Freddy Friday - Glove Love

 Back in the 90s, I was helping out at a local haunted house with a couple friends. It was as small, local thing and most of the 'actors' were teens. I wasn't getting paid but, seriously, dressing up and scaring people is something I will do for free any day of the week! This was during my big Freddy phase so that's who I dressed up as. 

 

The haunt was in a huge, mostly empty, three story house. The third floor was used for dressing rooms. A guide would take each group through the house starting on the second floor. This floor was mostly large bedrooms, each of which had its own scene with a jump scare of some kind. A large section of the first floor was a dark maze. The guide, knowing the maze, would rush through leaving the group to stumble their way through it. There were spots where actors would sometimes lurk too. Being the 90s, it was pre-cell phone so no one had a flashlight and occasionally the guide, or a stranger in the dark, would need to help them along. 

26th Annual Salem Haunted Happenings Parade

Nothing helps get you in the Halloween mood like the Salem Haunted Happenings Parade. There's just something about seeing so many people come together to celebrate.

The theme this year is Myths and Legends. 2023 is the largest parade to date!

 

You can watch the entire parade courtesy of Salem Local Access.The actual parade doesn't start until the point the video will play so don't think you missed much.

Here's a few highlights

31:43 - Blackcraft Haunted Attraction

36:43 - Dancing Evil Mickey

42:24 - National Park Service

1:00:20 - All the Ghostbusters

1:05:30 - Wicked Jeeps

1:09:30 - Freddy in Santa's sleigh?!

1:15:30 - Black Veil (costume goals!)

 

As much fun as the parade is, my favorite part is going "backstage" to the ready area and seeing everyone get their costumes and vehicles ready.

You can also browse the pics on Flickr for a better look.

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

 

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. 

 

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.

2022 Salem Haunted Happenings Parade

 

 While the spooky season celebrations start gearing up at the end of September, the first Thursday of October is the official kickoff to Haunted Happenings in Salem with the annual parade. This is the 40th year for Haunted Happenings and the 25th for the parade. The theme is "Who is your hero?"

I tried taking photos for you but it being at night and lit be street lamps, they mostly came out like garbage. But what I can share are a few behind the scenes photos of the parade getting ready. They prep in a large parking lot every year and it's always fun to see everyone doing their thing.

 

 

This is just a small fraction of the parade. Way off in the back is the Friendship of Salem, a 171 foot replica of a 1797 sailing ship that was built in Salem.
 

Fan Expo Boston 2022

This past weekend Mrs Dex and I attended Fan Expo Boston, our first comic convention since the Covid hit.These things have been around for decades and they still have co-ordination issues. I'm not saying I could do it better, just that they should have figured some stuff out by now.

For example, here is a section of the autograph area. It's not even the part that was really crowded. If you wanted an autograph (whether or not you pre-purchased it) you had to stand in line. Which is fine, that's unavoidable. They sold a lot more Ming-Na Wen auto tickets than expected and to keep her line down, they were handing out numbered tickets. They would then update the whiteboard near her line saying if you had number xxx or lower, you could get in the line. Why not just make this policy for everyone? Less time in line means people have more time to spend money elsewhere! Anyway, I'll try to keep my griping to a minimum. 

There were a ton of cool guests but time (and money) prevented me from getting to meet them. But I can truthfully say I was in the same building as Ewan McGregor so that counts for something!

Halloween 2021

 

 It's a few days later than I wanted to post this but doing the season wrap party is finally admitting that it's over. I went to Spirit on the 1st and about 80% of the store was dismantled already but I did pick up a Nightmare Before Christmas wreath. The big box stores went from 0 to Christmas in the blink of an eye again with Halloween being jammed into a single aisle. Couldn't even find any treat bags on clearance the day after!

Anyway, it was oh so nice to have Halloween back this year. There were more kids on the street and I got to unleash the Salem Creep which is the highlight of the season.

 

Nightmares of Halloween Past Book

 I just had to help spread the word about this amazing IndieGoGo project!

Nightmares of Halloween Past is a collection of vintage photos collected over 20 years from yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. The book weighs in at 288 pages and includes a pair of exclusive essays on Halloween costumes.

There are plenty more images on the project page, which I strongly suggest checking out even if you don't back the project. $60 seems like a lot but I think the contents will be worth it! Right now they are at 70% funding with 25 days to go. There's still some mystery stretch goals to be unlocked too.

