From Zombos' Closet

My Halloween: Amy Grech

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Are you ever too old to celebrate Halloween?

A: No!

 

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

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

 

Halloween 2011: Monster Mash Spooky Sounds Book

Bobby Pickett's 1962 Halloween song The Monster Mash makes a great read for the younger set, especially with spooky sounds and kooky illustrations for each monstrous scene. I saw this Hallmark display at Walgreens, but I'm sure you can find it just about anywhere books are sold. 

My Halloween: Gavin Goszka

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Do you believe in ghosts?

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

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

Halloween 2011: Freddy Animated Candy Bowl

I don't think you'll have many kids reaching into this Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy Treat Bowl for candy. Yikes. Which is good if you're running low. Walgreens' also has a 6 foot hanging Freddy and a shrunken head Freddy. Take your pick. Looks like the copy editor for the packaging was scared away, too, or maybe they're going for a stuttering-fear effect with "reach into to the bowl and Freddy comes to life."

How sweet it is.

Double Bill Pressbook: A Date With Death and Hideous Sun Demon

My Halloween: Edward Douglas

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Why is Halloween important?

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

Halloween 2011: Hidden Screamer Skull and Cat

I picked these up today at Halloween City. There's a suction cup in back. You stick them in places like a drawer, cabinet, tool box--any place where sudden light can trigger the screaming. Nothing like the old sneak up and scare approach for festive Halloween fun, I say. I like the cat the most, but the skull's sinister enough.

Book Review: Vacation

Zombos Closet: Good 

There's a little of Soylent Green and C.H.U.D mixed in with the greens in Matthew Costello's Vacation, where zombies are replaced by humans gone cannibalistic bonkers as global warming and blight bring food shortages and dietery change. Costello's clippy writing style--lots of one-sentence paragraphs-- is often too lean where it needs to thicken in detail and depth. The basic premise provides ample opportunity for action, but it's hard to shake the notion you're reading yet another zombie-that-is-not-zombie gimmick; and Costello doesn't exploit those opportunities to pile on the action or terror, which is surprising given the subject matter potential.

Can Heads are what the human-chompers are called. They're fast, smell bad, crazed, and nearly unstoppable in their one goal: dine out often. Jack Murphy's a cop in the 76th Precinct on Union Street in Brooklyn. Things aren't going well for cops: the can heads are eating their way through the boroughs, leaving the city a no-man's land of dwindling hot and cold running safe places to live. An attack on an apartment building late at night--can heads only come out at night--leaves him hurting. His captain recommends a vacation before Jack rethinks his job status, and Paterville Camp in the Adirondacks is the ideal destination.

Jack, his wife Christine, and their kids pack themselves, along with lots of fire power and C4, into his Ford Explorer and head upstate. The New York State Thruway is fenced off, manned by checkpoints, and relatively can head free. A brief pee-stop at the equivalent of a qwik-e-mart provides brief action. The rest of the trip is uneventful. I've had more action traveling the NYS Thruway myself, rest stops included.

Traveling through a few small towns to the camp provides even less action, although Costello's staccato paragraphing keeps you asking 'are we there yet?' in anticipation. When they reach Paterville Camp, which is filled with rustic cottages and surrounded by the mountains, they're greeted by Ed, the camp director, and Shana, his assistant. It's all smiles and handshakes and Jack fixating on Shana's girlish figure. Jack, being a cop, is also fixated on seeing if the place is all it's cracked up to be. Another family, the Blairs, introduce themselves, and while Christine and the kids hit the lake, Jack goes exploring.

The electrified fence, the hidden cameras, and the service road he's not allowed to use start him wondering what Paterville Camp is hiding. All that firepower he brought along comes in handy, providing the most action-packed camp activity in the novel. When the camp's secret is finally revealed you won't be surprised, but Costello supplies enough action to keep you from being disappointed.  

Vacation is a snack not a ful meal, but it will tide you over until the next zombie gimmick is served up.

My Halloween: Son of Celluloid

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: Know Your Enemy War Against the Walking Dead

Zombos Says: Very Good

You and your fighters in the war against the walking dead need to be aware of these different stages of zombie—fresh, putrefied and desiccated. Know their capabilities and what helps to create or sustain them. Drier weather will lead to more desiccated zombies, humid more bloaters and a severe cold snap will arrest many ghouls at the ‘fresh’ phase, which can be particularly dangerous as your forces may mistake them for humans. Remember, no zombie can speak and their lumbering movements will always give them away but don’t assume anything—be sure and be safe.

