Our Countdown to Halloween 2024 continues with a Tulgey Wood—Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Disney’s magical motion picture premiered on this date, October 7, in 1971. Here’s one of three styles of letterhead used by the Disney Studio to help promote the film. I love the stylish, minimalist design of the art. So sophisticated, as is appropriate for this witty musical. It’s all part of our spooky season blogathon—come back through October 31 for more treats and a few tricks.
Halloween time calls for classic horror films—and lucky for us, as is their annual practice, Turner Classic Movies serves up a whole month of monsters, maniacs and other frightening folks. Wednesdays in October features the Star of the Month, Bela Lugosi, who needs no introduction. (OK, he was immortalized as Dracula.) On Thursdays, TCM presents Creepy Cinema with themes including Handsome & Homocidal, Hitchcock & De Palma, and more. Then for October 30 and 31, it’s the annual 48-hour Halloween Terror-Thon—featuring an encore screening of Dracula, which has already been cablecast as part of the Lugosi salute last Wednesday. Head on over to the TCM website for more info. #countdowntohalloween2024
Celebrating Walt Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for its 75th anniversary! Originally released on October 5, 1949, as one half of the animated feature, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the Ichabod (Crane) half of this package feature inspired this 1971 album. The pictured LP is a reissue of the original 1969 album, with added “magnificent, full-color” illustrations. (You can see the illustrations on the back cover of the LP, the second image on this post.) The narrator is not Bing Crosby but legendary Disney voice artist Billy Bletcher, who also provided the terrifying laugh of the Headless Horseman in the original animated production. Don’t loose your head, there’s more Halloween fun here at Tulgey Wood all through October as we Countdown to Halloween 2024. #countdowntohalloween2024
Spider-Man deals with monsters and mutants and who-know-whats, but he’s not always battling anything as Halloween-specific as these pumpkin weapons, wielded by the Hobgoblin‚ who let’s face it, is pretty Halloween-specific himself. The pumpkin-full cover of The Amazing Spider-Man no. 244 (September 1983) is by the legendary John Romita Jr (pencils) with inks by Bob Wiacek. Maybe Halloween 2024 is a particularly good one for Spidey as it was just announced that he will be an all-new balloon for our next big holiday in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watch the skies…and watch for more fun right here at Tulgey Wood throughout October for Countdown to Halloween 2024. Swing by all the other participating blogs and Instagram accounts, too!
An underrated Disney animated feature, The Black Cauldron (1985) also has its castle’s doorway darkened by an underrated Disney villain. The Horned King may not be the fascinating character that say, Maleficent, is, but he’s spooky for sure. A leading Disney authority has described this lesser known character as “scary in design.” You can spot him here on the cover of the rare coloring book. You’ll find much more that’s scary or spooky or silly but hopefully fun all through October here in our Countdown to Halloween 2024 blogathon. Be sure and pop in to the other blogs, too!
Would it be Halloween without Casper trying to scare up some friends? Of course not, so here he is on a trick-or-treat themed cover from January 1989, with both Casper and his pumpkin candy pail. It’s all part of the Countdown to Halloween 2024 blogathon, so stop by everyday in October for more Halloween fun. And please visit all the other participating blogs who are giving out treats with silly and scary throughout the spooky season.
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the 2024 Countdown to Halloween blogathon. 31 days of macabre merriment that will lead us straight to the spookiest day of the year! Since October 1st is always and forever is the anniversary of Walt Disney World, which opened its gates in 1971, let's start with a look back to one of the Opening Day attractions...which also just happens to be one of the most haunting! For a unique view of the Haunted Mansion, let's see a rare glimpse of craftily done art of the Florida Manse on the Disney's Wonderful World lunch box. Issued in 1980, this splendidly produced lunch kit is covered with specially created Disney art. And this sight of the Haunted Mansion gets us off to a suitably scary (but not too scary) start. Come on back tomorrow (and all through October) for more Halloween fun. And don't forget to visit all the blogs ready to spook you during this month-long scary-bration. #CountdowntoHalloween2024
This magnificent artwork is from McCall's Magazine December 1941 by the legendary Disney artist Hank Porter. Obviously the very thing for Christmas Eve.
Thanks to the great Parade historian Bill Smith, here is the classic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade poster created by advertising artist Walter Einsel with the signature Jester character. This dynamic and charmingly old-fashioned art and many other pieces featuring these designs were used for years by Macy's to celebrate the parade. Don't miss the annual broadcast of the Parade tomorrow on NBC (also covered by CBS)—it's the 97th edition of this must-see Thanksgiving tradition.
