HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween to all from Highbury Cemetery! May the Candy Corn gods look down upon you in favor on this day and grant you the opportunities to celebrate the high holiday in the manner you see fit.

Another year's worth of planning, building, and most importantly celebrating the season comes down to this. So go forth and revel in All Hallows Eve. Our High Holiday. Carry on the traditions that make the season so great, for we are the anointed that keep the spirits alive, nurture them, and pass them on to future generations. We are Halloween...

Slasher Dave - "Hell's Harvest"

Does this guy ever sleep?? Slasher Dave releases new music faster than I release blog posts!

Here's another great new Halloween release, "Hell's Harvest."

The idea in my head for this song was a possessed scarecrow that comes to life to slaughter farm residents. Very Midwest. It's also a different style for me with the strings. I've been open to more experimentation. A little snake charmer sexy vibe, too?

Cool! I really dig this new track. Enjoy!

Devil's Night

Here we are. The day before Halloween. These 30 days leading up to the High Holiday have absolutely flown by again. I sure could use another 30 days to celebrate...

Here's a quick teaser photo from our trick-or-treat, which was Sunday night. The weather was perfect. Cool, dry and no wind. The Candy Corn Gods looked upon us again with good favor.

But of course, good October weather doesn't last long in Ohio, so we decided to pull most of the display down in anticipation of today's rainstorms and high wind gusts. I really didn't want to have an empty yard on Halloween night, but quickly realized that I REALLY didn't want my hand-made props blowing down the street, either.

So tomorrow, I have decided to set up a quick and different little display. One last offering to the Candy Corn Gods. One last celebration of Halloween. I'm actually pretty excited for this! I'll be sure to snap a few photos of it, too.

In the meantime, let's celebrate to our fullest capacity for Halloween. Get out tonight for a little mischievous Devil's Night fun and then absolutely go all out tomorrow. It's the day we have waited for all year...

Toxic Coffin - "The Haunted Sounds Of Halloween" Cassette

50 Minutes Of Spine-Tingling Terror! WARNING! This Cassette Is Not To Be Listened To In The Dark. Listen To This Cassette At Your Own Risk!

No, this isn't an unexpected Freebie Friday post, but it is for fans of all of those old "spooky sounds" releases filled with the glorious Halloween sounds of howling winds, cackling witches, bubbling cauldrons, rattling chains, and snarling werewolves. Did you know that there are still artists out there who are keeping the tradition alive today??

I was super excited when I recently found Toxic Coffin out of North Carolina, and their brand new cassette release, The Haunted Sounds Of Halloween.

Two different styles on this one. Side A's "Haunted House Sound FX" is an homage to the classic "spooky sounds" cassettes of years gone by with some great and truly creepy sounds, all backed with some nice, subtle droning synth. No silly kids stuff on this side, just great, creepy Halloween atmosphere!

Side B's "Eerie Music" is different and unique in that it is a collection of original Halloween-inspired music created by Stephen and Lance, the owners of Toxic Coffin, and performed under the name Beyond The Gate. Again, really great sounds with an almost synthwave angle. Perfect music for the season!

Both sides are on repeat as we wind down another all-too-fast Halloween season, and I will most definitely keep this one going long after the season ends.

Be sure to grab a copy of this one over at Toxic Coffin, and while you're there maybe pick up a shirt, some art or an insanely rad, super limited, coffin-shaped skateboard deck!

On a final note, along with my cassette, I also received a sticker and a hand-written thank you letter from Lance and Stephen. Super cool extras that you just won't get from larger companies. A huge Cemetery shout-out to Toxic Coffin on a totally awesome release!

The 15 Most Valuable Misfits Records Ever Sold On Discogs

Here is a quick Halloween-adjacent story and a fun little follow-up to this morning's Misfits "Halloween" music post.

Ever since I was a 14-year-old skate punk kid, the holy grails of punk record collecting have always been those rare early Glenn Danzig-era Misfits records. And ever since I was a 14-year-old skate punk kid, those rare early Misfits records have always been just out of reach for my wallet's liking.

