Uncle Scrooge, Trick-Or-Treater

Have you tricked-or-treated at any of the other "Cryptkeepers" participating in the Countdown to Halloween 2018 blogathon? There is some cool candy to be had because the bloggers a-bloggin' in this blogathon are the spookiest on the block. When it comes to tricks and treats (as the Peanuts kids would say), Uncle Scrooge is after candy of the gold kind, and it's not candy corn. In this cover by William Van Horn from Uncle Scrooge # 7 (actually #411) October 2015, the miserly McDuck may be costumed as a clown This cover is the great tradition of covers (established by Carl Barks, of course) of Scrooge taking great joy in money, so it's a fun idea to add Halloween into the mix. The issue also includes a story perfect for the spooky season: "Mummy Fearest" (originally from 1977 but never before published in the US), written and drawn by the legendary Romano Scarpa, with translation/dialog by the great Joe Torcivia. You can discover more about this scary-season story at Joe's excellent blog. 

Kukla, Fran and Ollie − Fran and Ollie + Buelah Witch = Halloween

There was more to the Kukla, Fran and Ollie TV series than those titular three. The Kulkaopolitan Players included other harming if less often seen characters, including Buelah Witch  (This character—created and performed by Burr Tillstrom, as were all the Kulkaopolitan puppets—was named after producer Beulah Zachary, with the misspelling of “Buelah” for the witch intentional.) There's an entire website devoted to Kukla, Buelah and Ollie (and Fran). Click here to visit the site and read Buelah Witch's article about her special Halloween.  And be sure and come back here to Tulgey Wood every day in October as 2018's Countdown to Halloween continues. 

A Pebbles And Bamm-Bamm Halloween Bash

Welcome back to more Countdown to Halloween for 2018! Think of Halloween-centric cereal and chances are most breakfast-food fans will think of General Mills' Monster Cereals (and more about those coming up this spooky season). But other cereals have jumped on the Halloween bandwagon, including the Flintstones at Post. In 2014, the coral giant released Candy Corn Pebbles cereal. The best part of the whole thing is the box, adorned with Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm wearing their Halloween costumes. Post has been making good use of these all-too-seldom seen (in modern usage, at least) these stone-age toddlers. The only way this box art could be more perfect is if it included Baby Puss. In a Dino mask.

A Halloween Puzzle-Card Hybrid

In a monstrous mashup worthy of Dr, Frankenstein (or Dr. Bunsen Honeydew), here's the Muppets sharing a spooky story on a unique 1982 Hallmark card, or more specifically a Jim Henson Muppet Puppet Card. Imagine receiving this in the mail at Halloween time? It would take someone special to "Sign it! Separate it! Seal it! Send t!" Just some Muppety fun for our 2018 Countdown to Halloween. 

It Might Even Horrify You...

I have always been fascinated by the out-of-the-ordinary prologue at the beginning of the classic Universal film Frankenstein (1931). In this somehow eerie pre-credits introduction (added after an audience at a sneak preview in Santa Barbara was too shocked and unsettled by a horrific film for which they were completely unprepared) Edward Van Sloan (who plays Dr. Waldman in the movie) steps out from behind a curtain to offer a few words of "friendly warning," including these immortal thoughts: "It is one of the strangest tales ever told.... I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even horrify you." This strange last minute addition lends a sense of foreboding to the film before it even starts. The famed prologue was parodied by Larry "Bud" Melman (Calvert DeForest) at the beginning of  the debut episode of Late Night with David Letterman on February 1, 1982. Larry "Bud" warns of "David Letterman, a man of science who sought to create a show after his own image without reckoning upon God." As we continue our Countdown to Halloween 2018, you can watch the Letterman lead-in here.

                                       

Halloween on TCM

Turner Classic Movies is once again featuring many a Halloween movie in October. The Mummy is the Monster of the Month, and Wednesdays put the spotlight on Horror Stars. For example, Wednesday October 10 the featured Horror Star is Christopher Lee, Wednesday October 17 it's Boris Karloff, and on Wednesday October 10 it's Bela Lugosi—while on Halloween, Wednesday October 31 itself, it's Vincent Price. Plus, if you can stand more, there's a celebration of 200 Years of Frankenstein. The monthly "This Month on TCM" promo is always excellent, but this month it's truly exceptional. Thanks to TCM fan Patton Oswalt, we now know (via Twitter) that this ghastly (for Halloween) gem was crated by Atlanta-based producer David Byrne. See some screen grabs from this promo below—and check out some of the spook-house movie offerings on TCM. It's all part of the Countdown to Halloween 2018. 

Halloween Is Peanuts Time

On October 2, 1950, the Peanuts comic strip made it's debut. The Great Pumpkin theme long ago made Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends an integral part of Halloween, and that makes this day an important element of the scary season. Here's some spooky, non-Great Pumpkin art, just to share things up: the cover of Peanuts # 25 (2015), covers by Paige Braddock and Vicki Scott. This Schulz-inspired art makes good use of Snoopy, combining his Beagle Scout and vulture personas. Hopefully this unusual art is suitably spooky for our Countdown to Halloween 2018.

Welcome, Foolish Mortals, To The Countdown To Halloween 2018

Happy October 1st! The first day of the spooky season not only means the start to the 2018 Countdown to Halloween, it also means the anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World Resort on October 1, 1971. To mark that occasion here's a 1972 post card of the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom Park. Different from its Disneyland Park predecessor, this "spook house" is an elegant yet somehow foreboding structure, designed in the Gothic style of 18th century homes in New York's Hudson River Valley in order to integrate the attraction into its Liberty Square location. While you gaze upon its stately yet slightly sinister beauty, welcome. To regular visitors, good to see you again and I hope you like treats I toss in your goodie bag. No rocks, I promise. To new visitors—Tulgey Wood is full of surprises, treats and even a few spooky tricks, so I hope you enjoy wandering through the madness. Be sure and visit the other blogs participating in this Halloween blogathon. These dedicated "crypt keepers" have set glowing and cleverly carved jack-o-lanterns on their front porches so be sure and knock on their doors. (But be aware that some of these blogs focus on the more horrific side of this holiday, and may also include strong language and mature themes.) Most of all, be sure and stop by throughout the month right through October 31st itself as we Countdown to Halloween 2018 here at Tulgey Wood.

Looking For Halloween Fun?

If you, like Elmer in this comic book cover drawn by Pete Alvarado (Bugs Bunny #203 1978), are on the look out and don't quite see that scare-hare, uh make that scarecrow, rest assured—Halloween time is almost here. Starting tomorrow, the Countdown to Halloween 2018 starts right here at Tulgey Wood, a part of the annual blogathon. So be vwey, vewy quiet and tiptoe back here tomorrow, October 1, for a month-long spook-a-bration of all things fun and frightful.

The Reports Of The Demise Of This Blog Are Greatly Exaggerated

Readers of this blog (all three of you) have been wondering about the lack of posts. Although every sign indicates otherwise, rest assured new posts are in the future. So stay tuned for some more Tulgey Wood fun and some surprises, too… And thank you all for your interest and support.