Let Us Keep Holiday

In these earliest hours of Christmas Day, here's an artful cover from Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact (December 1966) celebrating this holiday where the "present" is indeed the presence of God. Merry Christmas, everyone.  

A Canine Campaign

Today is Election Day in the US, in a Presidential Election year. This of course brings to mind one of the most beloved "also rans" of all time—that ballot-baiting beagle, Snoopy. The Snoopy for President campaigns took various shapes, sizes and forms throughout the election years, but some of the most delightful artifacts from the nonpartisan puppy came via Interstate Brands. Bakers of bread under such brand names as Weber, Butternut and Millbrook—and most famously as the makers of Dolly Madison treats, major sponsor for many years of the Peanuts animated TV specials on CBS—this major Peanuts licensee provided some free campaign materials to Snoopy supporters everywhere.  

Bottom of The Goodie Bag 2016

Here it is All Saints Day and the spooky season is over for another year. But there are still lots of treats to be found in the goodie bag, so let's look at one more tasty item. Here's the fun deluxe comic book Giant Halloween Hex, published by IDW. This spooky read, starring Magica De Spell,  is overflowing with wicked comic goodness that won't even rot your teeth (or your brain)! And the Halloween fun is cubed because this trick-or-treat themed comic-book treat was issued with three covers. The mad magic of Magica brings our 2016 Countdown to Halloween to a close. I hope that veteran visitors and new guests alike enjoyed the Halloween treats that were tossed out between a partially open door—and I hope everyone will visit Tulgey Wood in the weeks to  come—especially for the annual Tulgey Wood Christmas Extravaganza!

  

Hanna-Barbera Monsters On The Loose (And Scooby Doo Is No Where To Be Seen)

Well, Halloween is here and the Countdown to Halloween 2016 blogathon is over. Many thanks to all who dropped by, especially new visitors, whether you had a costume or not. (If you have already done so, please check out the other participating blogs here.) To celebrate the spookiest day of the spooky season, here's Huck Finn again, with some cartoon monsters as only Hanna-Barbera could scare them up. It's all from the new DVD release of Hanna-Barbera's The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As you enjoy these monstrous  apparitions—and perhaps consider adding the new Huck Finn DVD to your trick-or-treat bag—remember to have a safe and of course fun October 31st. Happy Halloween to one and all!

Happy Halloween From Lio

Have you met Lio? One of the best newspaper comic strips to come along, this merry but macabre comic, written and drawn by Mark Tatulli, is a complete delight. Here is today's Sunday strip, marvelously getting us ready for the big day. Speaking of that big day (and night), stop by tomorrow for the conclusion of our Countdown to Halloween 2016.

Archie Rocks And Rolls With A Creepy Concert

We couldn't let October end without a classic Archie cover. This one is Laugh, # 126 (December 1961). Could the ghoul cats Veronica is none too thrilled to see be precursors for the Groovie Ghoulies? 

Tricks And Treats With The McDonald's Happy Meal Treat Pail (Starring Charlie Brown)

McDonald's is helping Peanuts fans celebrate 50 Years of the It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with these wonderful Halloween treat pails. Decorated with authentic art from the beloved TV special, these Happy Meal premiums help everyone get ready for the big night (whether that's spent in the pumpkin patch or going door to door for tricks and treats). Rock not included.

Mummy Meets Mark Twain (Well, Not Exactly)

A little known show with a rabid cult following, Hanna-Barbera's The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn featured live-action Huck, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher in an animated world—where the adventurous trio often met up with monsters. Here, in the comic book based on the TV series (1968-1969), the kids encounter the Mummy. You can see all the adventures of Huck and his pals—and all the monsters they meet—in the new DVD of the show, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: The Complete Series. And come back to Tulgey Wood for more Countdown to Halloween 2016, and you'll see more off Huck (and more monsters, too).  

"Lost Scenes" From It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

50 years ago on this date, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown made its debut on CBS. One of the greatest animated specials ever produced, the Halloween adventures of the Peanuts gang became an instant classic. However, one segment was only seen a few times: the portion of the delightfully spooky TV title sequence that showcased the sponsors of the show. Here, to celebrate five enduring decades of Charles M. Schulz's animated masterpiece, here are a few shots from that rarely seen sequence. 

Marty And The Mad Scientist

On this date, October 26, in 1985, Marty McFly met his scientist (some might call him "mad") friend, Doc Brown, at Twin Pines Mall in Back to the Future (1985). To celebrate, and to help emphasize the Halloween-like or at least horror aspects of the time-travel tale, here's the cover (or one of the cover variants) of the new comic book series, Back to the Future Citizen Brown (from IDW, that great publisher that also issues Disney Comics) featuring new BTTF adventures. It's all part of the Countdown to Halloween 2016. 

Bugs Cooks Up Some Halloween Fun

It's just not Halloween here at Tulgey Wood without a visit from Bugs Bunny. As evidenced from the many Halloween-themed comic book stories Bugs appeared in, the long-eared galoot certainly knows how to have a good time at Halloween. Here, featuring two double-w's (the wasically wabbit and a wicked witch), is the cover of the Bugs Bunny Halloween comic (No.3) for 1955.