Since then, I have been able to acquire a few Misfits gems for my collection, but most continue to allude my wallet's limit. And as their collectability continues to grow, their prices unfortunately follow right along.

I recently read this great little story on Discogs about the most valuable Misfits records ever sold on their site, and my jaw hit the floor. Unicorn gems of limited pressings, colored vinyl variants, and alternate record sleeves fetching prices into the FIVE FIGURES! Yikes!

At this point, I am resigned to winning the lottery in order to afford these rarities, but I at least have the music itself permanently burned into my brain.

Enjoy the eye-opening sale amounts for these records, and please note that I would gladly take them off of your hands in the odd instance that you might just have them laying around.

Just maybe not for those prices.

The Misfits - "Halloween"

Four weeks into October, and not one Misfits post?? Well, the obvious choice is...

Halloween 'Zines: Razors In The Night

It's time for another Halloween 'zine review! Growing up as a punk rock kid, I collected many a fanzine through the years. Small, DIY handmade photocopied, low-budget mini magazines that covered all aspects of the music genre, created and produced by the very participants within that scene. There's just something about holding a small magazine that was created and assembled by hand that always felt so tactile and genuine to me. And when I later became a home haunter, I discovered the same medium and immediately began collecting them.

Next up in my collection is Razors In The Night. This one isn't a straight Halloween 'zine, but with a subtitle of "For The Discerning Gore Hounds," this first issue is still on point!

If, like me, you were a discerning gore hound in the 80s, then this 'zine is right up your alley! It harkens back to the glory days of Fangoria Magazine, but goes way deeper and way darker in its hand drawn, cut-and-paste, black-and-white photocopied rawness.

It has reviews of deep underground, low-budget horror films (the best kind!), but keeps a foot in the Halloween realm with great stories on haunted houses and ends with the sad story of the tragic Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire in 1984. Definitely worth the read.

Give Razors In The Night a follow on their Instagram page, and then go shopping on their Big Cartel page. Issue #1 is now unfortunately sold out, but issue #2 will be coming out on Halloween! And if it's limited like the first issue, it will sell out quick, too. So get on it, gore hounds!

Amazon Delivery. Service With A (Nervous) Smile!

We got an Amazon delivery yesterday. I'm assuming the driver just said, "I'll just go ahead and leave this safely outside the cemetery arch entrance..." And scooted off to the sound of Scooby-Doo running! No way was he coming into THIS yard!

This was the proof of delivery photo:

Revised 12 Ft. Skeleton Prop

The revised 12-foot skeleton prop for 2025!

We're getting down to the wire, but I was still able to get one more prop off of the "to do" list! A few years ago, I picked up the popular 12-foot skeleton from Home Depot, as I needed to add some height to my display. I originally corpsed the head and added a full reaper's cloak made from a roll of black fabric and creepy cloth, ensuring that it looked different to all of the other 12 foot skeletons in all of the other yards.

Halloween, 2024.

And while I liked that initial look, I didn't LOVE it. It always looked a little too "cartoon-y" and the proportions always looked off. And whenever it got wet from rain, it became very heavy and everything would sag. So after last year's incident where the base and head snapped and broke due to being blown over from high winds, I knew this was the year to completely revamp him...

High wind damage, Halloween, 2024.

I first secured a replacement base and a new head-to-neck junction to replace the broken pieces. After all of the replacement pieces were gathered and installed, I first went to work staining the entire skeleton. I wanted to get that darker, more aged and dried look. And while it took a bit for the stain to fully dry on a few of the pieces due to the nature of the smooth plastic, it immediately looked ten times better than the corpsed flesh treatment I had originally done.

Replacement head-to-neck junction from Frawsted Creations.

The next step was to add a new cloak. And based on a cool reference photo shared by Cemetery friend Brent Wilson, I wanted to add whisps of fabric to further the decayed look. This lighter treatment of fabric would also keep the entire skeleton lighter in weight overall, and less likely to catch and winds and possibly get blown over again.

