Michael's Halloween 2026

Checked out some Halloween stuff at Michael's today.

Now Playing: Slowing And Spinning

By Vactrol Park.

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Image source.

Happy (Belated) Summerween

I was surprised that I had never posted about Summerween before.  I felt like it had been around relatively long, as it's come up a bunch of times during my blog-material searches over the years, but I never gave it much more thought than that.  I think I was of the school of thought that celebrating Halloween outside of the traditional time frame was just not something I'd want to do.  That it somehow seemed irreverent (I'm extremely uptight).

Then a good friend of mine asked me if I wanted to do a Summerween cookout.  My first instinct was that she was putting me on.  She informed me of the origins of the odd informal cultural holiday.  Back in 2012, an animated series called Gravity Falls once had an episode that dealt with a town that loved Halloween so much it celebrated it twice a year.  The summer varietal of the holiday took place on June 22, and it was celebrated with jack-o'-melons, costumes, trick or treating, and loads of candy.

I agreed to a low-key version (no carved watermelons), but plenty of cocktails, mummy hotdogs, Halloween tunes, and a visit from a Witch.  As the haze from the Canadian forest fires began to clear in this region, we (uncomfortably) added our own smokey fog with a fire pit and way too many smoke bombs.  We were a month late, but it was a nice little party and a cool reminder that the real Halloween is getting ridiculously close.

Click here to watch the episode that started it all.

Here are some of our pics...

Moss And Stone

A terrific video showing the process of creating some lovely cemetery moss and tombstone aging, by the extremely talented gravekeeper Revenant Manor.  

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The Devil Made Me Do It

I entered a costume contest that was held in my grade school when I was in first or second grade. I was The Devil. Not some cool homemade sewn costume like a lot of the kids were sporting, but rather a cheap store-bought variety: a plastic mask and a vinyl/flame retardant outfit - the "shirt" displaying an image of the Devil himself. That part of those costumes I never understood. Why not make the outfit simply be the body/costume of the Devil? Meanwhile it was more like Lucifer was wearing a t-shirt sporting an image of Lucifer. (Same goes for Batman costumes - it was never his chest plate/armor back then. It was always Batman wearing a costume with an image of Batman on it.)  Dumb.

So there I was in a Halloween parade marching around the school yard wearing my Old Scratch costume carrying a cool plastic pointy trident. I KNEW I was going to win first place. I have no idea what made me so convinced I'd be winning the prize for best costume (probably the Devil). The teacher walked slowly by the rows of children studying the costumes, pretending to make it a hard decision. Then she approached me. 

ME. 

I remember being nervous and panicked at the prospect of winning.  I was already planning my acceptance speech.  Probably something fun and light, with a few jabs of the pitchfork in the air towards my cheering classmates, just to let them know I was cool, yet humble and grounded. 

Then she reached out and touched the shoulder of the kid next to me - wearing a homemade hand-sewn dinosaur costume. You know the one - big long tail, spikes running down the back, a face hole where the pointed toothy mouth should be... his mother made it of course.

Somewhere in the crowd of noisy, screaming kids, I'm certain I heard The Devil laughing his horns off.

Now Playing: The Ferryman

By John Carpenter and crew.

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Trailer: WERWULF

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Nightmare On Elm Avenue

For five years, Michael Myers stood watch over the corner of Elm Avenue and Brook Drive in Churchville.

Not the real one, of course, but a life-size mannequin of the iconic horror villain that quietly became one of Bucks County’s more unlikely neighborhood landmarks, writes Jo Ciavaglia for Bucks County Courier Times.

What started as a Halloween display by resident Jim Cole eventually took on a life of its own.

The life-sized figure never really left for the off-season; instead, Cole dressed him for Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and July Fourth.

The neighborhood took notice. Residents started using the mannequin as a navigation landmark. Children tracked his seasonal wardrobe changes. Strangers pulled over to snap photos.

“People look out for Mike,” Cole said. “People use it for directions, I heard. ‘See Mike Myers and turn left.’”

However, not all residents have been so enthused.

Earlier this year, a couple photographed the display, and Northampton Township officials later informed Cole that anchoring the mannequin to a street sign violated township ordinances. Mike had to come down, relocated back to the family’s property.

The backlash was swift. Hundreds of commenters flooded social media to express their disappointment and rally around the fan-favorite Halloween display.

For now, the mannequin stands on the Cole family’s porch, displaced but not retired, while the family weighs options for a more visible home.

The article here.

Now Playing: Vox Immaterium

By Dream Clinic.

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Poison Oak Street

More images here.

Now Playing: Lord Of The Underground

By John Carpenter and crew, from the upcoming album Cathedral.

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The Disturbing True Story Of The Sheppton Mine Incident

Click below for a terrific episode of The Tape Library...

The Fuzz

A few years ago, I set out to do a low-key photoshoot on a cloudy damp morning.  I had packed an iron cauldron, my Witch prop, and a bunch of smoke bombs.  I thought that a smoking cauldron in the foreground of the photo with a blurry Witch in the distance would be a fun image.  The setup took longer than expected.  

Doing this stuff for as long as I have, you'd think I would be less anxious and twitchy about trespassing to get a photo of a weird prop.  Nope.  In fact, I think I've gotten more uptight about it over the years.  A grown man setting up a Witch, or a scarecrow, or a reaper looks odd and unusual and WIERD.  And suspicious.  

So, I set up the Witch and her cauldron behind a construction company and began lighting smoke bombs.  These things only burn about six quick seconds, so I would get about three shots with each bomb.  Turns out the smoke was visible from a nearby road.  As I snapped away in the sulfurous, brightly-colored smoke, I heard a voice come from behind, "What exactly are you doing?"  It was a police officer.

I was impressed I hadn't heard his car pull into the parking lot behind mine.  And definitely shocked I didn't hear him approach on foot (disappointed in my previously-mentioned twitchiness).  I stood up as the smoke bomb hissed out the last of the blueish smoke.  I explained I had an odd hobby, and I was taking some shots of a prop I made.  I would imagine I sounded like Don Knotts at this point, trying to explain what exactly I was doing.  

I scrolled through photos on my phone showing him the photos I just took, and earlier ones of other photoshoots.  The officer seemed really interested and told me that he had a hobby taking photos of architecture.  Said he does it on the weekends to keep sane.  I told him I would leave and he said for me to take my time.  As he was pulling away, I snapped a photo.

Ghostbuster New York Public Library Ambience With Calm Spooky Music For Sleep And Study 8 Hours

I love that these things exist.

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Witchery

HOKUM

Saw this gem of a horror film on Saturday and I keep finding myself thinking about it.  Saying this movie has atmosphere is an understatement.  I was already in love with the film by the time I spotted some delightfully crabby jack o'lanterns above a hotel entrance.  Turns out the film is set during the Halloween season (an added bonus).  Carved turnips and small squash abound.  

Adam Scott was brilliant and I can't imagine another actor in the role.  So glad I saw this in the theater too (was planning to wait for it to stream).

Click below for the trailer...