Archie (Not Bunker) And His CBS Spin-Offs

Can you name a CBS character from TV history whose hit show spun off a spine-off and then that show was spun-off? Here's a hint: His name is Archie. But it's not Archie Bunker, it was Archie Andrews. When The Archie Show debuted on CBS in September 1968, it was a smash. So it was decided to add a character from the Archies comics universe to the show for the following season, and thus (You knew I'd get around to the Halloween connection sooner or later, didn't you?) in September 1969, CBS presented The Archie Comedy Hour. Not only did Saturday morning vid-kids get more of Archie they also got Sabrina the Teenage Witch. One hit leads to another, and the very next year Sabrina got her own show, Sabrina and the Groovie Ghoulies, also starring cartoon versions of the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man, who just happened to be the teen age witch's cousin. (Archie soldiered on with another hit show, Archie's Funhouse.) The following year, The Groovie Ghoulies debuted starring Sabrina's cousins in their own show. Here are two comic-book ads celebrating these characters.  

Muppets As Monsters

Back here Tulgey Wood presented a Muppet Lift-the-Flap-Book for Thanksgiving. Now here's one for Halloween. Originally published in 1996, Halloween at Creepy Castle features Robin the Brave creeping through the frightening fortress. Robin needs to be brave because he keeps finding monsters, but luckily all the beasties turn out to be Kermit, Miss Piggy and the others in Halloween costumes. There's more monstrous fun ahead here at Tulgey Wood for the Countdown to Halloween 2016. 

Make 'Em Laugh, Monsters Division

We lost the wonderful comic artist Jack Davis this year so it seems particularly appropriate to run some of Jack's masterful art for Halloween. These are from the 1959 Topps trading cards series, Funny Monsters. That simple title says it all because the combination of crazy comedy and kooky monsters were undoubtedly a draw for any true Monster Kid. Enjoy and dedicate your laughter to the memory of Jack Davis...and be sure and stop back for more monstrous doings during the Countdown to Halloween 2016. 

The New Scooby Doo Movies With Today's Special Guest, Jonny Quest!

The Scooby-Doo! Team-Up comic book has featured some fun guest stars, from Batman (and Bat Mite, for that matter) and Superman to the Flintstones and (no, it's not a  Halloween prank) Secret Squirrel. One of my favorites is No. 10 (July 2015) featuring Jonny Quest. The cool cover has Shaggy and Scooby and Jonny and Bandit (and Race) being pursued by a classic horror character, a mummy. Might there be more mummies soon the way in our Countdown to Halloween 2016? Come on back and find out.  

(Not) A Scary Clown

Here's more Halloween fun from the latter-day Mickey Mouse Magazine. This playful cover is from the Fall 1992 issue. Mickey's decked out as clown, blissfully unaware that clowns are scary. Wait until 2016, Mick!  More fun on the way right here at Tulgey Wood's Countdown to Halloween 2016. 

Carved Pumpkin

It's the 50th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown. For the occasion, ABC has a nifty promo and a niftier logo for its annual broadcast tonight. Unfortunately, the version aired tonight is edited down, missing entire scenes, so bad for ABC. On the other hand, good for ABC for showing the entire, unedited TV classic on October 28.  It's all part of Tulgey Wood's Countdown to Halloween 2016. Stop by all October for some more tricks that are really treats, and vice versa.  

Off To See The Witch, The Wicked Witch Of Oz

Regular visitors to Tulgey Wood know about some of the premiums and offers associated with the little known Off To See the Wizard television series that ran on ABC during the 1967-68 season. One classic Oz character was rarely seen on the TV show itself, though she did appear in some of the merchandise.  In honor of Halloween, let us honor the Wicked Witch of the West with this rare Rub-On-type "Magic Picture Kit" premium that was offered Free! in "specially marked packages" of Jiffy Pop as a tie-in with the Chuck Jones-produced TV show. Four different scenes were offered, including the witchy one pictured here. It's all part of Tulgey Wood's participation in the Countdown to Halloween 2016 blogathon. 

Frankenstein Goes Pink

Welcome back for more tricks, treats, scares and spooks right here at the Countdown to Halloween 2016. This frightfully delightful issue of the Pink Panther comic book (No. 31, January 1976, published by Gold Key but my copy is the Whitman variant) features a full-on pink version of Frankenstein. Though it's the cover story, it's the last story in the issue, but that only served to draw riders deep into the mag, making it one frightening funnybook (but in a good way). 

That Tricky Beagle Goes Trick Or Treating

Here's fun Peanuts art from the cover of the all-too short lived Snoopy Magazine. This fun cover from Fall 1999 pictures the costumed canine with a trick of his own flying straight out of his goodie bag. Spoiler alert: It's not a rock. More Peanuts fun and other sorts of treats coming up in the Countdown to Halloween 2016 right here at Tulgey Wood.