I ended up using the original old black fabric, cut into long thin strips, and then loosely wrapped around the legs and arms, further adding larger tattered pieces for the waist and shoulders. I added a few pieces of tattered stretched creepy cloth as highlight accent pieces over that and called it done. A lot less fabric ended up looking way better!

For restraining the overall approach to detailing it, I couldn't be any happier with the final look. A quick turnaround and setup in a new location toward the back my display was just the refresh it needed. I added an off-white uplighting to add that extra bit of creepiness and attention at night and now it's once again a main focal point in the Cemetery, towering over the rest of the props in the display.

Envenomist - "Ensnarled"

Black pulses guide through a Lovecraftian void of murk horror and total darkness.

Another dark, dystopian and sinister track from my favorite new dark ambient discovery, Envenomist. The perfect soundtrack for your Saturday morning.

This one is in my playlist for today's haunt setup. The rain and winds have finally moved out, so it's time to finalize the display for tomorrow night's trick-or-treat.

Enjoy.

"Halloween Sound Effects" Cassette

Here we are at the fourth Friday in October, which means it's time for one last Freebie Friday for the year! We've had three absolute classics served up from my "spooky sounds" collection this year, so let's see what's on tap for this week's offering.

I grabbed a sealed copy of Halloween Sound Effects strictly based on the incredible card art. Spooky, gothic fonts and totally awesome clip art, including that sweet, evil bat! And still encased in the shell was a wonderfully cheesy cassette with nothing but the same title art on a blank orange label. All the signs of another cheap knock-off classic!

And my initial instinct was correct. Because as soon as I put this cassette in, pressed "play" and heard the very first note, I knew this was yet another Taiwanese knock-off. It was a poorly dubbed recording of the Topstone Halloween classic, Horror Sounds Of The Night.

I swear, every cassette factory in Asia must have had one copy of it to use for dubbing, because this is at least the third different Halloween cassette I have picked up only to hear that same organ music starting off...

And as great as Horror Sounds Of The Night is, this one is just another cheap knock-off in a really great package. Still worth it for the art, but the sounds themselves are only for the die-hard "spooky sounds" collectors or those that might not have Horror Sounds Of The Night.

Three out of four still ain't bad!

DOWNLOAD 'HALLOWEEN SOUND EFFECTS' HERE.

David Choe Presents: The Halloween Kid | Monsters, Paint & Magic with Rhode Montijo

A forgotten animated short by Rhode Montijo rises from the archives after years in the dark - The Halloween Kid. This is a story about a mysterious boy who saves Halloween. Rediscovered, remastered, and resurrected to it's full brilliance for the first time ever -- with an intro by David Choe.

A great animated Halloween short for the kids, with a greater message not to be missed by the adults! And all rendered in Montijo's classic, whimsical style. This a fun little piece that really captures the magic, the innocence, and the creativity of the Halloween spirit.

Enjoy this one!!

Animated Swaying Zombie Prop

Another prop for the 2025 haunt display is now done! My new swaying zombie animatronic is now ready to go out into the yard...

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After reviewing last year's display, I knew that I wanted to add some new props with movement this year. My time was short, so I needed something quick and easy. A few years ago, I had built a side-to-side rotating skeleton with lantern sitting on a tombstone with a quick and dependable kit from Spider Hill Prop Works, so I went back to them to see what they had available.

I settled on their Animated Swaying Zombie kit, complete with mounted wiper motor and all PVC pipe sections, and got to work assembling it. I really have to give a big shoutout to Spider Hill, because this kit had literally everything needed to assemble the full figure along with detailed instructions on how to assemble it. The figure went together quickly and easily and was soon ready for finishing. And the fit and finish on the completed kit was top notch.

I used a prop head from good friend to the Cemetery, Dave at Closed Casket Studios. The decayed head worked perfectly for this piece, and the best part is that I already had it sitting in my collection! The detailed sculpt really set the entire piece off nicely...

