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Halloween Memories

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.

My Halloween: Caffeinated Joe

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NikDaveHalloween2009 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!

Thanks for letting me play!

My Halloween: John Skeleton

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John SkeletonFive 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.