Way back in 2012(!) I backed a fantastic Kickstarter for a trading card set from Monsterwax based on the classic Spook Shows of yesteryear. They just recently returned to Kickstart a second series.
You can see my review of the first series here.
If you're a rare species that's reading my blog and doesn't know what a Spook Show is, I'll let them lay it out for you.
The Ghost Shows of the 1930s-1960s operated much like traveling haunted houses-- but were presented live on a stage using macabre magic! They featured professional magicians (or "Ghost Masters") who would drive across the country and rent theaters during off-hours (usually after midnight). There, they would perform all sorts of ghastly magic and gruesome illusions. Audiences might witness a bloody decapitation, or watch a volunteer get placed into a trance and have their arm amputated with a buzz saw. A beautiful assistant could climb into a wicker basket and get run through with numerous swords or spikes. Another might be cremated and her smoldering skeleton would still be squirming as the oven lid was opened. A random volunteer could have the skin from their face removed, then have their skull extracted and floated about the stage as the audience looked on in shock.
There was no limit to the imagination or horror of Spook Shows. The climax was the infamous "black out", when the theater was plunged into complete darkness and flooded with floating ghosts and other spiritual manifestations. A horror film immediately followed, but in some instances, many in the audience had already fled the theatre in panic! (Sorry, no refunds!) But the memories never left those who witnessed these spook-tacular events. The craze was so popular, it made numerous magicians rich-- and pitted some of them against each other in cut-throat feuds for better dates and larger territories.
They have some really fun rewards lined up.
If you pledge as little as $2 you get a Death Curse to fill out and destroy your enemies!
At $4, you get the Death Curse and a real ghost!
Starting at $18, you can get the full base set of cards.
$28 gets the base set plus some chase cards and $50 gets you the complete base set, all chase cards, a sketch, an autograph, and more, including a zombie servant!
Check out the whole thing on Kickstarter.
They're well over the goal with 6 days left to back.
Funny thing is I kinda glossed over the photos when I backed the project and when I went back to make this post, I noticed all the photos they have for the series 1 cards (red background) are the photos I took when I made my post about those cards! I'm having my ghost lawyer contact them.