For the clothing, I lucked out and used a full, already-distressed suit that I had used for a zombie costume 10 years ago. It was just sitting in my basement unused, so it worked perfectly for this. And luckily, it fit the dimensions of the kit nicely.

I also ended up grabbing a cheap pair of white plastic zombie hands from eBay to finish the figure. The white plastic ended up matching the color of the prop head and they were pretty close on scale to the rest of the figure. It took a bit of rigging, but they fit snug into the pipe ends of the arms, and they look good when the arms are swaying freely as the figure rotates, almost as if they are reaching out to grab you.

To finish the piece off, I added an MP3 player with external speaker to the inside of the body. I had an old zombie audio track (unfortunately, I can't remember where I got it) that I dug up and used, which ended up working perfectly. A really nasty, gurgling vocal to add the final accent to a really great prop.

I am SUPER happy with the way this one turned out and with how easily it all went together. It is going to look fantastic sitting next to my crypt, right next to the walkway where all of the trick-or-treaters have to pass by to get their candy. I think it will be an intimidating challenge for some to get by as it growls and rotates...

Throbbing Gristle - "Hamburger Lady"

I can't go the entire month of October without posting one of my all-time favorite industrial audio tracks. Throbbing Gristle's "Hamburger Lady" is so dark, raw and visceral, and still just grinds on you even 48 years after its initial release.

Add to it the horrifying nature of the lyrics (less "lyrics" but more a reading of a grotesque account of a fictional burn victim - hence the "hamburger"...) and the reverberation and repetition in which they are recited just adds to the unsettling nature of this track.

But it's so good. Like an accident that you can't look away from, you'll just keep listening to the grating, repetitive dirge of this song. A perfect creepy element to take us through another Halloween season.

Enjoy...

Halloween 'Zines: Ghostlore

Up next is Ghostlore Zine created by Wychwood Arts. I originally followed the Wychwood Arts Instagram page for all of the cool Halloween art, but when I saw that they also made 'zines, I was in!

I ended up grabbing three issues of Ghostlore from the Wychwood Arts Big Cartel page. Unfortunately, the first issue is sold out, so I'm left hoping for a reprint to complete my set.

The zines themself are a ton of fun. Each perfect-bound (no staples) issue is packed full of great original art and stories, awesome "Terror On Tape" dark music reviews (my favorite!), cool interviews, and pages of fun word searches and puzzles. And perhaps the best part of all is the extra inserts and personalized, hand-drawn thank you note that were included. You can really tell that lots of care went into each issue. Each is a great black-and-white presentation on Halloween creepiness and fun and I HIGHLY recommend every one!

Issues 2, 3, and 4 are still available over at the Wychwood Arts Big Cartel page (along with great, original art and other merch), and it was recently announced that issue 5 will be dropping this week, so get on it!!

Ghostlore is definitely a great addition to my Halloween zine October reading list.

Envenomist - "Unsettled Sunless Seas"

Last Sunday, I posted an incredible dark ambient compilation from Cryo Chamber that included many lesser-known artists, entitled Tomb Of Iconoclasts. As I listened to the entire compilation, one track really stood out to me, and that was the second track Threading The Needle by the artist Envenomist (who I had never heard before).

This track had a darker, dystopian and more sinister feel than the rest and it really got my attention. After hearing it, I immediately researched Envenomist and I couldn't believe what I found.

I'm not sure how I hadn't found this artist before now, as this style of dark ambient is right up my alley. I have since added his work to all of my Halloween playlists, and if you're like me, you should too. Really great work here with a truly dark, industrial sci-fi/horror atmosphere.

Out of a wide collection of great releases, I decided to share Unsettled Sunless Seas as the first track, The Smothering Sky, is just so fantastic. A perfect soundtrack to get us to the darkness of Halloween night... Enjoy.

The 2025 Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

The annual neighborhood trick-or-treat announcement flyers have finally been printed and are ready to be distributed to 125 houses throughout my development. In recent years, I have become the unofficial official flyer creator and distributor, which I do without complaint. Designed and printed by me (easy now that I only have to change the date from last year!), and distributed by my son and a few of his neighborhood friends (work smarter, not harder!).

