From Zombos' Closet

My Halloween: James Chambers

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Halloween: Scott Kenemore

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Scott Kenemore's latest novel is The Grand Hotel. 

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

My Halloween: Monster Cafe Saltillo

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Do I have any Halloween collectibles?

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

 

My Halloween: El Bicho

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Halloween: James-Michael Roddy

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

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

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Do you get tired of Halloween?

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

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

I’ll Be Lurking For You.

My Halloween: 13 Visions

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Any horror movie recommendations for the big night?

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

My Halloween: Mr. Lobo

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

Why is Halloween important to you?

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

Describe your ideal Halloween.

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

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

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

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

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

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

That would be three years ago. It was OK.

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

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

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

Great. Now I get to do YOUR JOB!

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

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

A: Yes, it is amazing.

 

My Halloween: Amy Grech

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.

 

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.

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!

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.

My Halloween: Lisa Morton

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.

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.