Click below to visit the Countdown site with a list of all the participating blogs!

Hallowen Web - Author Jason Young

  Let's give a warm welcome to our friendly neighbor Jason Young, author of An Old School Halloween.

Thanks for joining us. Can you tell folks about your new book?

'An Old School Halloween' is my second book. My first book "The Wonderful Artwork of Wax Wrappers" enjoyed 4 print runs, all selling out. This is a 200 page full color look back at those old Ben Cooper costumes we all remember and love. For the book, I was lucky enough to interview Frank Romano, the original Art Director for Ben Cooper. The book has been featured in magazines like Toy Ventures and HorrorHound as well as an upcoming issue of RetroFan. It's also been featured on some great websites like 13th Dimension, some blogs, and I appeared on a podcast titled Fire & Water. I'm currently working on my 3rd book, which I'm not ready to share quite yet - but stay tuned at my Facebook Page "Oldtimes Digest".

Halloween Web - Change the Color Toys

It's artist week for Halloween Web interviews!

Our first one may be someone you recognize...

Thanks for coming by, please tell the folks about yourself.

Hey! I’m Nikki aka @change_the_color_toys on Instagram. I’ve dabbled in many creative avenues over the years - graphic design, gallery work, illustration - but currently becoming increasing obsessed with custom toys. A year ago, I dove headfirst into the toy collecting community and it’s starting to intertwine with my artsy background. I’m currently writing and illustrating a series of children’s books, which I hope to accompany with toys of the characters, much like Wuzzles back in the day. 

How was Halloween for you growing up?

Halloween in Bucks County PA, a suburb about an hour from Philly, was incredible and much like that in the movies. Our development flowed into three or four other large developments of single homes spaced out just enough you could conquer 100 homes or more running lawn to lawn. Only a few houses were “black-outs” unlike today where it seems that’s more popular where we are now. Booooo! (thumbs down boo, not scary boo). The neighborhood crawled with kids of all ages for hours. There was always the Raisin House, although my favorite was the Soda House! By the time we got around to the swankier neighborhood, the homes were larger and the lawns became wider to cross. You get pretty thirsty sprinting from house to house for a few hours, so a lukewarm Acme soda was just the best thing ever. 

Do you have any special Halloween memories?

I was lucky enough to have a whole crew of girlfriends my age all within 2-5 houses from mine but when I was about 4 (the new kid on the block), I hadn’t gathered a trick-or-treatin crew. It was just me and my dad. Our own street was long and by the time we’d gotten to the top, we reached the house on the cross street that had set up a few dummies during the month of October. Obviously we passed the house coming and going and I knew the dummy scarecrow and clown or whatever it was that was set up. So I went up to the door while my dad waited at the street...but it was the ole bait-and-switch. I reached for the candy and one of the damn dummies came alive and scared the crap outta me. I’m pretty sure that was the last house for the night but I had a full bucket anyway, so all good. Now that I’m a “growns-up”, I copied that idea and set myself up as a dummy on our driveway alongside a few real stuffed ones. As a kid, this is cruel, but as an adult it is such a freaking delight to scare munchkins (and some wussy teenagers). 

What about favorite costumes?

I was costumed from less than a year old til a few years after college but as an adult, haven’t dressed up much. I still was dressing up even in High School. Out of our class of about 700 kids, I was one of three dorks who still participated. I don’t think it was even made clear if we were allowed or not. I was Lisa Simpson senior year, of course. My mom stitched almost all our costumes but E.T. as an 8 month old was pretty dope.

How do you celebrate Halloween today?

Our fam decorates the house and we take my daughter trick-or-treating. Nothing crazy compared to the days of bar-hopping in costumes down Main Street in Manayunk back in the day… Nowadays, I usually dress up as a skeleton and stay home to give out candy. My husband takes my daughter around. Did you know you can hang out with your neighbors and drink beer and give out candy while scaring little kids?! And I thought Halloween was great when I was young!

 

 

Do you have any must watch movies or specials for the season?

Movies - yes! Obsessed with Hocus Pocus. My daughter is 7 and even though she’s outgrown Curious George, I still make her watch the Halloween special every year. #guiltypleasure

What is it about Halloween that makes it special?

