A Not So Lonesome Ghost

Mickey is so busy trying to crack the case of the seven ghosts that he doesn’t even notice one of them hovering behind him. But Goofy definitely notices...and so does Donald! This artful cover by the great Daan Jippes from Mickey Mouse no. 220 illustrates the classic comic strip narrative by the legendary Floyd Gottfredson that ran in newspapers in 1937. “The Seven Ghosts” was inspired by the theatrically released animated short Lonesome Ghost (1937), an all-time classic. Why did Gottfredson choose seven ghosts instead of the three spirits that materialize in the cartoon? Could it be because a certain movie about a princess and her seven benefactors was in production and released that same year? Come back here to Tulgey Wood all through October for some serious spooky fun in our Countdown to Halloween 2026! #countdowntohalloween 

Creepy Calendar

It's October 2nd, and the early days of the month bring to mind calendars. For our Countdown to Halloween 2026, here's a video from my YouTube channel spotlighting some spooky calendars for this month of Halloween. In this YouTube Short you'll see Garfield, Spider-Man, and Linus from Peanuts among others, all celebrating these October days. To watch the video, please click here—and while you're at my channel, check out the other Halloween-themed videos. And be sure to check back here all through October for more Halloween fun. #CountdownToHalloween2026

A Haunted Countdown to Halloween 2026

Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with this View-Master scene! Could it be that the 2026 Countdown to Halloween blogathon is upon us? Here begins 31 days of fascinating but frightful fun 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. And how much more so for the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World (never "Disney World," always Walt Disney World)? This haunting view of the Haunted Mansion is from a View-Master set celebrating the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom Park, which opened this day 55 years ago! Come on back tomorrow (and all through October) for more Halloween merriment. And be sure to visit all the "Cryptkeepers" that are also counting down. There’s no turning back now! #CountdowntoHalloween2026

Counting Down to the 2026 Countdown to Halloween

Bugs Bunny is back in Tulgey Wood for his annual appointment as the auspicious  September 30th herald of the spooky season. In this typically cute and clever cover art by Ralph Heimdahl for Looney Tunes no. 180 (October 1956). Bugs joins Porky and Petunia to bob up and down for some fun-filled treats—especially the ones that will be part of our 2026 Countdown to Halloween blogathon starting tomorrow. Be sure to come back for some Halloween fun all through October. It all begins on October 1—how about them apples (or carrots!)? #CountdowntoHalloween2026

 

A Colorful Anniversary

Today is the 65th anniversary of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. To celebrate, here are some (ironically black-and-white) TV Guide ads, giving a sense of the scope of this classic chromatically-centric TV series. 

 

Yet Another Happy Thanksgiving With Captain Kangaroo

2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the Captain Kangaroo TV series. This long-running program was broadcast on CBS for the next three decades. Thanksgiving was always a special time at the Treasure House and the Captain's Place, so here's a YouTube Short I produced for my YouTube channel. Please click here to see the video. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! 

The Muppets Meet Rockwell

To recreate Norman Rockwell's famed (and often parodied) painting, "Freedom From Want," the Muppets team up for a Thanksgiving feast. 

Thanksgiving or Halloween?

 Two holidays clash in the great comic strip, Lio.  

Mouse On The Mayflower Monday

Celebrating Thanksgiving week with this publicity photo of images from the Rankin-Bass TV special, The Mouse on the Mayflower. This Rankin-Bass special debuted on NBC on November 23, 1968, Thanksgiving Day that year. Read my analysis about this unusual Thanksgiving animated treat (including a very Baloo-like, in terms of design at least, bear) here. 

Happy Halloween 2025!

October 31st is here, and our 2025 Countdown is over. Once again this year, I wasn't able to do as much as I wanted to with my countdown, as logistics and circumstances (such as work) interfered. So to all my followers and visitors this year, I hope you were able to enjoy what was here. To say Happy Halloween, here is a Sixty Years with Mickey-themed trick-or-treat bag. A tie-in with Mars Inc. to promote their line of confections (M & Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, etc.), these plastic bags were given away free in supermarkets. Happy Halloween to all! 

                         

Spidey For Halloween

Check out my latest YouTube Short starring Spider-Man and some not so Marvel-ous monsters from classic Marvel comics. The short was created especially for Halloween. And while you’re at my YouTube channel, head to my Halloween Playlist for other end-of-October fun. It’s all at Tulgey Wood TV. 

Archie's Here...Wait, No He's Not

That comic-book/comic strip Archie superstar is a Countdown to Halloween perennial...but that redhead from Riverdale is nowhere near to be found in this monstrously captivating cover (attributed to Samm Schwartz) for Laugh no. 130 1962, all the better to include that classic monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. 