And while I'm still disappointed with the meager two-hour window for trick-or-treating on a date before Halloween proper, I'm happy to see the annual orange-and-black flyers go out to all the neighbors, signaling the countdown to the big night.

We are getting closer! Are you ready?

Walt Disney Studios - "Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House (1979)" Record

The days of October are absolutely flying by and we have already reached another Friday... time for the next Freebie Friday post, where I share forgotten gems from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.

WARNING: This album will scare your socks off. Parental guidance suggested.

For the third week in a row, I'm serving up an absolute Halloween classic. This time around, it's Walt Disney Studios' Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House - the second version!

That's right! After the initial success of the original Chilling, Thrilling Sounds... in 1964 (and 1973), Walt Disney Studios went back and re-released a totally new version in 1979, with completely different cover art AND audio tracks.

Gone were the original's individual story/audio tracks utilizing special effects sounds from the Walt Disney Studios collection, and replaced with a more traditional "spooky sounds" collection of sounds.

I have done a bit or searching to find out why this was done, but I haven't been able to find anything definitive. Either way, I find this version to be the superior one. The original, while groundbreaking for its time, lacks any real spookiness to it and is plagued with silliness in most of the tracks. And let's not even get started on that "Chinese Water Torture" track...

This re-released version fits well into the traditional "spooky sounds" genre with more mature Halloween sounds. Two sides of continuous audio with side one containing "Frightening Situations" and side two containing "Eerie Sound Effects." Both sides are equally great and have all of the classic sound effects within.

And I haven't even mentioned the new cover art yet. A fantastic, full-cover haunted house illustration with a skeleton rising from a grave and colorful, traditional creepy fonts make this one an absolute winner! I would expect nothing less from the talented artists of Disney.

Overall, this release is an absolute classic (even if it is still overshadowed by the original). It's campy and fun, but still has just enough nostalgic creepiness to make it an essential piece for your collection.

(And on a side note, this was just re-released in 2023 on a cool translucent smoke-colored vinyl and is still available here.)

DOWNLOAD CHILLING, THRILLING SOUNDS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1979) HERE.

Southern Tier - Caramel Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale

It's time to squeeze in another pumpkin beer review! Today, I'm putting Southern Tier's Caramel Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale up against the highly scientific Drunken Jackos rating scale.

Before I begin the review, I do want to note that I had previously reviewed the standard Imperial Pumking Ale, giving it a very favorable 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. Since that review, I had a bad experience with said beer in a bar in Salem, Massachusetts (of all places!). I had a bad pint - a VERY bad pint - that I ended up sending back. And since that experience, I haven't touched a Pumking since.

Sorry, I didn't have time to set up a spooky beer shot this time, so you only get a bottle pic for reference!

So I was a bit nervy picking up the 4-pack caramel version. But upon cracking the cap, all concerns were immediately dashed!

The beer poured a medium copper color with a quick, thin, fizzy head. I was immediately rewarded with a very fragrant, delicious and sweet caramel note. I don't think I've ever had more scent come from a pumpkin beer before. I sat there for quite a few minutes, just enjoying the pleasant toasty caramel coming from the glass!

On first sip, I got hints of sweet pumpkin, but as expected it quickly blended into delicious caramel across the entire mouth. That same caramel flavor stayed throughout, ending with a dry, almost nutty caramel aftertaste. A really great transition of flavors across the entire sip.

I was quite impressed with the amount of flavor in this beer. Aromatic and full, but never overpowering. This is a really great beer for a cold October night and is absolutely recommended to anyone who even remotely likes caramel. It's a delicious beer, but it's also a sweet treat.

And because of this, Southern Tier's Caramel Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale gets a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. A real October treat for the mouth AND the nose!

The Smell Of The Haunt

So in past years, I have really focused in on a few detail aspects of my display: sight and sound.

