Alice in Wonderland Tarot Deck

 While I was shooting pics for last week's Spooky Tarot post, I happened to glance over and see this deck that I got for my birthday. Having a birthday right before the Countdown to Halloween kicks off, I sometimes forget to show off birthday loot.

I have to admit I haven't see the movie a lot but I'm very much enamored with the idea of Wonderland itself and all the craziness that goes with it.

 

Let's go down the rabbit hole!

The deck is definitely inspired by the Disney version of Alice, in case the logo on the box didn't clue you in. While the inspiration comes from the movie, the cards have their own art style that fits well with Wonderland. It's like a fairy tale comic book.

The Spooky Tarot by Ryan Caskey

Earlier this year, I backed The Spooky Tarot on Kickstarter and although I didn't get it in time to post as part of the Countdown to Halloween, I just couldn't wait to share it! Even though there's no "official" 13 Days of Creepmas going, it still lives on!.

If you've been around for a bit, you know I collect playing card decks for the art. I do have a few Tarot card decks as well for the same reason but it's a small fraction compared to the number of playing cards I have. One look at this one and it was an instant back for me!

 

Monthly Media Recap - November 2022

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Streaming

Andor (Disney+)

Star Wars or not, this is just great television! If your Star Wars needs to have Jedi, aliens, and lots of action, this may not be for you. But if you enjoy good writing and personal stories it's absolutely worth your time. It may seem slow at the start, but I promise you it all pays off. Cannot wait for the next season!

 

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)

Overall a pretty solid anthology of eight horror stories. I've seen Lovecraft fans not happy with the two adaptations here but I haven't read those stories in quite some time and thought they were decent.

Unsolved Mysteries (S3, Netflix)

Even though they spaced out the new episodes, I still went through them quickly. I don't think I knew I had a thing for true crime until this series started up. They're not all crime, a couple are unexplained phenomenon and the UFO episode is pretty wild!

 

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022, Disney+)

This was a good way to revisit the Guardians again while waiting for the next movie. They do get into  "wacky antics" but it's all good holiday fun. My one problem with it is what the flark happened to Groot?! He looks like he came from a third rate theme park.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

 Just released on most major platforms this past Friday, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a look back at five decades of video game history. If you're around my age, no doubt Atari played a role in your childhood whether it was swiping mom's laundry quarters to play Asteroids at the corner store or going on an Adventure against duck-dragons, Atari definitely left its mark on me.

This isn't just another cash grab re-release of old video games, it also includes previously unreleased (in emulator form) games, re-imagined titles, and an interactive, multimedia Atari timeline.

 

The timeline is a real treat for fans of Atari and/or video game history. It starts in 1971 with the first arcade game Computer Space and goes up to present day, although there is a noticeable gap between 1998-2020.

 

Rhode Island ComicCon 2022

 This past weekend was the annual Rhode Island Comic Con. This was only my second time at this show, the last time being in 2018.

I have to say, having just attended Fan Expo Boston a couple months back, the RI show was definitely better laid out. Making use of three locations really helped space out the people. I did also go on Sunday, which is usually less busy than Saturday so that probably helped too.

 

The main draw for us here was Jared Padalecki from Supernatural and Walker. There's some kind of contractual thing that prevents Jared from doing Supernatural appearances unless the con is hosted by a specific company but that's okay because we went to panels for both shows. 

 

Monthly Media Recap - October 2022

I know there's people out there that do the whole watch a horror movie every day in October thing but I don't have that much free time. I did pretty good though and was shocked at what I crammed in over the month.

If you're looking for something to watch after Trick or Treating, grab a snack and a beverage, I've got a good sized list to go through.

Series 

Locke & Key (S2 & S3, Netflix)

I forgot to post S2 last month. I really enjoyed this series. It was like a fantastical 80s kid adventure with a bit of horror and well written family dynamics. I should probably check out the comics.

The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022, Shudder)

How's that for a mouthful of a title? These type of list shows are always fun to watch and see where you'd rank things.There were two or three on the list that I hadn't herd of before.

Queer for Fear (2022, Shudder)

This docu-series looks at the history of LGBTQ+ in horror from the very start. I hope they do more seasons because they only got so far into "modern" horror. There were plenty of negative comments about Shudder hosting this series to which I say if you think they're "putting gay" into your horror, you need to learn your horror history!

 

She-Hulk (2022, Disney+)

Who knew I wanted a sitcom in he MCU? This was a nice change from everything that's come before. I thoroughly enjoyed the online antics it stirred up. Seeing all the reaction videos schooling toxic fans on why they're wrong on things was a treat unto itself.

Halloween Hot Wheels 2022 - Super Stinger

 Bringing up the rear of the 2022 re-release pack is Super Stinger.

 

 Super Stinger was originally released in 2020. It's got a white pearlescent body with blue and purple flames which give it a ghostly appearance.

The flame deco and cutouts on the hood kind of make look like an animal skull, don't you think? The best thing about this one though...

 

is that it glows in the dark!

And that brings the Halloween 2022 cars to the finish line. As disappointed as I am that this year was all repacks, I love that they had card art to match the individual cars and hope they continue that going forward.