 

No Muss, No Fuss—It's Those Monsterous Gremlins

There are good Gremlins and bad Gremlins, but the problem is that the good leads to the bad (but only when fed after midnight). Released in 1984, Gremlins was heavily merchandised (a lunch box, trading cards, publications, Golden Books), including this glorious Colorforms Adventure Set. Featured are lovable Gizmo, evil Stripe, and even Gizmo’s human friend Billy (Zach Galligan). Enjoy the ghastly Sticks Like Magic setup as we Countdown to Halloween. 

Return To Oz With Jack Pumpkinhead

Jack Pumpkinhead from L. Frank Baum’s Oz books is a most suitable character for the spooky season. He is, after all, a living jack o’lantern. Here’s Jack front and center on the poster for the cult-classic Disney film Return to Oz (1985), celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. This artful poster also serves as a tribute to acclaimed artist Drew Struzan, who died today, October 13, 2025. This celebrated illustrator created iconic posters for everything from Star Wars to The Muppet Movie. Can you find Drew Struzan’s famous “drew” signature within the poster’s art? 

Granny Goodwitch Makes Some Not So Scary Music

For Countdown to Halloween 2025: One of the least well-known but most delightful cartoon witches, Granny Goodwitch was created as a foil for Post Cereal spokes-bear Sugar Bear in his animated commercials for Sugar Crisp. When the Linus the Lion Hearted TV series—with a cast of Post's animated cereal mascots—debuted on CBS in 1964, Sugar Bear was naturally included, but so was Granny (wonderfully voiced by the great Ruth Buzzi), as seen here on the cover of the Linus tie-in LP record. Episodes of Linus the Lion Hearted are now seen each week on Sunday night on the indispensable Me TV Toons channel. Word has it that a DVD of the masterfully remastered and restored Linus episodes will be released in the not-so-distant future. (Dare we hope that at least some of the Post cereal commercials will be included?) Of all the Post mascots that star in the show, only Sugar Bear is still active, as seen on every box of Golden Crisp (known as Sugar Crisp)—but unfortunately without Granny Goodwitch. 

A Haunting Cover by Barks

Master illustrator-writer Carl Barks drew up his share of spooky comic book covers over the years, such as this "spooky kooky" entry for his "House of Haunts" adventure story in Uncle Scrooge no. 63 in 1966. A perfect way to celebrate our Countdown to Halloween. 

 

 

Tell-Tale Animated Horror

Although Disney had already firmly established that the art of theatrical animation was more than capable of compellingly depicting horror, UPA created The Tell-Tale Heart (1953). Drawing upon its signature elements of striking design—in this case, expressionistic visuals and minimalist backgrounds—and powerful cinematic technique, including distorted angles and high-contrast shadows, UPA produced an engrossing and decidedly unsettling adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story, converting it into a stark statement of psychological horror. Such was the power of director Ted Parmelee's short that Life magazine celebrated its considerable movie-making merits (click on the images below for a larger view), a perfect entry for our Countdown to Halloween. 

Spooky Steig

Artist for over 100 covers for The New Yorker—the first in 1932, the final in 1997 —acclaimed illustrator and author William Steig contributed this wild yet whimsical Halloween cover to the issue for October 31 (the day itself!), 1959. An honored part of the 2025 Countdown to Halloween. 

Boo From Bruce

One of the all-time classics of cinematic suspense, Jaws is celebrating its 50th anniversary—so why shouldn’t this iconic “monster” movie be part of our 2025 Countdown to Halloween? Especially since Collgeville created a Jaws Halloween costume? This is one mask that may have hid its wearer’s face, but its smile toothily outshines any grin any trick-or-treater could ever come up with. ("What big jaws you have!" "All the better to devour my Halloween treats, my dear.") Also pictured is a costumed action figure from Series 7 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of (chomp) Jaws—and its toothy tie-in costume. 

Big Bedknobs, Golden Broomsticks

In the bewitching bevy of merchandise created for the 1971 release of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Big Golden Book is a standout. The cover art alone captures the specific movie magic of this Disney classic with typical Golden Book flair. (With a flair, you might say.) The emphasis is on the titular Bedknob itself, sparking with the power of the Marvelous Traveling Spell, an iconic moment that is challenging to portray, the relatively small size of the bedknob being one factor. The film premiered in the witchy month (appropriately) on October 7th in London (also appropriate), a magical milestone that cannot go unnoticed as we Countdown to Halloween 2025.