This time of year haunted houses pop up all over the US. Are you even surprised to learn that I love haunted houses? When I was a kid there was an old abandoned house that some clever folks turned into a haunted house tour, complete with costumed lunatics jumping out from behind closed doors and grabbing you. When you exited the house a guy with a chainsaw would chase you through the woods. Pure joy!

When carnivals came to town I’d always have to go through the horror funhouses. They were always so tacky and certainly worth a laugh. I think a little part of me always tried to scare myself with the idea that maybe, just maybe there would be a true madman hidden inside that would actually kill people.

Of course the mother of all haunted houses is Disney’s Haunted Mansion:

This Haunted Mansion ride in Luna Park, Sydney, Australia scared the bejeezus out of Dawn Summers. Or maybe it was just that skeevy guy following us around inside the ride.

October is the perfect time to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot apple cider. Here are some of my fav classic horror short stories/authors. I’ve provided links for you to read the works online but I’m a traditionalist and prefer the feel of crisp paper in my hands so I’ve also provided links to buy the books as well. Or visit your local library and check out the books for free.

Read online
Buy

Read his works online
Buy

Read online
Buy

Read his works online
Buy

Don’t forget to leave a light on when you go to bed…

Check out these horrifying photographs from Joshua Hoffine. If they are your cup of tea, you can purchase them online. Be warned, the images below are rather tame – the others on his site are quite disturbing.

© Joshua Hoffine. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

© Joshua Hoffine. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

© Joshua Hoffine. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

undead undead undead

Ok, strange way to start a Happy Birthday post to my brother!

When we were kids, my brother and I loved watching the old horror classics on Saturday nights. We loved all of the Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney and Vincent Price flicks, even the Abbott and Costello Meet the Monster of the Week movies. So, Happy Birthday Joe – these monsters are for you!

Bela Lugosi in Dracula

Boris Karloff in Frankenstein

Lon Chaney, Jr in The Wolf Man

Boris Karloff in The Mummy

And my brother’s fav:

Max Schreck in Nosferatu

Brooklyn-born Vic Mizzy, composer of hit TV shows theme songs and movie scores, has passed away. One of his famous songs (and keeping with this month’s theme):

With all these paranormal shows and movies hitting the airwaves, how about some old photos of spirits?

Three of the more famous photos:

The Brown Lady

Wem Town Hal

The Tulip Staircase Ghost

Creepy…

Oh and how about one of my fav spirits -

More movie posters:

100 Illustrated Horror Film Posters: Part 1
100 Illustrated Horror Film Posters: Part 2
16 horror movie posters so gruesome they make our eyeballs bleed

One thing I love about this time of year is that TV shows tend to do Halloween episodes. Of course the first show that comes to mind is The Simpsons. Who can ever top their Halloween shows? And don’t forget to watch Treehouse of Horror XX tonight!

©Matt Groening. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

One of my fav Halloween episodes is from The Adventures of Pete and Pete. In Halloweenie, Little Pete decides to break the record for the most houses visited while Big Pete must decide to either help his brother or join the gang of Pumpkin Eaters. Here’s the episode in four parts – co-starring a young Dawn Summers and Nona’s Pop.

but not for ice cream

More screams on film
Sound files of screams

This weekend hundreds of Brooklyn artists open their studios to general public. Be sure to visit our friend LJ’s studio this weekend at A.G.A.S.T. I love her work and wish I had lots of money and wall space because I would buy her entire Lock Series.

It will come as no surprise that I love Edward Gorey, you know, the guy that did the PBS Mystery! opening animation. One of his most famous works is The Gashlycrumb Tinies:

Two panels from the book:

One Halloween I dressed up as Zillah, maybe I should do another Tiny for this Halloween.

And for those in the Yarmouth Port, MA area, you can attend the 8th Annual Goreyfest this weekend. Sounds like fun!

This time of year I get a bunch of emails about what music folks should play at their Halloween parties. While I enjoy the typical songs of Halloween (Monster Mash, Dead Man’s Party, Everyday is Halloween to name a few), I think the music for Halloween parties should create a scary atmosphere. (Okay, I guess this depends on what kind of party you are hosting, but I like my Halloween parties to be somewhat scary so I’m going with that type of music.)

Some of my favourite cds for Halloween background music are the Twin Peaks soundtrack (and other Angelo Badalamenti works), Ambient Vol. 4 Isolationism (both are sadly out of print) and David Sylvian/Holger Czukay’s Plight and Premonition (which is still available).

Anyone have any good suggestions of Halloween atmospheric music?

I’ll leave you with two great opening credit scores:

Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells – You should listen to the entire Tubular Bells recording cranked up loud on your stereo – highly recommended.

John Carpenter, Halloween Main Theme – Very simple but so highly effective at creating a terrifying mood.

That is how I’d describe some of the work of Mark Ryden.

© Mark Rydon. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

© Mark Rydon. All rights reserved. Used without permission.

October is a special time of the year for the folks at OrangeYouGlad. We decided years ago that instead of sending Christmas cards or gifts to our clients, we would focus on Halloween (it being the bestest day of the year of course). We’re furiously working on our 2009 promotion but thought you might like to revisit some of our past promos:

Read Scary Mary’s Little Bleak Book

Create your own Paper Plate Masks

Cook up something from our Eerie Eats Recipe Cards

Have a drink in our VooDoo Lounge

When living in a big city, one can find some amazing items tossed out on the curb the night before trash day. My best find happens to be this painting I call Buster.

Why would anyone throw this painting away, you ask. In fact, I asked myself the same thing as I clutched it in my hands. My dog Ren agreed so we carted the painting home.

Did the artist decide he just didn’t like it anymore and tossed it out? Or maybe someone’s significant other would only move in with them if they removed “that hideous little man” from their wall? The mystery still remains a mystery and Buster still hangs on my wall.