For a lot of us, I think it is the nostalgia of the magic that is Halloween night (and possibly Mischief Night as well) as a child. Ever go back visit an old school? One of your reactions is probably ‘this is much smaller than I remember!’ As a child, experiences seem more intense and epic so all the fun and terror and thrill during the Halloween season is exponentially penetrating. It’s a visceral holiday as well. Itchy hayrides, sweaty costumes, candy bellyaches. For me, the thrill of running around town with friends in the dark, anonymously, whew - can’t beat it! I mean, I guess this could have been any other night if I wasn’t a nerd.

Inside the Spookster's Studio

The worst thing to get while trick or treating was Laffy taffy.

My favorite thing to get was 100 Grand

My favorite monster cereal is uh, cereal is my jam but never had any monster cereals! Does Lucky Charms count…? Leprechauns are creepy…

A monster-sized thanks to Nikki for chatting with us today. 

Please check her art on Instagram @change_the_color_toys

Click the image below to see all the participating Countdown bloggers!

Halloween Web - The Witchfinder General of Salem

 Today we've got another Salem Halloween fixture, the Witchfinder General himself!

Thanks for taking some time away from your persecutions. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Eric Dwinnells but you may know me better as the one-and-only Witchfinder General of Salem, Massachusetts. This is both a character I perform and my actual title. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only licensed Witchfinder in the world. Each Halloween season (well except this one; thanks COVID!), I patrol the streets of Salem putting suspected witches (aka tourists) on trial. It is a darkly humorous yet mostly historically accurate portrayal of an actual 1692 witchcraft hearing. Yes, I may sentence them to die, but at least they get fun pictures for their Instagram!  

 

Of course with COVID ruining the party this year, times will be awful tough for us street performers which is why I’ve set up a GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com/witchfinder20) to help recoup a little of what I’ll be missing out on this year. But, I’m not asking for money for nothing! I’m currently working on a series of YouTube videos that you’ll be able to find my my channel. In these videos, I’ll be sharing some of the lesser known stories of the Salem Witch Trials and some fun videos about Salem in general. You may also know me as the host of the paranormal/true crime/spooky pop culture podcast, Spooky A S. Or perhaps you’ve seen me singing, acting or telling jokes at theaters and clubs all over New England.

What was Halloween like for you as a kid?

I had pretty much the ideal New England Halloweens growing up. Just like you see in movies or on TV. Lots of kids, lots of foliage, no concern for a child’s safety other than “carry a glow-stick”. I grew up in Ashland, MA. It’s a small town and I lived in a little cul-de-sac so you pretty much knew all the neighbors. There were a group of kids around my age in the neighborhood so we’d all go together. And I ALWAYS insisted we wait until it got dark out. Trick or treating while the sun is up is for punks! Actually, just last year I recorded an episode of my podcast while walking around my old neighborhood talking about trick or treating. That was fun and it was a popular episode.

Do you have any favorite costumes, past or present?

I take Halloween very seriously and to me, they are Halloween Uniforms, not costumes! When I was a kid, I LOVED werewolves. Still do. I was a werewolf for like three years straight. I remember being The Phantom of the Opera in middle school. It sticks out in my mind because I did my own make-up with one of those latex kits so under my phantom mask, my face looked real messed up. Anyway, I wore that costume to a CCD Halloween party. When I took my mask off, the prettiest girl in my grade came up and asked to touch my face! For a shy 12 year old boy, that’s HUGE! 

I still dress up. My day job has a big Halloween party every year and I’ve thrown one or two myself. Some more recent favorites include Captain Spaulding, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Edward Scissorhands. Oh, and I’m not afraid to cross gender lines; I made a pretty good Lizzie Borden!

How do you celebrate Halloween these days?

Well of course A LOT of my Halloween season is taken up entertaining the masses that come to Salem every year and I LOVE being a part of it. It’s literally my favorite thing to do. It’s such a fun atmosphere; there’s no place else like it. Seriously, dear reader, if you love Halloween and you’ve never been to Salem in October, you simply must join us. You know…when there isn’t a world-wide pandemic, I mean. Other than that, I try to take my nieces/nephews on at least one spooky road trip. This year, we’re going to the Cryptozoology Museum in Maine. I usually take them trick or treating too.

Do you have any yearly traditions for the holiday?

