The Halloween Art Of Austin Pardun

Another shot of Halloween inspiration, courtesy of another really great Halloween artist, Austin Pardun.

Austin continues to kill it with his vintage and creepy October aesthetic. One part unsettling horror, one part nostalgic Halloween advertising, but it all combines perfectly into a continuing series of distilled Halloween perfection!

Each piece just gushes with total Halloween spirit, and I can't wait to see what he continues to create throughout the season.

Be inspired and enjoy!

All images courtesy of Instagram/Austin Pardun.

  

Tröegs Brewing - Master Of Pumpkins Ale

FIFTEEN 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 highly-scientific and accurate review, based on my highly scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale. So let's get to it!

First up is Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins. I actually reviewed this 7.5% ABV limited seasonal pumpkin ale a couple of times in years past, but it's a treat to find on the shelf and has always ranked pretty high, so I immediately grabbed a 4-pack for the fridge.

Upon cracking the 16-ounce "tallboy" can open, the beer poured a nice rich copper hue with an earthy, nutty, and slight cinnamon-sweet note, all capped with a firm, foamy head.

On first taste, there was a slightly malty, dry, roasted nut spice flavor. But it was smooth and balanced, not at all overpowering.

As I continued to drink this beer, the flavors opened up a bit, releasing the dry maltiness and leaving a smoother, toasted nut flavor. 

It definitely sits on the opposite side of the pumpkin ale spectrum to the cinnamon-sweet, pumpkin pie-flavored ales. There's no real sweetness here, but it does have a really great earthy flavor (all those Pennsylvania pumpkins!), making this a perfect beer to drink on a chilly October night.

And because this beer really nails that "from the earth" nut flavor and remains very drinkable throughout, Troegs' Master of Pumpkins gets 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. This one is highly recommended!

  

Nekropolis - "Ghul"

Some of his music was performed on industrial and domestic tools, as well as on self-made instruments and electronic media. His influence was noted by bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, Throbbing Gristle, and Deine Lakaien, and he became better known in Japan, the U.S. and Britain than in Germany. His music was "characterized by a fondness for the nightmarish and the fantastic."

Another fantastic track from the dawn of dark ambient. German artist Peter Frohmader's Nekropolis project from 1981. Very dark, very discordant, but ooh so good.

Enjoy.

  

The 2024 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, and distributed by my son and a few of his neighborhood friends (work smarter, not harder!).

And while I'm disappointed with the meager two-hour window for trick-or-treating, 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?

  

The Topstone Skull Mask

Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a really cool piece from my Halloween youth! I came across an original Topstone Skull Mask from the 1980s in great condition and decided that it was going into my collection.

Growing up in the early 80s, this mask was one of the main pieces in our "Halloween Costumes" bin and I incorporated it into a few different costumes through the years. But after years of use, poor storage, and then a family move half way across the country, the poor skull mask was lost to the sands of time...

Until now! I have always wanted to get an original just to have for nostalgia's sake, and now I have it. This will be taken care of (as with all early Topstone masks, the latex is VERY thin and flimsy), and will not be thrown into a "Halloween Costumes" bin this time around!

A collection of Topstone Skull masks, showing paint and sculpt variations over time. Photo courtesy of Ray Castile.

And here is my original mask from Halloween, 1982. Beware the Skull Army Pirate and his Crazy Clown kid brother!!

  

Great Pumpkin Project Drop No. 1: Closed For Business

Last night, I finally joined in on this year's Great Pumpkin Project fun with my first jack-o-lantern drop of the season.

I picked up a nice little pumpkin from the corner store and brought him home. I gave him an appropriately spooky face, and after a quick carve and a GPP tag attachment, he was ready to go...

After a quick discussion with Brother Scrapes on possible drop locations, I settled on one and headed out...

About a month ago, the local Melt Bar & Grilled, a fantastic little food joint that serves up the most delicious and outrageous sandwich concoctions based on a standard grilled cheese theme, closed its doors for business. While I will miss their Chicken & Waffles Grilled Cheese, I felt it appropriate to honor them with a pumpkin drop.

I was surprised that (most of) the sign and some of the other exterior lights were still on, even with no one home. But it made for a cool backdrop!

This location was in a VERY busy and well-lit retail space in a VERY high traffic area, so I had to get in and get out quickly. I casually pulled into the parking lot, secured a nice location under the sign for all to see and enjoy, snapped a few pics, and then casually headed out. Right in front of a cop. Oops. Luckily he didn't pay any attention to me and I was able to sneak away undetected.

A little tip of the pumpkin hat to you, Melt! Your grilled cheeses were delicious!!