I don't quite get the fascination with zombies in meta-reality. All that shifting of supposition--the undead really, truly, exist or can or will exist--through dichotomous rationalizations from fiction to fact, and unreal to real, simply isn't my cup of tea. Then again, I don't get the zombie dress-up fad, either. Stumbling and drooling around on a weekend afternnon can be a drag. I rather keep my zombies on the page, in my head, and dead, dead, dead, as well as chomping at the bit every chance they get.

Sean T. Page prefers his zombies real and life-threatening. In his War Against the Walking Dead, he mixes pseudo-historical data with pseudo-science, adds tactical methodology and weaponry deployment (medieval to contemporary), and presumes the worst has happened: the world is overun, you're on the run (only pausing long enough to read his self-help guide), and the fight is on. Here and there you'll sense a bit of tongue in cheekiness, but it's not too firmly planted, so I'm not all that sure if Page is truly fully bonkers or simply winking-crackers nutty over zombies stepping into the real world.

The armoured bank truck—transport troops in safety (no pin number required)

Much more common than military vehicles, this adaptation works just as well with delivery trucks etc. It involves fitting out these vehicles as mobile command posts and troop carriers. So we are talking about seating, a small table, improved communications and crucially, the installation of a trapdoor at the bottom or on top of the vehicle for emergencies. Something to watch out for here is that some trucks have doors that open outwards, making it easy for a pile of ghouls to trap troops inside if the vehicle breaks down or becomes stuck.

Stick figure drawings and simple pencil sketches illustrate important points or factoids here and there, and numerous historical references are cited. For instance, in the chapter on static defenses against the walking dead, Page discusses the proper way to build a zombie-proof wall using The Francis Formula. Captain Francis, a French captain in Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, laid out a set of measurements for building anti-zombie fortifications that could withstand the destabilizing forces a zombie horde would exert on them. Particular note is made of the ghoul-step and how it can affect your height requirements, and of the horizontal pressures that will build up as more and more zombies claw their way forward. For defense sans fortifications, Page discusses the Roman Army's infantry tactic of the triple line battle order, and the infantry square variation.

Where personal armament is concerned, aside from the usual firearms recommendations (AK 47, Heckler & Koch G3), the more basic edged weapons are recommended, including the halberd (wonderful for fighting werewolves, too, I use one all the time) and the common heavy sword for cleaving heads in two. I'd recommend staying away from the two-handed varieity as those are too heavy and you'll tire quickly in combat slashing and thrashing with it, and double-edged works better than single--don't forget, you'll have zombies in back of you as well as in front. 

I'm surprised Page doesn't mention the mace as a suitable weapon. One with flanges or knobs to allow greater penetration of the cranium per blow would be aces in my bag of zombie survival gear. I also don't fully agree with the inclusion of the crossbow as it's arguably not more effective than a compound bow in certain respects . The weight of a crossbow is distributed unevenly, unlike a compound bow, making it hard to wield. While it's easier to learn how to shoot with one (Page notes it was termed the peasant's weapon because it was easy to master), arming one can be a vexingly fatal experience when confronted by a gang of anxious zombies. The compound bow is more supple and maneuverable in this respect.

Other weapons I'd recommend would be...Oh, crap, now he's got me doing it.

Zombies are not real, zombies are not real, zombies are not...

Halloween Eureka Dracula Decoration

It's surprising that a man who imbibes blood so assiduously can be so sartorially perfect. He sleeps on dirt for chrissakes! And yet his formal wear is always pressed, his hair perfectly combed, and his white shirt and starched cuffs always white and stiff. Amazing. Now that's the supernatural for you.

The vampire bat (now honeycomb pop-out) and cute rat from Eureka's jointed skeleton are friends to Dracula, too. The colors, the dripping red "Dracula," and  his blood-stained teeth provide enough sinister and horror to make the Halloween season merry (for fans, anyway).

I wonder why he's holding his pocket watch, showing the midnight hour? Is he telling us we're being toasted at midnight, but only he's the one drinking?

My Halloween: The Disney Experience

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

I lie awake at night thinking of things like this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Do you ever tire of it?

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

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

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

I’m getting geeky again.