tried to take off work on October 31st, and sometimes November 1st as well - as the horror movies run late into the night.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
Well I might piss the parents off here, but I don't have kids - so my Halloween is sans children. Though I can very much appreciate kids in their costumes wandering aimlessly around my small town - I remember when I was a kid how much it meant to me. But my perfect Halloween would consist of driving up to our cabin in the woods about an hour north of home (the one we lovingly dubbed the Evil Dead cabin, due to its similar look). We'd have to take along our jack-o-lantern, cause that's only right. I'd sit outside and read in the crisp fall air so I could smell the dead leaves and feel the last of the autumn sunshine, then I'd have the hubby start a campfire and we'd hang out around that toasting up some marshmallows and such. Then of course, it would be horror movie central for the rest of the evening, capped off by a trip to the outhouse in the dead of night right at the edge of the (Blair Witch) woods.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
My movie (DVD/VHS) collection would have to be my biggest horror/Halloween collection, but I do have a ton of Halloween decor. As I get older I cringe at the thought of putting it all away in November, so I haven't been putting out quite as much. But I love antique looking Halloween collectibles - things that look decades old. Oh, and I collect witches. Lots of them.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I grew up in western Pennsylvania, so sometimes it can actually snow around Halloween. I recall one year when I was quite young and wanting to be a veterinarian for Halloween (you know, scrubs and a stuffed dog -real inspired), but it turned out to be like, thirty degrees outside. Hence, my hunter costume. Yep, camo and a shotgun. Unloaded of course, but this was back in the day when a seven year old could tote a gun around town without getting thrown in juvie. Oh well, that big coat held a lot of extra candy.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: Why doesn't my town hold Trick-or-Treat AT NIGHT???
A: I've been asking myself that question for over thirty years. Runs in my mind when I was small, we trick-or-treated at night. Folks with the porch light on were handing out candy, if the house was dark you steered clear (or threw corn at it later on). Later in my teens, my town changed it to daylight only. From around noon till 4pm. And no, my town is not full of crime. At all. There is no real reason why kids can't trick-or-treat at night here. It makes me so mad when I think about it, them taking away our fun and making kids even more afraid of the dark than usual.
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...with Zombie Ballerina dancing at Spooky Little Girl all Halloween Night long...
Why is Halloween important to you?
Halloween is, needless to say, my favorite time of year. It has an air of mystery and magic about it, and no matter how old I get, that magic never quite fades. I think Halloween gives people a great opportunity to have a little fun with "the dark side," something that is ignored or abhorred all too often throughout the rest of the year. During the entire month of October, there are things that appeal directly to my interests everywhere I look; even a mundane trip to the drugstore can be fun. TV programming is just a little bit better, there are haunted houses and horror movie revival screenings everywhere, and finally - finally! - it feels like everyone is on the same page as me.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I would love to throw an amazing Halloween party in a quintessentially spooky old mansion. (Think 1313 Mockingbird Lane, or Hill House.) Someplace vast and eerie and unsettling. Themed food, including an array of pumpkin-based dishes, both savory and sweet. No one is admitted without a scary costume; no joke costumes or T-shirts that say "THIS IS MY COSTUME" allowed.
Ideally, during the course of the evening, myself and my partygoers would somehow manage to raise the dead, who would emerge from the backyard cemetery to perform an elaborately choreographed creepy dance, a la Thriller.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
My boyfriend and I have a small but much loved collection of Spooky Town houses and similar Halloween figurines, which we display year round. I also have a soft spot in my heart for old school paper decorations - cutouts of Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, etc., the likes of which you can buy at any party supply store for like 50 cents.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I think I was around 3 or 4 years old. I remember piles of dead leaves and cheap black capes and crying when I saw how ugly I looked in my witch costume, with my carefully applied green makeup and spirit gum wart (courtesy of my mom). I remember trick-or-treating shyly and feeling intimidated by the older kids and their rambunctiousness, but I also remember feeling excited and intensely curious about what was going on.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
Q: What is your favorite Halloween-appropriate song?
And the answer is a tie: "Spooky" by the Classics IV (of course!) and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult.
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...Johnny Boots of Freddy In Space has this thing for Freddy and Halloween. Is it just me, or do you think this photo is as creepy as all Hell, too?
Why is Halloween important to you?
Because it's the one time of the year where everyone embraces the things that I embrace all year round and I love to see that. Stores I would otherwise never step foot in are loaded with cool stuff that's right up my alley, both new and old horror films hit DVD and the theatres left and right, and pop up all over television networks that normally show no love for the genre. People decorate their homes the way I decorate mine all year long - it's as if all is right with the world for a month or so out of the year.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
As much as one might expect that I go all out on Halloween and do all kinds of wild things to celebrate my favorite day of the year, my ideal way to spend the day is with my girlfriend, some pumpkin beer, a handful of horror flicks, and a bunch of candy to hand out to trick or treaters - and of course to feast on. That's all I need to have a great Halloween. I remember how thrilling it was when I was a kid to be given a big size candy bar or an extra little special treat in my bucket, and I love to give those little thrills to the new kids in town. It's for this reason that I try to stay home during the day and night of Halloween and always feel like I missed out when I end up going out for the night.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
While I cherish each and every one of my Halloween collectibles - which my dad and I have amassed a ton of and proudly display most throughout the entire year - i've gotta say I really have a love for this weird squishy pumpkinheaded dude that my family has had since as far back as I can remember. He always puts a smile on my face when I pluck his tattered ass out of a bucket come mid September and just the sight of him really gets me in the spirit. Unfortunately that's a sight that I at the moment cannot share because I can't seem to find him!
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
The earliest Halloween memories I can remember were at my elementary school. We would have a parade every year where we all dressed up and walked around the gym or parking lot, depending on the weather. I remember loving that and cherishing the difference of it from normal day to day school life. Not a very exciting answer, but that's the first I can remember experiencing Halloween.
What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?
I guess i'd like to be asked what I am doing for Halloween this year. Reason being, this will be the very first Halloween my girlfriend and I spend in our very own place. I absolutely cannot wait to decorate the place and to hand out candy to our own batch of trick or treaters. At the same time it's bittersweet because not only will I for the first time not spend the day in my childhood home, but my dog - who passed away late last year - won't be there to notify me when the kids are headed towards the front door. She always bothered the living hell out of me on Halloween, but i'm definitely gonna miss that incessant barking now that she's gone.
Things will be different, but i'm highy looking forward to what seems like it'll be my first 'grown up' Halloween experience. Rest assured though, come October 31st, I will still be as giddy and excited as the kids who come to my door looking for candy - this is something that I hope never changes.