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.

Haunted Library - Ghoul's Delight

For our final field trip to the Haunted Library, we've got a very special audio treat for you!

Ghoul's Delight is a 2 CD compilation that was released in 2007, limited to just 1000 copies. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled into it but am I ever glad I did! It pretty much instantly became a holiday (and year round) favorite.

The 33 tracks here are like a pillowcase full of Trick or Treat candy: there's a little bit of everything. You might not like it all but you're sure to find something you do! You can check out the full track list here, just don't be surprised when you don't know any of the bands. I was only familiar with The 3-D Invisibles and I don't know the rest of the bands except from this album.

 

But don't let that stop you from checking it out! Tap the library card and you can give Ghoul's Delight a spin.

Click below to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other participants!

Revenge of Now Hear This Halloween 2022

 Sometimes you just find so much Halloween music that you have to make a second post in October to share it all! Most of these are on Bandcamp and free to preview before you buy. If you don't see a direct link, click on the album art to check it out.

If this still isn't enough music to fill your Graveyard Jukebox, head over to Nightmare City Halloween!

Image from VectorStock

 

Let's kick it off with some local (to me) tunes!

13 tracks of monster party madness! Feel what it's like to dig your own grave, to make love to Frankenstein, and to be trapped forever at the All-Night Midnite Monster Party. 

LEGO Disney's Haunted Mansion (40521)

Welcome, foolish mortals to the mini Haunted Mansion!

I'm a huge fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction in all its incarnations so naturally this was a must have. However, I do have to say this is not "my" mansion. I mainly visit DisneyWorld and prefer that exterior over the original DisneyLand version.

 

Did you know the original Haunted Mansion concept was for it to be a walk through attraction which included an encounter with the Headless Horseman?

Kindly keep your appendages inside your Doombuggy as you click the jump bar.

Spooky Droids

 Every year, the Disney Droid Factory releases new holiday figures for Halloween and Christmas. These are park exclusives and if you don't know someone you'll be paying scalper prices on eBay for them. You can sometimes get lucky and catch them on ShopDisney too.

Luckily, I'm in a friendly Facebook group and managed to pick up this year's figure plus a friend I missed out on.

2022 brings R7-FNG to join the line of eerie astromechs. He's got a whole vampire thing going on complete with a widow's peak and fangs! 

 

Playmobil - Children with Costumes (70283)

 Playmobil has put out some really fun Halloween/monster stuff over the years. Unfortunately, since TRU closed I don't have anywhere along my usual travels to get Playmobil stuff but thankfully you can get it all online. Sadly, no monsters this year but we did get a fun dress up set.

Technically, it's not a Halloween specific set but it's the closest thing this year.

 

 

This set comes with a rug, a chest, 3 kids and a ton of costume accessories!

 

Halloween is all about being whatever and whoever you want. If the princess wants to go out and slay some dragons, she can! You can't really see it here but the cape that goes with the devil head piece has a tail attached to it.

And if a boy wants to dress up as a woodland fairy with a tutu and wings, go for it! I love the ghost costume accessory that goes right over the figure. It's got a classic bed sheet with eye holes cut out feel to it. Plus, it glows in the dark.  

What kind of costume would you put together from this chest? 

I'd probably just go with your average wizard.

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.

The Headless Horseman Rides Off

 Can you believe it's already the last Monday before Halloween?

The Headless Horseman is riding out for another year.

While he "heads" off, here's a playlist of 13 versions of his song, starting off with local legend Dr Gasp (aka Dan Blakeslee)! You can get his cover of the Headless Horseman on the album Halloween Special which is one of my all time favorite spooky season soundtracks.

Click below to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other participants!

Halloween Hot Wheels 2022 - What-4-2

 Retread number four (I'm not bitter) is What-4-2 from all the way back in 2015.

My thoughts from 2015: By far, the best feature on this What-4-2 is the grimacing ghoul on the hood!

2022 pic, in hindsight probably a poor background color choice

2015 pic

Stay tuned next week for the stunning conclusion of Revenge of the Repacks!

Be sure to check out the complete list of Countdown bloggers by clicking below.

 

Haunted Library - Amazing Monster Mazes 1977

 This week we have another devilishly delicious treat for the monster kids at heart.

Amazing Monster Mazes was published in 1977 by Hallmark. I remember going to the Hallmark store in our local mall as a kid at Halloween time and there was just so much cool stuff to see.

While the cover boasts 24 pages of mazes, there are actually only 13 because most of them are two page spreads. But that's okay! Even if mazes aren't your thing, the artwork is worth checking out.

You may find yourself tiptoeing through a mansion of sleeping monsters...

 

or even helping the Headless Horseman get back to Sleepy Hollow!

If you want to get lost in this book, just click on the library card.

Pet the cat to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other participants!

LEGO Build a Figure - Halloween 2022

 If you're lucky enough to have a brick & mortar LEGO store in your area, you've probably seen the station where you can create your own minifigs from a bunch of assorted body parts. You can let your inner child be just like Dr. Frankenstein! The available pieces are refreshed throughout the year and usually include a Halloween assortment. This year brings three new minifigs!