I have this VHS tape that my mom started all the way back in 1986. It has various Halloween specials and Halloween-related sitcom episodes on it. Recording in EP mode (Google it, kids) we added to it each year until the late 90’s. I’ve watched it at least once each and every year since 1986. I’ve transferred it over to digital formats, but I still insist on watching the real deal off the VHS. Sure, the picture quality has diminished, but over 30 years later the tape is still totally watchable! My mom has since passed so I think of her when I watch it too. She loved Halloween almost as much as I do.

Inside the Spookster's Studio

The worst thing to get while trick or treating was harassed by older kids! They never took our candy or beat us up or anything, but they’d follow you and scare the crap out of you. I remember getting really freaked out by a teenager dressed as The Grim Reaper one year. He made such an impression on me that I dressed as the GrIm Reaper the very next Halloween. Just like Bruce Wayne, I became that which I feared!!!

My favorite thing to get was peanut-butter cups! Anything chocolate really.

My favorite monster cereal as a kid, was Boo Berry, but it wasn’t a fair contest. Remember, in the 80’s, it was just part of the kid culture that there was definite “boy stuff” and “girl stuff” and god help you if you ever crossed the line. You’d be called “sissy”…or worse! Frankenberry was pink. Pink was “girl stuff” so he never had a shot. These days, I (and perhaps the world) have a much more enlightened view. I’m proud to say I LOVE me some Frankenberry!

Where can folks follow your adventures online?

 

You can follow The Witchfinder on Instagram (@witchfinderofsalem) and you can support by donating to him on GoFundMe. People can check out my podcast by looking for Spooky A S on your podcast streaming service or by going to www.spookyas.com

 

Thanks to Eric for dropping in and sharing his Halloween memories.

Click the image below to see all the participating Countdown bloggers!

Halloween Web - Brandon Clarke

 I am extremely thrilled to be bringing you today's interview subject. He's a local cosplayer that I frequently see around Salem and have run into at a few comic conventions.

Thanks for joining us, please introduce yourself.

My name is Brandon Clarke, I am also known as Brandon the Shapeshifter. I am mostly known for being a cosplayer. I do characters such as Pennywise, Genie, Maleficent, Captain Cold, Doctor Strange, Green Lantern and several other original costumes. I have been cosplaying since 2010, I also recently took up writing and I am working on a ten book horror novel series called Dark Mysteries of the Paranormal. The first three books are now available on Amazon kindle: The Brave and the Wicked, The Ghost of Kyle Sugarbaker, and The Rainbow Dimension. I strive to be taken seriously as an author where I can inspire people with my work. 

What was Halloween like for you as a child?

I grew up in Boston, MA and as a child I can only think of one time when I dressed up. I was a jester and I remember going to a Halloween party. I  didn't really celebrate Halloween as a child. It wasn't until I became an adult and moved to Salem, MA when I truly came into my own and appreciated the magic of Halloween. To be frank, I feel like you have more fun with Halloween as an adult than as a kid. Living in Salem I have blossomed into the artist I know I was meant to be. I have gotten some overwhelmingly positive reactions for my costumes. I have won many contest and made some great friends. My fondest memories of Halloween were me being in Salem. When I was a kid, my neighborhood didn't really celebrate Halloween like that. I would see Trick or Treaters here and there but it wasn't on the level that Salem is. I wish I grew up in Salem because I think I would have grown into my passion a lot faster. But things happen for a reason and it all worked out for the better.

Do you have any special memories of past Halloweens?

The fondest memory I have is when I dressed up as a genie one year and Pennywise another. With the genie, people kept telling me how gorgeous and unreal I looked. It was a flattering experience. Especially when rugged dudes would approach me and tell me they thought I was really beautiful. It was the form of appreciation that I always longed for. There was this one guy in particular who was quite handsome, stopped in his tracks and stared at me for five minutes straight. His mouth was wide open and he begged for a picture. He even gave me a hug and it felt so nice that I was able to effect him on that level. 

The other fond memory was when I cosplayed as Pennywise. Everyone freaked out and they were sincerely terrified of me. It got to the  point where one guy got so scared he threatened to hurt me. I of course stood my ground because I told him to calm his scary ass down, its just a costume. Its not real. But for some reason he had a massive reaction. Then I remember making a lot of children cry and I mean ALOT. I chased a pair of brothers in Harrison Comics Store. They didn't see where they were going. One slammed right into the wall and the other fell into the book case knocking it over. Their parents was just laughing at them the entire time as these two boys were genuinely crying and fearing for there life. I then chased them out of the store and down the street and the whole time they were screaming at the top of there lungs. These are moments that are worth living. (I whole heartedly agree with this! - Ed.)

