And Nevie Rose Had a Great Halloween, Too...

At the Altar of the Great Pumpkin

Sunday Supplement 10/13/13

Lon Chaney said: "There's nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight." Apparently, there's nothing funny about a clown on a box of breakfast cereal, either. Forget Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Aurora monster models, and Vampira and Bob Wilkins. It's stuff like this that gave birth to a generation of Monsterkids. Really. A couple spoonfuls of Sugar Rice Krinkles and every kid around the table looked just like this:

Speaking of Ray Russell (and sardonic grins), test-drive this personal assessment of writerly motivation: "I would say... ego, guilt, boredom, a love of language, and the desire to entertain myself. I think it was William Saroyan who said he wrote so that he would have something good to read in his old age. That's not a bad reason."

Okay. I kind of doubt this is a kosher product, but I couldn't pass it up. "Oh, Chick!" I bought the coffee cup, too.

Macabre Republic visits the haunted Hudson Valley. Man, those are some serious Jacks!

For my $$$$$, Mondo Zombie Boogaloo is just another way of spelling "2013 Halloween Essential." Some great tracks here courtesy of Yep Roc Records; I'm already addicted to "Theme from Young Frankenstein" and "Theme from Halloween" carved up and surf-stitched and electrified into mean new monsters by Los Straitjackets. Plus "Tingler Blues" and "Demon Death" from Southern Culture on the Skids -- the latter is a mean little short story of a song with a Deadbolt vibe. Nevie Rose's faves are "Que Monstruos Son" ("Dad! It's 'Monster Mash'! In Spanish!" *) and "Goo Goo Muck." And, hey, you can never go wrong with any version of "Monster Surfing Time." That's just boss, hoss.

And last but (hopefully) not least, an American Frankenpost Flashback: Five Favorite Universal Horrors for Halloween. You don't have to wait for the big day, though... it never hurts to get an early start on your Halloween viewing.


* Viva hombre lobo... and Morticia, too!

Halloween Roundup

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Halloweenebration at the Saint Mary's College Library (you can catch some pictures here). I had fun reading from Dark Harvest on the day itself. Biggest surprise -- how quiet it got in the building while I was behind the podium. I figured it was going to be pretty crazy reading in the lobby of a busy library as patrons wandered in and out, but you could have heard a pin drop. Or maybe I should say you could have heard small town badass Mitch Crenshaw drop when the October Boy nailed him with a pitchfork out there on the Black Road, because that's the part of the story I read.

My little girl Nevie Rose must have been inspired, because she came up with her own Halloween story, which I'm posting here for posterity: "Suddenly, the ghost heard a strange sound... and it was the KITTY! He was waiting for the ghost. Then they danced and danced! But the pumpkin was sad. Why was he sad? Because he lost his pumpkin slippers. But then he found them, and he was happy!"

Nevie's only two, but with a pair of writers for parents, I think she might just turn out to be a writer, too.

Could be it's the family curse.

Happier Halloween!

Nevie Rose had a good Halloween as a pumpkin/kitty/witch. She was the belle of the ball at Daddy's library reading, ate pizza for dinner, didn't stick her fingers in the blazing pumpkin, and made it all the way to the grand climax of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein before looking at me and saying: "Does this part make you nervous?"

Nevie Rose, w/ spirit orb!

And: Merry Christmas from Nevie Rose!

Definitely the most stylish member of our household.

Best smile, too.