I arrange everything in a visually appealing way with a hierarchy of focus and light (that is, the most important and detailed props are front and center in the display with full-color spotlighting while less important pieces - my potter's field wooden crosses - flank the edges with only a wash of light). It all keeps the viewer's eye focused on the center of the display.

I have also spent years developing the sounds of the display. I have settled on dark ambient audio as the main background audio - enveloping, menacing sound to create a sense of unease that stays in the background without creating any noticeable hints to distract or bring attention to it. I also add some spot sounds throughout to add detail and focus to certain props, be it a quick accent sound or vocal cue.

But the third pillar of the display still escapes me: scent. I want to create a full haunt experience for the trick-or-treaters and their families by also giving scent to add to their experience. Thus far, I have been using scents in my fog which has worked well, but only when the fog is shooting from one of my fog machines.

Last year, I added two incense cone burners to either side of my main archway which sits centered at the front of my display. I thought that position would be optimal as it's right against the sidewalk where everyone passes. They would be sure to catch a hint of scent as they stood and took the display in.

Unfortunately, the scent dissipated pretty quickly and was dispersed by the constant breezes on Halloween night.

I also ended up pitching the incense from last year, as the scent that I picked out was far too "perfumy" for my liking...

But on a whim, I grabbed these new Midnight Woods Scented Incense Cones from Michael's and am quite pleased with the scent. Woodsy with a hint of patchouli spice. I think it will be a great, earthy scent for the Cemetery this Halloween!

And here is where I hand it over to you. Do any of you use scent in your haunts, and how do you disperse it without it immediately blowing away in the wind?? Or am I just doomed to fail on this one???

I'll keep tinkering, but I'd love to hear your tips or ideas to make this work!

Trick 'r Treat In Theaters Tonight!

Yes, it has become an annual mandatory Halloween viewing for all of us, but we've never had the opportunity to see Trick 'r Treat in theaters. Until tonight! From it's original straight-to-DVD release back in 2007, tonight marks the first time Mike Dougherty's mistreated cult classic gets the theater experience it has always deserved.

I have literally seen this film at least 30 times, but I'm still going to get out and see it on the big screen. We get two nights - tonight and Thursday - to see it. Maybe theaters can make this an annual occurrence and a new Halloween tradition? Let's make it happen!

In the meantime, Slashfilm has a great article that covers the full history of the maligned-to-cult-classic film. Give it a read before going to the theater! And then enjoy Douglas Pipes' incredible soundtrack! Enjoy!

Halloween Tapes - "The Watcher Presents Scary Sounds" and "Halloween Sound Effects" Cassettes

No, this isn't an unexpected Freebie Friday post, but are you a fan of all of those old "spooky sounds" releases filled with the glorious Halloween sounds of howling winds, cackling witches, bubbling cauldrons, rattling chains, and snarling werewolves? And did you know that there are still artists out there who are keeping the tradition alive today??

I was so excited when I recently found Halloween Tapes out of Michigan, and their two cassette releases, The Watcher Presents "Scary Sounds" and Halloween Sound Effects. Both cassettes really nail that old Halloween spooky sounds look, sound and feel!

The Watcher Presents "Scary Sounds"
Hear the murky and haunting atmosphere of the graveyard from inside your home...

Three great tracks of old school Halloween fun! From the cover art to the sounds contained within, this is something straight out of a 90's drug store Halloween aisle. But no silly sounds here. Creepy audio on all three tracks makes this a modern must-have.

Halloween Sound Effects
WARNING: This Cassette Is NOT For Minors And Is NOT To Be Listened To Alone In The Dark! LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Challenge accepted! You just know it's going to be great with that "warning" label! Another three tracks of spooky sound effects perfect for a Halloween night. A continuous collection of darker, creepy sounds that should most definitely be listened to alone in the dark! Another must-have companion piece to The Watcher Presents Scary Sounds Cassette.

Do yourself a favor and pick up both cassettes. They are a great addition to any "spooky sounds" collection from an artist who really knows Halloween nostalgia! Enjoy!

