Continuing the Countdown to Halloween for 2025: Tonight, October 6th, we will experience a Full Harvest Moon that is also a Super Moon. See details below. (The moon will also be almost as spectacular tomorrow night, October 7th.) Such an October moon always puts me in mind of the spectacular Halloween moon seen in the backgrounds created by Ed Leviit for the classic Peanuts TV special, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown—a perfect reference for the 75th anniversary year of Peanuts.
Even though every issue of any Casper the Friendly Ghost comic book has a cover depicting some spooky stuff (after all, the main character is a ghost, however friendly), not every Casper comic cover is about Halloween. But this cover (from Casper's Ghostland no. 8 1961) has both Casper and a Halloween-specific subject, so it's perfect not-so-fearsome fun for our Countdown to Halloween celebration.
Yesterday, October 3rd, was the 70th anniversary of not only, but also another monumental TV series. On October 3rd, 1955, Captain Kangaroo debuted on CBS. Created by and starring Bob Keeshan, this creative and innovative series that engaged the young audience's imaginations ran for almost another thirty years, and on PBS for a few years beyond that. To celebrate and integrate this milestone anniversary of the Captain Kangaroo TV series, we turn to Captain Kangaroo's involvement with the Trick or Treat for UNICEF program. In the photo accompanying this post, the Captain joins Eleanor Roosevelt in launching Trick or Treat for UNICEF. This photo and the accompanying story, written by the famed First Lady herself, explain the origins of both UNICEF and Trick or Treat for UNICEF. See it here at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum blog. For more info on Trick or Treat for UNICEF—and how you can participate—click here. And check back here at Tulgey Wood all through October for more Countdown to Halloween fun.
Today, October 3rd, is the 70th anniversary of Mickey Mouse Club, Walt Disney's classic daily variety hour starring the Mouseketeers. Since we are in the midst of the 2005 Countdown to Halloween, I'd like to tie this historic milestone for the beloved TV program to Halloween. And since I'm unaware of any specific spooky-season programming from the Mickey Mouse Club, I'll feature these two records that feature a lot of costumes. With the enormous number of musical numbers and skits performed on the show, the Mouseketeers, head Mouseketeer Jimmie Dodd and Big "Mooseketeer" Roy Williams, and guest stars donned a colorful (even in black-and-white) array of costumes—so let's pretend the costumes we see are for trick-or-treat. One additional note is that I opted to include the photo with the Swiss-themed costumes on the dance record (Roll Up the Rug For More Mousekedances)) because it has Lonnie Burr front and center—and it just so happens that Lonnie is my favorite Mouseketeer. Though all the core nine Mouseketeers are extremely talented, each with his or her strengths (Annette being in a class all her own, of course), Lonnie is the one who can do it all. So congratulations to Lonnie and all those who made it possible for the Mickey Mouse Club to first be broadcast 70 years ago today.
Today, October 2nd, 2025, marks the 75th anniversary of the first day of publication of the greatest comic strip of all time, Peanuts. And since we have just kicked off our annual participation in the Countdown to Halloween blogathon, here's a Halloween-themed Sunday page from October 30, 1960. This is just one of many thousands of strips by the brilliant Charles M. Schulz (the strip itself ran for 50 years) that is a masterpiece of pacing, characterization, utterly unique situations (this is the first instalment in which Linus refers to the sincerity of the pumpkin patch, and just plain great cartooning. Hope this helps up your Halloween mood while also celebrating the acclaimed comic featuring "Good Ol' Charlie Brown." Watch for more Peanuts coming up in October.
Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding… could it be that the 2025 Countdown to Halloween blogathon is upon us? Yes, here begins 31 days of macabre merriment that will lead us straight to the spookiest day of the year! As October 1st is the anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World, it’s a Tulgey Wood tradition to begin with a truly boo-titful Opening Day attraction. This haunting view of the Haunted Mansion is from an early postcard I recently added to my collection, showing off the Florida house of haunts at night, glowing with lighting both eerie and alluring. Early concept art by Herb Ryman from 1967 shows that plans were to make the new version of the Haunted Mansion in a more traditional pre-revolutionary manor style. However, it was decided to design the exterior of the attraction as a Dutch manor house with a truly distinctive English Tudor influence and Hudson River area styling. Come on back tomorrow (and all through October) for more Halloween fun. And be sure to visit all the blogs that are also counting down. There’s no turning back now! #CountdowntoHalloween2024
Bugs Bunny is here in Tulgey Wood in his perennial position as the September 30th harbinger of the spooky season. In this typically awesome cover art by Ralph Heimdahl for issue 44 of Bugs Bunny (1955), this silly swami sees more than carrots in his crystal. He sees the future, especially the 2025 Countdown to Halloween that is starting tomorrow. Be sure and come back for some Halloween fun all through October. It all begins on October 1—that’s tomorrow, Doc.
Here we are on the big day itself. Thank you for stopping by and ringing the bell, and I hope you enjoy the candy you got here. Check out all the other Cryptkeepers...and thanks for suiting up in some spooky wear for the Countdown to Halloween 2024!
Be sure and check out the (almost) daily postings of hand drawn art by Dean Brinkerhoff for Inktober. Dean Brink's Instagram account On the Brink is part of our Countdown to Halloween 2024.
If you have hit the link that takes you to Countdown to Halloween, you hopefully have explored the sites and blogs an accounts of some of the other Cryptkeepers. One of my favorites is Garage Sales Finds, recently displaying some classic Halloween masks and costumes. Here are a selected few. And be sure and visit Garage Sales Finds to see a lot more classic Ben Cooper costumes and artist Frank Romano.