You mentioned you weren't as into Halloween when you were younger, so what do you do to celebrate today?

I usually make a big spectacle of it, I make sure I do big elaborate costumes and go to the biggest Halloween parties. I love the Salem Haunted Happenings Festival and I enjoy it very much. I also love watching Horror movies and listening to the Monster Mash. 

What is it about Halloween that stays with us as we get older?

I think the magic and creativity of Halloween makes us love it more and more as we get older. Halloween is a fun holiday where you can be creative and the world of fantasy and make-believe can become reality. Halloween is a playground for people with big imaginations.

Inside the Spookster's Studio

The worst thing I got for trick of treating was raisins.

My favorite thing to get was Kit Kats and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

My favorite monster cereal is Count Chocula.

A giant-sized thank you to Brandon for stopping by today. He sent so many amazing photos that I couldn't fit into the interview. Please check him out on Instagram (@BrandonTheShapeshifter) for more fantastic costumes.

Click the image below to see all the participating Countdown bloggers!

Dungeons & Dragons at Spirit Halloween

Are you bored with being a generic fantasy character for Halloween? Spirit has rolled out an official Dungeons & Dragons line of costumes and accessories!

Well, maybe "rolled out" sounds a little ambitious. There's not much in the line for now but let's have a look.

First is fan favorite Drizzt Do'Urden from The Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. Arguably one of the best known characters from the Forgotten Realms setting. If you like fantasy and haven't read his series, I highly recommend it! The costume looks a little weird on a white dude since Drizzt is a Drow, or Dark Elf, and he has dark skin.

Next is Human Fighter, and his love, Catti-Brie. It's nice to see a tasteful female costume.

Of course, weapons are sold separately! They would all probably look nice hanging on a wall if you're the kind of person that decorates by hanging weapons on your walls.

And finally, saving the best for last...

DungeonMaster from the D&D cartoon! I have to say, this looks a bit off on a taller person. But I'm thrilled that the cartoon is getting some kind of recognition. Maybe they'll put out other characters over the years. I wouldn't necessarily buy any costumes but I could be tempted to pick up a few replicas of the kids' magic items. Also, this opens the door for an adult Warduke costume which I'd totally be down for!

I didn't see these in my local store but you can see everything D&D on Spirit's site.

Salem Halloween 2019

Apologies to any long time readers that were expecting my usual November 1st post. This October was a bit of an odd one for the books. I'm going to go on about it between the pics from Halloween night which are thanks to Mrs Dex.

While I did visit the Salem Witch Board Museum and see Ouijazilla, I didn't have a chance last month to do my usual walk around Salem and visit the street fair.



I got to see the band Ghost for what will be the first of many times. If you look in the center of the above pic, you can see someone dressed as Papa Emeritus.



The day of Halloween itself was a bit stressful for me. The forecast called for high winds and possible showers. Some local communities even postponed trick or treating until Saturday the 2nd due to the expected weather. It's a terrible feeling when you've been gearing up all month for a four hour sliver of one night only to have it possibly ruined by rain and have to wait an entire year.

How cool is this Alien?

Luckily, the Great Pumpkin heard my entreaties and the rain didn't start until the end of the night! Did I mention it was also in the high 60s? I know some of you out there got a taste of snow. That's not so uncommon in New England this time of year either.
You just never know.

We had almost 40 trick or treaters show up before heading to Salem. I know that's not a lot but I think it's a few more than we've had in recent years. It'd be shame for the treat bags I made up to not find kids to go home with!

Party on!

It was a bit warm in costume but once I found a place to haunt instead of walking around, it was comfortable. The place where I stand has a lot of foot traffic and there is a bright flood light people have to walk by so I take advantage of the transition from bright to dark. Sometimes people don't even see me until they almost bump into me and look up from their phone.

I had a couple of great interactions with little kids. I really like those rare moments when the kids are just curious and have zero fear. Sometimes I feel like a character at a Disney park because people are coming up to take photos with me. At the end of it all, it was a pretty great night!

I didn't see these guys dressed as mannequins but it's a great idea for a group costume.



For another year, the Salem Creep returns to wherever it is he goes to wait for Halloween. He's got his own Instgram account now too! There are a few more pics on Flickr if you want to see more from Salem.