Cryo Chamber - Tomb of Iconoclasts

Just a quick post for today, as I'm out in the garage repairing all of the broken props from last year's windstorm. A really great dark ambient compilation from the Cryo Chamber label. Tomb Of Iconoclasts is the latest in their Tombs series and makes a perfect dark soundtrack for a day of toiling in the garage. Enjoy!

From the Cryo Chamber YouTube page:
The Tombs series returns with a special roster curated by Apocryphos featuring new and familiar artists, creating atmospheres of dread and existential horror. The knell of a distant bell fallen can be heard within the decayed houses of the gods. Once standing with grandeur and might, these temples are now their own tombs across a wasteland left by man. Recommended for fans of oppressive dark ambient, brooding atmospheric and layered texturing.

Halloween 'Zines: Disembodied

Up this time is Disembodied Zine created by none other than Slasher Dave! Not only is he a wizard at creating incredible Halloween-themed music, but he holds his own as a fine and graphic artist, as well.

I ended up grabbing the debut issue of Disembodied late last year from Dave's Big Cartel page. I went with the "Box Set" version, as I'm always a sucker for added goodies! In the box, I received the autographed zine itself along with a cool bookmark, pencil, pencil sharpener, pin AND super cool slider puzzle.

And the zine itself is a ton of fun. With a nice, thick two-color cover and black-and-white pages, it takes the incredible essence of Halloween in the 80s and pieces it all out into a handful of great stories (Halloween companies, Halloween haunted houses, Halloween toys, Halloween ads, Halloween costumes, and Halloween TV specials). Add in some fun Halloween-themed word puzzles and games, a page to draw your own haunted house floor plan, and a blank page to draw your own Halloween art, and you have one incredibly awesome Halloween zine.

The debut issue of Disembodied is still available here and is HIGHLY recommended for anyone wanting a shot of that great 80s Halloween magic. Dave really nailed that authentic, old school nostalgia.

The only problem now is having to wait for the next issue to drop! Fingers crossed that we see a new issue yet this October!!

National Haunted House Day!

It's the second Friday in October, so that means it's National Haunted House Day! Tonight would be a fine night to visit a local haunted house and help keep the industry thriving and a fun way to celebrate the Halloween season. So go get your scare on!!

"Halloween" Record

We have reached the end of another week, so that means it's time for another Freebie Friday offering! Time to share another forgotten gem from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.

This week, we're diving into another classic release from 1969, simply titled, "Halloween" on D Records, a country and western label out of Houston, Texas.

If you have ever sampled any of my other Freebie Friday offerings, you already know that the "spooky sounds" cassette industry of the 80s and 90s was an unregulated free-for-all, repackaging older titles quickly and cheaply as new releases. I don't know how many times I have picked up a cassette, excited by the "spooky" title and art, only to find another cheap reproduction of a 70s classic.

Well, with this release we have just the opposite. This one is the original source material for many of the later knockoffs!

Side one starts off a little slowly, with a poorly thrown-together string of random, not-really-Halloween individual sound clips. Weird dog barks, a recording of possibly a Chinese New Year parade with drums and firecrackers, clanking pots and pans, odd springy "boings," and warbling circus organ music...

It isn't until about one-third of the way through this side that things suddenly switch and get interesting. And it's also when I knew I recognized the classic "spooky sounds" from some of those later knock-off tapes! Classic beast howls, creaking doors, howling winds, rattling chains, bubbling cauldrons and sinister laughs... THIS is the stuff!!

Side two continues to deliver the spooky sounds greatness. The harpsichord (I think?) and shrieks, more creaking doors, ghostly moans, werewolf howls, giggling goblins, a weird off-key horn, and whipping winds. It's all here and it's PERFECT! All the classics from the start of the "spooky sounds" craze.

And can you believe we've gotten this far and I still haven't mentioned the incredible cover art? A bold yellow cover with handprinted witch and bats shadows behind a creepy jack-o-lantern, cloaked skeleton, and whipsy ghosts. All under a wonderfully hand-painted "HALLOWEEN" font. It's the whole reason I bought this record in the first place! Still a definite eye-catcher in an ever-growing collection of Halloween records.

