"F*ck 2021 As Well" - Sam Heimer




So here it is, the final day of 2021. And I thought this amazing print from Sam Heimer kinda sums it all up rather nicely!

But in all honesty, 2021 wasn't THAT bad of a year for Highbury Cemetery. Outside of a continuing pandemic (which has become our new normal), Halloween, 2021 was much improved over the previous year's meager showing.


Better display, better lighting, better turnout. And for that, I am pretty happy. This year's display sets the high mark to improve on for 2022 and I have quite a few ideas already banging around in the old noggin. I can't wait to dive back in!

But for now, I'm going to keep this one short and simply bid a fond farewell to 2021. And send out a huge thank you to EVERYONE who stopped by this old blog this year, especially to hang out during the annual October Countdown to Halloween. It was a blast as usual!




I hope wherever you find yourself, that the coming year is bigger, better, and badder for you. Let's kick 2021 to the curb and kick 2022 right in the ass.

Happy New Year, everyone!

(Oh, and only 304 days until Halloween. Are you ready?)


Merry Christmas!


Wishing all of my fellow haunters, haunted house freaks, Halloween enthusiasts and fans of the macabre a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Highbury Cemetery!

(And yes, I continue to post this clip every Christmas, but it still remains one of my favorites!)

"But be warned. Santy Claus only brings presents to them thats been good all year. What about you, boy? You been good all year?"



Arrival of the Creepmas Bat!



A HUMONGOUS thank you goes out to Lady M from Lady M's Haunted Parlor for the unexpected Creepmas gift that arrived at the Cemetery gates today! This awesome little bat (along with a cool Creepmas keychain) has already made itself at home in my creepy collection of Halloween goodies. Spread your wings and take flight into the night...what music you make!

  

Dallas & Co. Costumes & Magic Liquidation Auction


Okay fellow haunters! Here is your chance to pick up some incredible props, costumes and other Halloween goodies for your haunts on the cheap!

Aumann Auctions, Inc. has just posted a HUGE online auction. After 50 years, Dallas & Co. Costumes & Magic of Champaign, Il., has decided to sell off their entire retail location inventory. And they have a TON!

From the Aumann Auctions, Inc. Facebook page:

A truly one-of-a-kind online auction! A landmark in the heart of downtown Champaign, IL for nearly 50 years! It's bittersweet, but owners Andy and Barbara Dallas have decided to sell off their inventory from their retail location known as Dallas & Co. Costumes & Magic located at E University Ave, Champaign, IL 61820. This auction will feature high-end animatronic props, costumes, haunted house props, masks, wigs, fog machines, store fixtures, display cases, shelving, party decorations, magic tricks, medieval armor, life-size statues/props, dunk tanks and even a 13 foot Tall Robotic Gorilla by Michael Burnett Studios! Open House viewing of all items selling will take place January 17th 3pm - 5:30pm. Online bidding is available now through January 18th. Make sure you look through both online catalogs for all items selling at links below:

Items ending 4pm Jan. 18th: https://bid.aumannauctions.com/auctions/catalog/id/29872/

Items ending 7pm Jan. 18th: https://bid.aumannauctions.com/auctions/catalog/id/29873/











I didn't think I needed a 13-foot-tall animatronic gorilla, but maybe I do!!

In sharing this with good Cemetery friend, Randy Skalos, he has informed me of the rare gems that can be found in this huge lot: Distortions Unlimited, Gag Studios, and Michael Burnett Studios props and animatronics and more. There are some true treasures buried within the long lists.

I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on this as we get closer to closing time, which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 18th.

Even if you're not currently looking for anything, I highly recommend just browsing this incredible list of Halloween goodies!

But don't you DARE bid on my gorilla!!

  

Hilary Woods - "Feral Hymns"


A collection of hymns set at dusk. Speckled memory, dust, earth, grit, ritual and chant – purged in the shadows. Unspoken bonds, primal pain, cyclical patterns, unsent love letters. Homemade recordings, made at home.

Feral Hymns is a collection of powerful and cavernous compositions, produced by Hilary and mixed and mastered by frequent collaborator Lasse Marhaug. The EP uses rich string orchestration, electronics, textured field recordings and ethereal vocal instrumentation to create a beautiful lulling and compelling series of dimensional drones.

Hilary Woods' Feral Hymns is available now at her Bandcamp page.



"A Creepy Christmas 2021: Krampus' Revenge" at The Factory of Terror


I'm diving back into that haunt spirit tonight! I'm meeting up with my haunt crew and we're getting back to our annual holiday get-together down at The Factory of Terror in Canton, Ohio for their "A Creepy Christmas 2021: Krampus' Revenge."


We missed last year's event due to the pandemic, but I'm really excited to get back at it this year. The Factory does an incredible job of turning their haunt into a full holiday-themed nightmare, culminating in pictures with Krampus himself! (The holiday-themed bar ain't too bad, either...).

If you're in the Northeast Ohio area and looking for something to do tonight, why not meet us down at The Factory of Terror and get your haunt on with the great cloven-hooved one!


  

Nuclear Winter Music - A Dronny Darko Mix for Cryo Chamber


A full hour mix of desolate, atmospheric dark ambient audio, perfect for the oncoming cold of winter. Featuring tracks by Beyond The Ghost, Apocryphos, Mount Shrine, protoU, and more. Enjoy.


 

Fröhliche Krampusnacht!


Gruss vom Krampus!

It's Krampusnacht, and that means that all of the bad children will be visited by Krampus tonight! Krampus, the Christmas Devil and evil counterpart of St. Nicholas, is a cloven-hooved, goat-demon that punishes bad children with a lash of his birch branched switch, then transports them to Hell inside the wicker basket upon his back.

Have you been good this year?

Photo courtesy of Liv Rainey-Smith/Xylographilia.

Photo courtesy of Matej Divisna/Getty Images.

Photo courtesy of Hexe Productions.

Photo courtesy of Fest300/Krampusnacht 2013.

And a little homage to the horned-one himself from the 2015 Michael Daugherty film of the same name to put you in a ghastly yultide mood... "Cloven" by composer Douglas Pipes. Enjoy!


  

Highbury Cemetery Shirt, 2021


Amid all of the rush to get everything done for Halloween 2021, I still found time to print up my annual haunt shirts. That is, every year I design a new logo for the haunt, then take the art and hand silkscreen a small amount of shirts here at the Cemetery. I then give them away as a thank you to family and friends who come over and help set up, run, and tear down my display during our annual trick-or-treat.

Along with being especially happy with this year's logo, I was even more thrilled with the way this year's shirt turned out! For the first time, I was able to print up a 2-color shirt and the metallic gold and black design looks incredibly vibrant on the dark red heather shirt. This is one that I will be sporting often in the coming year, and sets the high mark for shirts that I have done over the last 18 years.