Halloween Web - Jason McKittrick

I'm beyond thrilled to be bringing you this interview. Jason is someone that keeps Halloween alive all year. I was introduced to Jason and his work through his Jackling figures (pic below) which I immediately fell in love with because he's crafted lore to go with them.

 

Thanks for joining us. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Jason McKittrick. I own Cryptocurium which is a maker of "handmade horrors" that launched in 2010. My work is mainly sculptural and my subjects are horror themed with a focus on Halloween and Lovecraft. I have two subscription services; The Parcel of Terror and Cryptocasts plus a year round Halloween society that I run with Sam Heimer (Ed.: interview coming tomorrow!) called The Order of the Thinned Veil.

What was Halloween like for you as a kid?

I grew up in the Pine Barrens of NJ. My neighborhood was very rural but still had plenty of Trick or Treaters. The town that I currently live in now has the country's second largest Halloween parade and as a kid we used to come see it most years. The cool thing about it is that because of the parade, they trick or treat the night before Halloween so we'd come here and on the 30th and trick or treat and then the next night do it again in my hometown. It was pretty great and it's a tradition that I've carried on with my own children.

Halloween was always a big deal in my house so every year was great and I was allowed to trick or treat on my own with friends at an early age. Times were different! Some of my fondest childhood Halloween memories include: Sneaking into the local abandoned house and being terrified by what my friends and I still swear was a ghost, carrying two masks with me so I could double dip on candy at the neighborhood houses and carving Jack O'Lanterns every year.

 

Do you have any favorite costume memories?

My earliest Halloween memory was of being dressed as a black and white harlequin clown that matched my Mom's costume. My Mom is a professional seamstress so growing up I never wore a store bought costume so from a very early age, I equated Halloween and handmade.

Above is a picture of myself at age 9 and my oldest daughter also age 9. We both dressed as the grim reaper at the same age. Proud dad moment!

How do you celebrate today?

Celebrating Halloween is huge here in my home. I'm a husband and father of three so it's always a blast and we go all out. We decorate inside and out like crazy, keep an eye out for the best new Halloween stuff in stores and go pumpkin picking. Carving Jack O' Lanterns and taking my kids trick or treating are my die hard traditions. Without those two it just isn't Halloween for me. A yearly reading of Norman Partridge's "Dark Harvest" is also in order.

 Anything else you do to get in the Halloween spirit every year?

Disney's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is my all time favorite. I also love Trick r' Treat, Carpenter's Halloween, WNUF Halloween Special, the ghost episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, Hocus Pocus, and the Halloween episodes of Roseanne. Music wise, I listen to the "All Hallows" EP by AFI every year on Halloween Day.

Why do you think we hold on to Halloween as we get older?

Halloween stays in the hearts of the those who have preserved the spark of childhood creativity in their souls. You can always tell who those people are too. They get that tell tale grin on their face when you talk about Halloween or they see Halloween decorations no matter what time of year it is. People who don't like Halloween should be avoided as a general rule! Haha!

Inside the Spookster's Studio

The worst thing to get while trick or treating was loose change. It shows that the people who lived there put forth zero effort into celebrating All Hallows.

My favorite thing to get was full sized candy bars. Finding houses that were giving them out was always a highlight of the night.

My favorite monster cereal is Count Chocula although they've changed the recipe and all the Monster Cereals taste like cardboard now!

Where can folks find you online?

They can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And you can see my work on the Cryptocurium website and in my Etsy store.

A monster sized thanks to Jason for joining us. If you're reading this, you obviously love Halloween so go check out his stuff!

If you decide to visit the other Countdown to Halloween bloggers, bring your Death Certificate and click below.