 

The store staff helped me locate the pieces to build the new haunters. Then I remembered it's 2022 and I have the world in my phone. I looked up pictures so I knew what I was looking for. I purposely didn't check them out ahead of time so I could have a little surprise.

First up is a pumpkin-headed scarecrow. I don't know if he looks creepier with the pumpkin on or off! The sack head kind of has that freaky doll vibe to it.

Halloween with the Addams Family (1998)

Not to be confused with the 1977 made for TV movie Halloween with the New Addams Family, this Halloween episode was the first of a new series launched in 1998 after the success of the movies. Although this is a new series and cast, the pilot episode (along with several others) recycled storylines from the original 1960s Addams Family series.

Until I watched the horrible The New Addams Family movie last month, I wasn't even aware of this live action reboot. I've watched a handful of episodes and while the comedy doesn't feel quite right sometimes, it feels a lot more Addams than that movie did. The gentleman playing Gomez has said he modelled his performance on John Astin's and he's definitely doing his best impression!

Speaking of Mr. Astin, he pops up in a few episodes as Grandpapa Addams!

Wednesday, who returns from the movie, and Pugsley have bigger roles than they did in the original series. They're also a bit darker than they were on the original show and that's totally fine with me! If you've ever seen the Charles Addams cartoons, you know they're a little edgier than their TV counterparts were.

One thing I'm not a huge fan of with this series is that they changed the theme song! 

Who in their right mind would do such a thing?!?!

If you want to check out this version of the Family, it looks like the entire 65 episode run has been put together in a YouTube playlist. And if you'd like to watch the original Halloween with the Addams Family episode...enjoy!

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.

Classic Creepy Comics - Standard Comics

 Standard Comics may not sound exciting but it's the name of the publisher we're looking at today. They were around from 1939 to 1956 and are best known for the character The Black Terror. While he sounds spooky, there wasn't really anything scary about him unless you were on the other end of his fists.

These books had different titles but follow a similar blueprint. They all start with issue five and feature a variety of horror stories. There's also two pages of written story, sometimes it's two one-page stories, other times a single two-page story. They also do this fun split page thing where the top half is an ad and the bottom half is a legend, true story, or weird fact.

 

First we dare you to take these Adventures into Darkness! This series ran for 10 issues from August 1952 to June 1954. 

Halloween 2022 MA Lottery Ticket

 Who's up for some Spooky Money?

The design for this year definitely beats out the one from 2021! Uncover a pumpkin, win double. Uncover a witch and win it all! Comparing this to last year's gave me an idea. Make the scratch areas gravestones and you win if you uncover a ghost or zombie! Or maybe you have to reveal all the parts to make a complete body? It's like you're digging up a grave. Wouldn't that be fun? 

 

California has Addams Family tickets! ADDAMS! FAMILY! In the past 10 years or so that I've been showing these off, I don't think Massachusetts has ever had a licensed Halloween ticket. Maybe some day...

Do you have any fun Halloween themed lottery tickets in your state? 

I started an open Flickr album for people to post their state lottery tickets. If you have any, please feel free to add them to the album. Or if you could send me pictures/scans I'd be happy to post them.

Be sure to check out the complete list of Countdown bloggers by clicking below.

 

Headless Horseman Cartoon (1934)

 Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been around for over 200 years and while almost everyone is somewhat familiar with the story, they also probably imagine the incarnation from Disney's 1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad with his flaming pumpkin head. 

 

 

But this was not the first animated appearance of the infamous ghost. In 1934, Ub Iwerks created an animated short film called The Headless Horseman. Iwerks also worked on the Disney shorts The Skeleton Dance and The Haunted House. If you're a fan of classic animation, you'll definitely get a kick out of this.

Click below to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other participants!

Halloween Hot Wheels 2022 - Muscle Tone

 Car number three is where I started to think I'd maybe seen one of these before. But maybe you haven't seen them when they were originally released, so they're new to you!

Muscle Tone was originally released alongside the 2017 Halloween Hot Wheels. Here are my thoughts at the time:

I don't know if it's the paint job or the word drift on the car but I could totally see this one in a Fast & Furious movie. That, of course, leads me back to thinking about a monster/horror version of the film.

2022 pic

2017 pic

I still really like the way the lighting came out on this shot.

Be sure to visit all the Countdown blogs! You can click on the image below to find a list of participants on the Countdown to Halloween site.

Haunted Library - Movie Monsters - Monster Make-Up & Shows To Put On (1975)

 Have we got a treat in the stacks for you today! If you're a monster kid of a certain age, this will probably be a nostalgia trip. Even if you haven't seen this particular book before, you likely checked one out just like it from your local library.

I originally got this from the now defunct Retrospace. 

You can view that original post here.

Monster lovers, this Scholastic book has got you covered! The first 28 pages talk about Lon Chaney, Universal Monsters, and even Blacula and Young Frankenstein!

 

The next 33 pages give instructions for recreating your own monster make ups.

The last section has a short stage play and some special effect tricks.

 

 

To check out this book, click your library card below!

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.