This one is a TON of fun and a sure classic that needs a prominent spot in your collection. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN" HERE.

Wolf's Ridge Brewing - Pumpkin Spice Daybreak Cream Ale

NINE DAYS into October and not ONE pumpkin beer review!? How could I have let this happen? It's way past time to right this wrong!

Every October, I like to pick up a few six packs of whatever seasonal pumpkin beer is on the local grocer's shelves, bring them home and sample them, and then write a detailed review, based on my highly scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale. So let's get to it!

First up is Wolf's Ridge Brewing's Pumpkin Spice Daybreak Cream Ale. This is another small brewery out of Columbus, Ohio, so I'm not sure how far out this one is available.

I initially grabbed this six-pack due to it being a Cream Ale, something new and unique to the usual pumpkin beer market. And on first pour I was a bit surprised by the light golden hue capped off by a classic, thick cream ale head, with only a slight earthy, vegetal note.

On first taste, there was a very creamy and smooth texture with the same nutty, vegetal flavor with a strong dry, vanilla coffee flavor that lingered across the tongue after.

Unfortunately, that coffee aftertaste covered any pumpkin or sweet cinnamon flavor described on the can, and overall felt more like I was drinking a milk stout.

I really don't think this one hits the October pumpkin target, but the silver lining is that I am going to sit on these for a month or two. I think this will make an excellent beer for Thanksgiving and into early winter.

And because of that, Wolf's Ridge Brewing's Pumpkin Spice Daybreak Cream Ale gets 2 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. This one is still recommended, even if only after the Halloween season!

Ashland Hanging Tattered Reaper Prop Upgrade

My second prop of the season is done! I recently picked up an Ashland Hanging Tattered Reaper from Michael's. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it when I bought it, but I knew that it was a good starting point and that I could make something really cool with it. The only idea I had was to convert it from a flimsy hanging prop into a freestanding piece that would take its place at the front fence of my Cemetery display.

After about two weeks of creating, corpsing, detailing, and fine tuning, I took the finished piece out to a great open field near my house for some epic photos.

My finished piece...

After bringing the original piece home from the store, I got to work disassembling all the parts and building a new t-shaped body frame out of 3/4" PVC piping. I added PVC elbow pieces for the shoulders and neck, and then added extra PVC pieces and elbows to make rigid, bent arms. I next used old packing bubble wrap to bulk out the upper torso. Finally, I hit sections of the main support PVC pipe with a heat gun, bending areas to create a twisted and hunched figure.

I then took the skull and added a screw to the jaw to set it open as if screaming, and did a full, multilayered corpsing with plastic drop cloth and my trusty heat gun. I added a PVC plug into the bottom of the skull, and attached it at an angle to the neck, giving it a contorted, twisted look. And once the head was set, I added a corpsed neck section for added realism and bulk (and to cover the inner PVC frame).

Next, I cut the original, flimsy wire-and-foam arms from the form and stuffed and glued them into the ends of the new PVC arm sections that I had built. Once they were set and dry, I did the same corpsing technique to both arms and hands.

Once the twisted body form was set and fully corpsed, I reattached the original cloak (after a bit of extra tattering, bleach splattering, and a light misting of orange spray paint) to the body. It now had an old, earthy appearance, perfect for the decayed look I was going for. I also ended up leaving the original plastic chain attached, giving it a mist of the orange spray paint to give it an old, rusted look.

After finishing the cloak, the final step was adding a wood stain to the corpsed flesh areas of the body. I concentrated the most detail on the head, adding heavy coats of stain and quickly wiping away the raised areas to create higher contrast around the eyes, nose and mouth.

And that was it! Another new piece ready to be placed into this year's display. A quick and easy upgrade to a store-bought piece that is going to look a thousand times better. I'm SUPER happy with the results and really excited to now start on the next, even bigger prop!